The Traits that Predict the Magnitude and Spatial Scale of Forest Bird Responses to Urbanization Intensity

As humans continue moving to urban areas, there is a growing need to understand the effects of urban intensification on native wildlife populations. Forest species in remnant habitat are particularly vulnerable to urban intensification, but the mechanisms behind these effects are poorly understood. An understanding of how species traits, as proxies for mechanisms, mediate the effects of urban intensification on forest species can help fill this knowledge gap. Using a large point count dataset from the Second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas, we tested for the effects of species traits on the magnitude and spatial scale of the responses of 58 forest bird species to urbanization intensity in landscapes surrounding count locations. Average urbanization intensity effect size across species was -0.36 ± 0.49 (SE) and average scale of effect of urbanization intensity was 4.87 ± 5.95 km. Resident forest bird species that are granivorous or frugivorous, cavity-nesting, and have larger clutch sizes and more fledglings per clutch had more positive associations with increasing urbanization intensity in landscapes. In addition, the effect of urbanization intensity on forest birds manifested most strongly at larger spatial scales for granivorous, frugivorous, or omnivorous species that are cavity-nesting, have larger clutch sizes and longer wingspans, and flock in larger numbers. To our knowledge, the present study represents the first direct tests of the effects of species traits on both the magnitude and spatial scale of the effect of urbanization on forest birds, as well as the first evidence that migratory status, clutch size, wingspan, and fledglings per clutch are important determinants of the responses of forest birds to urbanization. We discuss the possible mechanisms underlying our results and their implications for forest bird conservation in urbanizing landscapes

Use of videotape learning packages : a marital enrichment field experiment with two delivery systems

The purposes of this study were (a) to evaluate the effectiveness of two procedures (traditional group workshop and individual telephone conference/mail) for training home economics Extension agents to use videotape resources in working with married couples, and (b) to design, implement, and evaluate videotape learning packages for facilitating married couples' interpersonal competence skills in self-understanding, communication, and growth toward states of consensus and commitment to their relationships. Videotape learning packages were utilized by Extension agents acting as leaders with groups of married couples. The sample consisted of 50 married couples and 10 agent-leaders from 10 counties in two Agricultural Extension Service districts. Thirty-nine couples attended a series of four videotape/discussion programs and responded to pre-post inventories. Eleven control couples who did not attend the series also responded

Revision and field test of a self-instructional program on the sewing machine

The purposes of this study were to revise and field test the self-instructional program on the sowing machine developed by Moore. Revisions of the Sewing Machine Program, prepared from the recommendations of a preliminary field test, included the addition of (l) performance frames, (2) sections of frames for objectives not programed in the first edition, (3) colored frames for various models of sewing machines, (4) an introduction to programed instruction for the students, and (5) a number of illustrations. The revised program contained 340 frames of which 71 were "no response" frames and 123 were frames requiring performance at a sewing machine. Fifteen responses were teacher-reinforced

Mitochondrial DNA mutations in human degenerative diseases and aging

AbstractA wide variety of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have recently been identified in degenerative diseases of the brain, heart, skeletal muscle, kidney and endocrine system. Generally, individuals inheriting these mitochondrial diseases are relatively normal in early life, develop symptoms during childhood, mid-life, or old age depending on the severity of the maternally-inherited mtDNA mutation; and then undergo a progressive decline. These novel features of mtDNA disease are proposed to be the product of the high dependence of the target organs on mitochondrial bioenergetics, and the cumulative oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) defect caused by the inherited mtDNA mutation together with the age-related accumulation mtDNA mutations in post-mitotic tissues

The Lantern Vol. 4, No. 3, June 1936

• Dr. Omwake as his Friends See Him: A Letter from Dr. James M. Anders ; An Interview with Dean Kline • George Leslie Omwake, Educator and Churchman • The Story of Ursinus • Way Back When • Editorial: We Look Before and After • Reminiscences of an Ex-Storekeeper\u27s Daughter • The Tale of a Toper, or How the Little Stone Went Rolling • Book Review: May I Present? • Time Out, Please • Youth at the Crossroads • Of Candy Bars and Tears • Reflections • To a Star • It Takes Two to Study the Moonhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1008/thumbnail.jp

The Lantern Vol. 4, No. 3, June 1936

• Dr. Omwake as his Friends See Him: A Letter from Dr. James M. Anders ; An Interview with Dean Kline • George Leslie Omwake, Educator and Churchman • The Story of Ursinus • Way Back When • Editorial: We Look Before and After • Reminiscences of an Ex-Storekeeper\u27s Daughter • The Tale of a Toper, or How the Little Stone Went Rolling • Book Review: May I Present? • Time Out, Please • Youth at the Crossroads • Of Candy Bars and Tears • Reflections • To a Star • It Takes Two to Study the Moonhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1008/thumbnail.jp

Gene Mapping by Chromosome Microdissection and Microisolation in the Chicken

A chromosome microdissection and microisolation technique in combination with filter hybridization was developed for chromosomal localization of cloned chicken genes. The DNA was obtained from microdissected chromosome regions of metaphase spreads. Dissected DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The chicken MHC gene located on the nucleolar chromosome and β-actin gene located on chromosome 2q were chosen as tests for the procedure and then detected by dot blot analysis using amplified chromosomal DNA probed with biotinylated DNA. The study establishes the technique of using chromosome microdissection and microisolation for localization of cloned genes as a complementary or alternative approach to both in situ DNA/chromosome hybridization and fluorescent in situ hybridization

Enhanced annealing of mismatched oligonucleotides using a novel melting curve assay allows efficient in vitro discrimination and restriction of a single nucleotide polymorphism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many SNP discrimination strategies employ natural restriction endonucleases to discriminate between allelic states. However, SNPs are often not associated with a restriction site and therefore, a number of attempts have been made to generate sequence-adaptable restriction endonucleases. In this study, a simple, sequence-adaptable SNP discrimination mechanism between a 'wild-type' and 'mutant' template is demonstrated. This model differs from other artificial restriction endonuclease models as <it>cis- </it>rather than <it>trans-</it>orientated regions of single stranded DNA were generated and cleaved, and therefore, overcomes potential issues of either inefficient or non-specific binding when only a single variant is targeted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A series of mismatch 'bubbles' that spanned 0-5-bp surrounding a point mutation was generated and analysed for sensitivity to S1 nuclease. In this model, generation of oligonucleotide-mediated ssDNA mismatch 'bubbles' in the presence of S1 nuclease resulted in the selective degradation of the mutant template while maintaining wild-type template integrity. Increasing the size of the mismatch increased the rate of mutant sequence degradation, until a threshold above which discrimination was lost and the wild-type sequence was degraded. This level of fine discrimination was possible due to the development of a novel high-resolution melting curve assay to empirically determine changes in Tm (~5.0°C per base-pair mismatch) and to optimise annealing conditions (~18.38°C below Tm) of the mismatched oligonucleotide sets.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The <it>in vitro </it>'cleavage bubble' model presented is sequence-adaptable as determined by the binding oligonucleotide, and hence, has the potential to be tailored to discriminate between any two or more SNPs. Furthermore, the demonstrated fluorometric assay has broad application potential, offering a rapid, sensitive and high-throughput means to determine Tm and annealing rates as an alternative to conventional hybridisation detection strategies.</p

Ortholog identification in the presence of domain architecture rearrangement

Ortholog identification is used in gene functional annotation, species phylogeny estimation, phylogenetic profile construction and many other analyses. Bioinformatics methods for ortholog identification are commonly based on pairwise protein sequence comparisons between whole genomes. Phylogenetic methods of ortholog identification have also been developed; these methods can be applied to protein data sets sharing a common domain architecture or which share a single functional domain but differ outside this region of homology. While promiscuous domains represent a challenge to all orthology prediction methods, overall structural similarity is highly correlated with proximity in a phylogenetic tree, conferring a degree of robustness to phylogenetic methods. In this article, we review the issues involved in orthology prediction when data sets include sequences with structurally heterogeneous domain architectures, with particular attention to automated methods designed for high-throughput application, and present a case study to illustrate the challenges in this area