Impact of Invasive Species Datura arborea on Plant Species Richness In the West Usambara Mountains

Invasive species have the potential to alter the evolutionary trajectory of ecosystems and native species; however, our understanding of the community level effects of invasive plants remains poor. The Eastern Arc Mountain Chain is listed as one of the top 25 biodiversity “hotspots” of the world, yet also as one of the 17 most threatened tropical forest ecosystems worldwide. The primary threat to biodiversity in the EAM is accredited to human encroachment; however, the impact of invasive species in the EAM, and across Tanzania, remains poorly understood. National biodiversity and resource management policy do not directly address invasive species, and many institutions lack clearly defined long term strategies to address the issue. This study investigated the impact of an invasive species, Datura arborea, on plant species richness in the West Usambara Mountains in the Eastern Arc Mountain Chain. The species richness’ of plots of varying levels of D. arborea invasion were compared. A tight negative correlation was found between species richness and the extent of invasion (Fig 2. y= -15.563x + 76, R2 = 0.8599). Tukey’s range test, in conjunction with ANOVA, showed mean species richness was reduced by 51.15% from uninvaded plots to highly-invaded plots; by 27.72% from uninvaded plots to low-invasion plots; and by 32.38% from low-invasion plots to highly-invaded plots (p=0.0310 Table 1, q1,2,3\u3e26.98 Table 2). Suppression of native species may be accredited to the quick growth strategy, as well as the ability to form homogenous stands, of D. arborea. In consideration of the exceptionally high endemism, biodiversity, and fragility of the West Usambara Mountains, this study calls for the monitoring of D. arborea, as well as decisive action on how national policy will directly address the issue of invasive species as a threat to the biodiversity of the biota in Tanzania

Evidence of Intermittent Residency in the Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus).

This study found evidence of intermittent, multi-year residency periods in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) using stable isotope ratios in vibrissae and canine teeth. Northern fur seals migrate from the Bering Sea during summer months to lower latitudes and slightly warmer waters of the northeastern Pacific Ocean and California Current in the winter. To determine the length of time spent away from the Bering Sea, growth rate was estimated using the covarying oscillations δ13C and δ15N, estimated to be 0.09 mm/day. The δ13C and δ15N in vibrissae from 30 male fur seals showed a minimum of 13 separate periods of stable covariance covering 3.25+ cm, indicating at least 1 year in warmer, less productive waters of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The vibrissae isotope ratios were used in conjunction with δ18O from tooth dentin growth layer groups of 20 male northern fur seals; they showed significant enrichment in δ18O in 50% of the animals at age 1-2 years, which indicates extended periods of time spent in lower latitudes in the North Pacific Ocean as δ18O is typically enriched in warmer, less productive waters. Significant changes in δ18O were found to be ~ 0.2‰ enrichment per 10º south latitude, while longitude was found to have 0.2‰ enrichment per 50˚ East longitude. These data show that latitudinal changes, those related to the southerly migration from the Bering Sea to the northeastern Pacific Ocean, are a stronger factor in the shifts in dentinal δ18O than longitudinal shifts. These intermittent periods of occupation are important when estimating population abundance of northern fur seals, especially pups and juveniles

Patriarchal killjoys: the experiences of three (women) university band directors

According to the 2011 College Music Society directory, 9% of university band directors in the United States are women. Band directing in higher music education remains dominated by men. In a career field traditionally occupied by men, women have anecdotally reported a variety of experiences with gender as they sought to be considered competent or worthy enough to fulfill what is sometimes presumed to be a male role. The purpose of this study was to understand the ways three women have experienced gender within the culture of band directing while identifying as women, university-level band directors. Of prime interest was the process of how (and if) verifications and agreements were (or were not) made between these women, their students, and colleagues. This study was based on the theoretical platforms of gender theory, role theory, and identity theory, which, when combined, provided the foundation from which I was able to view, understand, and interpret the ways three women university band directors felt pressure to exist within a culture that demanded they “do” and “undo” gender within the role of band director. Via interview and observation within a qualitative, multiple case study format, it became clear that women who wish to become university band directors face a variety of obstacles, most having to do with gendered expectations of the role of band director. Findings indicate that the participants’ experiences of gender were more complex than initially expected. The participants’ understanding of the expectations related to the role of band director were easier to negotiate than the identities they sometimes struggled to name. Participants engaged in a variety of types of negotiation, including the use of gendered attributes, humor, and confidence, which when viewed as a whole, suggest that these women engaged in behaviors that represent what Ahmed (2014) terms as willfulness, a component necessary for each to attain their positions as university band directors. Although participants engaged in such willfulness, each was compelled to acquiesce to the patriarchal rules that continue to govern the role of band director and conductor

STR-805: EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF THE ROBUSTNESS OF WT CONNECTIONS UNDER QUASI-DYNAMIC LOAD

Flexible (simple) shear connections commonly used in steel-framed buildings are very economical and are relatively easy to fabricate. These connections are used for shear resistance, but recent studies have shown that they are capable of sustaining an interaction of rotational and axial load demand necessary for steel-framed building structures to help resist collapse in the event of unanticipated damage scenarios. The objective of this paper is to outline and discuss an experimental effort designed to evaluate the robustness of flexible WT connections. The experimental program included twelve full-scale tests of a system consisting of two wide flange beams connected to a central wide flange column stub by means of the WT connections. Three, four, and five bolt configurations were tested. The system was subjected to a quasi-dynamic loading scenario simulating the loss of a central support column. The experimental testing provides important information regarding the ability of these connections to sustain large rotational demands in conjunction with axial tension forces generated through geometric stiffness (catenary) effects when subjected to rapidly applied vertical loads

Atendiendo las necesidades de estudiantes talentosos con trastornos del espectro autismo: Aproximaciones diagnósticas, terapéuticas y psicoeducativas

Los estudiantes dotados y talentosos que son diagnosticados con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) tienen múltiples necesidades. Sus perfiles académicos y cognitivos son gene- ralmente muy diferentes a los de su desarrollo social, a sus perfiles de comunicación, de comportamiento y de funcionamiento adaptativo, lo que puede ser un desafío para los profesores y profesionales que trabajan con esta población de estudiantes. El propósito de este artículo es resumir los actuales planteamientos diagnósticos, terapéuticos y edu- cativos basados en la evidencia empírica, para trabajar con estudiantes dotados con TEA. Las intervenciones terapéuticas que parecen más prometedoras para los estudiantes con TEA incluyen intervenciones cognitivo-conductuales, a pesar de que la revisión de su eficacia en estudiantes dotados con TEA es inexistente. Las intervenciones psicoeducati- vas efectivas adoptan un enfoque multi-nivel, donde se programa en base a las fortale- zas cognitivas y académicas, al mismo tiempo que se considera la constelación de dificul- tades de la persona a nivel comunicacional, social, y conductual

Patterns of Natural and Human-Caused Mortality Factors of a Rare Forest Carnivore, the Fisher (Pekania pennanti) in California.

Wildlife populations of conservation concern are limited in distribution, population size and persistence by various factors, including mortality. The fisher (Pekania pennanti), a North American mid-sized carnivore whose range in the western Pacific United States has retracted considerably in the past century, was proposed for threatened status protection in late 2014 under the United States Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in its West Coast Distinct Population Segment. We investigated mortality in 167 fishers from two genetically and geographically distinct sub-populations in California within this West Coast Distinct Population Segment using a combination of gross necropsy, histology, toxicology and molecular methods. Overall, predation (70%), natural disease (16%), toxicant poisoning (10%) and, less commonly, vehicular strike (2%) and other anthropogenic causes (2%) were causes of mortality observed. We documented both an increase in mortality to (57% increase) and exposure (6%) from pesticides in fishers in just the past three years, highlighting further that toxicants from marijuana cultivation still pose a threat. Additionally, exposure to multiple rodenticides significantly increased the likelihood of mortality from rodenticide poisoning. Poisoning was significantly more common in male than female fishers and was 7 times more likely than disease to kill males. Based on necropsy findings, suspected causes of mortality based on field evidence alone tended to underestimate the frequency of disease-related mortalities. This study is the first comprehensive investigation of mortality causes of fishers and provides essential information to assist in the conservation of this species

Structure and Function of the TIR Domain from the Grape NLR Protein RPV1

The N-terminal Toll/interleukin-1 receptor/resistance protein (TIR) domain has been shown to be both necessary and sufficient for defense signaling in the model plants flax and Arabidopsis. In examples from these organisms, TIR domain self-association is required for signaling function, albeit through distinct interfaces. Here, we investigate these properties in the TIR domain containing resistance protein RPV1 from the wild grapevine Muscadinia rotundifolia. The RPV1 TIR domain, without additional flanking sequence present, is autoactive when transiently expressed in tobacco, demonstrating that the TIR domain alone is capable of cell-death signaling. We determined the crystal structure of the RPV1 TIR domain at 2.3 Å resolution. In the crystals, the RPV1 TIR domain forms a dimer, mediated predominantly through residues in the αA and αE helices ("AE" interface). This interface is shared with the interface discovered in the dimeric complex of the TIR domains from the Arabidopsis RPS4/RRS1 resistance protein pair. We show that surface-exposed residues in the AE interface that mediate the dimer interaction in the crystals are highly conserved among plant TIR domain-containing proteins. While we were unable to demonstrate self-association of the RPV1 TIR domain in solution or using yeast 2-hybrid, mutations of surface-exposed residues in the AE interface prevent the cell-death autoactive phenotype. In addition, mutation of residues known to be important in the cell-death signaling function of the flax L6 TIR domain were also shown to be required for RPV1 TIR domain mediated cell-death. Our data demonstrate that multiple TIR domain surfaces control the cell-death function of the RPV1 TIR domain and we suggest that the conserved AE interface may have a general function in TIR-NLR signaling.This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects DP120100685 and DP160102244. BK is a NHMRC Research Fellow (1003325 and 1110971). SW is funded by ARC DECRA (DE160100893)

Complex patterns of the HIV-1 epidemic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Evidence for expansion of circulating recombinant form CRF33_01B and detection of multiple other recombinants

AbstractThe HIV protease-reverse transcriptase (PR-RT) (1047 bp), gp120-env (891 bp) and gp41-env (547 bp) regions from the plasma of 115 HIV-1-infected patients in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia were sequenced. Detailed phylogenetic and bootscanning analyses were performed to determine the mosaic structure of the HIV-1 strains and their recombination breakpoint(s). Among the 50 patient samples in which all three regions could be amplified, the HIV-1 CRF01_AE subtype (46%) was predominant followed by subtypes B (10%) and B′ (6%). A total of 9/50 (18%) patients were infected with a CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant, displaying a recombinant form (RF)PR-RT, CRF01_AEgp120-env and CRF01_AEgp41-env. This RF was derived from the Thai variants of CRF01_AE and B′ subtype, with two distinct B′ subtype segments in the backbone of CRF01_AE, similar to the newly identified CRF33_01B. In addition, one sample demonstrated a close structural relationship with the new CRF33_01B in the PR-RT region but displayed B′ segment in part of the env region (RFPR-RT, CRF01_AE/B′gp120-env and B′gp41-env) indicating continuing evolution of CRF33_01B. The remaining 18% of samples were identified as unique recombinant forms (URFs)

Sober Curiosity: A Qualitative Study Exploring Women’s Preparedness to Reduce Alcohol by Social Class

Background: Urgent action is required to identify socially acceptable alcohol reduction options for heavy-drinking midlife Australian women. This study represents innovation in public health research to explore how current trends in popular wellness culture toward ‘sober curiosity’ (i.e., an interest in what reducing alcohol consumption would or could be like) and normalising non-drinking could increase women’s preparedness to reduce alcohol consumption. Methods: Qualitative interviews were undertaken with 27 midlife Australian women (aged 45–64) living in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney in different social class groups (working, middle and affluent-class) to explore their perceptions of sober curiosity. Results: Women were unequally distributed across social-classes and accordingly the social-class analysis considered proportionally the volume of data at particular codes. Regardless, social-class patterns in women’s preparedness to reduce alcohol consumption were generated through data analysis. Affluent women’s preparedness to reduce alcohol consumption stemmed from a desire for self-regulation and to retain control; middle-class women’s preparedness to reduce alcohol was part of performing civility and respectability and working-class women’s preparedness to reduce alcohol was highly challenging. Options are provided for alcohol reduction targeting the social contexts of consumption (the things that lead midlife women to feel prepared to reduce drinking) according to levels of disadvantage. Conclusion: Our findings reinstate the importance of recognising social class in public health disease prevention; validating that socially determined factors which shape daily living also shape health outcomes and this results in inequities for women in the lowest class positions to reduce alcohol and related risks

Examining social class as it relates to heuristics women use to determine the trustworthiness of information regarding the link between alcohol and breast cancer risk

Background: High rates of alcohol consumption by midlife women, despite the documented risks associated with breast cancer, varies according to social class. However, we know little about how to develop equitable messaging regarding breast cancer prevention that takes into consideration class differences in the receipt and use of such information. Objective: To explore the heuristics used by women with different (inequitable) life chances to determine the trustworthiness of information regarding alcohol as a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer risk. Methods and materials: Interviews were conducted with 50 midlife (aged 45–64) women living in South Australia, diversified by self-reported alcohol consumption and social class. Women were asked to describe where they sought health information, how they accessed information specific to breast cancer risk as it relates to alcohol, and how they determined whether (or not) such information was trustworthy. De-identified transcripts were analysed following a three-step progressive method with the aim of identifying how women of varying life chances determine the trustworthiness of alcohol and breast cancer risk information. Three heuristics were used by women: (1) consideration of whose interests are being served; (2) engagement with ‘common sense’; and (3) evaluating the credibility of the message and messenger. Embedded within each heuristic are notable class-based distinctions. Conclusions: More equitable provision of cancer prevention messaging might consider how social class shapes the reception and acceptance of risk information. Class should be considered in the development and tailoring of messages as the trustworthiness of organizations behind public health messaging cannot be assumed