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Pesticides from agricultural practices are among the most pressing reasons why groundwater sources do not reach the good chemical status standards as required by the European Water Framework directive. Complementary to previous federal pesticide reports, we analysed groundwater-monitoring data from 13 German Länder assembled in a database consisting of 26.192 groundwater measuring sites sampled between 1973 and 2021 of in total 521 parent compounds and metabolites. This study focuses on agricultural plant protection products. The monitored substance spectrum and site density developed over time and differs between Länder. More than 95 % of all samples lie below the respective (multiple) limits of quantification (LOQ). We thus report the frequency of exceedance above concentration thresholds, which allows to compare measurements temporally and spatially. Pesticide detections were found in all aquifer types, land uses and well screen depths. Most detections of higher concentrations were found in agricultural areas, at shallow screen depth in porous aquifers. Karst aquifers showed also a higher percentage of samples in higher concentration classes. Metabolites with high mobility and persistence were found in higher concentration ranges. Herbicides and metabolites thereof dominate the top 20 of pesticides that most frequently exceed 0.1 μg L−1. The ranking for 2010–2019 includes both authorised and banned compounds and their occurrence is discussed in the context of their mobility, persistence and underlying monitoring density. Yearly exceedance frequencies above 0.05, 0.1 μg L−1 and higher thresholds of metazachlor and its esa-metabolite, and national sales data of the parent compound did not show a temporal correlation in subsequent years. This study stresses the need for the harmonisation of heterogeneous pesticide data. Further, a characterisation of the groundwater data used to analyse pesticide occurrence in selected concentration ranges for relevant site factors and compound properties and provides a pesticide ranking based on exceedance frequencies is provided. Plain 3D: simple with soil layers Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Tracey Saxby, Integration and Application Network (ian.umces.edu/media-library). field:harvesting Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Tracey Saxby, Integration and Application Network (ian.umces.edu/media-library). Urban: city 1 (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Tracey Saxby, Integration and Application Network (ian.umces.edu/media-library). Quercus bicolor (Swamp White Oak) Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Annie Carew, Integration and Application Network (ian.umces.edu/media-library). Quercus palustris (Swamp Spanish Oak) Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) Annie Carew, Integration and Application Network (ian.umces.edu/media-library). [Display omitted] • A nationwide data base of pesticides in groundwater in Germany has been harmonised. • Site characteristics and compound properties were compiled for further analysis. • Exceedance frequencies >0.05 and 0.1 μg L−1 reported as comparable measures. • Pesticide detections were found in all aquifer types, land uses and well screen depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) have become a persistent seasonal problem in the upper San Francisco Estuary, California also known as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta). The Delta is comprised of a complex network of open water bodies, channels, and sloughs. The terminus of the Stockton Channel is an area identified as a CHAB "hotspot." As CHABs increase in severity, there is an urgent need to better understand CHAB drivers to identify and implement mitigation measures that can be used in an estuarine complex like the Delta. We investigated water quality conditions and nutrient dynamics in the Stockton Channel by measuring nutrients in the water column, sediments, and pore waters. In situ nutrient addition bioassay experiments were used to assess the effects of nutrient enrichment on total algal/cyanobacterial growth and pigment concentrations. In both June and September, relative to unamended controls, total chlorophyll and cyanobacterial pigment concentrations were unaffected by nutrient additions; hence, the study area showed signs of classical hypereutrophication, with ambient nitrogen and phosphorus present in excess of algal growth requirements. A cyanobacterial bloom, dominated by Microcystis spp. was present throughout the study area but was most severe and persistent at the shallowest site at the channel terminus. At this site, Microcystis spp. created water quality conditions that allowed for a prolonged bloom from June through September. While targeted nutrient reductions are recommended for long term mitigation, on a shorter timescale, our findings suggest that physical/mechanical controls are the more promising alternative approaches to reduce the severity of CHABs in the terminus of the Stockton Channel. • Examined nutrient dynamics and CHABs in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. • The study area was hypereutrophic with nitrogen and phosphorus. • Nutrients alone do not explain why blooms were so severe. • Microcystis were most severe and persistent at shallowest site. • Physical/mechanical controls are promising options for CHAB mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signaling by androgens through androgen receptor (AR) is essential to complete spermatogenesis in the testis. Similarly, loss of the main estrogen receptor, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1; also known as ERα), results in male infertility, due in part to indirect deleterious effects on the seminiferous epithelium and spermatogenesis. Effects of steroid hormones are induced primarily through genomic changes induced by hormone-mediated activation of their intracellular receptors and subsequent effects on nuclear gene transcription. However, androgens and estrogens also signal through rapid nonclassical pathways involving actions initiated at the cell membrane. Here we review the data that nonclassical androgen and estrogen signaling pathways support processes essential for male fertility in the testis and reproductive tract. The recent development of transgenic mice lacking nonclassical AR or ESR1 signaling but retaining genomic nuclear signaling has provided a powerful tool to elucidate the function of nonclassical signaling in the overall response to androgens and estrogens. Results from these mice have emphasized that nonclassical signaling is essential for full responses to these hormones, and absence of either nonclassical or classical AR or ESR1 pathways produces abnormalities in spermatogenesis and the male reproductive tract. Although additional work is required to fully understand how classical and nonclassical receptor signaling synergize to produce full steroid hormone responses, here we summarize the known physiological functions of the classical and nonclassical androgen and estrogen signaling pathways in the testis and reproductive tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adapting to environmental change is a major challenge faced by animals and the role of individual behavioural differences in facilitating this process is currently the focus of much research. Innovation, the generation of a novel behaviour or use of a known behaviour in a novel context, is one form of behaviour that enables animals to respond to change. By deciphering the mechanisms underlying innovativeness, especially those that explain consistent differences between individuals, we can further understand the consequences of this behavioural variation. We tested whether motivation, experience, inhibitory control and personality were linked to different stages of sequential innovative problem-solving performance among great tits, Parus major , and of their overall innovativeness across tasks. We gave animals originating from lines bidirectionally selected for fast or slow early exploratory behaviour, a multiaccess problem-solving device. Diverse motor skills and behavioural flexibility were required to solve all three different access points sequentially over trials. Food-deprived, highly motivated birds had shorter latency to touch the device, were more likely to solve an access point within a trial, and solved a greater diversity of them, than their less motivated counterparts. Solving success increased with accuracy when interacting with the device (proportion of touches to functional components of the device compared to all touches to the device per trial), and with previous experience. Personality selection lines and inhibitory control had little effect. Repeatability analysis showed that between-individual differences in problem-solving performance were explained by: (1) pseudorepeatable effects (upward bias) linked to hunger-induced motivation, (2) repeatable differences in accuracy when interacting with devices, and (3) a feedback loop caused by experience gained over successive trials. Our results highlight the challenges of characterizing consistent individual differences in behaviour generally and support the idea that complex sources of variation play an important role in problem-solving performance. • We decomposed sequential innovative problem-solving success in a multiaccess task. • Individuals showed consistent differences in problem-solving performance. • Exploratory behaviour and inhibitory control played no role. • Differences were mostly explained by motivation and accuracy interacting with devices. • Positive feedback through experience also played a role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the delivery of large international projects including ICGC and TCGA, knowledge of cancer genomics is reaching saturation point. Enabling this to improve patient outcomes now requires embedding comprehensive genomic profiling into routine oncology practice. Towards this goal, this study defined the biologically and clinically relevant genomic features of adult cancer through detailed curation and analysis of large genomic datasets, accumulated literature and biomarker-driven therapeutics in clinic and development. The characteristics and prevalence of these features were then interrogated in 2348 whole genome sequences, covering 21 solid tumour types, generated by the PCAWG project. This analysis highlights the predominant contribution of copy number alterations and identifies a critical role for disruptive structural variants in the inactivation of clinically important tumour suppressor genes, including PTEN and RB1, which are not currently captured by diagnostic assays. This study defines a set of essential genomic features for the characterisation of common adult cancers. • Genomic profiling requires coverage of all variant classes to unlock full utility. • Small variants comprise just under a half of all clinically useful information. • Appropriate analysis of copy number and structural alteration is essential. • Available assays are frequently suboptimal in gene and variant class selection. • Comprehensive profiling is within the economic reach of socialised healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The placenta releases syncytiotrophoblast-derived extracellular vesicles (STB-EV) into the maternal circulation throughout gestation. STB-EV dependent signalling is believed to contribute to the widespread maternal adaptive physiological changes seen in pregnancy. Transfer RNA (tRNA) halves have been identified in vesicles released from other human and murine organ systems, which alter gene expression in target cells. Here, we characterise tRNA-half expression in STB-EV and demonstrate biological activity of a highly abundant tRNA-half. Short RNA from ex-vivo, dual-lobe placental perfusion STB-EV was sequenced, showing that most (>95%) comprised tRNA species. Whole placental tissue contained <50% tRNA species, suggesting selective packaging and export of tRNA into STB-EV. Most tRNA within STB-EV were 5′-tRNA halves cleaved at 30-32 nucleotides. The pattern of tRNA expression differed depending on the size/origin of the STB-EV; this was confirmed by qPCR. Protein synthesis was suppressed in human fibroblasts when they were cultured with a 5′-tRNA half identified from STB-EV sequencing. This study is the first to evaluate tRNA species in STB-EV. The presence of biologically active 5′-tRNA halves, specific to a vesicular origin, suggests a novel mechanism for maternal-fetal signalling in normal pregnancy. • Placental syncytiotrophoblast-derived extracellular vesicles contain >95% tRNA. • Identified tRNAs are 5′-halves cleaved at 32 nucleotides. • Different 5′-tRNA halves are identified in small and large vesicles. • 5′-tRNA halves suppress protein synthesis in fibroblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active travel (walking or cycling for transport) can generate personal and environmental benefits. We determined the frequency of participation in walking or cycling active travel by age and sex, as well as used multivariate analysis to find correlations with many other factors using a large cross-sectional 2016/17 survey of people living in England. Walking and cycling active travel were explored separately. Most respondents reported no active travel, but at least 25% of people under age 45 met activity recommendations only from active travel. Otherwise, (unlike other types of physical activity) active travel declined consistently with increased age. Men reported much more cycling active travel than women, who were more likely to do any active travel walking and therefore more likely to meet activity guidelines from just active travel walking. Lower levels of disability, fewer children in household, and working full time increased active travel. Season was sometimes relevant. BMI, personal-effectiveness, deprivation and rurality had mixed relationships with types of active travel. Understanding differences in correlates for cycling vs. walking active travel could help tailor local promotion programmes for each. The analysis suggests that motivators and barriers for active travel greatly by age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Spectral and temporal modification techniques combine synergistically. • For Spanish sentences, error rates are reduced by a factor of 3 compared to unmodified speech. • All phonemes benefit from spectral and temporal modification. • A glimpsing model predicts listener performance with a correlation of 0.96. • Cochlear-Scaled Entropy does not improve the performance of a retiming algorithm. Modifying clean speech prior to output in noisy conditions can lead to substantial intelligibility gains. Most algorithms operate by redistributing energy across the signal, leaving the timing of the underlying speech sounds intact. Other techniques do alter the timing of speech relative to the masker. Both classes of approach – spectral and temporal – lead to a reduction in energetic masking. The current study examines how their combination affects intelligibility. Arguments can be made for both synergy and redundancy, and the presence of distortions introduced by both spectral and temporal approaches might even lead to an antagonistic combination. A cohort of native Spanish listeners identified keywords in sentences in unmodified form and following spectral, temporal and spectro-temporal modification, in the presence of a fluctuating masker. Errors in the spectro-temporal condition were substantially lower than following spectral or temporal modification alone, with a three-fold reduction compared to unmodified speech. Spectro-temporal gains were observed for all phonemes. A glimpse-based model of energetic masking incorporating speech rate changes predicts intelligibility (r =. 96), and a glimpsing analysis provides further insights into the distinct mechanisms through which spectral and temporal approaches lead to a release from energetic masking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Zonation is a dominant feature of coastal ecologies, yet comparatively few studies are available on zonation of ecological assemblages in coastal dunes. Studies of zonation often focus on invertebrate macrofauna in the sub or inter-tidal regions; rarely has zonation of small mammal communities been considered in dunes. In this study we use 10 years of mammal trapping data and show that a diverse small mammal community was present within a coastal dune system. Nine species were captured within the dune, only one of which was introduced. The invasive house mouse was limited to a narrow band above the beach/dune interface, while the native small mammal assemblage dominated in the rest of the dune field. This clear zonation may result from habitat preference, interspecific competition, predation, species-specific predator risk tolerances, marine or beach subsidies or a combination of these influences. We demonstrate the conservation value of dune systems and highlight the presence of zonation within a mobile small mammal community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies have linked prediction errors and event related potentials at a single processing level, few consider how these responses interact across levels. In response, we present a factorial analysis of a multi-level oddball task – the local-global task – and we explore it when participants are sedated versus recovered. We found that the local and global levels in fact interact. This is of considerable current interest, since it has recently been argued that the MEEG response evoked by the global effect corresponds to a distinct processing mode that moves beyond predictive coding. This interaction suggests that the two processing modes are not distinct. Additionally, we observed that sedation modulates this interaction, suggesting that conscious awareness may not be completely restricted to a single (global) processing level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-end speech enhancement works by modifying speech prior to presentation in a noisy environment, typically operating under a constraint of limited or no increase in speech level. One issue is the extent to which near-end enhancement techniques require detailed estimates of the masking environment to function effectively. The current study investigated speech modification strategies based on reallocating energy statically across the spectrum using masker-specific spectral weightings. Weighting patterns were learned offline by maximising a glimpse-based objective intelligibility metric. Keyword scores in sentences in the presence of stationary and fluctuating maskers increased, in some cases by very substantial amounts, following the application of masker- and SNR-specific spectral weighting. A second experiment using generic masker-independent spectral weightings that boosted all frequencies above 1 kHz also led to significant gains in most conditions. These findings indicate that energy-neutral spectral weighting is a highly-effective near-end speech enhancement approach that places minimal demands on detailed masker estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate and orthophosphate from agricultural activities contribute significantly to nutrient loading in surface water bodies around the world. This study evaluated the efficacy of woodchips and fly ash pellets in tandem to remove nitrate and orthophosphate from simulated agricultural runoff in flow-through tests. The fly ash pellets had previously been developed specifically for orthophosphate removal for this type of application, and the sorption bench testing showed a good promise for flow-through testing. The lab-scale horizontal-flow bioreactor used in this study consisted of an upstream column filled with woodchips followed by a downstream column filled with fly ash pellets (3 and 1 m lengths, respectively; both 0.15 m diameter). Using influent concentrations of 12 mg/L nitrate and 5 mg/L orthophosphate, the woodchip bioreactor section was able to remove 49–85% of the nitrate concentration at three hydraulic retention times ranging from 0.67 to 4.0 h. The nitrate removal rate for woodchips ranged from 40 to 49 g N/m 3 /d. Higher hydraulic retention times (i.e., smaller flow rates) corresponded with greater nitrate load reduction. The fly ash pellets showed relatively stable removal efficiency of 68–75% across all retention times. Total orthophosphate adsorption by the pellets was 0.059–0.114 mg P/g which was far less than the saturated capacity (1.69 mg/g; based on previous work). The fly ash pellets also removed some nitrate and the woodchips also removed some orthophosphate, but these reductions were not significant. Overall, woodchip denitrification followed by fly ash pellet P-sorption can be an effective treatment technology for nitrate and phosphate removal in subsurface drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body mass is an important component of any paleobiological reconstruction. Reliable skeletal dimensions for making estimates are desirable but extant primate reference samples with known body masses are rare. We estimated body mass in a sample of extinct platyrrhines and Fayum anthropoids based on four measurements of the articular surfaces of the humerus and femur. Estimates were based on a large extant reference sample of wild-collected individuals with associated body masses, including previously published and new data from extant platyrrhines, cercopithecoids, and hominoids. In general, scaling of joint dimensions is positively allometric relative to expectations of geometric isometry, but negatively allometric relative to expectations of maintaining equivalent joint surface areas. Body mass prediction equations based on articular breadths are reasonably precise, with %SEEs of 17–25%. The breadth of the distal femoral articulation yields the most reliable estimates of body mass because it scales similarly in all major anthropoid taxa. Other joints scale differently in different taxa; therefore, locomotor style and phylogenetic affinity must be considered when calculating body mass estimates from the proximal femur, proximal humerus, and distal humerus. The body mass prediction equations were applied to 36 Old World and New World fossil anthropoid specimens representing 11 taxa, plus two Haitian specimens of uncertain taxonomic affinity. Among the extinct platyrrhines studied, only Cebupithecia is similar to large, extant platyrrhines in having large humeral (especially distal) joints. Our body mass estimates differ from each other and from published estimates based on teeth in ways that reflect known differences in relative sizes of the joints and teeth. We prefer body mass estimators that are biomechanically linked to weight-bearing, and especially those that are relatively insensitive to differences in locomotor style and phylogenetic history. Whenever possible, extant reference samples should be chosen to match target fossils in joint proportionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that the skein categories of Walker–Johnson-Freyd satisfy excision. This allows us to conclude that skein categories are k -linear factorisation homology and taking the free cocompletion of skein categories recovers locally finitely presentable factorisation homology. An application of this is that the skein algebra of a punctured surface related to any quantum group with generic parameter gives a quantisation of the associated character variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent paleontological collection in submerged caves in the eastern Dominican Republic has yielded new specimens of Antillothrix bernensis . Here we describe a complete cranium of an adult individual (MHD 20) and provide phenetic comparisons to other endemic Caribbean taxa and extant mainland platyrrhines using three-dimensional geometric morphometric methods (3DGM). Qualitative and quantitative comparisons support conclusions based on other recently described fossil material: Antillothrix has a dentition lacking clear dietary specialization, an elongated brain case with strong temporal lines, and a vertically oriented nuchal plane. MHD 20 shares a combination of traits with a previously published subadult specimen (MHD 01) including a deep depression at glabella, dorsoventrally elongated orbits, and a relatively large face. This shared morphology reinforces the taxonomic affinity of the two specimens, with differences between the two likely reflecting the younger ontogenetic age of MHD 01. Comparisons to the extant platyrrhines paint a complicated picture as the results of between-group principal components analyses (bgPCA) indicate that Antillothrix does not share a suite of morphological features exclusively with any one genus. Depending on which bgPC axes are visualized, and which subset of landmarks is included (i.e., only those describing the shape of the face/palate for inclusion of Xenothrix ), MHD 20 is most similar in shape to the atelids, Alouatta, Lagothrix, and Brachyteles , or an otherwise “empty” region of shape space. It groups neither with Cebus nor Callicebus , two taxa that Antillothrix has been associated with in previous studies based on much less complete material. The Antillothrix cranium does not exhibit any of the derived characters classically used to diagnose or define any single clade; rather its morphology shares features with multiple platyrrhine groups. This is consistent with the interpretation that Antillothrix preserves a primitive morphology, which accords with the hypothesis positing an early arrival of platyrrhines in the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus has been recognized as a leading pollutant for surface water quality deterioration. In the Midwestern USA, subsurface drainage not only provides a pathway for excess water to leave the field but it also drains out nutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Fly ash has been identified as one of the viable materials for phosphorus removal from contaminated waters. In this study, a ceramic pellet was manufactured using fly ash for P absorption. Three types of pellet with varying lime and clay proportions by weight (type 1: 10% lime + 30% clay, type 2: 20% lime + 20% clay, and type 3: 30% lime + 10% clay) were characterized and evaluated for absorption efficiency. The result showed that type 3 pellet (60% fly ash with 30% lime and 10% clay) had the highest porosity (14%) and absorption efficiency and saturated absorption capacity (1.98 mg P/g pellet) compared to type 1 and 2 pellets. The heavy metal leaching was the least (30 μg/L of chromium after 5 h) for type 3 pellet compared to other two. The microcosmic structure of pellet from scanning electron microscope showed the type 3 pellet had the better distribution of aluminum and iron oxide on the surface compared other two pellets. This result indicates that addition of lime and clay can improve P absorption capacity of fly ash while reducing the potential to reduce chromium leaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying and improving efficiency within beef systems is essential for economic and environmental sustainability. The industry standard for assessing efficiency is liveweight gain per day, however, this metric is limited in that it values each day of a growing animal's life as equally costly, despite the increasing maintenance requirements, inputs, and emissions associated with increasing liveweight. Quantifying the area under the growth curve (AUC) considers both time and liveweight as a cost and therefore may hold potential as a better estimate of cost, impact, and efficiency in beef systems. Liveweight data was taken from 439 finishing beef cattle split across three herds grazing on different pastures, known as 'farmlets'. Analysis was conducted in three parts: [1] Validation of AUC as a proxy for costs using data from a sub-set of 87 animals that had been part of a previous life cycle assessment (LCA) study in which dry matter intake (DMI), methane emissions (CH 4), and nitrous oxide emissions (N 2 O) were calculated. [2] Calculation of AUC relative to liveweight gain (LWG AUC−1) and comparison of that metric against the industry standard of liveweight gain per day (LWG day−1). [3] Assessment of how LWG AUC−1 varied with breed, sex, and management. When comparing to LCA results, AUC correlated significantly with DMI (r = 0.886), CH 4 (r = 0.788) and N 2 O (r = 0.575) emissions. Over the full dataset, there was a negative non-linear relationship between LWG AUC−1 and slaughter age (r = −0.809). There was a significant difference in LWG AUC−1 between breeds (p = 0.046) and farmlets (p = 0.028), but not sex (p = 0.388). LWG AUC−1 has the potential to act as a proxy for feed intake and emissions. In that regard it is superior to LWG day−1, whilst requiring no additional data. Results highlighted the decreasing efficiency of beef cattle over time and the potential benefits of earlier slaughter. The use of LWG AUC−1 could allow farmers to improve their understanding of efficiency within their herds, aiding informed management decision making. • AUC is a more accurate proxy for emissions and DMI than time. • LWG AUC−1 is a more accurate measure of efficiency than LWG day−1. • Calculation of AUC requires no additional data and is highly accessible. • Early finishing reduces the relative cost/impact of beef (with caveats). • Efficiency, measured using LWG AUC−1, differed across breed, sex, and system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denitrifying bioreactors are a conservation drainage practice for reducing nitrate loads in subsurface agricultural drainage. Bioreactor hydraulic capacity is limited by cross-sectional area perpendicular to flow through the woodchip bed, with excess bypass flow untreated. Paired bioreactors with wide orientations were built in 2017 in Illinois, USA, to treat drainage from a relatively large 29 ha field. The paired design consisted of: a larger, Main bioreactor (LWD: 6.1 × 18.3 × 0.9 m) for treating base flow, and 2) a smaller, Booster bioreactor (7.8 × 13.1 × 0.9 m) receiving bypass flow from the Main bioreactor during periods of high flow. Over three years of monitoring, the paired bioreactor captured 84–92% of the annual drainage discharge which demonstrated an expanded cross-sectional area could improve bioreactor flow capture, even for a large drainage area. However, the paired bioreactors removed 6–28% of the annual N load leaving the field (1.8–5.6 kg N ha−1 removed; 52–161 kg N), which was not a notable improvement compared to bioreactors treating smaller drainage areas. The design operated as intended at low annual flow-weighted hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of usually ≤2 h, but these short HRTs ultimately limited bioreactor nitrate removal efficiency. Daily HRTs of <2 h often resulted in nitrate flushing. The Main bioreactor had higher hydraulic loading as intended and was responsible for the majority of flow captured in each year although not always the most nitrate mass removal. The Booster bioreactor provided better nitrate removal than the Main at HRTs of 3.0–11.9 h, possibly due to its drying cycles which may have liberated more available carbon. This new design approach tested at the field-scale illustrated tradeoffs between greater flow capacity (via increased bioreactor width) and longer HRT (via increased length), given a consistent bioreactor surface footprint. [Display omitted] • A paired bioreactor design was used to treat subsurface drainage from a 29-ha field. • Wide orientation (length: width ratio <1) increased flow capacity. • The paired bioreactor treated >84% of annual flow over three years. • Annual nitrate removal of 6–28% was not better than conventional bioreactors. • Low retention time (<2 h) at high flows limited nitrate removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) have impaired sentence comprehension. However, the pattern of comprehension difficulty appears to vary depending on the clinical subgroup. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the neural basis for these deficits in FTD. We studied patients with two different presentations: Three patients with Progressive Non-Fluent Ahasia (PNFA), and five non-aphasic patients with a dysexecutive and social impairment (EXEC). The FTD patient subgroups were compared to a cohort of 11 healthy seniors with intact sentence comprehension. We monitored regional cerebral activity with blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while subjects read sentences featuring both a grammatically complex object-relative center-embedded clause and a long linkage between the head noun phrase (NP) and the gap where the NP is interpreted in the center-embedded clause. Subjects decided whether the agent of the action is a male or a female. Healthy seniors activated both ventral portions of inferior frontal cortex (vIFC) and dorsal portions of IFC (dIFC) in the left hemisphere, often associated with grammatical and working memory components of these sentences, respectively. PNFA patients differed from healthy controls since they have reduced activation of left vIFC, while EXEC patients have less recruitment of left dIFC. We conclude that FTD subgroups have distinct patterns of sentence comprehension difficulty in part because of selective interruptions of a large-scale neural network for sentence processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective . Aboriginal people in Canada are at higher risk to heavy alcohol consumption than are other Canadians. The objective of this study was to examine a set of culturally specific correlates of heavy drinking among First Nations and Métis youth and adults. Methods . Demographic, geographic, socioeconomic and health-related variables were also considered. Data were used from Statistics Canada's 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey to predict heavy drinking among 14,410 First Nations and Métis 15years of age and older. Separate sets of binary sequential logistic regression models were estimated for youth and adults. Results . Among youth, those who had hunted, fished or trapped within the last year were more likely to be heavy drinkers. In addition, current smokers and those who most frequently participated in sports were at higher odds of heavy alcohol consumption. Among adults, respondents who had hunted, fished or trapped within the last year were more likely to drink heavily. On the other hand, those who had made traditional arts or crafts within the last year were less likely to drink heavily. Conclusions . Men, younger adults, smokers, those who were unmarried, those who had higher household incomes, and those who had higher ratings of self-perceived health were more likely to be heavy drinkers. Efforts aimed at reducing the prevalence of heavy drinking among this population may benefit from considering culturally specific factors, in addition to demographic variables and co-occurring health-risk behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much debate surrounds the phylogenetic affinities of the endemic Greater Antillean platyrrhines. Thus far, most phylogenetic analyses have been constructed and tested using craniodental characters. We add to this dialog by considering how features of the distal humerus support or refute existing hypotheses for the origins of fossil Caribbean primates, utilizing three-dimensional geometric morphometric data in combination with character based cladistic analyses. We also add to the sample of fossil platyrrhine humeri with the description of UF 114718, a new distal humerus from Haiti. We reconstruct UF 114718 to be a generalized, arboreal quadruped attributed to the species Insulacebus toussantiana . Our results from phylogenetic analyses lend some support to the idea that some Greater Antillean fossil taxa including Xenothrix mcgregori , Antillothrix bernensis , and Insulacebus toussaintiana could form a monophyletic clade that is sister to either extant Platyrrhini or basal pitheciids. Based on the distal humeral data, we reconstruct the earliest ancestral platyrrhine to be a generalized, arboreal quadruped that potentially emphasized pronated arm postures during locomotion and may have engaged in some limited climbing, most similar in shape to early anthropoids and some of the earliest Antillean forms. However, aspects of shape and standard qualitative characters relating to the distal humerus seem to be variable and prone to both homoplasy and reversals; thus these results must be interpreted cautiously and (where possible) within the context provided by other parts of the skeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several modification algorithms that alter natural or synthetic speech with the goal of improving intelligibility in noise have been proposed recently. A key requirement of many modification techniques is the ability to predict intelligibility, both offline during algorithm development, and online, in order to determine the optimal modification for the current noise context. While existing objective intelligibility metrics (OIMs) have good predictive power for unmodified natural speech in stationary and fluctuating noise, little is known about their effectiveness for other forms of speech. The current study evaluated how well seven OIMs predict listener responses in three large datasets of modified and synthetic speech which together represent 396 combinations of speech modification, masker type and signal-to-noise ratio. The chief finding is a clear reduction in predictive power for most OIMs when faced with modified and synthetic speech. Modifications introducing durational changes are particularly harmful to intelligibility predictors. OIMs that measure masked audibility tend to over-estimate intelligibility in the presence of fluctuating maskers relative to stationary maskers, while OIMs that estimate the distortion caused by the masker to a clean speech prototype exhibit the reverse pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive sedimentation derived from anthropogenic activities is a main factor in habitat and biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems. To prevent offsite movement of soil particles, many environmental regulatory agencies mandate the use of perimeter silt fences. However, research regarding the efficiency of these devices in applied settings is lacking, and fences are often ineffective due to poor installation and maintenance. Here, we provide an overview of the current state of research regarding silt fences, address the current culture surrounding silt fence installation and maintenance, and provide several recommendations for improving the knowledge base related to silt fence effectiveness. It is clear that there is a need for integrated long-term (i.e., extending from prior to fence installation to well after fence removal) multi-disciplinary research with appropriate controls that evaluates the effectiveness of silt control fences. Through laboratory experiments, in silico modelling and field studies there are many factors that can be experimentally manipulated such as soil types (and sediment feed rate), precipitation regimes (and flow rate), season, slope, level of site disturbance, fence installation method, type of fence material, depth of toe, type and spacing of support structures, time since installation, level of inspection and maintenance, among others, that all require systematic evaluation. Doing so will inform the practice, as well as identify specific technical research needs, related to silt fence design and use. Moreover, what constitutes “proper” installation and maintenance is unclear, especially given regional- and site-level variation in precipitation, slope, and soil characteristics. Educating and empowering construction crews to be proactive in maintenance of silt fencing is needed given an apparent lack of compliance monitoring by regulatory agencies and the realities that the damage is almost instantaneous when silt fences fail. Our goal is not to dismiss silt fences as a potentially useful tool. Instead, we question the way they are currently being used and call for better science to determine what factors (in terms of fence design, installation and site-characteristics) influence effectiveness as well as better training for those that install, maintain and inspect such devices. We also encourage efforts to “look beyond the fence” to consider how silt fences can be combined with other sediment control strategies as part of an integrated sediment control program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During puberty, attention turns away from same-sex socialization to focus on the opposite sex. How the brain mediates this change in perception and motivation is unknown. Polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) virtually disappears from most of the central nervous system after embryogenesis, but it remains elevated in discrete regions of the adult brain. One such brain area is the posterodorsal subnucleus of the medial amygdala (MePD). The MePD has been implicated in male sexual attraction, measured here as the preference to investigate female odors. We hypothesize that PSA-NCAM gates hormone-dependent plasticity necessary for the emergence of males' attraction to females. To evaluate this idea, we first measured PSA-NCAM levels across puberty in several brain regions, and identified when female odor preference normally emerges in male Syrian hamsters. We found that MePD PSA-NCAM staining peaks shortly before the surge of pubertal androgen and the emergence of preference. To test the necessity of PSA-NCAM for female odor preference, we infused endo-neuraminidase-N into the MePD to deplete it of PSAs before female odor preference normally appears. This blocked female odor preference, which suggests that PSA-NCAM facilitates behaviorally relevant, hormone-driven plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a sampling algorithm for a regular vine on n variables which starts at an arbitrary variable. A sampling order whose nested conditional probabilities can be written as products of (conditional) copulas in the vine and univariate margins is said to be implied by the regular vine. We show that there are 2 n − 1 implied sampling orders for any regular vine on n variables. We show that two regular vines on n and m distinct variables can be merged in 2 n + m − 2 ways. This greatly simplifies the proof of the number of regular vines on n variables. A notion of sampling proximity based on numbers of shared implied sampling orders is introduced, and we use this notion to define a heuristic for searching vine space that avoids proximate vines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate whether nutrition knowledge and attitudes towards healthy eating are predictors of nutrition label use (NLU) and dietary quality in a diverse sample of university students in the UK. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 among 500 students (mean age 24.9   years; 75% females) in 37 UK universities. Nutrition knowledge, attitudes, NLU and dietary quality were assessed using previously validated questionnaires. The majority of participants met dietary recommendations for fat, added sugar and fast food intake, and failed to meet recommendations for calcium, fibre, fruit and vegetable and dairy product intake, resulting in a median dietary quality score of 2.0 (score range = 0–8). Nutrition knowledge differed according to gender, age, body mass index (BMI), nationality and NLU. Attitudes towards healthy eating differed according to BMI and NLU and dietary quality differed according to gender. Nutrition knowledge and attitudes were significant predictors of NLU and dietary quality, with NLU mediating the latter relationship, whereas NLU, when controlled for knowledge and attitudes, negatively predicted dietary quality but did not have a significant independent relationship with diet. Future nutrition interventions to improve dietary quality in this sample of UK university students should focus on improving nutrition knowledge and attitudes towards healthy eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As researchers collect spatiotemporal population and genetic data in tandem, models that connect demography and dispersal to genetics are increasingly relevant. The dominant spatiotemporal model of invasion genetics is the stepping-stone model which represents a gradual range expansion in which individuals jump to uncolonized locations one step at a time. However, many range expansions occur quickly as individuals disperse far from currently colonized regions. For these types of expansion, stepping-stone models are inappropriate. To more accurately reflect wider dispersal in many organisms, we created kernel-based models of invasion genetics based on integrodifference equations. Classic theory relating to integrodifference equations suggests that the speed of range expansions is a function of population growth and dispersal. In our simulations, populations that expanded at the same speed but with spread rates driven by dispersal retained more heterozygosity along axes of expansion than range expansions with rates of spread that were driven primarily by population growth. To investigate surfing we introduced mutant alleles in wave fronts of simulated range expansions. In our models based on random mating, surfing alleles remained at relatively low frequencies and surfed less often compared to previous results based on stepping-stone simulations with asexual reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of ecological processes hinges upon an understanding of the spatial structuring of their key biotic components. Interstitial invertebrates are a ubiquitous and ecologically important component of sandy beach ecosystems. As many sandy beach taxa have limited dispersal, it may be expected that their populations exhibit a high degree of spatial structuring, yet the spatial scales across which they display baseline variability remain largely unknown. To assess (1) whether interstitial invertebrates display patchiness on embayed sandy beaches, (2) whether the size of patches they form is consistent across three geographically proximal beaches, (3) the key environmental correlates of this variation and (4) its taxonomic dependence, samples were collected at regular (0.5 m) intervals along 15 m long geomorphically similar stretches of three proximal intermediate beaches and analyses of spatial autocorrelation were conducted. On each of the three beaches, interstitial invertebrate communities formed patches of 2–4.5 m in diameter. Spatial structuring of invertebrate communities was driven by harpacticoid copepods and gastrotrichs, and corresponded to spatial structuring of sediments. Sediments, however, explained only 33% of spatial variation in faunal communities, indicating the importance of other abiotic and/or biotic factors. Our study highlights that even on seemingly homogeneous sandy beaches, faunal communities may display considerable small-scale spatial structuring. Examination of spatial structure may lead to a greater understanding of the ecological processes in this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the energy history of Southern Pacific Company in Southern California between 1865 and 1926, this paper emphasizes the resilience of private property as a pillar of oil-based capitalism in the United States. As the western segment of the first transcontinental railroad, and as a consequence of land grants provided by the federal government, the Southern Pacific emerged at the turn of the twentieth century as the largest private owner of proven oil territory in California. Based on this ownership, the Southern Pacific became a major producer, consumer and transporter of oil-based energy in Southern California. Even when the federal government threatened this ownership as part of a strategy to conserve fossil fuels in the first two decades of the twentieth century, the rights of private property remained firm and continued to reinforce the dominance of the Southern Pacific as a major regional developer of oil-based energy. This article contributes to existing literature on the political economy of fossil fuels by emphasizing how the durability of private property has culminated in a strong inertia that sustains the dominance of oil-based capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of myxoma virus (MYXV) and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) in Australia with the aim of controlling overabundant rabbits has provided a unique opportunity to study the initial spread and establishment of emerging pathogens, as well as their co-evolution with their mammalian hosts. In contrast to MYXV, which attenuated shortly after its introduction, rapid attenuation of RHDV has not been observed. By studying the change in virulence of recent field isolates at a single field site we show, for the first time, that RHDV virulence has increased through time, likely because of selection to overcome developing genetic resistance in Australian wild rabbits. High virulence also appears to be favoured as rabbit carcasses, rather than diseased animals, are the likely source of mechanical insect transmission. These findings not only help elucidate the co-evolutionary interaction between rabbits and RHDV, but reveal some of the key factors shaping virulence evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ) provide sole parental care until offspring reach independence, a period of several weeks. During the early parental care period when males are guarding fresh eggs (MG-FE), cortisol responsiveness is attenuated; the response is re-established when males reach the end of the parental care period and are guarding free-swimming fry (MG-FSF). It was hypothesized that attenuation of the cortisol response in male smallmouth bass during early parental care reflected modulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal (HPI) axis function. Male smallmouth bass were sampled at the beginning (MG-FE) and end of the parental care period (MG-FSF), before and/or 25 min after exposure to a standardized stressor consisting of 3 min of air exposure. Repeated sampling of stressed fish for analysis of plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels was carried out. Males significantly elevated both plasma cortisol and ACTH levels when guarding free-swimming fry but not during early parental care. Control and stressed fish were terminally sampled for tissue mRNA abundance of preoptic area (POA) and hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) as well as head kidney melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc). No significant differences in either hypothalamus CRF or head kidney P450scc mRNA abundance were found across parental care stages or in response to stress. However, POA CRF mRNA abundance and interrenal cell MC2R and StAR mRNA abundances failed to increase in response to stress in MG-FE. Thus, the attenuated cortisol response in males guarding fresh eggs may be explained by hypoactive HPI axis function in response to stress. The present is one of few studies, and the first teleost study, to address the mechanisms underlying resistance to stress during the reproductive/parental care period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] There have been three major viral biocontrol programs against invasive vertebrates. [•] Rabbits and cats have been successfully targeted with three different viruses. [•] We have identified the most important lessons from these programs. [•] The lessons are applied to biocontrol of carp in Australia with cyprinid herpesvirus-3. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Child abuse is the most potent experiential risk factor for developing a mood disorder later in life. The effects of child abuse are also more severe in girls and women than in men. In this review, we explore the origins of this epidemiological sex difference. We begin by offering the hypothesis that a sex-specific risk factor that influences how social cues are perceived and remembered makes girls more susceptible to the effects of child abuse. We then discuss the neural systems that mediate emotion and stress, and, how child abuse and/or mood disorders like anxiety and depression affect them. Drawing upon human and animal research, several candidates for such a risk factor are discussed. They include glucocorticoid receptor trafficking and corticotropin releasing factor receptor binding and signaling. Our own research shows that the morphometry of the prepubertal amygdala is sexually dimorphic, and could contribute to a sex difference in stimulus appraisal. We have also found that the brain of juvenile female rats is less selective than males' for threatening social stimuli. Thus, one way that women may be more vulnerable to the effects of child abuse is that they are more likely to perceive objectively benign stimuli as threatening. This bias in perception could compound with the genuinely traumatic memories caused by child abuse; the burden of traumatic memories and the increasingly reactive stress response systems could then dispose more women than men to develop depression and/or anxiety. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Speech production is affected by environmental and interlocutor-related contextual factors. [•] We review speech modifications produced by talkers in response to context. [•] Algorithmic modifications aimed at increasing intelligibility are also reviewed. [•] A summary table of 46 candidate speech modifications is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Targeted DNA capture provide species level resolution in the coral family Fungiidae. • Cryptic speciation reflects geographic isolation and reproductive differences. • Phylogenomics provides an evaluation of species boundaries to aid in coral taxonomy. While the escalating impacts of climate change and other anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs are well documented at the coral community level, studies of species-specific trends are less common, owing mostly to the difficulties and uncertainties in delineating coral species. It has also become clear that traditional coral taxonomy based largely on skeletal macromorphology has underestimated the diversity of many coral families. Here, we use targeted enrichment methods to sequence 2476 ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and exonic loci to investigate the relationship between populations of Fungia fungites from Okinawa, Japan, where this species reproduces by brooding (i.e., internal fertilization), and Papua New Guinea and Australia, where it reproduces by broadcast-spawning (i.e., external fertilization). Moreover, we analyzed the relationships between populations of additional fungiid species (Herpolitha limax and Ctenactis spp.) that reproduce only by broadcast-spawning. Our phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses reveal strong biogeographic structuring in both F. fungites and Herpolitha limax , consistent with cryptic speciation in Okinawa in both species and additionally for H. limax in the Red Sea. By combining UCE/exon data and mitochondrial sequences captured in off-target reads, we reinforce earlier findings that Ctenactis , a genus consisting of three nominal morphospecies, is not a natural group. Our results highlight the need for taxonomic and systematic re-evaluations of some species and genera within the family Fungiidae. This work demonstrates that sequence data generated by the application of targeted capture methods can provide objective criteria by which we can test phylogenetic hypotheses based on morphological and/or life history traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Broadband rotational free induction decays (FIDs) from 1H,2H-perfluorocyclobutane have been captured at a rate of 25ps/point for a duration of 20μs. FIDs have been treated using fast Fourier transformation (FFT) and singular value decomposition (SVD). It is demonstrated that the SVD-based model can yield a sufficient number of accurate transition frequencies for initial spectral analysis using only ≈1% (200ns) of the FID. Furthermore, the SVD-based analysis has produced information concerning transition phase, amplitude, damping, and frequency for the strongest molecular signals. The damping factors determined appear useful in distinguishing molecular and non-molecular signals. The FFT analysis of the full FID has yielded, for the first time, spectroscopic parameters for the parent and all C-13 isotopologues of both the cis and trans species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is predicted that the coastal zone will be among the environments worst affected by projected climate change. Projected losses in beach area will negatively impact on coastal infrastructure and continued recreational use of beaches. Beach nourishment practices such as artificial nourishment, replenishment and scraping are increasingly used to combat beach erosion but the extent and scale of projects is poorly documented in large areas of the world. Through a survey of beach managers of Local Government Areas and a comprehensive search of peer reviewed and grey literature, we assessed the extent of nourishment practices in Australia. The study identified 130 beaches in Australia that were subject to nourishment practices between 2001 and 2011. Compared to projects elsewhere, most Australian projects were small in scale but frequent. Exceptions were nine bypass projects which utilised large volumes of sediment. Most artificial nourishment, replenishment and beach scraping occurred in highly urbanised areas and were most frequently initiated in spring during periods favourable to accretion and outside of the summer season of peak beach use. Projects were generally a response to extreme weather events, and utilised sand from the same coastal compartment as the site of erosion. Management was planned on a regional scale by Local Government Authorities, with little monitoring of efficacy or biological impact. As rising sea levels and growing coastal populations continue to put pressure on beaches a more integrated approach to management is required, that documents the extent of projects in a central repository, and mandates physical and biological monitoring to help ensure the engineering is sustainable and effective at meeting goals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An individual''s experience of flavours contributes to their unique pattern of food preferences. Exposure to a specific flavour can increase familiarity and result in greater acceptance of this flavour over time. This paper describes the earliest occurrences of flavour exposure; first in utero, via amniotic fluid, and later through breast or formula milk. Evidence suggests these early experiences impact on later food preferences, but the extent to which specific flavour compounds from the mother''s diet are transmitted during these pre- and early post-natal periods may vary within and between individuals. In contrast with findings with toddlers and older children, infants accept new flavours rapidly, with relatively few exposures required. Early exposure to flavour variety may improve long term dietary outcomes, highlighting the need to promote a varied diet during pregnancy and lactation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Parental feeding behaviours are considered major influences on children''s eating behaviour. However, many questionnaire studies of feeding neglect subtle distinctions between specific feeding strategies and practices in favour of eliciting general feeding goals, and do not take account of the context provided by parents’ motivations. These factors may be critical to understanding child outcomes and engaging parents in child obesity prevention. The present study obtained interview and diary data on specific feeding behaviours and underlying motivations from 22 mothers of predominantly healthy weight 3–5y olds in the UK. Parents described a wide range of efforts to promote or restrict intake that were largely motivated by practical and health considerations and only rarely by concern about weight. There was also evidence for instrumental feeding, rules surrounding meal-time, child involvement, and parental flexibility in relation to feeding. Almost all parents described responding to children''s appetitive traits, consistent with growing evidence for genetically influenced individual differences in children''s appetite. These findings suggest that in order to engage parents of currently healthy weight children, obesity prevention advice should aim to satisfy their primary motivations (practicality, health), and be framed as helping parents to respond sensitively and appropriately to different children''s characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Associations between appetite and adiposity have not been examined in clinical samples of obese children. The Children''s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) was used to compare appetite in community (n =406) and clinical (n =66) samples. Clear graded patterns were seen for food responsiveness and emotional overeating; levels increased with increasing BMI SDS and the clinical sample scored highest. The reverse was seen for satiety responsiveness/slowness in eating. Differences were not solely explained by weight differences, suggesting that the clinical sample had more pronounced ‘obesogenic’ appetitive traits. This could make adherence to dietary guidance difficult. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using rewards in child feeding is commonplace and viewed as effective by parents, although some express concern about using ‘bribery’. Psychological and economic theorists emphasize the beneficial effects of rewards in enhancing performance, although, there is evidence that the offer of rewards undermines intrinsic motivation and decreases enjoyment of the rewarded task. In the food domain, results have been mixed, but this may be explained, at least partly in terms of the measured outcome (liking vs intake) and the initial level of motivation towards the target foods (liked vs disliked). Where intake is the outcome, rewards have had broadly positive effects, but when it is liking, rewards can have negative effects if the target food is already liked. Another issue concerns the type of reward offered. While offering food as a reward appear to be universally negative, there is evidence to suggest that non-food tangible rewards (e.g., stickers), or non-tangible rewards (praise) can be highly effective in encouraging children to taste new or less liked foods sufficiently often to benefit from the ‘mere exposure’ effect. We suggest that the judicious use of rewards may facilitate children''s acceptance of healthy foods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We measured the nucleotide turnover rate of myosin in tarantula leg muscle fibers by observing single turnovers of the fluorescent nucleotide analog 2′-/3′-O-(N′-methylanthraniloyl)adenosine-5′-O-triphosphate, as monitored by the decrease in fluorescence when 2′-/3′-O-(N′-methylanthraniloyl)adenosine-5′-O-triphosphate (mantATP) is replaced by ATP in a chase experiment. We find a multiexponential process with approximately two-thirds of the myosin showing a very slow nucleotide turnover time constant (∼30 min). This slow-turnover state is termed the super-relaxed state (SRX). If fibers are incubated in 2′-/3′-O-(N′-methylanthraniloyl)adenosine-5′-O-diphosphate and chased with ADP, the SRX is not seen, indicating that trinucleotide-relaxed myosins are responsible for the SRX. Phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain eliminates the fraction of myosin with a very long lifetime. The data imply that the very long-lived SRX in tarantula fibers is a highly novel adaptation for energy conservation in an animal that spends extremely long periods of time in a quiescent state employing a lie-in-wait hunting strategy. The presence of the SRX measured here correlates well with the binding of myosin heads to the core of the thick filament in a structure known as the “interacting-heads motif,” observed previously by electron microscopy. Both the structural array and the long-lived SRX require relaxed filaments or relaxed fibers, both are lost upon myosin phosphorylation, and both appear to be more stable in tarantula than in vertebrate skeletal or vertebrate cardiac preparations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The pure rotational spectrum of 175Lu16O in its ground electronic state (X 2Σ+) has been observed with a cavity pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. The samples were prepared by laser ablation of Lu metal in the presence of gaseous oxygen, and stabilized in pulsed jets of Ar. The N =1–0 transition has been measured in the v = 0, 1 and 2 states. All the observed lines show Zeeman splittings caused chiefly by the Earth’s magnetic field. The transitions show effects of electron spin-rotation structure and of 175Lu hyperfine structure. Several hyperfine parameters have been evaluated, and are interpreted in terms of the molecular electronic structure. An improved equilibrium internuclear distance, r e, is presented. The results should facilitate astrophysical searches for the molecule. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: While some infectious agents have been linked to onset of autoimmune disease there is also other evidence suggesting that certain infectious agents might inhibit autoimmune pathology. This review focuses on the ways in which infectious agents or their products might intervene in an autoimmune response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Saccharomyces cerevisiae MGA2 gene encodes an important regulator of unsaturated fatty acid production, by controlling transcription and mRNA stability of OLE1, the gene encoding the Δ9 fatty acid desaturase. Lipid composition studies indicated that the mga2Δ strain contains elevated relative amounts of squalene when compared to wild-type cells. The deletion of the MGA2 homologue SPT23 did not impact squalene levels. To explore the role of MGA2 in the regulation of sterol synthesis, the transcription of the ERG1 gene, which encodes squalene epoxidase, was studied using an ERG1 promoter-lacZ reporter gene construct. We report here that in addition to MGA2’s role in regulation of unsaturated fatty acids, MGA2 is required for full basal expression of ERG1. Mga2p was found to be controlled by a novel regulator in its activation of ERG1, as neither unsaturated fatty acids nor cobalt affected ERG1 expression, as had previously been shown for Mga2p’s regulation of OLE1. Further, response to miconazole treatment, which inhibits production of ergosterol at a later step in the sterol biosynthetic pathway and results in up-regulation of several genes in ergosterol synthesis, was not affected in the mga2Δ mutant. In each case, the spt23Δ mutant strain shows similar ERG1 expression to wild-type cells, while the mga2Δ/spt23Δ strain shows reduced ERG1 expression, comparable to the mga2Δ, suggesting that the role of regulation of ERG1 transcription is unique to Mga2p. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vertebrate pests cost Australia at least $1 billion annually in lost agricultural production and environmental damage. The spectacular success of myxomatosis in the 1950s and more recently, rabbit hemorrhagic disease, in the biological control of European rabbits has led to ongoing research into similar solutions for other vertebrate pests. There are significant barriers to the successful employment of biological control options including the obvious technological ones, such as host-specificity, as well as the investment required, public concerns and regulatory requirements. The role of biological control in vertebrate pest management and the attempts to develop such strategies in Australia is reviewed with emphasis on species specific case studies for rabbits, cane toads and carp, and the generic approaches of immunocontraception and daughterless genes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To reduce nitrate-N from tile drains, subsurface bioreactors using woodchips as a carbon source for denitrification have been installed for the past two decades. The objectives of this study were to estimate effective porosity, longitudinal and transverse dispersivity, and first- or zero-order decay coefficients for a field-scale bioreactor with woodchips as the carbon source. In a field-scale bioreactor (6.1m by 6.1m) installed at Decatur, IL nitrate-N concentrations were monitored in 16 monitoring wells installed at 1.5m intervals and 0.75m from each corner. An interpolation method was used for transient, two-dimensional groundwater flow, and the Random Walk Method which does not introduce numerical dispersion errors was used for two-dimensional nitrate-N transport. Nonlinear techniques for fitting the numerical solution to the observed breakthrough curves were used to estimate the transport parameters for the field-scale bioreactor. The longitudinal and transverse dispersivity, the first-order decay coefficient, and the effective porosity were estimated as 10.2cm, 1.13cm, 0.01h−1, and 0.79, respectively. Under a pulse of nitrate-N, high reduction rate of nitrate-N in mass (approximately 47% for 269.9g nitrate-N of the input mass) was observed at the outlet of the field-scale bioreactor at 4.4h of hydraulic retention time. This result suggests that field-scale bioreactors using woodchips as a carbon source may be used to provide significant nutrient reduction from tile-drained fields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Robust speech recognition in everyday conditions requires the solution to a number of challenging problems, not least the ability to handle multiple sound sources. The specific case of speech recognition in the presence of a competing talker has been studied for several decades, resulting in a number of quite distinct algorithmic solutions whose focus ranges from modeling both target and competing speech to speech separation using auditory grouping principles. The purpose of the monaural speech separation and recognition challenge was to permit a large-scale comparison of techniques for the competing talker problem. The task was to identify keywords in sentences spoken by a target talker when mixed into a single channel with a background talker speaking similar sentences. Ten independent sets of results were contributed, alongside a baseline recognition system. Performance was evaluated using common training and test data and common metrics. Listeners’ performance in the same task was also measured. This paper describes the challenge problem, compares the performance of the contributed algorithms, and discusses the factors which distinguish the systems. One highlight of the comparison was the finding that several systems achieved near-human performance in some conditions, and one out-performed listeners overall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In subsurface bioreactors used for tile drainage systems, carbon sources are used to facilitate denitrification. The objectives of this study were to investigate the validity of first- and zero-order reactions for a laboratory-scale bioreactor, and to estimate flow and transport parameters for a laboratory-scale bioreactor. The laboratory-scale bioreactor used in this study consisted of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe (0.25m in diameter and 6.1m in length) filled with woodchips, with a drainage control structure attached to each end. Creek water and deionised water with NO3-N concentrations ranging from 8 to 33.7mgl−1 was passed through the bioreactor at several flow rates. For the tests with creek water, complete (100%) nitrate reduction and approximately 10–40% nitrate reduction were observed at high retention times and at low retention times, respectively. The model CXTFIT2, developed by Toride et al. (1999, Research report No. 137, U.S. Salinity Lab., ARS, USDA, Riverside, California), and an analytical solution introduced by van Genuchten and Alves (1982, Technical Bulletin No. 1661, U.S. Salinity Lab., USDA, Riverside, California) were used to investigate the assumptions that the reactions obeyed first- and zero-order kinetics. The results revealed that the assumption of first-order reaction kinetics resulted in closer agreement between the model results and the data. However, the estimated reaction terms varied over a factor of 5. These variations were not improved with the single parameter estimation. From these laboratory-scale bioreactor studies, it was concluded that the assumptions of first-order decay for nitrate transport are justified for each single run, and that woodchip-based bioreactors may be suitable for significant nutrient reduction from agricultural fields, artificially drained by tile drain systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]