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Background: Physical activity and sedentary time are independently associated with health and developmental outcomes in preschool children. However, the integrated nature of these behaviours on early life outcomes, particularly during childcare hours, is currently understudied. As such, the aim of this study was to examine the association between preschool children's physical activity and sedentary time during childcare and various developmental outcomes (psychosocial, cognitive and fundamental movement skills). Methods: A total of 107 preschool children (Mage: 41 ± 6 months) recruited from London, Canada, wore ActiGraph wGT3X‐BT accelerometers during childcare hours to measure their sedentary time, light intensity physical activity (LPA) and moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA). Developmental outcomes, including psychosocial health (internalising, externalising, prosocial behaviour), indicators of cognitive development (memory, inhibitory control) and fundamental movement skills (locomotor control, object control, total fundamental movement), were assessed using validated tools. Compositional regression and isotemporal substitution models were estimated to examine how movement compositions in childcare were associated with developmental outcomes. Results: Engaging in more MVPA relative to LPA and sedentary time was associated with fewer internalising symptoms and better total fundamental movement skills and object control skills, whilst spending more time in LPA relative to MVPA and sedentary time was associated with more internalising symptoms and worse object control skills. Isotemporal substitution models suggested that theoretically increasing sedentary time or engaging in MVPA at the expense of time engaging in LPA during childcare is associated with lower internalising symptoms. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence that engaging in MVPA during childcare, at the expense of time in LPA or sedentary time, is associated with children's fundamental movement skills and psychosocial development. Further longitudinal research is required, with larger samples of young children, to assess the mechanisms through which childcare movement behaviour compositions may interact with developmental outcomes, including contextualising both sedentary time and LPA. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05359536 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ge‐rich Ge–Sb–Te (GGST) alloys are the most promising materials for phase‐change memory in embedded applications, being able to fulfill the tough data retention requirements of automotive and consumer markets. GGST alloys are sensitive to thermal budgets and spatial confinement; thus, memory device process integration and architecture can strongly impact their final electrical properties and reliability. Herein, exploiting a statistical methodology capable to extract quantitative metrics for evaluating by‐process segregation, the inhomogeneity of out‐of‐fab GGST material in function of process parameters is studied such as architecture and alloy composition. The present results with the already known source of segregation, namely the back‐end‐of‐line thermal budget, are compared providing a comprehensive description of the main modulating factors of segregation among these different process parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ge‐rich GST (GGST) alloys have been shown to fulfill the tough temperature specifications required by automotive applications. Thus, they are the most promising materials for the embedded phase‐change memory market. In this respect, the characterization of the material properties once patterned and fully integrated is instrumental to improve the process and optimize the device performance. A description of the material behavior through a realistic sequence of process steps is still missing. Herein, a statistical‐based methodology capable to extract advanced metrics for the quantification of by‐process segregation beyond ternary systems is presented, capable to quantify thermal evolution of any out‐of‐stoichiometry and segregated material beyond ternary systems. The methodology to study the physical behavior of GGST as a function of a typical back‐end‐of‐line (BEOL) process is exploited, providing a further comparison between three different BEOL‐ended GGST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) cause millions of vertebrate mortalities globally, threatening population viability and influencing wildlife behaviour and survival. Traffic volume and speed can influence wildlife mortality on roads, but roadkill risk is species specific and depends on ecological traits.The COVID‐19 pandemic, and associated UK‐wide lockdowns, offered a unique opportunity to investigate how reducing traffic volume alters WVC. These periods of reduced human mobility have been coined the 'anthropause'.We used the anthropause to identify which ecological traits may render species vulnerable to WVC. We did this by comparing the relative change in WVC of species with differing traits before and during the anthropause.We used Generalised Additive Model predictions to assess which of the 19 species most frequently observed as WVC in the UK exhibited changes in road mortality during two lockdown periods, March–May 2020 and December 2020–March 2021, relative to the same time periods in previous years (2014–2019). Compositional data analysis was used to identify ecological traits associated with changes in the relative number of observations during lockdown periods compared to previous years.WVC were, across all species, 80% lower during the anthropause than predicted. Compositional data analysis revealed proportionally fewer reports of nocturnal mammals, urban visitors, mammals with greater brain mass and birds with a longer flight initiation distance. Species that have several of these traits, and correspondingly significantly lower than predicted WVC during lockdowns, included badgers Meles meles, foxes Vulpes vulpes, and pheasants, Phasianus colchicus; we posit they stand to benefit most from reduced traffic, and, of the species studied here, have highest mortality under 'normal' traffic levels.This study identifies traits and species that may have experienced a temporary reprieve during the anthropause, and highlights the impacts of traffic‐induced mortality on species numbers and ultimately on trait frequency in a road‐dominated landscape. By taking advantage of reductions in traffic offered by the anthropause, we can understand how vehicles influence wildlife survival and behaviour and may be exerting a selective force for certain species and traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Current global trends in physical activity levels demonstrate that the world is not on track to achieve the 2030 target set by the Global Action Plan. The Action Plan posited that physical activity should be an integral component of "daily lives" of all individuals "across the life course." Potential contributions to achieve global physical activity goals include the utilization of compositional data analysis and life course epidemiology to provide a framework for the composite nature of physical activity and complex life course relationships. Combining these two traditionally disconnected fields represents a paradigm shift in physical activity research. Here, we discuss how these combined fields enable a reinterpretation of previous research findings and explore their impact on policy and potential advantages and challenges. Careful consideration needs to be given to the implications of both fields remaining disconnected and the alternate option of consolidation to realize ambitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes a high disease burden. Physical activity (PA) reduces CVD morbidity and mortality. We aimed to determine the relationship between the composition of moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep during midlife to the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all‐cause mortality at a 7‐year follow‐up. The study population consisted of Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 members who participated in the 46‐year follow‐up in 2012 and were free of MACE (N = 4147). Time spent in MVPA, LPA, and SB was determined from accelerometer data. Sleep time was self‐reported. Hospital visits and deaths were obtained from national registers. Participants were followed until December 31, 2019, or first MACE occurrence (acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, stroke, hospitalization due to heart failure, or death due to CVD), death from another cause, or censoring. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios of MACE incidence and all‐cause mortality. Isotemporal time reallocations were used to demonstrate the dose–response association between time spent in behaviors and outcome. The 24‐h time composition was significantly associated with incident MACE and all‐cause mortality. More time in MVPA relative to other behaviors was associated with a lower risk of events. Isotemporal time reallocations indicated that the greatest risk reduction occurred when MVPA replaced sleep. Higher MVPA associates with a reduced risk of incident MACE and all‐cause mortality after accounting for the 24‐h movement composition and confounders. Regular engagement in MVPA should be encouraged in midlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies have reported opposite effects of occupational or non‐occupational physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) on health outcomes. However, no study has investigated the relationship between domain‐specific movement behaviors and cardiometabolic health (CMH) among office workers, considering the compositional nature of time‐use data. We investigated the associations of accelerometer‐measured PA and SB for each domain (working time, non‐working time on workday, and non‐workday) with CMH indicators among office workers, using compositional data analysis. Methods: This cross‐sectional study included 1258 Japanese office workers. The time spent on SB, light‐intensity PA (LPA), and moderate‐ to vigorous‐intensity PA (MVPA) were assessed using an accelerometer. CMH indicators were retrieved from the annual health check‐up data. Results: Compositional multiple linear regression indicated that PA and SB during non‐working time on workdays, but not working time or non‐workdays, were significantly associated with CMH. In particular, during non‐working time, time reallocations from SB to LPA and from SB to MVPA were associated with favorable changes in cardiometabolic risk score and lipid metabolism, respectively. Paradoxically, a greater proportion of LPA during non‐working time was associated with favorable diastolic blood pressure (β = 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02, 3.19), whereas occupational LPA was detrimental (β = −2.48; 95% CI = −4.87, −0.09). Conclusion: Our results suggested that reducing SB and increasing PA during non‐working time on workdays may be effective for managing CMH among office workers. Future longitudinal studies using compositional data analysis are required to confirm our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze a large database of abyssal peridotite clinopyroxene compositions using log‐ratio transformation, principal component analysis (PCA) and k‐means clustering, to better understand clinopyroxene compositional systematics in abyssal peridotites. We combine this analysis with open‐system melting models to investigate the potential sources of compositional variation. PCA shows that 84% of the variation in clinopyroxene compositions can be represented using only 2‐dimensional information. We use k‐means clustering to classify clinopyroxene compositions into four clusters. Clusters 1–3, representing 85% of the data, show progressive depletions in LREE/HREE, and are associated with decreases in Na2O in clinopyroxene, and general increases in Cr# of spinel. We interpret peridotites with clinopyroxene compositions from clusters 1–3 to represent residues of partial melt extraction. The degree of melt extraction increases from cluster 1 to 3, and exerts a primary control on compositional variations. The presence or absence of garnet‐field melting prior to spinel‐field melting and the retained melt fraction during partial melting exert secondary controls on clinopyroxene compositions. Cluster 4 clinopyroxenes, representing show less fractionated LREE/HREE with low‐HREE abundances, elevated Sr, and depleted signatures in their host peridotites. Clinopyroxene compositions in cluster 4 cannot be modeled by melt depletion alone. Instead, they are only reconstructed in our models where melt‐rock interaction, suggesting that peridotites with cluster 4 clinopyroxenes have experienced both of these processes. Clusters 1–4 are observed in most ridges, reflecting compositional heterogeneity on each ridge. This variability reflects variations in the degree of partial melting, amount of garnet‐field melting, retained melt fractions, and melt‐rock interaction. Plain Language Summary: "Abyssal peridotites" are rocks that come from the Earth's mantle, beneath the oceanic crust. They are exposed on the seafloor near mid‐ocean ridges, the sites at which new oceanic crust forms by melting the mantle below. We analyzed a large database of chemical analyses of the mineral "clinopyroxene" from these abyssal peridotites using statistical methods, to try and understand what controls their chemical compositions. Our results simplify the complex chemical variations in these clinopyroxenes to just two main variables, and allow us to divide the compositions into 4 groups. The first three groups (85% of the clinopyroxene database) can be explained by forming in mantle rocks that melted by varying amounts, during the melting process that leads to the formation of oceanic crust. The last group (15% of the clinopyroxene database) cannot be explained by simple melting processes. Instead, these mantle rocks were first partially melted, and then reacted with melts that originated deeper in the mantle and passed through them. All clinopyroxene groups are present in most mid‐ocean ridges, showing that the composition of abyssal peridotites is extremely variable even on each ridge. Key Points: We classify database of abyssal peridotite clinopyroxene compositions using statistical methods and compare the data with melting modelsEighty five percent of abyssal peridotites can be residues following melt extraction but 15% experienced both partial melting and melt‐rock interactionAll clinopyroxene compositional clusters are observed in most ridges, reflecting compositional heterogeneities on each ridge [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proper understanding of the palaeoceanographic evolution of the Drake Passage during the Palaeogene is hampered by the lack of precise tools to date and correlate the sedimentary units of areas adjacent to the region. In this work, considering recently published radiometric U–Pb dates, we revised the age of a previous dinoflagellate zones for the middle to upper Eocene units of the Austral–Magallanes Basin. The quantitative analysis of middle to late Eocene dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from different localities close to the Drake Passage allowed us to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions and the possible surface ocean currents during this time in the area. Assemblages dated between 41.3 and 38.1 Ma represent relatively warm waters in inner shelf settings, while those ranged between 36 and 35 Ma reflect coastal areas with cool, nutrient‐rich surface waters. The proposed surface ocean circulation pattern, based on dinoflagellate cysts distribution between 41.3 and 38.1 Ma, agrees with the results of a palaeoclimatic numerical model simulation performed with a Drake Passage shallow opening of 100 m depth. At c. 36 Ma, several Antarctic gonyaulacacean taxa tolerant to relatively warmer waters were replaced by some Antarctic peridinacean species better adapted to colder conditions. This change could be linked to a progressive deepening of the Drake Passage that is estimated to have reached 1000 m depth promoting a cooling in the South Atlantic. Such passage depth would have enabled stronger flows from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, which is reflected by the increase of cosmopolitan species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaic Roman painted antefixes, architectural slabs and louteria from the Palatine Hill in Rome, Italy, were studied by non‐destructive and micro‐destructive methods: Portable X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), micro‐Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (SEM‐EDS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The investigation enabled the characterization of raw materials and ceramic technology, providing insights on provenance. In fact, similarities were recognized with terracottas from the neighbouring Etruscan Veii. The analysis of pictorial layers revealed the use of Fe‐ and Mn‐based pigments, as well as the identification of more precious pigments on worthy pieces. The research intended to support the archaeological discussion about the frame of the nascent city of Rome, also in relation to the coeval Etruscan culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide some characterizations of the absence of triangular arbitrage in the spot exchange rates of a group of countries. When the matrix of exchange rates of the group does not fulfill the conditions given in those characterizations, we provide a measure of distance to the space of matrices of exchange rates that are triangular arbitrage‐free. Using this distance, we compute the closest no‐arbitrage matrix of exchange rates of the group. We apply the methodology developed to the exchange rates between the currencies of Brazil (real), European Union (euro), Great Britain (pound sterling), and USA (dollar) to analyze the possibility of triangular arbitrage in those foreign exchange markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compositional data from a soil survey over North Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, are used to develop and test an empirical soil provenancing method. Mineralogical data from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and magnetic susceptibility (MS), and geochemical data from X‐ray fluorescence (XRF; for total major oxides) and inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS; for both total and aqua regia‐soluble trace elements) are performed on the survey's 268 topsoil samples (0–5 cm depth; 1 sample per km2). Principal components (PCs) are calculated after imputation of censored data and centered log‐ratio transformation. The sequential provenancing approach is underpinned by (i) the preparation of interpolated raster grids of the soil properties (including PCs); (ii) the explicit quantification and propagation of uncertainty; (iii) the intersection of the soil property rasters with the values of the evidentiary sample (± uncertainty); and (iv) the computation of cumulative provenance rasters ("heat maps") for the various analytical techniques. The sequential provenancing method is tested on the North Canberra soil survey with three "blind" samples representing simulated evidentiary samples. Performance metrics of precision and accuracy indicate that the FTIR and MS (mineralogy), as well as XRF and total ICP‐MS (geochemistry) analytical methods, offer the most precise and accurate provenance predictions. Inclusion of PCs in provenancing adds marginally to the performance. Maximizing the number of analytes/analytical techniques is advantageous in soil provenancing. Despite acknowledged limitations and gaps, it is concluded that the empirical soil provenancing approach can play an important role in forensic and intelligence applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elemental composition of a sediment is set by the composition of its protolith and modified by weathering, sorting, and diagenesis. An important problem is deconvolving these contributions to a sediment's composition to arrive at information about processes that operate on the Earth's surface. We approach this problem by developing a predictive and invertible model of sedimentary major element composition. We compile a data set of sedimentary rock, river sediment, soil, and igneous rock compositions. Principal component analysis of the data set shows that most variation can be simplified to a small number of variables. We thus show that any sediment's composition can be described with just two vectors of igneous evolution and weathering. We hence define a model for sedimentary composition as a combination of these processes. A 1:1 correspondence is observed between predictions and independent data. The log ratios ln(K2O/MgO) and ln(Al2O3/Na2O) are found to be simple proxies for, respectively, the model's protolith and weathering indices. Significant deviations from the model can be explained by sodium‐calcium exchange. Using this approach, we show that the major element composition of the upper continental crust has been modified by weathering, and we calculate the amount of each element that it must have lost to modify it to its present composition. By extrapolating modern weathering rates over the age of the crust, we conclude that it has not retained a significant amount of the necessarily produced weathering restite. This restite has likely been subducted into the mantle, indicating a crust‐to‐mantle recycling rate of 1.33 ± 0.89 ×1013 kg·year−1. Key Points: Weathering and provenance dominate fine‐grained sedimentary elemental compositionProtolith composition and weathering intensity are determined from a sediment's compositionThe upper continental crust is recycled into the mantle at a rate of 1.33 ± 0.89 1013 kg·year−1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular ecology regularly requires the analysis of count data that reflect the relative abundance of features of a composition (e.g., taxa in a community, gene transcripts in a tissue). The sampling process that generates these data can be modelled using the multinomial distribution. Replicate multinomial samples inform the relative abundances of features in an underlying Dirichlet distribution. These distributions together form a hierarchical model for relative abundances among replicates and sampling groups. This type of Dirichlet‐multinomial modelling (DMM) has been described previously, but its benefits and limitations are largely untested. With simulated data, we quantified the ability of DMM to detect differences in proportions between treatment and control groups, and compared the efficacy of three computational methods to implement DMM—Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC), variational inference (VI), and Gibbs Markov chain Monte Carlo. We report that DMM was better able to detect shifts in relative abundances than analogous analytical tools, while identifying an acceptably low number of false positives. Among methods for implementing DMM, HMC provided the most accurate estimates of relative abundances, and VI was the most computationally efficient. The sensitivity of DMM was exemplified through analysis of previously published data describing lung microbiomes. We report that DMM identified several potentially pathogenic, bacterial taxa as more abundant in the lungs of children who aspirated foreign material during swallowing; these differences went undetected with different statistical approaches. Our results suggest that DMM has strong potential as a statistical method to guide inference in molecular ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host–pathogen associations change rapidly during a biological invasion and are predicted to impose strong selection on immune function. It has been proposed that the invader may experience an abrupt reduction in pathogen‐mediated selection ("enemy release"), thereby favoring decreased investment into "costly" immune responses. Across plants and animals, there is mixed support for this prediction. Pathogens are not the only form of selection imposed on invaders; differences in abiotic environmental conditions between native and introduced ranges are also expected to drive rapid evolution. Here, we use RNA‐Seq to assess the expression patterns of immune and environmentally associated genes in the cane toad (Rhinella marina) across its invasive Australian range. Transcripts encoding mediators of costly immune responses (inflammation, cytotoxicity) showed a curvilinear relationship with invasion history, with highest expression in toads from oldest and newest colonized areas. This pattern is surprising given theoretical expectations of density dynamics in invasive species and may be because density influences both intraspecific competition and parasite transmission, generating conflicting effects on the strength of immune responses. Alternatively, this expression pattern may be the result of other evolutionary forces, such as spatial sorting and genetic drift, working simultaneously with natural selection. Our findings do not support predictions about immune function based on the enemy release hypothesis and suggest instead that the effects of enemy release are difficult to isolate in wild populations, especially in the absence of information regarding parasite and pathogen infection. Additionally, expression patterns of genes underlying putatively environmentally associated traits are consistent with previous genetic studies, providing further support that Australian cane toads have adapted to novel abiotic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the source lithology of basalts can greatly impact our understanding of magmatic processes, which can help us gain insight into mantle heterogeneity and crustal material recycling. However, many uncertainties remain about how to recognize the relationship between major element patterns of basalts and source lithological and/or compositional diversities using typical petrological methods. In this study, discriminant functional analysis and multivariate regression are carried out using major element logratios for literature experimental melts of four primitive mantle‐like lherzolites and six mafic lithologies (five pyroxenites and one hornblendite). A parameter called FCMS (FCMS = ln (FeO/CaO) − 0.058 * (ln (MgO/SiO2))3 − 0.636 * (ln (MgO/SiO2))2 − 1.850 * ln (MgO/SiO2) − 1.170, all the major elements in weight percent) is proposed to identify source lithologies for basaltic melts. When the logratios ln(K2O/Al2O3), ln (TiO2/Na2O), and ln (Na2O/K2O) are incorporated into FCMS, the temperature and pressure effects on the compositional heterogeneity of peridotites melts can be significantly reduced; a more powerful parameter called FCKANTMS (FCKANTMS = ln (FeO/CaO) − 0.08 * ln(K2O/Al2O3) − 0.052 * ln (TiO2/Na2O) − 0.036 * ln (Na2O/K2O) * ln (Na2O/TiO2) − 0.062 * (ln (MgO/SiO2))3 − 0.641 * (ln (MgO/SiO2))2 − 1.871 * ln (MgO/SiO2) − 1.473, all the major elements in weight percent) can be obtained. Olivine fractional crystallization and accumulation, although they can significantly change most major element contents and ratios, usually increase or decrease FCMS and FCKANTMS by only 0–0.15, which is one order of magnitude lower than their variations in the primary experimental melts of different lithologies. Importantly, approximately 80% and 50% low to moderate degree (F < 60%) partial melts (n = 303) of mafic lithology (with or without volatiles in source materials) can be distinguished from melts of peridotite and transitional lithologies when FCKANTMS combined with ln (CaO/TiO2) and ln (SiO2/(CaO + Na2O + TiO2)). Thus, the chemical markers could be used to constrain source lithology and origin of natural basalts. Plain Language Summary: Basaltic melts can be experimentally produced from a variety of mafic and ultramafic lithologies. Understanding the source lithology of basalts can greatly impact our understanding of magmatic processes, which can help us gain insight into mantle heterogeneity and crustal material recycling. However, many uncertainties remain about how to identify the source lithology of basalts using traditional petrological methods. In this study, major element patterns of experimental basaltic melts are explored using major element logratios. We find that most peridotite melts can be distinguished from pyroxenite and hornblendite melts by the logratio‐based chemical markers. Thus, the chemical markers could be used to constrain source lithology and origin of natural basalts. Key Points: Major element patterns of experimental basaltic melts on different lithologies are explored using major element logratiosSeveral useful logratio‐based chemical markers are proposed to identify source lithology of basaltsThe uncertainties of traditional chemical markers and the advantages of the logratio‐based markers are discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Archaeological excavations, undertaken since 2004 for the construction of the new Naples subway, have unearthed the harbor basin of the Greco–Roman town of Parthenope–Neapolis, furnishing scientists with the opportunity to recover abundant archaeological remains and a thick succession of diverse infill sediments. The latter underwent sedimentological, paleontological, and volcanological analyses. Compositional data analysis, applied to all three data sets, highlighted three main paleoenvironmental changes in the harbor basin from the Augustan Age up to the 6th century A.D. The beginning of harbor activity is recorded during the 3rd century B.C. when sedimentation was interrupted by intensive dredging of the sea‐bottom. The impact of the A.D. 79 Vesuvius eruption, recorded for the first time in the Neapolitan territory, led to a reduction in Posidonia meadows and to an ensuing phase of more restricted water circulation and pollution. At the beginning of the 5th century A.D., an open lagoon environment was established, attesting to coastal progradation. The final closure of this part of the bay occurred at the end of the 5th to the beginning of the 6th century A.D., due to increased alluvial input linked to both natural and anthropogenic causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of relatedness have been crucial in molecular ecology over the last decades. Good evidence of this is the fact that studies of population structure, evolution of social behaviours, genetic diversity and quantitative genetics all involve relatedness research. The main aim of this article was to review the most common graphical methods used in allele sharing studies for detecting and identifying family relationships. Both IBS- and IBD-based allele sharing studies are considered. Furthermore, we propose two additional graphical methods from the field of compositional data analysis: the ternary diagram and scatterplots of isometric log-ratios of IBS and IBD probabilities. We illustrate all graphical tools with genetic data from the HGDP- CEPH diversity panel, using mainly 377 microsatellites genotyped for 25 individuals from the Maya population of this panel. We enhance all graphics with convex hulls obtained by simulation and use these to confirm the documented relationships. The proposed compositional graphics are shown to be useful in relatedness research, as they also single out the most prominent related pairs. The ternary diagram is advocated for its ability to display all three allele sharing probabilities simultaneously. The log-ratio plots are advocated as an attempt to overcome the problems with the Euclidean distance interpretation in the classical graphics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies are increasingly investigating effects of large-scale management activities on grassland restoration outcomes. These studies are providing useful comparisons among currently used management strategies, but not the novel strategies needed to rapidly improve restoration efforts. Here we illustrate how managing restoration projects adaptively can allow promising management innovations to be identified and tested., We studied 327 Great Plains fields seeded after coal mining. We modelled plant responses to management strategies to identify the most effective previously used strategies for constraining weeds and establishing desired plants. Then, we used the model to predict responses to new strategies our analysis identified as potentially more effective., Where established, the weed crested wheatgrass ( Agropyron cristatum L.) increased through time, indicating a need to manage establishment of this grass. Seeding particular grasses reduced annual weed cover, and because these grasses appeared to become similarly abundant whether sown at low or high rates, low rates could likely be safely used to reduce seeding costs. More importantly, lower than average grass seed rates increased cover of shrubs, the plants most difficult to restore to many grassland ecosystems. After identifying grass seed rates as a driver, we formulated model predictions for rates below the range managers typically use. These predictions require testing but indicated atypically low grass seed rates would further increase shrubs without hindering long-term grass stand development., Synthesis and applications. Designing management around empirically based predictions is a logical next step towards improving ecological restoration efforts. Our predictions are that reducing grass seed rates to atypically low levels will boost shrubs without compromising grasses. Because these predictions derive from the fitted model, they represent quantitative hypotheses based on current understanding of the system. Generating data needed to test and update these hypotheses will require monitoring responses to shifts in management, specifically shifts to lower grass seed rates. A paucity of data for confronting hypotheses has been a major sticking point hindering adaptive management of most natural resources, but this need not be the case with degraded grasslands, because ongoing restoration efforts around the globe are providing continuous opportunities to monitor and manage processes regulating grassland restoration outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isometric log ratios of proportions of major ions, derived from intuitive sequential binary partitions, are used to characterize hydrochemical variability within and between coal seam gas (CSG) and surrounding aquifers in a number of sedimentary basins in the USA and Australia. These isometric log ratios are the coordinates corresponding to an orthonormal basis in the sample space (the simplex). The characteristic proportions of ions, as described by linear models of isometric log ratios, can be used for a mathematical-descriptive classification of water types. This is a more informative and robust method of describing water types than simply classifying a water type based on the dominant ions. The approach allows (a) compositional distinctions between very similar water types to be made and (b) large data sets with a high degree of variability to be rapidly assessed with respect to particular relationships/compositions that are of interest. A major advantage of these techniques is that major and minor ion components can be comprehensively assessed and subtle processes-which may be masked by conventional techniques such as Stiff diagrams, Piper plots, and classic ion ratios-can be highlighted. Results show that while all CSG groundwaters are dominated by Na, HCO3, and Cl ions, the proportions of other ions indicate they can evolve via different means and the particular proportions of ions within total or subcompositions can be unique to particular basins. Using isometric log ratios, subtle differences in the behavior of Na, K, and Cl between CSG water types and very similar Na-HCO3 water types in adjacent aquifers are also described. A complementary pair of isometric log ratios, derived from a geochemically-intuitive sequential binary partition that is designed to reflect compositional variability within and between CSG groundwater, is proposed. These isometric log ratios can be used to model a hydrochemical pathway associated with methanogenesis and/or to delineate groundwater associated with high gas concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) was used to determine the composition of four poinçons and six moulds from the large Roman archaeological site of Scoppieto (Terni, Italy), an important production centre for several types of ceramic wares from the fourth century bc to the fifth century ad. Compositional data were transformed to move from the simplex to the real space, and classical multivariate tools applied to highlight the similarities between the new material found at Scoppieto and existing reference groups. Statistical analysis identified distinctive chemical characteristics in the samples from Arezzo and Vasanello (central Italy), which are clearly different from moulds from Scoppieto. The results indicate that poinçons found at Scoppieto were probably made in Arezzo and raw materials from Scoppieto were used for local production of moulds. Therefore, Scoppieto should be considered one of the most important production centres of Roman pottery, since all stages of the production cycle were carried out by highly specialized workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Plums are a rich source of nutritive and bioactive compounds. The objective was to evaluate the impact of fruit tissue (flesh and peel), ripening stage and cultivar on the composition of phytochemicals in plums ( Prunus domestica L.) and to analyse the relation between total antioxidant activity (TAA) and the measured variables. RESULTS: The content of total sugars and total organic acids was higher in flesh but total phenolic content (TPC) and TAA was statistically higher in plum peel. The composition of sugars depended on fruit tissue, ripening stage and the cultivar. Ripening and fruit tissue affected the composition and concentrations of organic acids. TPC of 'Haganta' peel increased during ripening but there was no significant time trend for 'Jojo' peel and flesh of both cultivars. The composition of phenolics in peel depended on the cultivar, but in flesh on the cultivar and ripening. Ripening resulted in increased total anthocyanins and TAA in peel. TAApeel was positively correlated with TPCpeel, total anthocyaninspeel, cyanidin 3-glucosidepeel and peonidin 3-rutinosidepeel in the cultivar 'Haganta'. CONCLUSION: The composition of phytochemicals in P. domestica fruit depends on fruit tissue, ripening stage and the cultivar. Peel contributes to the TAA on average 20 times more than flesh. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Is plant diversity in mesic grassland ecosystems vulnerable in the short-term to extreme climate change events? How rapidly can responses in vegetation composition occur in perennial grasslands?Are the expected compositional changes related to rare species losses or to shifts in the relative abundance of the dominants? Location: Subalpine mesic grasslands on limestone in the Pyrenees. Methods: Transplanting turves from the upland, with cold- temperate climate, to a lowland location, with continental Mediterranean climate. Results: Transplanting led to decreased biodiversity and strong shifts in vegetation composition. Results from both permutation tests and traditional multivariate analysis suggested different trajectories of vegetation depending on the initial species pool. Vegetation showed a tendency to converge in composition in the lowland over time, independently of initial differences. Estimated changes in relative biomass of the five most abundant species between the upland and the lowland ranged from -89 to +96 %. The ensemble of all other species was reduced by 80%. The most dominant species in the upland, Festuca nigrescens, reduced its abundance in the lowland, shifting from having mainly positive to mainly negative associations with other species. Conclusions: Mesic grassland ecosystems in the Pyrenees showed strong shifts in plant diversity and composition after a short period of warming and drought, as a consequence of acute vulnerability of some dominant grasses, losses of rare species, and aggregate and trigger effects of originally uncommon forb species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]