Phrynosoma mcallii

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

The Wounded Minnow\u27 concept

How to cope with displacement behavior

A target enrichment method for gathering phylogenetic information from hundreds of loci: An example from the Compositae.

UnlabelledPremise of the studyThe Compositae (Asteraceae) are a large and diverse family of plants, and the most comprehensive phylogeny to date is a meta-tree based on 10 chloroplast loci that has several major unresolved nodes. We describe the development of an approach that enables the rapid sequencing of large numbers of orthologous nuclear loci to facilitate efficient phylogenomic analyses. •Methods and resultsWe designed a set of sequence capture probes that target conserved orthologous sequences in the Compositae. We also developed a bioinformatic and phylogenetic workflow for processing and analyzing the resulting data. Application of our approach to 15 species from across the Compositae resulted in the production of phylogenetically informative sequence data from 763 loci and the successful reconstruction of known phylogenetic relationships across the family. •ConclusionsThese methods should be of great use to members of the broader Compositae community, and the general approach should also be of use to researchers studying other families

Effect of Direct Current Electric Fields on Cone Like Retinal Photoreceptor Cells

Studies show that electric fields are used as therapy during nerve and tissue injuries along with trans-retinal stimulation. However, cellular and molecular changes induced by such treatments remain largely unknown especially in retinal photoreceptor cells.The 661W cells were stimulated with a constant dcEF of field strength 5 V/cm during 30 min or 5 h depending on the parameters studied.In response to dcEF, the cells aligned perpendicular to the field by forming a leading edge with extended membrane protrusions towards the cathode. Using immunofluorescence and live cell imaging, we show that the cell membrane depolarized at the cathodal side. The microtubules spread into the direction of migration. Also, the microtubule organization center re-oriented into this direction. Concomitantly with the microtubules, actin filaments reorganized in an asymmetrical fashion mainly at the cathodal side. The Golgi apparatus, which is involved in many steps of actin synthesis, moved to the cathodal side. In the last 2 h of the 5 h experiment, microtubules positioned themselves at the rear (anodal side), like the nucleus. The averaged displacement of the whole cells under dcEF was 155% of control for 3 V/cm and 235% for 5 V/cm. The average speed increased by 142% and 243% respectively. Inside the cells mitochondria moved to the cathodal side, where the energy consuming producing processes take place. In this line, we measured an increase in ATP production and O2 consumption. Mitochondrial calcium was found more on the anodal side, at the site of the nucleus with its calcium delivering endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, oxymetry studies reveal an increased ATP synthesis by 115.2% and oxygen consumption by 113.3% 3 h after dcEF stimulation. An analysis of differentially expressed genes by RNA sequencing revealed an upregulation of genes involved in cellular movement, cell to cell and intracellular signaling, molecular transport, assembly and organization.The mechanisms found can enhance our understanding regarding the beneficial effects of EF treatment in retinal diseases

An Annotated Bibliography of the Illinois Herpetological Literature 1960-1980, and an Updated Checklist of Species of the State

This bibliography has been compiled to provide a source of titles for those seeking literature dealing with the herpetofauna of Illinois that has appeared since the publication of "The Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois" (Smith 1961). We believe that this bibliography includes all taxonomically and distributionally pertinent papers, published from 1960 to September 1980, having reference to Illinois populations. Papers are listed alphabetically by author and numbered consecutively. Following the List of Titles is an updated Checklist of Species, also numbered consecutively.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Des Moines Area Community College Creative Writing Contest 1976-2001

Award-Winning Works For the Academic Year · 2000-2001https://openspace.dmacc.edu/creativewriting/1002/thumbnail.jp

Extreme Longevity: Analysis of the Direct or Indirect Influence of Environmental Factors on Old, Nonagenarians, and Centenarians in Cilento, Italy

Longevity is rightly considered one of the greatest achievements of modern society, an achievement understood as the possibility of increasing the healthy part of life and not only its full duration. This study investigated the phenomenon of regional longevity in Cilento by analyzing the association between longevity indicators and some environmental factors, in order to understand if factors such as altitude, climate, UNESCO protected areas, and hinterland can directly or indirectly influence the measure of healthy living and lead to longevity. Demographic and environmental data were collected through the Archives of the Cilento municipalities, the National Institute of Statistics, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, and the Italian National Commission for UNESCO. The Geographically Weighted Regression were used to determine the association between longevity indicators and environmental factors. Correlation analysis between the longevity indicators was investigated in order to have a complete picture of longevity in Cilento. It was discovered that Cilento longevity is mainly found in the central area of the territory and from there, by age groups, it widens towards the south-eastern area. This designated area is part of the hilly area of the Cilento, at an altitude between 400 and 700 m above sea level. The towns of this area are part of the UNESCO heritage and are characterized by a transitional climate between Mediterranean and temperate climate. Moreover, the correlation analysis between the six indicators of longevity has confirmed a linear relationship between the six variables and this indicates that in the years to come there will be the probabilities of a generational turn over between the old, great old, nonagenarians and current centenarians, provided that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic subsides

Old, Nonagenarians, and Centenarians in Cilento, Italy and the Association of Lifespan with the Level of Some Physicochemical Elements in Tap Drinking Water.

Longevity, as a complex life-history trait, shares an ontogenetic relationship with other quantitative traits, such as epigenetic and environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to identify environmental factors that may modify the epigenome to establish healthy aging. This study explored the association between tap drinking water and longevity in Cilento, Italy, to understand whether trace elements in local drinking water may have an influence on old, nonagenarian, and centenarian people and promote their health and longevity. Data on population and water sources were collected through the National Demographic Statistics, the Cilento Municipal Archives, and the Cilento Integrated Water Service. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a geographically weight regression (GWR) model were used to study the spatial relationship between the explanatory and outcome variables of longevity. The results of the study showed that the prevalence of longevity is concentrated in the central, northern and southeastern areas of the territory and that some trace elements present in tap water may contribute to local longevity in Cilento. Specifically, all Cilento municipalities had alkaline tap water, and the municipalities with the highest longevity concentrations had higher alkalinity levels than the other municipalities, soft to medium-hard water hardness, an amount of total dissolved solids equivalent to the level of excellent water, lower amounts of sodium, adequate iron concentration, and adequate dietary intake of manganese per day

Clinical Status, Nutritional Behavior, and Lifestyle, and Determinants of Community Well-Being of Patients from the Perspective of Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study of Young Older Adults, Nonagenarians, and Centenarians in Salerno and Province, Italy

Longevity is rightly considered one of the greatest achievements of modern society. Biomedical research has shown that aging is the major risk factor for many diseases, so to find the right answers to aging it is necessary to identify factors that can positively influence longevity. This study investigated the clinical status, nutritional behavior, lifestyle, and social and community determinants of the well-being of young older adults and nonagenarians/centenarians in Salerno and province through the judgment of their physicians. Data were collected through an online survey. Multivariate Poisson and logistic regression models were used to calculate significant predictors of the outcomes of interest. The interesting finding was that cardiovascular disease was a risk factor for young older adults, while it was a protective factor for nonagenarians/centenarians, meaning that as age increased, heart problems tended to decrease. Certain foods were found to be a significant protective factor for both young older adult and nonagenarian-centenarian patients. In addition, psychosomatic disorders were found to be determinant for the young older adults, while depression was a risk factor for the nonagenarians/centenarians because they were not always gratified by their long lives and often felt like a burden on the family. The protective significant variable among the determinants of community well-being for both young older adults and nonagenarians/centenarians was the retention of honorary achievement. Based on our results, we are able to support the hypothesis of a difference between the young older adults and the nonagenarians/centenarians in clinical status, nutritional behaviors, lifestyle, and determinants of community well-being. However, societies need more social and educational programs that are able to build a new idea of old age by improving and supporting the young older adults and the nonagenarians/centenarians, with the goal of intergenerational solidarity, well-being, and social inclusion, as well as preventive interventions on lifestyles and nutrition, which will allow us to provide a new key to understanding aging

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of an outreach support program for family carers of older people discharged from hospital

Background: Presentations to hospital of older people receiving family care at home incur substantial costs for patients, families, and the health care system, yet there can be positive carer outcomes when systematically assessing/addressing their support needs, and reductions in older people's returns to hospital attributed to appropriate discharge planning. This study will trial the Further Enabling Care at Home program, a 2-week telephone outreach initiative for family carers of older people returning home from hospital. Hypotheses are that the program will (a) better prepare families to sustain their caregiving role and (b) reduce patients' re-presentations/readmissions to hospital, and/or their length of stay; also that reduced health system costs attributable to the program will outweigh costs of its implementation. Methods/Design: In this randomised controlled trial, family carers of older patients aged 70+ discharged from a Medical Assessment Unit in a Western Australian tertiary hospital, plus the patients themselves, will be recruited at discharge (N = 180 dyads). Carers will be randomly assigned (block allocation, assessors blinded) to receive usual care (control) or the new program (intervention). The primary outcome is the carer's self-reported preparedness for caregiving (Preparedness for Caregiving Scale administered within 4 days of discharge, 2-3 weeks post-discharge, 6 weeks post-discharge). To detect a clinically meaningful change of two points with 80 % power, 126 carers need to complete the study. Patients' returns to hospital and subsequent length of stay will be ascertained for a minimum of 3 months after the index admission. Regression analyses will be used to determine differences in carer and patient outcomes over time associated with the group (intervention or control). Data will be analysed using an Intention to Treat approach. A qualitative exploration will examine patients' and their family carers' experiences of the new program (interviews) and explore the hospital staff's perceptions (focus groups). Process evaluation will identify barriers to, and facilitators of, program implementation. A comprehensive economic evaluation will determine cost consequences. Discussion: This study investigates a novel approach to identifying and addressing family carers' needs following discharge from hospital of the older person receiving care. If successful, the program has potential to be incorporated into routine post-discharge support. Trial registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN12614001174673