Rarity facets of biodiversity : Integrating Zeta diversity and Dark diversity to understand the nature of commonness and rarity

Measuring commonness and rarity is pivotal to ecology and conservation. Zeta diversity, the average number of species shared by multiple sets of assemblages, and Dark diversity, the number of species that could occur in an assemblage but are missing, have been recently proposed to capture two aspects of the commonness-rarity spectrum. Despite a shared focus on commonness and rarity, thus far, Zeta and Dark diversities have been assessed separately. Here, we review these two frameworks and suggest their integration into a unified paradigm of the "rarity facets of biodiversity." This can be achieved by partitioning Alpha and Beta diversities into five components (the Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, and Kappa rarity facets) defined based on the commonness and rarity of species. Each facet is assessed in traditional and multiassemblage fashions to bridge conceptual differences between Dark diversity and Zeta diversity. We discuss applications of the rarity facets including comparing the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of rare and common species, or measuring species' prevalence in different facets as a metric of species rarity. The rarity facets integrate two emergent paradigms in biodiversity science to better understand the ecology of commonness and rarity, an important endeavor in a time of widespread changes in biodiversity across the Earth.Peer reviewe

Is the adjustable lumbo-peritoneal shunt a valid option for managing symptomatic idiopathic intracranial hypertension? A case report of a multidisciplinary management

Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a rare disorder, characterized by raised intracranial pressure with no recognizable cause. Headache, decreased visual acuity and papilledema are the main clinical manifestations. Case description: A case of a 27-year-old obese woman affected by idiopathic intracranial hypertension is reported. She was initially treated conservatively, but, due to severe headache refractory to medical therapy, an adjustable lumbo-peritoneal shunt was implanted. Conclusion: Gold standard treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension is not defined yet, but the lumbo-peritoneal shunt could represent a valid option for managing the disease in properly selected patients. Keywords: Lumbo-peritoneal shunt, Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, Pseudotumor cerebr

Latanoprost ophthalmic solution in the treatment of open angle glaucoma or raised intraocular pressure: a review

Latanoprost is a prostaglandin F2-alpha isopropyl ester prodrug which is rapidly hydrolyzed by esterases in the cornea to the biologically active latanoprost acid. When latanoprost is topically administered into the eye, the cornea seems to act like as a slow-release depot to the anterior segment. One hour after administration maximum concentration is found in the iris, followed by the anterior chamber and the ciliary body. Despite extensive research, controversy remains about the real mechanism of action of this drug. Immunohistochemical data have shown that the intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction with topical prostaglandin F2-alpha is associated with a reduction of collagens within the uveoscleral outflow pathway. Evidence from several experimental and clinical studies suggests that latanoprost is a valuable addition first-line treatment alternatives for glaucoma, ocular hypertension and even angle-closure glaucoma. Strong points are its efficacy, which is demonstrated to be higher than that of brimonidine, dorzolamide and timolol with fewer systemic adverse effects; a convenient administration schedule; and the IOP-controlling pattern, which is relatively flat compared with timolol and dorzolamide, and enables better control in glaucoma progression, since large fluctuations may be associated with the risk of developing glaucoma in untreated ocular hypertensive subjects

The Concept of Quality of Life in the Perception of Older Uruguayans: a qualitative study

The research objective was to investigate the conception of quality of life in Uruguayan older adults, trying to build a model adapted to them. Based on Grounded Theory, a qualitative study was carried out between 2017-2018 in several regions of Uruguay. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in older adults (mean age 71 years, SD 5.4) with theoretical and snowball sampling. Theory emerged through the core category “living as best as possible”, interpreted as the conception of older adults about quality of life. The emerging themes were: “context events”, “link with others”, “activities facing life” and “adaptation strategies”. When facing stressful events, participants develop coping strategies through social support and internal locus of control, to achieve quality of life and successful aging. The empirical evidence developed from this qualitative research portrays a model established from a specific age and cultural context, in which social and psychological dimensions interact to face aging and achieve quality of life.El objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar la concepción de calidad de vida en adultos mayores uruguayos, procurando construir un modelo adaptado a ellos. Basado en Teoría Fundamentada, se realizó un estudio cualitativo entre 2017-2018 en varios departamentos de Uruguay. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a adultos mayores (edad promedio 71 años, DE 5,4) con muestreo teórico y por bola de nieve. Emergió teoría a través de la categoría madre “vivir lo mejor que se puede”, interpretada como la concepción de adultos mayores sobre calidad de vida. Los temas emergentes fueron: “eventos del contexto”, “vínculo con otros”, “actividades frente a la vida” y “estrategias de adaptación”. Al enfrentar eventos estresantes, los participantes desarrollan estrategias de adaptación por medio del soporte social y locus interno de control, para alcanzar calidad de vida y un envejecimiento exitoso. La evidencia empírica desarrollada a partir de esta investigación cualitativa retrata un modelo establecido en un contexto etario y cultural específico, en el que interactúan dimensiones sociales y psicológicas para enfrentar el envejecimiento y alcanzar calidad de vida

Robots Are Not All the Same: Young Adults' Expectations, Attitudes, and Mental Attribution to Two Humanoid Social Robots

The human physical resemblance of humanoid social robots (HRSs) has proven to be particularly effective in interactions with humans in different contexts. In particular, two main factors affect the quality of human-robot interaction, the physical appearance and the behaviors performed by the robot. In this study, we examined the psychological effect of two HRSs, NAO and Pepper. Although some studies have shown that these two robots are very similar in terms of the human likeness, other evidence has shown some differences in their design affecting different psychological elements of the human partner. The present study aims to analyze the variability of the attributions of mental states (AMS), expectations of robotic development and negative attitudes as a function of the physical appearance of two HRSs after observing a real interaction with a human (an experimenter). For this purpose, two groups of young adults were recruited, one for the NAO

Biological and physico-chemical properties of new root canal sealers

The purpose of the present study was to compare the biological and the physico-chemical properties of bioceramic-based root canal sealers, calcium hydroxide-based, MTA-based and epoxy resin-based root canal sealers. Two bioceramic-based sealers, one calcium hydroxide-based sealer, one MTA-based sealer and two epoxy resin-based sealers were tested. EasySeal and MTA Fillapex showed severe citotoxic activity, AH Plus and SealapexTM moderate cytotoxicity, BioRoot? RCS and TotalFill BC Sealer were both cytocompatible. Except for TotalFill BC Sealer, all root canal sealers caused inhibition zones when tested with E. faecalis. The highest inhibition zone was observed for EasySeal, followed by AH Plus. BioRoot? RCS, SealapexTM and MTA Fillapex showed the lowest inhibition zone. All the tested materials showed different degree of antibacterial activity by using direct contact test (DCT). The highest values were observed for BioRoot? RCS, TotalFill BC Sealer and EasySeal, followed by MTA Fillapex and SealapexTM. Except for BioRoot RCS and TotalFill BC Sealer, all the root canal sealers fulfilled the requirements of the ISO 6876 standard, demonstrating a weight loss less than 3%. Bioroot RCS, TotalFill BC Sealer and SealapexTM exhibited high alkaline pH with an increase both for BioRoot? RCS and TotalFill BC Sealer after 24 hours. The new bioceramic-based sealers showed acceptable physico-chemical properties, but BioRoot? RCS and TotalFill BC Sealer seems to be too soluble, not respecting ISO 6876 requirements

Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics Assessment of a Gas Turbine Vane

This work assesses the crack propagation at the most critical point of a second stage of a gas turbine blade by means of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). The most critical zone where the crack may nucleate, due to a combination of thermo-mechanical loads, is detected with an uncracked finite element (FE) model pre-analysis. Then the sub-modelling technique is used to obtain more precise results in terms of stresses within the area of interest. Simulations of the state of stress at the crack apex are performed through an FE model, using the Fracture Tool within ANSYS Workbench, and the stress intensity factors (SIFs) are determined accordingly. The Fracture Tool was previously verified on a simple model, and the results were compared with its analytical solution. Finally, the evaluation of the crack growth due to fatigue stress, creep, and oxidation is performed through in-house software called Propagangui. The crack behavior is estimated along with the component life. Results show an unexpected decrease in KI with increasing crack length and slowing of the crack growth rate with crack propagation. A detailed analysis of this behavior emphasizes that the redistribution of the stresses at the crack apex means that unstable propagation is not expected