Nature preserve management plan -- Bessey Creek Preserve, Little Traverse Conservancy.

Field Biology of PlantsBessey Creek Nature Preserve (BCNP) is a nature preserve in Cheboygan County, Michigan, owned by the Little Traverse Conservancy, Harbor Springs, Michigan. Limited information has been available pertaining to the natural environment and management concerns of the Preserve. To better understand the plant diversity, ecological significance, and management requirements for BCNP, the Field Botany Class at University of Michigan Biological Station conducted a comprehensive investigation of the flora of BCNP in the summer of 2011. BCNP is a relatively small preserve (0.2 ha), with 109.8 m of water frontage on northwest Douglas Lake and 46.1 m of road frontage. Four general habitats were found within the preserve. These habitats include the relatively dry roadside with many weedy or invasive species, the Fraxinus nigra (black ash) swamp consisting mainly of wetland species, the littoral zone along Douglas Lake dominated by grasses and sedges, and the open water of Douglas Lake and Bessey Creek. Despite of its small size, BCNP has relatively high preservation value. The diversified covertypes in the preserve ensure high plant diversity and provide various wildlife habitats. We collected 116 plant specimens in total within BCNP. Among these species, seven invasive or weedy species (Phalaris arundinacea, Myosotis scorpioides, Lonicera morrowii, Cirsium arvense, Aegopodium podagraria, Celastrus orbiculatus,and Lythrum salicaria) were identified. Fourteen species of conservation concern (Myriophyllum sibiricum, Campanula aparinoides, Carex lasiocarpa, Comarum palustre, Dulichium arundinaceum, Equisetum fluviatile, Lathyrus palustris, Lobelia cardinalis, Platanthera psycodes, Nuphar variegata, Cladium mariscoides, Carex aquatilis, Carex rostrata, and Chelone glabra ) were also identified within BCNP, and may need protective management. In addition, Bessey Creek has aesthetic value with its beautiful views of Douglas Lake and the creek area that is not blocked by any structures. Accordingly, we recommend the following points for future management: 1) The invasive species such as Lythrum salicaria, Aegopodium podagraria, and Celastrus orbiculatus should be controlled as they are in the early stages of colonization but could severely impact plant communities. 2) We recommend minimum disturbance of human activities in BCNP, because of the small size of the preserve and the high biodiversity, as well as diversified habitats there. 3) Several signs of unnatural disturbances (dumping of lawn waste, litter, a dragging trail, etc.) have been found within BCNP. These conditions should be monitored. 4) We noticed relatively high wildlife diversity in BCNP. Many different species of birds, fish (young pike, swarms of baby bullheads), and aquatic mammals, as well as a turtle hatching area have been observed in BCNP. A study of animal use of the preserve would be a useful addition to the ecological knowledge of BCNP.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89422/1/Lin_Xia_Johns_2011.pd

Association between cystatin C and the interaction of pulmonary tuberculosis with chronic diseases

Purpose: To determine the association between Cystatin C (Cys C) levels and the interaction of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) with chronic diseases (CD).Methods: Participants (n = 356) were selected randomly from The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, China, and divided into 4 groups: normal control group (n = 80), PTB group (n = 98), chronic disease group (n = 146), and PTB combined with chronic disease group (PTB+CD, n = 31). The investigation included information on demographics and analysis of blood samples for Cys C, liver function, renal function, blood glucose and other biochemical indices.Results: The highest level of Cys C was obtained in PTB + CD group. Before and after adjusting eGFR, there was no association between Cys C and PTB or/and chronic disease. However abnormal levels of Cys C were significantly higher in PTB+CD group after adjusting eGFR (OR = 4.014, p = 0.0125).Conclusion: Higher levels of Cys C may be associated with chronic diseases co existing with PTB.Keywords: Cystatin C, Pulmonary tuberculosis, Chronic diseases, Inflammatio

Association of serum chemerin and inflammatory factors with type 2 diabetes macroangiopathy and waist-to-stature ratio

Chemerin is an adipocytokine that participates in glycolipid metabolism; however, its association with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with lower extremity macroangiopathy (T2DM-V) has rarely been reported. This study explored the association of chemerin and inflammatory factors with body fat parameters, glucolipid metabolism, and insulin resistance (IR) in T2DM and T2DM-V. Patients were classified into normal glucose regulation (NGR), T2DM, and T2DM-V groups. Serum chemerin, glucolipid metabolic parameters, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and fasting insulin levels were measured along with HOMA-IR, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-stature ratio (WSR). Serum chemerin, TGF-β, IL-6 and MCP-1 levels were significantly higher in T2DM groups than in NGR group, and BMI, WSR, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2hPG, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG) and HOMA-IR were higher in T2DM-V subgroups with moderate or severe lower extremity macroangiopathy than in NGR group, simple T2DM group, and T2DM-V subgroup with mild macroangiopathy. FPG, 2hPG, HbA1c, TG and HOMA-IR were higher in T2DM-V subgroup with severe macroangiopathy than in T2DM-V with moderate macroangiopathy (p < 0.05). In all groups, serum chemerin levels were positively correlated with BMI, WSR, FPG, 2hPG, HbA1c, fasting insulin, aspartate transaminase, TG, TGF-β, IL-6 and HOMA-IR (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c] (p < 0.05). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that 2hPG, HbA1c, and HDL-c were independent predictors of serum chemerin levels (β = -0.768, -0.122, -0.115, and 3.261, respectively; p < 0.01). Collectively, chemerin, factors associated with obesity, pathological and physiological changes in glucolipid metabolism, and inflammatory factors may promote the development of T2DM macroangiopathy

The Effects of Chronic Nitrogen Deposition on Tree Leaf and Fine Root Decomposition

Elevated atmospheric nitrogen deposition caused by human activity induces a forest carbon sink across broad parts of the Northern hemisphere. In addition to more rapid tree growth, this increase in carbon sequestration could be due to soil carbon accumulation caused by slower organic matter decomposition. The objective of this dissertation was to understand and compare how elevated nitrogen deposition affects decomposition of two major tree litter sources: leaf litter and fine roots. A long-term (>15 years) nitrogen deposition experiment enabled a three-year decomposition study across the span of the Northern Hardwood Biome in Michigan. Fine root and leaf litter biochemical composition and the contribution of leaves and roots to ecosystem biochemical fluxes was quantified. Fine roots were more chemically recalcitrant than leaf litter. At the ecosystem scale, fine roots dominated litter fluxes of acid-insoluble fraction (AIF, also known as Klason lignin) and condensed tannins to soil. Decomposition was estimated using a double-exponential model to describe litter mass loss. Annual litter production was combined with decomposition patterns to estimate how plant litters contribute to soil organic matter. Nitrogen additions increased the initial decomposition of leaf litter, but inhibited the later stages of fine root decomposition. Slower fine root decomposition caused a 23.8 % additional retention of root mass (g m -2) after six years of decomposition. Wet chemistry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to quantify chemical changes of both litter types. Both gravimetrically-defined AIF and lignin/carbohydrate characteristic IR peak ratios indicated that lignin was selectively preserved under simulated nitrogen deposition. The slower degradation of AIF contributed 73.9 � 5.2 % of additional root mass retention under simulated nitrogen deposition. Although nitrogen deposition studies have focused on leaf litter, these results highlight the dominant role of fine roots in plant-soil carbon fluxes and suggest that slower fine root decomposition is a major driver of soil organic mass accumulation under elevated nitrogen deposition.Thesis (Ph.D., Natural Resources) -- University of Idaho, 201

Higher-order error bound for the difference of two functions

Abstract Error bounds play an important role in the research of mathematical programming. Using some techniques of nonsmooth analysis, we establish some results on the existence of higher-order error bounds for difference functions with set constraints

Amino Acids Metabolism in Retinopathy: From Clinical and Basic Research Perspective

Retinopathy, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), are the leading cause of blindness among seniors, working-age populations, and children. However, the pathophysiology of retinopathy remains unclear. Accumulating studies demonstrate that amino acid metabolism is associated with retinopathy. This study discusses the characterization of amino acids in DR, AMD, and ROP by metabolomics from clinical and basic research perspectives. The features of amino acids in retinopathy were summarized using a comparative approach based on existing high-throughput metabolomics studies from PubMed. Besides taking up a large proportion, amino acids appear in both human and animal, intraocular and peripheral samples. Among them, some metabolites differ significantly in all three types of retinopathy, including glutamine, glutamate, alanine, and others. Studies on the mechanisms behind retinal cell death caused by glutamate accumulation are on the verge of making some progress. To develop potential therapeutics, it is imperative to understand amino acid-induced retinal functional alterations and the underlying mechanisms. This review delineates the significance of amino acid metabolism in retinopathy and provides possible direction to discover therapeutic targets for retinopathy

Effect of the Vacuum Impregnation Process on Water Absorption and Nail-Holding Power of Silica Sol-Modified Chinese Fir

The application of fast-growing Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is limited due to low dimensional stability and weak mechanical strength. Silica sol can effectively improve fast-growing fir wood’s physical and mechanical properties. In order to clarify the influence of impregnation process parameters on the modification effect, the effect of the vacuum impregnation variants (e.g., pre-vacuum time, pre-vacuum pressure, pressurization time, and pressurization pressure) was discussed using the orthogonal test approach. The optimal modification process was determined by comparing the water absorption and nail-holding power under different modification processes. The range analysis and variance analysis methods were used to study the correlation between process factors and the performance of the modified wood. The results showed that the water absorption and nail-holding power of fast-growing fir wood were significantly improved via vacuum impregnating with silica sol. The optimum process parameters for water absorption and nail-holding power of fast-growing fir as the pre-vacuum time was 30 min, the pre-vacuum pressure was −0.08 MPa, the pressurization time was 3 h, and the pressurization pressure was 1.2 MPa

Branched-Chain Amino Acids Metabolism and Their Roles in Retinopathy: From Relevance to Mechanism

Retinopathy is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness and vision loss worldwide. Imbalanced nutrients play important roles in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of retinal diseases. Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), as essential amino acids, perform a variety of biological functions, including protein synthesis, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress in metabolic tissues of diabetes and aging-related diseases. Recently, it has been shown that BCAAs are highly related to neuroprotection, oxidative stress, inflammatory and glutamate toxicity in the retina of retinopathy. Therefore, this review summarizes the alterations of BCAA levels in retinopathy, especially diabetic retinopathy and aging-related macular disease, and the genetics, functions, and mechanisms of BCAAs in the retina as well as other metabolic tissues for reference. All of these efforts aim to provide fundamental knowledge of BCAAs for further discoveries and research on retina health based on the sensing and signaling of essential amino acids

Study on the in Vitro Digestion Characteristics of Polysaccharides Emulsion from Clinacanthus nutans

This study aimed to investigate in vitro digestion characteristics of emulsion stabilized use Clinacanthus nutans polysaccharide (CNP-P2) as an emulsifier and its ability to support the astaxanthin (AST) delivery system, providing theoretical and methodological guidance for the processing of C. nutans and its application in food. The gastrointestinal behavior of CNP-P2 emulsion was evaluated by droplet size, Zeta potential, microstructure, and FFA release in a controlled experiment using Gum acacia (GA). The results showed that CNP-P2 emulsion could remain stable in the stomach stage with a free fatty acid (FAA) release of 32.41%, and the final release of GA emulsion was 31.68%. A CNP-P2 emulsion delivery system loaded with AST was constructed to evaluate its ability and bioaccessibility for astaxanthin (AST) stabilization. CNP-P2 emulsion could retain AST content well under ultraviolet irradiation, with an FAA release of 27.22% during gastrointestinal digestion and a bioaccessibility of 44.43%±1.63%. CNP-P2 emulsion could significantly improve the bioaccessibility of AST in soybean oil (2.5%) (P<0.05). Based on the above results, under the premise of effectively delaying lipid digestion, the slow digestion emulsion prepared by CNP-P2 can effectively deliver astaxanthin

Depressive symptoms and negative life events: What psycho-social factors protect or harm left-behind children in China?

Abstract Background In China, children under 18 years old who are left at rural residences for at least 6 months by either one or both of their parents migrating to work in cities are called “left-behind children (LBC)”. Due to restricted family support, they are at a greater risk of developing depressive symptoms than non-left-behind children (NLBC). The objective of this study is to explore how depressive symptoms and stress induced by negative life events such as interpersonal conflicts, punishment and loss, as well as their relationships vary for LBC with different left-behind-related characteristics. Methods Using data from a large school-based survey conducted in Chongqing between December 2012 and June 2013, we first identified the differences in depressive symptoms and negative-event-induced stress between LBC and NLBC, and then analyzed the variances among LBC with different left-behind-related characteristics. The data was analyzed with Chi-square test, MANCOVA, ANCOVA, ANOVA, T-test and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results We found that LBC were more stressed when experiencing negative events and had more depressive symptoms than NLBC. Children left behind by both parents were most depressed. Negative-event-induced stress and communication on life difficulties with migrant parents were risk factors for depressive symptoms, whereas adequate communication on academic performance or children’s feelings was a protective factor against depressive symptoms. Communication duration and frequency, communication by visiting, communication on academic performance, life difficulties and children’s feelings moderated the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms, respectively. Duration of separation, communication duration and frequency, communication on academic performance, learning difficulties and children’s feelings moderated the relation between the type of parental migration and depressive symptoms, respectively. Conclusions Our findings suggest that children left behind by both parents should be the focus of public attention for their higher susceptibility to stress-related depression. To help LBC stay mentally healthy, governments need to formulate regulations contributing to LBC’s family reunion, communities need to involve more residents to attend LBC as “surrogate parents” and teach migrant parents to communicate with LBC properly, and schools need to teach LBC how to deal with stress and communicate with migrant parents