Analyzing subcomponents of affective dysregulation in borderline personality disorder in comparison to other clinical groups using multiple e-diary datasets

Background: Affective dysregulation is widely regarded as being the core problem in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Moreover, BPD is the disorder mainly associated with affective dysregulation. However, the empirical confirmation of the specificity of affective dysregulation for BPD is still pending. We used a validated approach from basic affective science that allows for simultaneously analyzing three interdependent components of affective dysregulation that are disturbed in patients with BPD: homebase, variability, and attractor strength (return to baseline). Methods: We applied two types of multilevel models on two e-diary datasets to investigate group differences regarding three subcomponents between BPD patients (n =43; n =51) and patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; n= 28) and those with bulimia nervosa (BN; n= 20) as clinical control groups in dataset 1, and patients with panic disorder (PD; n= 26) and those with major depression (MD; n =25) as clinical control groups in dataset 2. In addition, healthy controls (n= 28; n= 40) were included in the analyses. In both studies, e-diaries were used to repeatedly collect data about affective experiences during participants’ daily lives. In study 1 a high-frequency sampling strategy with assessments in 15 min-intervals over 24 h was applied, whereas the assessments occurred every waking hour over 48 h in study 2. The local ethics committees approved both studies, and all participants provided written informed consent. Results: In contradiction to our hypotheses, BPD patients did not consistently show altered affective dysregulation compared to the clinical patient groups. The only differences in affective dynamics in BPD patients emerged with regard to one of three subcomponents, affective homebase. However, these results were not even consistent. Conversely, comparing the patients to healthy controls revealed a pattern of more negative affective homebases, higher levels of affective variability, and (partially) reduced returns to baseline in the patient groups. Conclusions: Our results indicate that affective dysregulation constitutes a transdiagnostic mechanism that manifests in similar ways in several different mental disorders. We point out promising prospects that might help to elucidate the common and distinctive mechanisms that underlie several different disorders and that should be addressed in future studies

Influência da iluminação e da aeração sobre o crescimento de Chlorella sorokiniana em meio BG11.

Representando uns dos principais objetos de estudos atualmente, microalgas são, em geral, microrganismos fotossintetizantes altamente capazes de retirar CO2 atmosférico e gerar biomassa rica em biomoléculas de interesse industrial e comercial. No entanto, para obtenção de altos valores de rendimento e produtividade, condições ideais de crescimento são muito importantes. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a influência de biorreatores, ou modelos utilizados para o cultivo, sobre o crescimento e o rendimento de biomassa de Chlorella sorokiniana em meio BG11 e, também, verificar os resultados que o uso de diferentes luzes pode gerar. Para tanto, foram realizados dois experimentos não simultâneos em que, primeiramente, a cepa foi cultivada em dois módulos de cultivos diferentes: módulo novo (MN), com biorreatores e sistema de aeração novos da sala de microalgas; e módulo antigo (MA), utilizando Erlenmeyers, pipeta estéril para passagem de ar e outros componentes. Em um segundo momento, com o intuito de analisar quais luzes e combinações geram maiores crescimentos e, por conseguinte, maiores biomassas secas finais, as microalgas foram cultivadas sob três condições de iluminação diferentes: luz branca (B), luz branca + luz colorida (B+C) e luz colorida (C). Para os dois módulos, temperatura, aeração e pH também foram por espectrofotometria, contagem de células, leitura de turbidez por OD manual e centrifugação e liofilização das biomassas, para saber o peso de massa seca final, foram feitas. Com isso, as análises e os testes mostraram rendimento de biomassa bem maior em MN em comparação com MA e maior crescimento dos cultivos crescidos sob luz B+C, havendo diferenças significativas em ambos os experimentos. Esses resultados permitiram demonstrar a maior eficiência dos novos módulos de cultivo de microalgas da Embrapa Agroenergia e quais luzes utilizadas geram maiores crescimentos, destacando‑se também a importância de se ter condições de cultivo adequadas

Photoelasticity of crystalline and amorphous silica from first principles

Based on density-functional perturbation theory we have computed from first principles the photoelastic tensor of few crystalline phases of silica at normal conditions and high pressure (quartz, $\alpha$-cristobalite, $\beta$-cristobalite) and of models of amorphous silica (containig up to 162 atoms), obtained by quenching from the melt in combined classical and Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations. The computational framework has also been checked on the photoelastic tensor of crystalline silicon and MgO as prototypes of covalent and ionic systems. The agreement with available experimental data is good. A phenomenological model suitable to describe the photoelastic properties of different silica polymorphs is devised by fitting on the ab-initio data.Comment: ten figure

Predator Dispersal Determines the Effect of Connectivity on Prey Diversity

Linking local communities to a metacommunity can positively affect diversity by enabling immigration of dispersal-limited species and maintenance of sink populations. However, connectivity can also negatively affect diversity by allowing the spread of strong competitors or predators. In a microcosm experiment with five ciliate species as prey and a copepod as an efficient generalist predator, we analysed the effect of connectivity on prey species richness in metacommunities that were either unconnected, connected for the prey, or connected for both prey and predator. Presence and absence of predator dispersal was cross-classified with low and high connectivity. The effect of connectivity on local and regional richness strongly depended on whether corridors were open for the predator. Local richness was initially positively affected by connectivity through rescue of species from stochastic extinctions. With predator dispersal, however, this positive effect soon turned negative as the predator spread over the metacommunity. Regional richness was unaffected by connectivity when local communities were connected only for the prey, while predator dispersal resulted in a pronounced decrease of regional richness. The level of connectivity influenced the speed of richness decline, with regional species extinctions being delayed for one week in weakly connected metacommunities. While connectivity enabled rescue of prey species from stochastic extinctions, deterministic extinctions due to predation were not overcome through reimmigration from predator-free refuges. Prey reimmigrating into these sink habitats appeared to be directly converted into increased predator abundance. Connectivity thus had a positive effect on the predator, even when the predator was not dispersing itself. Our study illustrates that dispersal of a species with strong negative effects on other community members shapes the dispersal-diversity relationship. When connections enable the spread of a generalist predator, positive effects of connectivity on prey species richness are outweighed by regional extinctions through predation

Implantação e manejo de florestas em pequenas propriedades no Estado do Paraná: um modelo para a conservação ambiental, com inclusão social e viabilidade econômica.

bitstream/CNPF-2009-09/44191/1/doc167.pd

Helper Response to Experimentally Manipulated Predation Risk in the Cooperatively Breeding Cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher

Background We manipulated predation risk in a field experiment with the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher by releasing no predator, a medium- or a large-sized fish predator inside underwater cages enclosing two to three natural groups. We assessed whether helpers changed their helping behaviour, and whether within-group conflict changed, depending on these treatments, testing three hypotheses: ‘pay-to-stay’ PS, ‘risk avoidance’ RA, or (future) reproductive benefits RB. We also assessed whether helper food intake was reduced under risk, because this might reduce investments in other behaviours to save energy. Methodology/Principal Findings Medium and large helpers fed less under predation risk. Despite this effect helpers invested more in territory defence, but not territory maintenance, under the risk of predation (supporting PS). Experimentally covering only the breeding shelter with sand induced more helper digging under predation risk compared to the control treatment (supporting PS). Aggression towards the introduced predator did not differ between the two predator treatments and increased with group member size and group size (supporting PS and RA). Large helpers increased their help ratio (helping effort/breeder aggression received, ‘punishment’ by the dominant pair in the group) in the predation treatments compared to the control treatment, suggesting they were more willing to PS. Medium helpers did not show such effects. Large helpers also showed a higher submission ratio (submission/ breeder aggression received) in all treatments, compared to the medium helpers (supporting PS). Conclusions/Significance We conclude that predation risk reduces helper food intake, but despite this effect, helpers were more willing to support the breeders, supporting PS. Effects of breeder punishment suggests that PS might be more important for large compared to the medium helpers. Evidence for RA was also detected. Finally, the results were inconsistent with RB