Grassland Management Practices and the Diversity of Soil Nematode Communities

Nematodes are numerically abundant in northern temperate grassland soils where, through their feeding on plants, soil microbes and each other as well as being a food resource, they contribute to soil functioning and affect plant soil interrelationships. Permanent plant cover and the consequent abundance of root tissue supply a year-round food supply. There are only limited data on the effects of root-feeding by nematodes on the growth and development of pasture plants but under some circumstances above-ground biomass may be reduced. Herbivory by specific nematode parasites may not only directly affect the host plant but also promote soil microbial activity and nutrient fluxes. Nematodes in other feeding groups interact directly with the microbial communities influencing soil processes, including decomposition and mineralisation

Quantifying alignment in carbon nanotube yarns and similar two-dimensional anisotropic systems

Abstract: The uniaxial orientational order in a macromolecular system is usually specified using the Hermans factor which is equivalent to the second moment of the system's orientation distribution function (ODF) expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials. In this work, we show that for aligned materials that are two‐dimensional (2D) or have a measurable 2D intensity distribution, such as carbon nanotube (CNT) textiles, the Hermans factor is not appropriate. The ODF must be expanded in terms of Chebyshev polynomials and therefore, its second moment is a better measure of orientation in 2D. We also demonstrate that both orientation parameters (Hermans in three dimensional (3D) and Chebyshev in 2D) depend not only on the respective full‐width‐at‐half‐maximum of the peaks in the ODF but also on the shape of the fitted functions. Most importantly, we demonstrate a method to rapidly estimate the Chebyshev orientation parameter from a sample's 2D Fourier power spectrum, using an analysis program written in Python which is available for open access. As validation examples, we use digital photographs of dry spaghetti as well as scanning electron microscopy images of direct‐spun carbon nanotube fibers, proving the technique's applicability to a wide variety of fibers and images

Massive maxillary radicular cyst presenting as facial fracture and abscess, a case report

Radicular cysts arise from non-vital teeth. They are inflammatory in nature and are the most common cystic lesion found in the jaw. We present a case of a massive maxillary radicular cyst in a 20 year-old man, diagnosed following an alleged assault and facial fracture. Subsequent abscess formation was initially thought to be infection secondary to haematoma due to fracture, but further investigation showed that it was to be due to a massive cyst

Quantifying alignment in carbon nanotube yarns and similar two‐dimensional anisotropic systems

The uniaxial orientational order in a macromolecular system is usually specified using the Hermans factor which is equivalent to the second moment of the system\u27s orientation distribution function (ODF) expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials. In this work, we show that for aligned materials that are two‐dimensional (2D) or have a measurable 2D intensity distribution, such as carbon nanotube (CNT) textiles, the Hermans factor is not appropriate. The ODF must be expanded in terms of Chebyshev polynomials and therefore, its second moment is a better measure of orientation in 2D. We also demonstrate that both orientation parameters (Hermans in three dimensional (3D) and Chebyshev in 2D) depend not only on the respective full‐width‐at‐half‐maximum of the peaks in the ODF but also on the shape of the fitted functions. Most importantly, we demonstrate a method to rapidly estimate the Chebyshev orientation parameter from a sample\u27s 2D Fourier power spectrum, using an analysis program written in Python which is available for open access. As validation examples, we use digital photographs of dry spaghetti as well as scanning electron microscopy images of direct‐spun carbon nanotube fibers, proving the technique\u27s applicability to a wide variety of fibers and images

Evaluation of a White Clover Variety With Increased Resistance to Stem Nematode (\u3cem\u3eDitylenchus Dipsaci\u3c/em\u3e) Under Sheep Grazing and Cutting

Stem nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kühn) Filipjev) is a major pest of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in UK pastures (Cook et al., 1992a) and in other parts of the world. In a previous trial, resistant and susceptible selections yielded the same in three years in the absence of the nematode but, on infested plots, the susceptible yielded the same as the resistant selection in year 1 but only 68 and 58% in years 2 and 3, as the nematode infestation increased (Cook et al., 1992b). We have now developed varieties with enhanced resistance to this pest by screening under controlled conditions (Plowright et al., 2002). We describe an experiment to test the hypothesis that stress imposed on the plant by grazing as opposed to cutting management would exacerbate the effects of nematode infestation and accentuate the advantages of resistance through longer survival of clover plants

Profiling Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Traits in Children with SYNGAP1-Related Intellectual Disability

SYNGAP1-related ID is a genetic condition characterised by global developmental delay and epilepsy. Individuals with SYNGAP1-related ID also commonly show differences in attention and social communication/interaction and frequently receive additional diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We thus set out to quantify ASD and ADHD symptoms in children with this syndrome. To assess ASD and ADHD, parents and caregivers of a child with SYNGAP1-related ID (N = 34) or a typically developing control (N = 21) completed the Social Responsiveness Scale-2, the Social Communication Questionnaire with a subset of these also completing the Conners-3. We found that those with SYNGAP1-related ID demonstrated higher levels of autistic traits on both the SRS and SCQ than typically developing controls. On the SRS, those with SYNGAP1-related ID scored highest for restricted repetitive behaviours, and were least impaired in social awareness. On the Conners-3, those with SYNGAP1-related ID also showed a high prevalence of ADHD traits, with scores demonstrating difficulties with peer relations but relatively low occurrence of symptoms for DSM-5 conduct disorder and DSM-5 oppositional defiant disorder. Hierarchical clustering analysis highlighted distinct SYNGAP1-related ID subgroups for both ASD and ADHD traits. These findings provide further characterisation of the SYNGAP1-related ID behavioural phenotype, guiding diagnosis, assessment and potential interventions.</p

Extreme stretching of high G:D ratio carbon nanotube fibers using super-acid

Few-wall carbon nanotube (CNT) textiles with unparalleled graphitic perfection and a solitary, prominent radial breathing mode (RBM) associated with metallic chirality have been mechanically stretched in chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) to a degree so far unseen in CNT textiles (150–250% of original length) with notably little tension required. This dramatically enhanced their microstructural alignment and density and, after most of the residual CSA was removed by a vacuum bake, the de-doped fiber's electrical conductivity was found to be 45% greater than single-crystal graphite – a significant milestone for CNT conductor development towards graphitic intercalation compounds (GICs) and traditional metals. Correlation tables and validated, multivariate statistical models show that conductivity is overwhelmingly linked to stretching degree, although eventually saturates near single-crystal graphite levels, implying the existence of a maximum undoped conductivity. The degree of stretching within CSA is correlated with the original mechanical properties (tenacity, elongation-to-break, and linear density); the Raman G’:G ratio and the upper-end oxidation temperature in thermogravimetric analysis also predict the best results. Less graphenically pristine CNT materials stretch to a lower degree in CSA, similar to previous reports. This study highlights the importance of post-synthesis processing to achieve superior performance in carbon nanotube textile materials

Southern Greenland glaciation and Western Boundary Undercurrent evolution recorded on Eirik Drift during the late Pliocene intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.We present new sedimentological and environmental magnetic records spanning ~3.2–2.2 Ma, during the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation, from North Atlantic Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1307 on Eirik Drift. Our new datasets and their high-fidelity age control demonstrate that while inland glaciers – and potentially also at times restricted marine-terminating ice-caps – have likely existed on southern Greenland since at least ~3.2 Ma, persistent and extensive marine-terminating glacial margins were only established in this region at 2.72 Ma, ~300 kyr later than in northeastern and eastern Greenland. Despite a dramatic increase in Greenland-sourced ice-rafted debris deposition on Eirik Drift at this time, contemporaneous changes in the bulk magnetic properties of Site U1307 sediments, and a reduction in sediment accumulation rates, suggest a decrease in the delivery of Greenland-sourced glaciofluvial silt, which we attribute to a shift in depositional regime from bottom-current-dominated to glacial-IRD- dominated between ~2.9–2.7 Ma in response to a change in the depth of the flow path of the Western Boundary Undercurrent relative to our study site

Catalyst‐mediated enhancement of carbon nanotube textiles by laser irradiation: Nanoparticle sweating and bundle alignment

The photonic post-processing of suspended carbon nanotube (CNT) ribbons made by floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) results in selective sorting of the carbon nanotubes present. Defective, thermally non-conductive or unconnected CNTs are burned away, in some cases leaving behind a highly crystalline (as indicated by the Raman G:D ratio), highly conductive network. However, the improvement in crystallinity does not always occur but is dependent on sample composition. Here, we report on fundamental features, which are observed for all samples. Pulse irradiation (not only by laser but also white light camera flashes, as well as thermal processes such as Joule heating) lead to (1) the sweating-out of catalyst nanoparticles resulting in molten catalyst beads of up to several hundreds of nanometres in diameter on the textile surface and (2) a significant improvement in CNT bundle alignment. The behavior of the catalyst beads is material dependent. Here, we show the underlying mechanisms of the photonic post-treatment by modelling the macro- and microstructural changes of the CNT network and show that it is mainly the amount of residual catalyst which determines how much energy these materials can withstand before their complete decomposition

Stigma narratives: LGBT transitions and identities in Malta

This article is available open access through the publisher’s website at the link below. Copyright @ 2011 A B Academic Publishers.This article considers narratives of transition experiences of a group of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) young people in Malta. The article draws on Goffman's concept of stigma and uses this to explore transitions in a society that retains some traditional characteristics, particularly the code of honour and shame, although mediated by aspects of modernity. Interviews were undertaken with 15 young people with the goal of producing narratives. The article analyses the experience of stigma, its effects and how young people manage its consequences. It concludes by drawing attention to the pervasive nature of stigma and the importance of structure, agency and reflexivity in youth transitions. In particular stigma remains an important feature of societies in which hetero-normative sexuality remains dominant