Long-term changes to the frequency of occurrence of British moths are consistent with opposing and synergistic effects of climate and land-use changes

1. Species’ distributions are likely to be affected by a combination of environmental drivers. We used a data set of 11 million species occurrence records over the period 1970–2010 to assess changes in the frequency of occurrence of 673 macro-moth species in Great Britain. Groups of species with different predicted sensitivities showed divergent trends, which we interpret in the context of land-use and climatic changes. 2. A diversity of responses was revealed: 260 moth species declined significantly, whereas 160 increased significantly. Overall, frequencies of occurrence declined, mirroring trends in less species-rich, yet more intensively studied taxa. 3. Geographically widespread species, which were predicted to be more sensitive to land use than to climate change, declined significantly in southern Britain, where the cover of urban and arable land has increased. 4. Moths associated with low nitrogen and open environments (based on their larval host plant characteristics) declined most strongly, which is also consistent with a land-use change explanation. 5. Some moths that reach their northern (leading edge) range limit in southern Britain increased, whereas species restricted to northern Britain (trailing edge) declined significantly, consistent with a climate change explanation. 6. Not all species of a given type behaved similarly, suggesting that complex interactions between species’ attributes and different combinations of environmental drivers determine frequency of occurrence changes. 7. Synthesis and applications. Our findings are consistent with large-scale responses to climatic and land-use changes, with some species increasing and others decreasing. We suggest that land-use change (e.g. habitat loss, nitrogen deposition) and climate change are both major drivers of moth biodiversity change, acting independently and in combination. Importantly, the diverse responses revealed in this species-rich taxon show that multifaceted conservation strategies are needed to minimize negative biodiversity impacts of multiple environmental changes. We suggest that habitat protection, management and ecological restoration can mitigate combined impacts of land-use change and climate change by providing environments that are suitable for existing populations and also enable species to shift their ranges

Specific Heat of Liquid Helium in Zero Gravity very near the Lambda Point

We report the details and revised analysis of an experiment to measure the specific heat of helium with subnanokelvin temperature resolution near the lambda point. The measurements were made at the vapor pressure spanning the region from 22 mK below the superfluid transition to 4 uK above. The experiment was performed in earth orbit to reduce the rounding of the transition caused by gravitationally induced pressure gradients on earth. Specific heat measurements were made deep in the asymptotic region to within 2 nK of the transition. No evidence of rounding was found to this resolution. The optimum value of the critical exponent describing the specific heat singularity was found to be a = -0.0127+ - 0.0003. This is bracketed by two recent estimates based on renormalization group techniques, but is slightly outside the range of the error of the most recent result. The ratio of the coefficients of the leading order singularity on the two sides of the transition is A+/A- =1.053+ - 0.002, which agrees well with a recent estimate. By combining the specific heat and superfluid density exponents a test of the Josephson scaling relation can be made. Excellent agreement is found based on high precision measurements of the superfluid density made elsewhere. These results represent the most precise tests of theoretical predictions for critical phenomena to date.Comment: 27 Pages, 20 Figure

Melting as a String-Mediated Phase Transition

We present a theory of the melting of elemental solids as a dislocation-mediated phase transition. We model dislocations near melt as non-interacting closed strings on a lattice. In this framework we derive simple expressions for the melting temperature and latent heat of fusion that depend on the dislocation density at melt. We use experimental data for more than half the elements in the Periodic Table to determine the dislocation density from both relations. Melting temperatures yield a dislocation density of (0.61\pm 0.20) b^{-2}, in good agreement with the density obtained from latent heats, (0.66\pm 0.11) b^{-2}, where b is the length of the smallest perfect-dislocation Burgers vector. Melting corresponds to the situation where, on average, half of the atoms are within a dislocation core.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, 3 eps figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy

We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude, with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

The Refederalization of American Health Care

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69090/2/10.1177_107755878704400103.pd

Spatial point process theory

No abstract

Alveolar macrophage apoptosis-associated bacterial killing helps prevent murine pneumonia

RATIONALE: Antimicrobial resistance challenges therapy of pneumonia. Enhancing macrophage microbicidal responses would combat this problem but is limited by our understanding of how alveolar macrophages (AM) kill bacteria. OBJECTIVES: To define the role and mechanism of AM apoptosis-associated bacterial killing in the lung. METHODS: We generated a unique CD68.hMcl-1 transgenic mouse with macrophage-specific over-expression of the human anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 protein, a factor upregulated in AM from patients at increased risk of community-acquired pneumonia, to address the requirement for apoptosis-associated killing. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Wild-type and transgenic macrophages demonstrated comparable ingestion and initial phagolysosomal killing of bacteria. Continued ingestion (for > 12 h) overwhelmed initial killing and a second late-phase microbicidal response killed viable bacteria in wild-type macrophages, but this response was blunted in CD68.hMcl-1 transgenic macrophages. The late-phase of bacterial killing required both caspase-induced generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) and nitric oxide (NO), whose peak generation coincided with the late-phase of killing. The CD68.hMcl-1 transgene prevented mROS but not NO generation. Apoptosis-associated killing enhanced pulmonary clearance of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in wild-type but not CD68.hMcl-1 transgenic mice. Bacterial clearance was enhanced in vivo in CD68.hMcl-1 transgenic mice by reconstitution of apoptosis with BH3 mimetics or clodronate-encapsulated liposomes. Apoptosis-associated killing was not activated during Staphylococcus aureus lung infection. CONCLUSIONS: Mcl-1 upregulation prevents macrophage apoptosis-associated killing and establishes that apoptosis-associated killing is required to allow AM to clear ingested bacteria. Engagement of macrophage apoptosis should be investigated as a novel host-based antimicrobial strategy

Desempenho de cordeiros em confinamento alimentados com dieta exclusiva de concentrado com diferentes porcentagens de proteína

O presente experimento foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o desempenho de cordeiros em confinamento alimentados com dieta exclusiva de concentrado com diferentes porcentagens de proteína. Foram utilizados 24 cordeiros mestiços da raça Santa Inês, não castrados, com aproximadamente 180 dias de idade, peso vivo médio de 25kg, confinados, num delineamento experimental inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos e seis repetições. O consumo voluntário de matéria seca, matéria orgânica, proteína bruta e nutrientes digestíveis totais, além do ganho de peso diário e total, da conversão e da eficiência alimentar dos cordeiros, não foram influenciados (P>0,05) pela porcentagem de proteína na dieta. As dietas com 18 e 20% de proteína bruta apresentaram menores custos de produção, entretanto o menor custo foi obtido com a ração contendo 18% de PB.The experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of feedlot lambs feed with exclusive concentrate diet with different percentages of protein. A total of twenty four confined, not castrated Santa Inês crossbred lambs, with approximately 180 days of age, average live weight of 25kg, in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and six repetitions were used. Voluntary intake of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and total digestible nutrient, besides the daily and total gains, conversion and feed efficiency of feedlot lambs were not affected (P>0.05) by percentage of dietary crude protein. Diets with 18 and 20% crude protein had lower production costs, however, the lowest cost was obtained with a diet containing 18% CP.UNESP FCAVUniversidade Federal do Recôncavo BaianoUNESP FCA

A Historiometric Examination of Machiavellianism and a New Taxonomy of Leadership

Although researchers have extensively examined the relationship between charismatic leadership and Machiavellianism (Deluga, 2001; Gardner & Avolio, 1995; House & Howell, 1992), there has been a lack of investigation of Machiavellianism in relation to alternative forms of outstanding leadership. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between Machiavellianism and a new taxonomy of outstanding leadership comprised of charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic leaders. Using an historiometric approach, raters assessed Machiavellianism via the communications of 120 outstanding leaders in organizations across the domains of business, political, military, and religious institutions. Academic biographies were used to assess twelve general performance measures as well as twelve general controls and five communication specific controls. The results indicated that differing levels of Machiavellianism is evidenced across the differing leader types as well as differing leader orientation. Additionally, Machiavellianism appears negatively related to performance, though less so when type and orientation are taken into account.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline