Rough-bed flows in geophysical, environmental, and engineering systems : Double-Averaging Approach and its applications. Preface to the Special Issue

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Nyelvjátékok, vizuális eszközökkel. A vizuális kommunikáció paradigmái az írásbeliség tükrében

Adaptive evolutionary responses are determined by the strength of selection and the amount of genetic variation within traits, however, both are known to vary across environmental conditions. As selection is generally expected to be strongest under stressful conditions, understanding how the expression of genetic variation changes across stressful and benign environmental conditions is crucial for predicting the rate of adaptive change. While theory generally predicts increased genetic variation under stress, previous syntheses of the field has found limited support for this notion. These studies have focused on heritability, which is dependent on other environmentally sensitive, but non-genetic, sources of variation. Here, we aim to complement these studies with a meta-analysis where we examine changes in coefficient of variation (CV) in maternal, genetic, and residual variances across stressful and benign conditions. Confirming previous analyses, we did not find any clear direction in how heritability changes across stressful and benign conditions. However, when analyzing CV, we found higher genetic and residual variance under highly stressful conditions in life-history traits but not in morphological traits. Our findings are of broad significance to contemporary evolution suggesting that rapid evolutionary adaptive response may be mediated by increased evolutionary potential in stressed populations

Impact of an Acute Heat Shock During In Vitro Maturation on Interleukin 6 and its Associated Receptor Component Transcripts In Bovine Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes

An acute heat stress event after LH surge increased intrafollicular interleukin 6 (IL6) levels in cows that became hyperthermic. To examine direct consequences of the physiologically-relevant elevated temperature of 41.0ºC on the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC), IL6 transcript abundance and related receptor components were evaluated throughout in vitro maturation. Because IL6 and LIF share a signal transducer, LIF was also examined. Abundance of IL6 was interactively influenced by temperature and time (P \u3c 0.0001). Heat-induced increases in IL6 were first noted at 4 hIVM; peak levels occurred at 4.67 versus 6.44 hIVM for 41.0 and 38.5ºC COCs, respectively (SEM = 0.23; P \u3c 0.001). Abundance of IL6R (P = 0.05) and IL6ST (P = 0.002) were also interactively influenced by temperature and hIVM. Peak IL6ST levels occurred at 6.95 versus 8.29hIVM for 41.0 and 38.5ºC, respectively (SEM = 0.23; P \u3c 0.01). Transcript for LIF differed over time (P \u3c 0.0001) but was not affected by 41.0ºC exposure. Blastocyst development after performing IVF was not affected by 41.0ºC exposure for 4 or 6 h. Progesterone released into maturation medium by COCs was interactively influenced by temperature and hIVM (P = 0.0116). When limiting analysis to when IL6 was temporally produced, progesterone levels were only impacted by time and temperature. Heat-induced shift in the temporal production of IL6 along with its impact on progesterone likely cooperate in heat-induced hastening of meiotic progression described by others

Clinic-Referred Mothers\u27 Autobiographical Narratives as Markers of Their Parenting Styles

In theory, parents should use their autobiographical narratives to describe their parenting experiences, which should reflect their parenting style. Past correlational studies show that parents with coherent narratives tend to be more sensitive to their children. Since we know that authoritative parents are able to recognize the needs of their child and respond more appropriately and sensitively, it is likely that this capacity will also be referenced in their narratives. This study looked at the narratives of 40 mothers in relation to their parenting style and child’s behavior. Results showed that narrative coherence was negatively associated with authoritarian parenting style. Authoritative parenting style was positively associated with child behavior problems, while authoritarian parenting style was negatively associated with child behavior problems. The implication of narrative coherence in relation to parenting is discussed

Modeling Reciprocating Compressors Using A Cartesian Cut-Cell Method With Automatic Mesh Generation

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models can offer great insight into flow phenomena and complex fluid-structure interactions present in reciprocating compressors. This is often achieved, however, at large computational cost and considerable user setup time. In this study, a Cartesian cut-cell finite-volume method is applied to model a small displacement refrigeration compressor. The cut-cell method has the key feature of representing discrete cell volumes exactly without requiring the computational grid to coincide with the bounding geometry. Additionally, the grid is dynamically generated at each time step based on the instantaneous boundary positions and is automatically refined based on gradients of local flow variables. These two features make this method ideal for modeling the deformation of the valves, the motion of the piston, and the complex geometries of the suction and discharge mufflers. The model is validated against experimental data. The sources of numerical error in the model are assessed, including the spatial and temporal discretization error and the model treatment for valve opening, closure, and contact. Lastly, several automated grid generation strategies are presented to establish guidelines for balancing cost and accuracy. The model formulation highlights the ease of incorporating complex and moving geometries characteristic of reciprocating compressors into a CFD model at a reasonable cost

Uncertainty study of data-based models of pollutant transport in rivers

River engineeringTransport and fate of pollutants in river