Movement and habitat use of two aquatic turtles (\u3cem\u3eGraptemys geographic\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eTrachemys scripta\u3c/em\u3e) in an urban landscape

Our study focuses on the spatial ecology and seasonal habitat use of two aquatic turtles in order to understand the manner in which upland habitat use by humans shapes the aquatic activity, movement, and habitat selection of these species in an urban setting. We used radiotelemetry to follow 15 female Graptemys geographica (common map turtle) and each of ten male and female Trachemys scripta (red-eared slider) living in a man-made canal within a highly urbanized region of Indianapolis, IN, USA. During the active season (between May and September) of 2002, we located 33 of the 35 individuals a total of 934 times and determined the total range of activity, mean movement, and daily movement for each individuals. We also analyzed turtle locations relative to the upland habitat types (commercial, residential, river, road, woodlot, and open) surrounding the canal and determined that the turtles spent a disproportionate amount of time in woodland and commercial habitats and avoided the road-associated portions of the canal. We also located 21 of the turtles during hibernation (February 2003), and determined that an even greater proportion of individuals hibernated in woodland-bordered portions of the canal. Our results clearly indicate that turtle habitat selection is influenced by human activities; sound conservation and management of turtle populations in urban habitats will require the incorporation of spatial ecology and habitat use data

The role of nonmarital coparents and supportive non-parental adults in the psychosocial adjustment of African American youth from single mother families: a mixed methods study

The current study utilized a mixed methods research design (quantitative data: n = 185; qualitative data n = 20) to examine the quality of relationships African American youth from single mother families have with nonmarital coparents (i.e., adults identified as significantly involved in child-rearing), as well as social support they receive from additional non-parental adults. When not controlling for the full set of predictor variables, higher levels of youth-coparent relationship quality were associated with higher levels of youth self-esteem, and higher levels of coparent monitoring were associated with lower levels of youth externalizing symptoms. In addition, when all the predictors were taken into account, higher levels of youth-coparent relationship quality were associated with lower levels of youth internalizing problems and higher levels of coparent monitoring were associated with higher levels of youth internalizing problems. In addition, several types of SNPA support were associated with the likelihood of alcohol use, and some interactions involving total SNPA support also emerged. In contrast, neither coparent residence nor contact frequency were associated with outcomes. Implications of the results for future research on links between adults outside of biological parents and youth are discussed

The role of non-marital coparents in the psychosocial adjustment of African American youth from single mother-headed families

Little empirical attention has considered the quality of the relationships that African American youths from single mother homes may have with extended family and other non-marital coparents. The current study examined associations between coparent support and three measures of youth adjustment, internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and cognitive competence, in a sample of low-income, urban African American single mother families (n = 141). Findings revealed that coparent support was not directly associated with youth outcomes. However, the two-way interaction of coparent support X positive parenting was significant at Assessment 1 for both externalizing and internalizing symptoms. The negative association between positive parenting and symptoms was strongest in the context of high levels of coparent support. Finally, exploratory analyses revealed some associations of coparent identity (i.e. father, grandmother, sister or other) with the outcome variables. Implications and future directions for research are discussed

A Fresh Cow Health Monitoring System

Calving causes cows to endure many physiological changes that require good nutrition, time, and adequate rest for recovery. Upon calving, cows are introduced into the lactating herd, where they consume high amounts of a new ration and have to adapt to a new feeding and milking routine. Lactation requires more support from the diet than pregnancy and weight maintenance, particularly in fresh cows calving in with a negative energy balance. Additionally, the social hierarchy within the herd is re-established every time a new cow enters the group, which can cause stress, especially for timid and weak cows. For these reasons, cows become immunosuppressed, making them more susceptible to illness. Although many cows seem to adapt quickly and adequately to this new period, underlying issues are often present that are sometimes difficult to notice

Snapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina, Overland Movements Near the Southeastern Extent of its Range

Terrestrial movements of turtles are of interest due to the conservation implications for this imperiled group and the general lack of information on this topic, particularly in wide-ranging species. The snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina, is one of the most broadly distributed chelonians in the world; they occur from southeastern Canada westward to Alberta and throughout the eastern half of the United States and into Central America. Most research on this species has been focused on populations in the northern portion of the range. In this study, we radio-tracked five turtles in southwestern Georgia, where published data on spatial ecology and movements are lacking. Turtles exhibited extensive overland movements which we suspect occurred in response to drought

HLA Class-II Associated HIV Polymorphisms Predict Escape from CD4+ T Cell Responses.

Antiretroviral therapy, antibody and CD8+ T cell-mediated responses targeting human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) exert selection pressure on the virus necessitating escape; however, the ability of CD4+ T cells to exert selective pressure remains unclear. Using a computational approach on HIV gag/pol/nef sequences and HLA-II allelic data, we identified 29 HLA-II associated HIV sequence polymorphisms or adaptations (HLA-AP) in an African cohort of chronically HIV-infected individuals. Epitopes encompassing the predicted adaptation (AE) or its non-adapted (NAE) version were evaluated for immunogenicity. Using a CD8-depleted IFN-γ ELISpot assay, we determined that the magnitude of CD4+ T cell responses to the predicted epitopes in controllers was higher compared to non-controllers (p<0.0001). However, regardless of the group, the magnitude of responses to AE was lower as compared to NAE (p<0.0001). CD4+ T cell responses in patients with acute HIV infection (AHI) demonstrated poor immunogenicity towards AE as compared to NAE encoded by their transmitted founder virus. Longitudinal data in AHI off antiretroviral therapy demonstrated sequence changes that were biologically confirmed to represent CD4+ escape mutations. These data demonstrate an innovative application of HLA-associated polymorphisms to identify biologically relevant CD4+ epitopes and suggests CD4+ T cells are active participants in driving HIV evolution

Experimentation on Analogue Models

Summary Analogue models are actual physical setups used to model something else. They are especially useful when what we wish to investigate is difficult to observe or experiment upon due to size or distance in space or time: for example, if the thing we wish to investigate is too large, too far away, takes place on a time scale that is too long, does not yet exist or has ceased to exist. The range and variety of analogue models is too extensive to attempt a survey. In this article, I describe and discuss several different analogue model experiments, the results of those model experiments, and the basis for constructing them and interpreting their results. Examples of analogue models for surface waves in lakes, for earthquakes and volcanoes in geophysics, and for black holes in general relativity, are described, with a focus on examining the bases for claims that these analogues are appropriate analogues of what they are used to investigate. A table showing three different kinds of bases for reasoning using analogue models is provided. Finally, it is shown how the examples in this article counter three common misconceptions about the use of analogue models in physics

Adolescent alcohol use in context: The role of parents and peers among African American and European American youth.

African American youth are less likely to use alcohol than their European American counterparts; however, the greater consequences of use for African American youth highlight the need for greater research attention to this group. Two social contexts which have been linked with adolescent alcohol use are parents and peers, yet these studies have rarely included African American youth or failed to examine potential racial differences. This study examined the main and interactive effects of parents and peers, as well as the moderating role of race, on alcohol use in African American and European American rural adolescents (n = 71) identified as at high-risk for alcohol use. Contrary to study hypotheses, however, parents were not a more robust moderator for African American than European American youth. Clinical implications for prevention and intervention programming for both African American and European American youth are discussed