The latest chapter in a conservation story: completing 10 years of posttranslocation monitoring for a population of great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) in Scotland

During the late 1990s, industrial development threatened a large population of great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) at Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 2004 – 2006, the population was relocated during the first ex situ conservation-based translocation in Scotland, from Gartcosh Industrial Site to the specially created Gartcosh Nature Reserve (GNR). By 2006, 1,012 great crested newts had been translocated to GNR. Peak adult counts obtained by torchlight survey in 2006 were low but continued to increase steadily, exceeding 400 adults in 2010. Later monitoring recorded a decline with 221 adults in 2011. Thereafter, surveys consistently recorded over 400 adults but no monitoring occurred in 2014. In 2015, the highest counts (515 adults) throughout the entire monitoring period were recorded, and a significant increase in overall population growth over time (1998 – 2003, 2006 – 2013, 2015) identified. Until 2011, amphibian fencing prevented great crested newt migration between each of the four zones within GNR and each zone effectively contained a great crested newt subpopulation. When adult counts within zones over time (2006 – 2013, 2015) were examined, two zones had increased whilst two zones had declined. Significant differences in mean counts were found for all zones, with overall growth highest in Bothlin Burn. This may indicate migration between zones, or differences in habitat allowing two zones to thrive whilst the other two faltered. The population retains its status as the largest in Scotland, with the effect of the translocation being negligible or positive. However, our results indicate the need for continued monitoring of translocated amphibian populations and studies on great crested newt migration. Additionally, the zone declines indicate that some ponds may be less favourable and require modification to remain suitable for great crested newts in the longer term

Systematic Review on the Associations between Objectively Measured Breaks in Sitting Time and Cardiovascular Health in Youth

The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the literature on the associations between breaks in sitting time and cardiovascular health, in children and adolescents. The search was conducted using five databases (MEDLINE, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, PSYCINFO and CINAHL) through to 01 October 2019. Due to heterogeneity of the data, meta-analyses were not possible. We screened 2577 studies, and 15 studies were included, representing 9116 participants, from six different countries. Five observational studies and four experimental studies showed associations between breaks in sitting time and cardiovascular health, i.e. an increased number of breaks in sitting time was negatively associated with a cardiovascular health outcome. No associations between number of breaks in sitting time and cardiovascular health outcomes were found in the six remaining studies. Studies examining associations between breaks in sitting time and cardiovascular health in children have shown some favorable associations. More epidemiological evidence is required, to inform lifestyle interventions and public health policies, which could translate into long-term implications on population health

A Flight Study of the Effects on Tracking Performance of Changes in the Lateral-oscillatory Characteristics of a Fighter Airplane

A study of the effects of variations in lateral-oscillatory characteristics on air-to-air tracking performance has been made, using a conventional, propeller-driven fighter airplane equipped with servo devices for varying these characteristics in flight. Tracking runs were made both in smooth air and in simulated rough air. The lateral-oscillation period, damping, and roll coupling were varied over wide ranges during the investigation

Acidity and the multiphase chemistry of atmospheric aqueous particles and clouds

The acidity of aqueous atmospheric solutions is a key parameter driving both the partitioning of semi-volatile acidic and basic trace gases and their aqueous-phase chemistry. In addition, the acidity of atmospheric aqueous phases, e.g., deliquesced aerosol particles, cloud, and fog droplets, is also dictated by aqueous-phase chemistry. These feedbacks between acidity and chemistry have crucial implications for the tropospheric lifetime of air pollutants, atmospheric composition, deposition to terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems, visibility, climate, and human health. Atmospheric research has made substantial progress in understanding feedbacks between acidity and multiphase chemistry during recent decades. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on these feedbacks with a focus on aerosol and cloud systems, which involve both inorganic and organic aqueous-phase chemistry. Here, we describe the impacts of acidity on the phase partitioning of acidic and basic gases and buffering phenomena. Next, we review feedbacks of different acidity regimes on key chemical reaction mechanisms and kinetics, as well as uncertainties and chemical subsystems with incomplete information. Finally, we discuss atmospheric implications and highlight the need for future investigations, particularly with respect to reducing emissions of key acid precursors in a changing world, and the need for advancements in field and laboratory measurements and model tools

Star Architecture as Socio-Material Assemblage

Taking inspiration from new materialism and assemblage, the chapter deals with star architects and iconic buildings as socio-material network effects that do not pre-exist action, but are enacted in practice, in the materiality of design crafting and city building. Star architects are here conceptualized as part of broader assemblages of actors and practices ‘making star architecture’ a reality, and the buildings they design are considered not just as unique and iconic objects, but dis-articulated as complex crafts mobilizing skills, technologies, materials, and forms of knowledge not necessarily ascribable to architecture. Overcoming narrow criticism focusing on the symbolic order of icons as unique creations and alienated repetitions of capitalist development, the chapter’s main aim is to widen the scope of critique by bridging culture and economy, symbolism and practicality, making star architecture available to a broad, fragmented arena of (potential) critics, unevenly equipped with critical tools and differentiated experiences

Mangroves enhance the biomass of coral reef fish communities in the Caribbean

Mangrove forests are one of the world's most threatened tropical ecosystems with global loss exceeding 35% (ref. 1). Juvenile coral reef fish often inhabit mangroves, but the importance of these nurseries to reef fish population dynamics has not been quantified. Indeed, mangroves might be expected to have negligible influence on reef fish communities: juvenile fish can inhabit alternative habitats and fish populations may be regulated by other limiting factors such as larval supply or fishing. Here we show that mangroves are unexpectedly important, serving as an intermediate nursery habitat that may increase the survivorship of young fish. Mangroves in the Caribbean strongly influence the community structure of fish on neighbouring coral reefs. In addition, the biomass of several commercially important species is more than doubled when adult habitat is connected to mangroves. The largest herbivorous fish in the Atlantic, Scarus guacamaia, has a functional dependency on mangroves and has suffered local extinction after mangrove removal. Current rates of mangrove deforestation are likely to have severe deleterious consequences for the ecosystem function, fisheries productivity and resilience of reefs. Conservation efforts should protect connected corridors of mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs

Clinical and genetic analysis of 29 Brazilian patients with Huntington’s disease-like phenotype

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by chorea, behavioral disturbances and dementia, caused by a pathological expansion of the CAG trinucleotide in the HTT gene. Several patients have been recognized with the typical HD phenotype without the expected mutation. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of diseases such as Huntington’s disease-like 2 (HDL2), spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA7, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) and choreaacanthocytosis (ChAc) among 29 Brazilian patients with a HD-like phenotype. In the group analyzed, we found 3 patients with HDL2 and 2 patients with ChAc. The diagnosis was not reached in 79.3% of the patients. HDL2 was the main cause of the HD-like phenotype in the group analyzed, and is attributable to the African ancestry of this population. However, the etiology of the disease remains undetermined in the majority of the HD negative patients with HD-like phenotype. Key words: Huntington’s disease, Huntington’s disease-like, chorea-acanthocytosis, Huntington’s disease-like 2

Interfacial quantum well states of Xe and Kr adsorbed on

The energies and dispersions of the image states and quantum well electronic states in layers of Xe and Kr on a Ag͑111͒ substrate were determined by angle-resolved two-photon photoemission ͑ARTPPE͒. For Xe, we measured binding energies of unoccupied electronic states for 1-9 layers and their parallel dispersion out to 4 layers. We measured the binding energies for a monolayer of Kr and dispersions for one and two layers. The nϭ2 and nϭ3 image states of the bare metal evolve into quantum well states of the layer ͑states of the Xe conduction band discretized by the boundary conditions of a 2-D slab͒ at higher Xe thicknesses, where the nϭ2,3 states exhibit both a perpendicular and parallel dispersion similar to that of the bulk Xe conduction band. The nϭ1 state appears to evolve with coverage as an image state screened by the Xe layer, with appreciable electron density in the vacuum. A continuum dielectric model ͑modified image state picture͒ reproduces the gross trends in the data, while an explicit quantum well analysis is used to extract the bulk Xe conduction band dispersion. A simple model which takes into account the band structures of the substrate and the overlayer, as well as the image potential, gives good agreement with the binding energy data. The combination of high energy and momentum resolution along both the surface parallel and surface normal yields very precise measurements of the bulk Xe conduction band as well as information about the behavior of conduction band electrons at interfaces