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Secondary Factor (secondary + factor)
Selected AbstractsGlobal analysis of reptile elevational diversityGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Christy M. McCain ABSTRACT Aim, Latitudinal- and regional-scale studies of reptile diversity suggest a predominant temperature effect, unlike many other vertebrate richness patterns which tend to be highly correlated with both temperature and water variables. Here I examine montane gradients in reptile species richness with separate analyses of snakes and lizards from mountains around the world to assess a predominant temperature effect and three additional theories of diversity, including a temperature,water effect, the species,area effect and the mid-domain effect (MDE). Location, Twenty-five elevational gradients of reptile diversity from temperate, tropical and desert mountains in both hemispheres, spanning 10.3° N to 46.1° N. Methods, Elevational gradients in reptile diversity are based on data from the literature. Of the 63 data sets found or compiled, only those with a high, unbiased sampling effort were used in analyses. Twelve predictions and three interactions of diversity theory were tested using nonparametric statistics, linear regressions and multiple regression with the Akaike information criterion (AIC). Results, Reptile richness and, individually, snake and lizard richness on mountains followed four distinct patterns: decreasing, low-elevation plateaus, low-elevation plateaus with mid-elevation peaks, and mid-elevation peaks. Elevational reptile richness was most strongly correlated with temperature. The temperature effect was mediated by precipitation; reptile richness was more strongly tied to temperature on wet gradients than on arid gradients. Area was a secondary factor of importance, whereas the MDE was not strongly associated with reptile diversity on mountains. Main conclusions, Reptile diversity patterns on mountains did not follow the predicted temperature,water effect, as all diversity patterns were found on both wet and dry mountains. But the influence of precipitation on the temperature effect most likely reflects reptiles' use of radiant heat sources (sunning opportunities) that are more widespread on arid mountains than wet mountains due to lower humidity, sparser vegetation and less cloud cover across low and intermediate elevations. [source] RHEOLOGY OF DOUBLE (W/O/W) EMULSIONS PREPARED WITH SOYBEAN MILK AND FORTIFIED WITH CALCIUMJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 5 2010ANDRÉS L. MÁRQUEZ ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to study the rheological behavior of water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) emulsions prepared with soybean milk and sunflower oil, with different calcium solutions as the internal aqueous phase, in order to evaluate them as a vegetable substitute of whipped dairy cream. The obtained systems exhibited a creamy texture, which was attributed to the swelling of w/o droplets because of the osmotic gradient generated by the inclusion of soluble salts in the internal aqueous phase. A secondary factor could be the flocculation of w/o droplets due to the interaction of released calcium with soybean proteins at the interface. Consequently, the increase of calcium chloride content produced emulsions with higher consistency. A pasteurization produced flocculation and coalescence of w/o droplets only at high calcium chloride content. These double emulsions could be a potential alternative to the whipped dairy cream, because of their texture, reduced fat content and calcium contribution. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This article deals with the formulation of novel calcium-fortified food emulsions prepared with soybean milk and sunflower oil. Because calcium needs to be isolated from soybean milk components (proteins and phospholipids), we proposed to include calcium salts in the internal aqueous phase of a water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) emulsion. The practical applications of this research could include the formulation of low lipid content emulsions and the isolation of a component which is incompatible with the continuous aqueous phase. Particularly, this work leads to the understanding of how the inclusion of calcium salts in the internal aqueous phase of a w/o/w emulsion prepared with soybean milk affects the rheology and microstructure of the system. The results led to the conclusion that these emulsions can work as a whipped dairy cream substitute with vegetal components, low lipid content and important calcium contribution. [source] Ecological distribution of terrestrial orchids in a south Brazilian Atlantic regionNORDIC JOURNAL OF BOTANY, Issue 1 2010Fernando Souza Rocha Terrestrial orchids comprise a taxonomically and ecologically varied group, ranging from tropical to subpolar regions and from wet marshy to dry sand-dune environments. An ecological survey of these plants was performed in a natural region of Rio Grande do Sul, south Brazil, namely the northern coastal plain, between the abrupt slopes of the Serra Geral and the coastal line of the Atlantic Ocean (29°01,S to 30°00,S, 49°43,W to 50°16,W). The study area presents a humid subtropical climate of the Cfa type. Mean annual temperature and precipitation range from 17.5 to 20.0°C and from 1200 to 1700,mm, respectively. The occurrence of indigenous terrestrial orchid species was recorded for six major habitats or vegetation types: bogs and marshes, peat forests, rain forests, dune forests, Butia -palm stands and coastal sand-dunes. The ecological range was defined for 39 species belonging to 23 genera, based on literature, herbarium revisions and extensive collecting along the studied area. Species richness ranged from nine species, in both coastal dunes and palm-groves, to 17 species in peat forests. A negative correlation was observed between species richness and ecological range, showing a general tendency for terrestrial orchids to be confined to one or a few habitats. Multivariate analyses indicated light (herbaceous vs woody vegetation) as a primary ecological factor, and soil drainage (sandy vs peaty substrates) as a secondary factor controlling terrestrial orchid distribution. [source] Analytics and Beliefs: Competing Explanations for Defining Problems and Choosing Allies and Opponents in Collaborative Environmental ManagementPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 5 2010Christopher M. Weible The rationale for collaborative environmental management often hinges on two factors: first, specialized training creates biased analytics that require multidisciplinary approaches to solve policy problems; second, normative beliefs among competing actors must be included in policy making to give the process legitimacy and to decide trans-scientific problems. These two factors are tested as drivers of conflict in an analysis of 76 watershed partnerships. The authors find that analytical bias is a secondary factor to normative beliefs; that depicting the primary driver of conflict in collaborative environmental management as between experts and nonexperts is inaccurate; that compared to the "life" and "physical" sciences, the social sciences and liberal arts have a stronger impact on beliefs and choice of allies and opponents; and that multiple measures are needed to capture the effect of analytical biases. The essay offers lessons for public administrators and highlights the limitations and generalizations of other governing approaches. [source] Update of the Pompe disease mutation database with 107 sequence variants and a format for severity rating,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 6 2008Marian Kroos Abstract Pompe disease was named after the Dutch pathologist Dr JC Pompe who reported about a deceased infant with idiopathic hypertrophy of the heart. The clinical findings were failure to thrive, generalized muscle weakness and cardio-respiratory failure. The key pathologic finding was massive storage of glycogen in heart, skeletal muscle and many other tissues. The disease was classified as glycogen storage disease type II and decades later shown to be a lysosomal disorder caused by acid ,-glucosidase deficiency. The clinical spectrum of Pompe disease appeared much broader than originally recognized. Adults with the same enzyme deficiency, alternatively named acid maltase deficiency, were reported to have slowly progressive skeletal muscle weakness and respiratory problems, but no cardiac involvement. The clinical heterogeneity is largely explained by the kind and severity of mutations in the acid ,-glucosidase gene (GAA), but secondary factors, as yet unknown, have a substantial impact. The Pompe disease mutation database aims to list all GAA sequence variations and describe their effect. This update with 107 sequence variations (95 being novel) brings the number of published variations to 289, the number of non-pathogenic mutations to 67 and the number of proven pathogenic mutations to 197. Further, this article introduces a tool to rate the various mutations by severity, which will improve understanding of the genotype-phenotype correlation and facilitate the diagnosis and prognosis in Pompe disease. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Contrasting Lumped and Distributed Hydrology Models for Estimating Climate Change Impacts on California Watersheds,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2010Edwin P. Maurer Maurer, Edwin P., Levi D. Brekke, and Tom Pruitt, 2010. Contrasting Lumped and Distributed Hydrology Models for Estimating Climate Change Impacts on California Watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(5):1024,1035. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00473.x Abstract:, We compare the projected changes to streamflows for three Sierra Nevada rivers using statistically downscaled output from 22 global climate projections. The downscaled meteorological data are used to drive two hydrology models: the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting model and the variable infiltration capacity model. These two models differ in their spatial resolution, computational time step, and degree and objective of calibration, thus producing significantly different simulations of current and future streamflow. However, the projected percentage changes in monthly streamflows through mid-21st Century generally did not differ, with the exceptions of streamflow during low flow months, and extreme low flows. These findings suggest that for physically based hydrology models applied to snow-dominated basins in Mediterranean climate regimes like the Sierra Nevada, California, model formulation, resolution, and calibration are secondary factors for estimating projected changes in extreme flows (seasonal or daily). For low flows, hydrology model selection and calibration can be significant factors in assessing impacts of projected climate change. [source] The neuropathology and pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosusNEUROPATHOLOGY & APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002N. J. Scolding Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem, autoimmune disease in which neuropsychiatric involvement occurs in about 50% of patients and carries a poor prognosis. Despite extensive research, the precise mechanisms of nervous tissue injury remain the least well understood. This article summarizes the important clinical neuropsychiatric features of SLE and, reviewing classical histopathological and more recent experimental studies, discusses theories concerning their presumed pathogenesis. The distinctive production of diverse autoantibodies seems to be related to defective clearance of apoptotic cells. Antibody-mediated neural cell injury and rheological disturbances represent the two principal suggested mechanisms of tissue injury. An interplay between these processes, underlying genetic factors, their modification by hormones, complicated by a number of secondary factors, may explain the wide spectrum of features encountered in this disease. [source] Improving predictions of the location and use of warrens in sensitive rabbit populationsANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 5 2009I. C. Barrio Abstract The location and use of warrens is a key factor in the population dynamics of the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus L., which can influence stability and persistence in the long term. Within the species' original distribution range, its numbers have declined sharply in recent decades, which is a serious problem for the conservation of Mediterranean ecosystems. Artificial warrens are commonly used to bolster rabbit populations and the characterization of natural warrens in those areas might improve their efficiency. In this study, we use binomial generalized linear models to identify the factors associated with the location and use of warrens in a low-density area and we evaluate the effect of including the spatial structure of the data in the model. In addition, we generate a map that predicts the most suitable areas for artificial warrens. Contrary to what was expected, habitat variables are only secondary factors, and the location and use of warrens is influenced mainly by spatial factors, such as proximity to nearby warrens. Furthermore, the aggregated spatial pattern of warrens suggests that, at the local scale, for example, the hunting estate, intra-specific interactions might be playing a primary role in these low-density populations. To identify the most suitable sites for artificial warrens and, thereby, improve the efficiency of artificial warren building for conservation purposes, information about spatial structures should be included in models predicting natural warrens of European rabbits. [source] | ||||||||||