Spatial and Temporal Variation in Growth Rate of Blue Rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) in Nearshore Central California Determined Using a Physiological Biomarker

Identifying areas of high fish population productivity is crucial for protecting habitats essential to fish growth and reproduction and, ultimately, for achieving sustainable fisheries. Historically, evaluations of habitat quality have relied heavily on linking spatial variation in fish abundance to environmental parameters such as substrate category, depth, or bathymetry. That approach, however, assumes that areas of high fish abundance best support growth and reproduction of a species and thus may fail to detect spatial or temporal variation in population attributes, such as somatic growth rate, which can be central to recruitment success and survival. In this study, we employed a novel physiological approach using the hormone insulin-like growth factor-1 (Igf-1) as a blood-based ‘biomarker’ for recent growth rate to determine patterns of spatial and temporal variation in growth of Blue Rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) along nearshore central California, USA. Blue Rockfish were sampled between 2016 and 2018 from two different regions ~60 km apart on the central coast of California: the Piedras Blancas region and the Point Buchon region. In each region, sampling was conducted in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) and in an adjacent non-protected area. In all years, Blue Rockfish in the Piedras Blancas region had consistently higher growth rates compared to the Point Buchon region. Yearly differences in average Igf-1 values were similar for fish collected from the Piedras Blancas and Point Buchon regions, suggesting that broad-scale, annual variation in food availability affects Blue Rockfish growth rates similarly across this geographic extent of the central California coast. While no consistent differences in Igf-1 were observed for fish sampled at protected MPA and adjacent non-protected areas, spatial variation on the scale of 500 m was observed across some sites sampled on the same day, suggesting that Blue Rockfish growth can vary substantially across even relatively constricted habitat locations. Temporal variation in growth rates was also observed on the scale of \u3c 1 month across some sampling sites. These findings illustrate how Igf-1 can provide a tool for identifying recent growth rate variation in wild Pacific rockfishes with the potential to improve management of economically and culturally important nearshore marine fishes

Ecological and Evolutionary Drivers of Chameleon Forelimb Variation

Skeletal anatomy can vary greatly among individuals of the same family that share a common ancestor. Differences in skeletal anatomy and morphology allow species to be better suited to their environments. The study of skeletal anatomy variation as it pertains to species relatedness and habitat variation can provide useful insight into what may be driving evolutionary patterns among species. Specifically, studying skeletal anatomy of the forelimb could allow for better understanding of how the forelimb anatomy differs based on the arboreality of the species, which allows for better understanding of how habitat can affect morphology. To study the skeletal structure of the forelimb, I used micro computed tomography scans (microCT scans) of various chameleon species to isolate and analyze the skeletal anatomy of the chameleon forelimb. A total of 12 species from 6 genera were used in this analysis and include species with varying levels of arboreality. Measurements of the proximal, medial, and distal widths of the radius, ulna, and metacarpals 1-5, along with the angle of curvature for the radius and the ulna, were taken and analyzed using a principal component analysis (PCA) and phylogenetic logistic regression. Surprisingly, there was no difference between any of the forelimb measurements based on arboreality, either with or without phylogeny. However, qualitative observations of the metacarpals of the forelimb revealed a pattern based on arboreality. All arboreal species had some separation between metacarpals 1-3, whereas terrestrial species had none. The pattern shown in the metacarpals based on arboreality reveal that there seems to be a difference between chameleon forelimbs based on arboreality

Book Review: The Real College Debt Crisis: How Student Borrowing Threatens Financial Well-Being and Erodes the American Dream

Not applicabl

Strengthening Resilience by thinking of Knowledge as a nutrient connecting the local person to global thinking: The case of Social Technology/Tecnologia Social

In this chapter, we describe the Knowledge as a Nutrient framework that emerged from these conversations. We describe how it relates to the Tecnologia Social policy approach to sustainability, developed in Brazil (Dagnino et al. 2004, Fundação Banco do Brasil 2009, Costa 2013), which is not well known in the anglophone world. Tecnologia Social was both inspired by and rooted in Paulo Freire’s pedagogical thinking (2000, Klix 2014).   We show how this framework has the potential to increase community resilience and adaptive capacity, not only for communities that face and must adapt to climate change but for all communities in the throes of complex social, ecological, economic and political transitions.This research was supported by the International Development Research Centre, grant number IDRC GRANT NO. 106002-00

Polyurethane research for applications in the field of dentistry: Limiting side reactions in monomer development and synthesizing N-capped polymenthide

Modern dentistry has found uses for polyurethanes in both dental arch models and removable dental appliances. In an attempt to make polyurethanes from renewable resources, both naturally derived menthone and dihydrocarvone were oxidized in order to form menthide and dihydrocarvide, respectively. The resulting ester, if copolymerized could be modified to form a polyuria; however, dihydrocarvide synthesis was complicated by epoxidation. Different reaction environments with varying salts showed no positive effect on limiting epoxide products. A homopolymerization of menthide resulted in a polymenthide chain that was reacted in the presence of N,N\u27-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) in order to form an N-capped polymenthide chain. This N-capped polymenthide can then be reacted with diisocyanate in order to form a PU

Use of whole genome sequencing of commensal Escherichia coli in pigs for antimicrobial resistance surveillance, United Kingdom, 2018

BackgroundSurveillance of commensal Escherichia coli, a possible reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, is important as they pose a risk to human and animal health. Most surveillance activities rely on phenotypic characterisation, but whole genome sequencing (WGS) presents an alternative.AimIn this retrospective study, we tested 515 E. coli isolated from pigs to evaluate the use of WGS to predict resistance phenotype.MethodsMinimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for nine antimicrobials of clinical and veterinary importance. Deviation from wild-type, fully-susceptible MIC was assessed using European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF) values. Presence of AMR genes and mutations were determined using APHA SeqFinder. Statistical two-by-two table analysis and Cohen's kappa (k) test were applied to assess genotype and phenotype concordance.ResultsOverall, correlation of WGS with susceptibility to the nine antimicrobials was 98.9% for test specificity, and 97.5% for the positive predictive value of a test. The overall kappa score (k = 0.914) indicated AMR gene presence was highly predictive of reduced susceptibility and showed excellent correlation with MIC. However, there was variation for each antimicrobial; five showed excellent correlation; four very good and one moderate. Suggested ECOFF adjustments increased concordance between genotypic data and kappa values for four antimicrobials.ConclusionWGS is a powerful tool for accurately predicting AMR that can be used for national surveillance purposes. Additionally, it can detect resistance genes from a wider panel of antimicrobials whose phenotypes are currently not monitored but may be of importance in the future

An Intervention to Combat the Negative Effects of Perfectionism by Incorporating Elements of Self-Compassion for Youth Gymnasts

In general, perfectionism means to not accept any results that are not considered “flawless”. Perfectionism is a topic that has been widely researched in clinical settings but more research is needed in the sports environment. The current project aims to investigate interventions aimed at reducing perfectionistic tendencies in the sport of gymnastics, a context that may be especially prone to developing perfectionism. There are two widely accepted dimensions of perfectionism: perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. Perfectionistic strivings are having high personal standards and wanting to achieve high goals while perfectionistic concerns are worries about making mistakes and evaluating oneself based on performance/mistakes. Perfectionistic striving typically produces adaptive outcomes, while perfectionistic concerns are viewed as the maladaptive aspects of perfectionism including poor performance, anger, anxiety, depression, and other maladaptive behaviors. (Dunn et. al, 2018). It is for this reason that perfectionistic concerns are targeted in interventions. One construct that seems to be possible to contrast the negative effects of perfectionistic concerns is self-compassion. Self-compassion is when someone has an accepting, supportive, and nonjudgmental attitude directed towards themselves and can alleviate suffering while enhancing overall mental health (Mosewich). The goal of incorporating this construct is to highlight perfectionistic striving elements and diminish perfectionistic concerns. For this project, we have developed four workshops that will be introduced to youth gymnasts in order to educate them about perfectionism and combat its negative effects in both sport and other domains. To evaluate the intervention, athletes will complete the Perceived Stress Scale, Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and Self-Compassion scale before and after the intervention

A Geometrical Representation of Entanglement as Internal Constraint

We study a system of two entangled spin 1/2, were the spin's are represented by a sphere model developed within the hidden measurement approach which is a generalization of the Bloch sphere representation, such that also the measurements are represented. We show how an arbitrary tensor product state can be described in a complete way by a specific internal constraint between the ray or density states of the two spin 1/2. We derive a geometrical view of entanglement as a 'rotation' and 'stretching' of the sphere representing the states of the second particle as measurements are performed on the first particle. In the case of the singlet state entanglement can be represented by a real physical constraint, namely by means of a rigid rod.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures. submitted to International Journal of Theoretical Physic

Stigma, class, and ‘respect’: Young people’s articulation and management of place in a post-industrial estate in south Wales

Using data from two studies in an economically under-resourced, post-industrial estate in the south Wales valleys, we explore the ways in which young people articulate and negotiate the place in which they live. Taken together, both studies provide observational, interview, and visual data on how young people manage, and resist, dominant media and policy-oriented representations whilst living in a place bearing the wounds and the scars of economic neglect. Here, young people face double discrimination: living in a place externally portrayed as ‘abject’, and representing a demographic perceived locally and elsewhere as the embodiment of apathy, trouble, and disorder. Using creative methods, we show how young people reimagined their futures and engaged in forms of activism to resist stigmatising depictions and to realise recognition and a desire for change. Dissecting the micro-processes through which stigma is embodied and confronted, we highlight the opportunities of confronting, disrupting, and rewriting entrenched macro-political narratives in a neo-liberal age. However, we also identify the limitations of this, specifically the misalignment between recognition (i.e. of what young people call ‘respect’) and resources (i.e. of confronting structural inequalities). We conclude by sketching out the potential of young people to become more active agents of change