Discerning Differences in the Plant Traits of the Floral Communities of Mt. Washington, NH, by Incorporating Intraspecific Variability Analysis

Plant functional traits allow ecologists to assess the ways floral communities respond to abiotic and biotic factors. By analyzing these traits, we can then ultimately assume the factors that control species distribution and community composition. Here, I analyzed plant traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content) of four herbaceous plants found growing atop Mt. Washington, NH in sheltered snowbanks. They are also found in the sub-alpine understory. I examined baseline differences between the alpine and sub-alpine sites, analyzed differences in intraspecific variability, and also measured the sub-alpine sites’ trait differences associated with canopy closure (light availability). Comparing plant traits along this elevational gradient, from alpine to sub-alpine using measures of intraspecific variability, allows us to investigate any underlying effects. These include differences in air temperature, light availability, and solar radiation. As a result, compared to the sub-alpine, we observed lower SLA, smaller leaf area, and higher LDMC in the alpine snowbed. Further analysis of the sub-alpine with a comparison of light availability also revealed differences in SLA, LDMC, and leaf area for some species. Overall, intraspecific variability detailed each populations’ underlying response to environmental conditions. This approach will be critical to continue studying in terms of expected environmental changes to occur in the region

NATURAL ALGORITHMS IN DIGITAL FILTER DESIGN

Digital filters are an important part of Digital Signal Processing (DSP), which plays vital roles within the modern world, but their design is a complex task requiring a great deal of specialised knowledge. An analysis of this design process is presented, which identifies opportunities for the application of optimisation. The Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Simulated Annealing are problem-independent and increasingly popular optimisation techniques. They do not require detailed prior knowledge of the nature of a problem, and are unaffected by a discontinuous search space, unlike traditional methods such as calculus and hill-climbing. Potential applications of these techniques to the filter design process are discussed, and presented with practical results. Investigations into the design of Frequency Sampling (FS) Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters using a hybrid GA/hill-climber proved especially successful, improving on published results. An analysis of the search space for FS filters provided useful information on the performance of the optimisation technique. The ability of the GA to trade off a filter's performance with respect to several design criteria simultaneously, without intervention by the designer, is also investigated. Methods of simplifying the design process by using this technique are presented, together with an analysis of the difficulty of the non-linear FIR filter design problem from a GA perspective. This gave an insight into the fundamental nature of the optimisation problem, and also suggested future improvements. The results gained from these investigations allowed the framework for a potential 'intelligent' filter design system to be proposed, in which embedded expert knowledge, Artificial Intelligence techniques and traditional design methods work together. This could deliver a single tool capable of designing a wide range of filters with minimal human intervention, and of proposing solutions to incomplete problems. It could also provide the basis for the development of tools for other areas of DSP system design

Life satisfaction and aging: a comparison of life satisfaction index A, The Tennessee self concept scale and correlates

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and other relevant variables in a sample of noninstitutionalized older Americans. Recent research has related satisfaction with life to adjustment in aging. Previous studies, however, have used a variety of methods to measure life satisfaction or self-concept. This study was designed to be an analysis of the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index A with selected personal and behavioral variables. 59 subjects, primarily Jewish, aged 56 to 91 were tested during their regular activity meetings at the Jewish Community Center of Richmond, Virginia. The Life Satisfaction Index A correlated significantly with several dimensions of self-concept as measured by the Tennessee Self Concept Scale. In analysis of the data using canonical correlation, the variables of gender, religiosity, availability of a confidant, and self-perceived health accounted for a significant proportion of the variation in the dimensions of life satisfaction and self-concept

Geographic Differences in the Relative Price of Healthy Foods

Although healthy foods can be affordable, if less healthy foods are cheaper, individuals may have an economic incentive to consume a less healthful diet. Using the Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database, we explore whether a select set of healthy foods (whole grains, dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, whole fruit, skim and 1% milk, fruit juice, and bottled water) are more expensive than less healthy alternatives. We find that not all healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy alternatives; skim and 1% milk are less expensive than whole and 2% milk and bottled water is generally less expensive than carbonated nonalcoholic drinks. We also find considerable geographic variation in the relative price of healthy foods. This price variation may contribute to geographic variation in diet and health outcomes.Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database (QFAHPD), healthy food, price, geographic variation, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy, Public Economics,

Some observations on enteritis in the horse

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Nicotinic Acid-Mediated Activation of Both Membrane and Nuclear Receptors towards Therapeutic Glucocorticoid Mimetics for Treating Multiple Sclerosis

Acute attacks of multiple sclerosis (MS) are most commonly treated with glucocorticoids, which can provide life-saving albeit only temporary symptomatic relief. The mechanism of action (MOA) is now known to involve induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), where IL-10 requires subsequent heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) induction. Ectopic expression studies reveal that even small changes in expression of IDO, HMOX-1, or mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2) can prevent demyelination in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) animal models of MS. An alternative to glucocorticoids is needed for a long-term treatment of MS. A distinctly short list of endogenous activators of both membrane G-protein-coupled receptors and nuclear peroxisome proliferating antigen receptors (PPARs) demonstrably ameliorate EAE pathogenesis by MOAs resembling that of glucocorticoids. These dual activators and potential MS therapeutics include endocannabinoids and the prostaglandin 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-PGJ2. Nicotinamide profoundly ameliorates and prevents autoimmune-mediated demyelination in EAE via maintaining levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), without activating PPAR nor any G-protein-coupled receptor. By comparison, nicotinic acid provides even greater levels of NAD than nicotinamide in many tissues, while additionally activating the PPARγ-dependent pathway already shown to provide relief in animal models of MS after activation of GPR109a/HM74a. Thus nicotinic acid is uniquely suited for providing therapeutic relief in MS. However nicotinic acid is unexamined in MS research. Nicotinic acid penetrates the blood brain barrier, cures pellagric dementia, has been used for over 50 years clinically without toxicity, and raises HDL concentrations to a greater degree than any pharmaceutical, thus providing unparalleled benefits against lipodystrophy. Summary analysis reveals that the expected therapeutic benefits of high-dose nicotinic acid administration far outweigh any known adverse risks in consideration for the treatment of multiple sclerosis