Backpacking with the Saints

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belden C. Lane
Keyword(s):  
American Southwest ◽  
Spiritual Practice ◽  
Spiritual Journey ◽  
Human Response ◽  
John Muir ◽  
Hildegard Of Bingen ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Thich Nhat Hanh ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
John Of The Cross

Carrying only basic camping equipment and a collection of the world's great spiritual writings, Belden C. Lane embarks on solitary spiritual treks through the Ozarks and across the American Southwest. For companions, he has only such teachers as Rumi, John of the Cross, Hildegard of Bingen, Dag Hammarskjöld, and Thomas Merton, and as he walks, he engages their writings with the natural wonders he encounters--Bell Mountain Wilderness with Søren Kierkegaard, Moonshine Hollow with Thich Nhat Hanh--demonstrating how being alone in the wild opens a rare view onto one's interior landscape, and how the saints' writings reveal the divine in nature. The discipline of backpacking, Lane shows, is a metaphor for a spiritual journey. Just as the wilderness offered revelations to the early Desert Christians, backpacking hones crucial spiritual skills: paying attention, traveling light, practicing silence, and exercising wonder. Lane engages the practice not only with a wide range of spiritual writings--Celtic, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi Muslim--but with the fascination of other lovers of the backcountry, from John Muir and Ed Abbey to Bill Plotkin and Cheryl Strayed. In this intimate and down-to-earth narrative, backpacking is shown to be a spiritual practice that allows the discovery of God amidst the beauty and unexpected terrors of nature. Adoration, Lane suggests, is the most appropriate human response to what we cannot explain, but have nonetheless learned to love. An enchanting narrative for Christians of all denominations, Backpacking with the Saints is an inspiring exploration of how solitude, simplicity, and mindfulness are illuminated and encouraged by the discipline of backcountry wandering, and of how the wilderness itself becomes a way of knowing-an ecology of the soul.

scholarly journals Deciphering the evolution of microbial interactions: in silico studies of two-member microbial communities

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayathri Sambamoorthy ◽  
Karthik Raman
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Interaction Patterns ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Community Function ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
In Silico Studies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In The Wild

Microbes thrive in communities, embedded in a complex web of interactions. These interactions, particularly metabolic interactions, play a crucial role in maintaining the community structure and function. As the organisms thrive and evolve, a variety of evolutionary processes alter the interactions among the organisms in the community, although the community function remains intact. In this work, we simulate the evolution of two-member microbial communities in silico to study how evolutionary forces can shape the interactions between organisms. We employ genomescale metabolic models of organisms from the human gut, which exhibit a range of interaction patterns, from mutualism to parasitism. We observe that the evolution of microbial interactions varies depending upon the starting interaction and also on the metabolic capabilities of the organisms in the community. We find that evolutionary constraints play a significant role in shaping the dependencies of organisms in the community. Evolution of microbial communities yields fitness benefits in only a small fraction of the communities, and is also dependent on the interaction type of the wild-type communities. The metabolites cross-fed in the wild-type communities appear in only less than 50% of the evolved communities. A wide range of new metabolites are cross-fed as the communities evolve. Further, the dynamics of microbial interactions are not specific to the interaction of the wild-type community but vary depending on the organisms present in the community. Our approach of evolving microbial communities in silico provides an exciting glimpse of the dynamics of microbial interactions and offers several avenues for future investigations.

Factors contributory to fire occurrences in two populated areas in the American southwest

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanna T.Y. Tong ◽  
Shitian Wan ◽  
Yuhe Gao
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
American Southwest ◽  
Arid Areas ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clark County ◽  
Temporal Relationships ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Semi Arid

PurposeThis study aims to further understand the factors contributory to fire occurrences in two semi-arid regions in the American Southwest, Clark County in Nevada and Maricopa and Pinal Counties in Arizona.Design/methodology/approachStatistical and geographic information system analyses were employed to examine the spatial and temporal relationships of various natural and human-caused factors with fire incidences.FindingsAngström fire danger index, average amount of rainfall one month prior, extent of forests and grasslands, and proximities to secondary roads and population centers have significant relationships with fire events.Research limitations/implicationsThe importance of the factors contributory to fire occurrence is site-specific even in areas with similar climatic regimes and varies among different geographic regions; as such, researchers will need to conduct specific investigation of each study area.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can be instrumental in facilitating fire managers to derive more informed strategies in fire prevention and management.Originality/valueWhile there are many studies on fire, most of them are conducted in wet regions with a lot of vegetative cover; not much work is done on arid areas. This paper considered and compared the spatial and temporal relationships of a wide range of natural and human-caused factors with fire events in two semi-arid areas. The intent was to assess the relative importance of these factors in areas even with similar climatic regimes. As our world is facing unprecedented changes in terms of climate and population growth, it is paramount to have an enhanced understanding of the impacts of these changes on fire regimes. The study areas are hot and dry, and they are located in the wildland–urban interfaces with rapid population growth and urbanization; as such, the research findings may contribute to existing literature.

John Muir and the Roots of American Environmentalism

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Worster
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Snake Bite ◽  
Early America ◽  
Industrial Capitalism ◽  
John Muir ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Almost All

In the wild garden of an early America there coiled and crawled the devil’s own plenty of poisonous vipers—cottonmouths, copperheads, coral snakes, the whole nasty family of rattlers and sidewinders. A naturalist roaming far from the settlements regularly ran the risk of a fatal snake bite. Fortunately, he was reassured by the field experts of the day, the deadly reptile always furnishes its own antidote. It conceals itself in the very plants whose roots can counteract its poison, plants like the so-called “Indian snakeroot.” As the viper sank its sharp fangs into your leg, you simply pulled up the roots of that plant, quickly chewed them down, and laughed in the viper’s face. You were instantly immune. How many backwoods naturalists and hunters died from believing that bit of advice is not known. Science, ever improving its hypotheses, now suggests carrying a snakebite kit in your pack or calling in a helicopter. But before we dismiss the old advice as completely foolish, we might ask whether it might not have had some useful, genuine logic in it. Sometimes the remedy for wounds does indeed lie near at hand among the shrubs and weeds in which the reptile lives; and sometimes dangerous forces do indeed suggest, or even contain, their own antidote. Take, for instance, the case of North America’s continuing environmental degradation. What we humans have done over the past five hundred years to maim this continent and tear apart its fabric of life is in large degree the consequence of the Judeo-Christian religious ethos and its modern secular offspring—science, industrial capitalism, and technology. I would put almost all the blame on the modern secular offspring, but I have to agree that religion too has been a deadly viper that has left its marks on the body of nature. Paradoxically, I would add what no one else seems to have noticed: an Indian snakeroot for this venom has appeared in the reptile’s own nest. The antidote for environmental destruction has been a movement called environmentalism and that movement has, in the United States, owed much of its program, temperament, and drive to the influence of Protestantism.

Inheritance of Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Inhibitor Resistance in Wild Oat (Avena fatua)

Weed Science ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce G. Murray ◽  
Ian N. Morrison ◽  
Anita L. Brûlé-Babel
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Gene ◽  
Avena Fatua ◽  
Wild Oat ◽  
Acetyl Coa Carboxylase ◽  
Reciprocal Crosses ◽  
Characteristic Response ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Segregation Ratios ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Inhibitor Resistance

Resistance to fenoxaprop-P and other aryloxyphenoxypropionate and cyclohexanedione herbicides in the wild oat population, UM1, is controlled by a single, partially dominant, nuclear gene. In arriving at this conclusion, parents, F1hybrids, and F2plants derived from reciprocal crosses between UM1 and a susceptible wild oat line, UM5, were treated with fenoxaprop-P over a wide range of dosages. Based on these experiments, a dosage of 400 g ai ha−1fenoxaprop-P was selected to discriminate between three response types. At this dosage, susceptible plants were killed and resistant plants were unaffected, whereas plants characterized as intermediate in response were injured but recovered. Treated F2plants segregated in a 1:2:1 (R, I, S) ratio, indicative of single nuclear gene inheritance. This was confirmed by selfing F2plants and screening several F3families. Families derived from intermediate F2plants segregated for the three characteristic response types, whereas those derived from resistant F2plants were uniformly resistant. Chisquare analysis indicated the F2segregation ratios fit those expected for a single partially dominant nuclear gene system. In addition, F2populations from both crosses were screened with a mixture of fenoxaprop-Pand sethoxydim. The dosages of both herbicides (150 g ai ha−1fenoxaprop-P and 100 g ha−1sethoxydim) were sufficient to control only susceptible plants. Treated F2populations segregated in a 3:1 (R:S) pattern, thereby confirming that resistance to the two chemically unrelated herbicides results from the same gene alteration.

Differences in Recumbent, Ecstatic Trance Postures in Terms of Dream Recall, Imagined Interactions, and Heart Rate

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
James M. Honeycutt
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Spiritual Practice ◽  
Dream Recall ◽  
Intrapersonal Communication ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Imagined Interactions

Research has demonstrated the health benefits of a wide range of spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer, and similar nonspiritual practices like mindfulness. Shamanism is a spiritual practice that uses dream recall during ecstatic trances, and scientific research has shown health benefits of dream recall. Researchers have long realized the importance of intrapersonal communication occurring in daydreams, called imagined interactions (IIs), and recently extended the theory to include night dreams. IIs serve six functions: rehearsal, relational maintenance, catharsis, conflict-linkage, self-understanding, and compensation. This study investigates the health effects of ecstatic posture on dream recall in conjunction with the functions of IIs. Results indicate that ecstatic posture while recalling dreams is associated with both heart rate and heart rate variability. However, the II function determines whether the effect is positive or negative.

scholarly journals Host Selection of Symbiotic Cyanobacteria in 31 Species of the Australian Cycad Genus: Macrozamia (Zamiaceae)

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 811-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Gehringer ◽  
Jasper J. L. Pengelly ◽  
William S. Cuddy ◽  
Claus Fieker ◽  
Paul I. Forster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Host Specialization ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Cyanobacterial Species ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Selection Of

The nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc is a commonly occurring terrestrial and aquatic cyanobacterium often found in symbiosis with a wide range of plant, algal, and fungal species. We investigated the diversity of cyanobacterial species occurring within the coralloid roots of different Macrozamia cycad species at diverse locations throughout Australia. In all, 74 coralloid root samples were processed and 56 endosymbiotic cyanobacteria were cultured. DNA was isolated from unialgal cultures and a segment of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced. Microscopic analysis was performed on representative isolates. Twenty-two cyanobacterial species were identified, comprising mostly Nostoc spp. and a Calothrix sp. No correlation was observed between a cycad species and its resident cyanobiont species. The predominant cyanobacterium isolated from 18 root samples occurred over a diverse range of environmental conditions and within 14 different Macrozamia spp. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that endosymbionts were not restricted to previously described terrestrial species. An isolate clustering with Nostoc PCC7120, an aquatic strain, was identified. This is the first comprehensive study to identify the endosymbionts within a cycad genus using samples obtained from their natural habitats. These results indicate that there is negligible host specialization of cyanobacterial endosymbionts within the cycad genus Macrozamia in the wild.

Evidence for Younger Dryas global climate oscillation and human response in the American Southwest

2011 ◽  
Vol 242 (2) ◽  
pp. 502-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse A.M. Ballenger ◽  
Vance T. Holliday ◽  
Andrew L. Kowler ◽  
William T. Reitze ◽  
Mary M. Prasciunas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Younger Dryas ◽  
American Southwest ◽  
Human Response ◽  
Climate Oscillation

scholarly journals ISOLATION AND STUDY OF MUTANTS LACKING A DEREPRESSIBLE PHOSPHATASE IN CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDI

Genetics ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-250
Author(s):  
R F Matagne ◽  
R Loppes
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Inorganic Phosphate ◽  
Double Mutant ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
Acid Phosphatases ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Optimal Activity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Definition Of

ABSTRACT In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi, removal of inorganic phosphate from the culture medium results in the increase of phosphatase activity (derepression) in the wild-type (WT) strain as well as in a double mutant (P2Pa) lacking the two main constitutive acid phosphatases. Following treatment of WT and P2Pa with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), mutants were recovered which display very low phosphatase activities when grown in the absence of phosphate; as shown by electrophoresis, they lack one non-migrating phosphatase (PD mutants). This enzyme is active over a wide range of pH with an optimum at pH 7.5. The comparison of electropherograms from WT and mutants grown on media with or without phosphate allowed us to provide a tentative definition of the pool of derepressible phosphatases in Chlamydomonas : in addition to the neutral phosphatase lacking in PD mutants, Chlamydomonas produces two electrophoretic forms of alkaline phosphatase showing an optimal activity at pH 9.5.

scholarly journals The genome of the endangered Macadamia jansenii displays little diversity but represents an important genetic resource for plant breeding

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Sharma ◽  
Valentine Murigneux ◽  
Jasmine Haimovitz ◽  
Catherine J. Nock ◽  
Wei Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Core Eudicots ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Long Read ◽  
In The Wild

SummaryMacadamia, a recently domesticated expanding nut crop in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, is one of the most economically important genera in the diverse and widely adapted Proteaceae family. All four species of Macadamia are rare in the wild with the most recently discovered, M. jansenii, being endangered. The M. jansenii genome has been used as a model for testing sequencing methods using a wide range of long read sequencing techniques. Here we report a chromosome level genome assembly, generated using a combination of Pacific Biosciences sequencing and Hi-C, comprising 14 pseudo-molecules, with a N50 of 58 Mb and a total 758 Mb genome assembly size of which 56% is repetitive. Completeness assessment revealed that the assembly covered 96.9% of the conserved single copy genes. Annotation predicted 31,591 protein coding genes and allowed the characterization of genes encoding biosynthesis of cyanogenic glycosides, fatty acid metabolism and anti-microbial proteins. Re-sequencing of seven other genotypes confirmed low diversity and low heterozygosity within this endangered species. Important morphological characteristics of this species such as small tree size and high kernel recovery suggest that M. jansenii is an important source of these commercial traits for breeding. As a member of a small group of families that are sister to the core eudicots, this high-quality genome also provides a key resource for evolutionary and comparative genomics studies.

scholarly journals Turbulence explains the accelerations of an eagle in natural flight

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (23) ◽  
pp. e2102588118
Author(s):  
Kasey M. Laurent ◽  
Bob Fogg ◽  
Tobias Ginsburg ◽  
Casey Halverson ◽  
Michael J. Lanzone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Flight Behavior ◽  
Avian Behavior ◽  
Avian Flight ◽  
Turbulent Environments ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Atmospheric Phenomena

Turbulent winds and gusts fluctuate on a wide range of timescales from milliseconds to minutes and longer, a range that overlaps the timescales of avian flight behavior, yet the importance of turbulence to avian behavior is unclear. By combining wind speed data with the measured accelerations of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) flying in the wild, we find evidence in favor of a linear relationship between the eagle’s accelerations and atmospheric turbulence for timescales between about 1/2 and 10 s. These timescales are comparable to those of typical eagle behaviors, corresponding to between about 1 and 25 wingbeats, and to those of turbulent gusts both larger than the eagle’s wingspan and smaller than large-scale atmospheric phenomena such as convection cells. The eagle’s accelerations exhibit power spectra and intermittent activity characteristic of turbulence and increase in proportion to the turbulence intensity. Intermittency results in accelerations that are occasionally several times stronger than gravity, which the eagle works against to stay aloft. These imprints of turbulence on the bird’s movements need to be further explored to understand the energetics of birds and other volant life-forms, to improve our own methods of flying through ceaselessly turbulent environments, and to engage airborne wildlife as distributed probes of the changing conditions in the atmosphere.

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