Number dissimilarities facilitate the comprehension of relative clauses in children with (Grammatical) Specific Language Impairment*

This study investigates whether number dissimilarities on subject and object DPs facilitate the comprehension of subject- and object-extracted centre-embedded relative clauses in children with Grammatical Specific Language Impairment (G-SLI). We compared the performance of a group of English-speaking children with G-SLI (mean age: 12;11) with that of two groups of younger typically developing (TD) children, matched on grammar and receptive vocabulary, respectively. All groups were more accurate on subject-extracted relative clauses than object-extracted ones and, crucially, they all showed greater accuracy for sentences with dissimilar number features (i.e., one singular, one plural) on the head noun and the embedded DP. These findings are interpreted in the light of current psycholinguistic models of sentence comprehension in TD children and provide further insight into the linguistic nature of G-SLI

RED EUGLENOID BLOOMS: A BIOMARKER OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN FLOODED RICE FIELDS

The nutrient load introduced into flooded rice fields is one of the main factorsthat impact this type of ecosystem, contributing to the development of bloomsof pigmented euglenoids. This study was carried out to investigate thebehavior of red euglenas, a group of pigmented euglenoids, forming blooms inthis type of environment. Sedimented spores in the soil after water drainage,as well as water samples from vegetative cells in living blooms were collected.The collected material was inoculated into a culturing medium for microalgaeand incubated for three weeks. The cultures grown in nutrient medium wereused for morphometric analysis to identify the species. In order to characterizethe water environment, chemical and physical parameters were alsomonitored "in situ". The results indicated Euglena sanguinea Ehr. as thebloom-forming species and nitrogen as a key element in the behavior of thisspecies in this type of ecosystem. It was suggested, however, that more studiesare needed to indicate the use of red euglenas as biomarkers of nitrogenoverload in flooded rice fields

Performance and egg quality of Embrapa 051 laying hens subjected to different feeding programs.

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the productive performance and egg quality of Embrapa 051 lineage laying hens compared to a commercial line (Lohmann Brown) when subjected to different feeding programs. Trial consisted of a randomized complete block design, with four treatments: T1 - Lohmann Brown Line receiving 100% basal diet; T2 - Embrapa 051 Line receiving 93% basal diet; T3 - Embrapa 051 line receiving 100% basal diet; and T4 - Embrapa 051 lineage receiving 107% basal diet. The treatments had five replicates each. The basal diet was that recommended by the Lohmann Brown line manual. Variables of bird performance (egg weight, egg production rate, feed conversion per dozen eggs, energy conversion and egg mass) were analyzed, as well as internal egg quality (Haugh unit, yolk color, yolk percentage, and albumen percentage) and external egg quality (specific gravity, shell percentage, and shell thickness). All performance variables presented significant differences (P <0.05) in the three evaluated cycles, comparing lineages. Egg produced by the Embrapa 051 line had the highest percentages of yolk and those of the Lohmann Brown line had the highest percentage of albumen. In conclusion, Embrapa 051 lineage has the potential to produce good quality eggs, as long as it receives the same feeding program of the genetically established lineage. Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o desempenho produtivo e a qualidade dos ovos da poedeira Embrapa 051, em comparação com uma linhagem comercial (Lohmann Brown), sujeita a diferentes programas alimentares. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos completamente casualizados, e os tratamentos foram: T1 ? Linhagem Lohmann Brown recebendo 100% da dieta base; T2 ? Linhagem Embrapa 051 recebendo 93% da dieta base; T3 ? Linhagem Embrapa 051 recebendo 100% da dieta base; e T4 - Linhagem Embrapa 051 recebendo 107% da dieta base. Os tratamentos tiveram cinco repetições cada. A dieta base foi a recomendada pelo manual da linhagem Lohmann Brown. Foram analisadas variáveis de desempenho zootécnico (peso dos ovos, taxa de produção de ovos, conversão alimentar por dúzia de ovo, conversão energética e massa de ovo); qualidade interna (unidade Haugh, coloração da gema, porcentagem de gema e porcentagem de albúmen) e qualidade externa de ovos (gravidade específica, porcentagem de casca e espessura de casca). Todas as variáveis de desempenho apresentaram diferenças significativas (P<0,05) nos três ciclos avaliados, sendo que as aves da linhagem Lohmann Brown apresentaram os maiores valores para essas variáveis. Em relação às variáveis de qualidade interna e externa dos ovos, apenas as porcentagens de gema e de albúmen apresentaram diferença significativa (P<0,05) entre os tratamentos nos três ciclos avaliados. Os ovos produzidos pela linhagem Embrapa 051 apresentaram as maiores porcentagens de gema e os da linhagem Lohmann Brown a maior porcentagem de albúmen. Com o presente trabalho pode-se concluir que a linhagem Embrapa 051 tem potencial para produzir ovos de boa qualidade, desde que receba o mesmo programa alimentar da linhagem geneticamente estabelecida

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives