Richness and Cover of Nontimber Economic Plants along Altitude in Temperate Himalayan Forest-Use Types

Pakistani Himalaya stretches over a wide range of altitudinal gradients and supports high diversity of medicinal plants that are an important source for rural livelihood. Altitudinal effects on ground vegetation have already been indicated but ground vegetation is also under severe threat of grazing and over collection. The present study investigated the effect of altitude on medicinal plants abundance in both old-growth and derived woodland forests. Each of the five line transects was selected in old-growth and derived woodland forests. Each line transect consisted of four plots distributed at four altitudinal levels (2200, 2300, 2400, and 2500 m asl). Species richness under derived woodland had shown strong negative correlation (r=-0.95) with altitude while it was found to be nonsignificant under old-growth. Cover of most of the species such asVeronica laxa(r=-0.95,P≤0.05) had shown significant negative correlation with altitude under derived woodland. Cover abundance of some species likeValeriana jatamansiand Violacanescenshas also shown significant negative correlation under old-growth forest. Derived woodland can decrease the cover abundance of valuable medicinal plants towards extension at higher altitudes. Thus, protection of the derived woodland could serve as a tool for the improvement of rural livelihood and ecological restoration.

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THE CREATININE HEIGHT INDEX: ITS USE IN THE ESTIMATION OF THE DEGREE OF PROTEIN DEPLETION AND REPLETION IN PROTEIN CALORIE MALNOURISHED CHILDREN

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.46.5.696 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 46 (5) ◽

pp. 696-706

Author(s):

Fernando E. Viteri ◽

Jorge Alvarado

Keyword(s):

Muscle Mass ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Normal Child ◽

Muscle Wasting ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Clinical Severity ◽

Creatinine Excretion ◽

N Retention ◽

Malnourished Children ◽

Wide Range

The creatinine height index (CHI), which consists of the following ratio: CHI: 24 hour creatinine excretion of subject 24 hour creatinine excretion of normal child of same height has been devised for estimating the relative muscle mass of children. Age is not considered because children of developing areas are very often retarded in height. The normal CHI is close to 1.0, both in well nourished children and in fully recovered malnourished ones, with heights ranging from 64.8 to 135 cm. Protein calorie malnourished (PCM) children of the edematous type (kwashiorkor and kwashiorkormarasmus) had CHI's ranging from 0.25 to 0.75, lower CHI's were observed in more severely malnourished children and vice versa. In clinically marasmic children (PCM without edema) the CHI ranged from 0.33 to 0.85, independent of the degree of weight deficit or the clinical severity of marasmus, indicating that severe caloric deficiency can occur with a wide range of muscle wasting. No creatinine retention was observed in any PCM children with adequate urine flows. Independent estimates of protein and calorie repletion were obtained during recovery by the use of CHI and weight for height. A significant negative correlation between CHI and N retention was found, indicating the physiological significance of the CHI in estimating protein nutrition.

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Relationship Among Emotional Intelligence and/or Extrovert Bias on Perceived Stress Levels in DPT Students

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice ◽

10.46743/1540-580x/2021.1991 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Scott Richardson ◽

Jordan Auvinen ◽

Brennan Bonnett ◽

Lucas Takeuchi ◽

Erin Thompson

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Academic Performance ◽

Academic Success ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Spearman Correlation ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Wide Range ◽

Stress Levels

Purpose/Hypothesis: Students in graduate level DPT programs function at varying levels. Some students thrive and others struggle to maintain required minimum levels of academic performance. When considering admission of applicants, and when assisting enrolled students, consideration of factors contributing to academic success is of interest. Stress has been shown to be prevalent in a wide range of students and has many negative effects including poor life satisfaction, increased clinical burnout, and reduced academic performance. Research has shown a correlation between higher emotional intelligence (EI) and decreased stress levels in medical, nursing, and undergraduate students. The purpose of this study was to examine if emotional intelligence (EI) and/or extrovert bias correlates with perceived stress levels in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. It was hypothesized that students with higher emotional intelligence and more extroverted personalities would experience lower levels of perceived stress. Participants: After providing consent, a convenience sample of 60 first and second year DPT students (33 female) with age range 23 to 38 participated in the current study. Participation was voluntary and 60 of a possible 72 students chose to participate. Materials/Methods: After obtaining informed consent, participants completed Goldberg’s IPIP-Neo questionnaire (extraversion), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Assessing Emotions Scale (emotional intelligence). Each of these tools have demonstrated validity and reliability for the respective areas measured. Surveys were administered to students and results were analyzed for possible relationships between extraversion and stress levels as well as EI and stress levels using a Spearman Correlation test. Results: Spearman Correlation analyses were conducted with a significant negative correlation between EI and perceived stress rs = -0.291, p= 0.026 and a non-significant negative correlation between extraversion and perceived stress rs = -1.36, p= 0.305. Discussion: In the current sample, EI had a significant negative relationship with perceived stress levels, with higher EI scores correlating to lower levels of stress. The relationship between extraversion and perceived stress was non-significant. Clinical Relevance: Doctorate level graduate programs can be considered intense and very stressful. Admission of qualified students equipped to meet the demands of a DPT program has great importance. Establishing a correlation between EI, introversion/extraversion bias, and stress may help DPT programs further assess prospective students. Consideration of factors correlated with higher perceived stress may be useful when providing resources to admitted students to facilitate academic success.

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YIELD AND PROTEIN CONTENT OF WHEAT AND BARLEY: I. INTERRELATION OF YIELD AND PROTEIN CONTENT OF RANDOM SELECTIONS FROM SINGLE CROSSES

Canadian Journal of Research ◽

10.1139/cjr49c-019 ◽

1949 ◽

Vol 27c (5) ◽

pp. 230-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

M. N. Grant ◽

A. G. McCalla

Keyword(s):

Protein Content ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Mean Values ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Relationship

Yield and protein content of 100 random selections from single crosses of wheat and barley were determined for three years. Results of each test showed highly significant differences in yield and protein content of selections. There was a highly significant negative correlation between yield and protein content in each test, the values for rpy varying from −.483 to −.806. In general, the relationship was improved when mean values from several tests were correlated. The behavior of individual selections under a wide range of environmental conditions was relatively constant even though wide differences occurred in both yield and protein content of individual selections.

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Effect of Statin Supplementation on Pulmonary Function and Inflammatory Markers in Patients of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573398x15666190614154338 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 45-50

Author(s):

Mradul K. Daga ◽

Ankit Chhoda ◽

Shashank Singh ◽

Govind Mawari ◽

Naresh Kumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Function ◽

Exercise Capacity ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Inflammatory Markers ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Wide Range ◽

Systemic Inflammatory Disease

Background: COPD being a systemic inflammatory disease is accompanied by alteration of various inflammatory cytokines which affect the metabolic equilibrium of body. Some therapeutic options, mainly statins via their wide range of pharmacologic actions alter the level of proinflammatory cytokines hence, helpful in attenuating various extra-pulmonary consequences of COPD. We did a randomised case-control study to study the effect of statin supplementation on pulmonary function and inflammatory markers in patients of COPD. Methods: We included 40 stable COPD subjects & randomized them in two groups, Intervention & Non-intervention. Intervention group received 40 mg atorvastatin once daily for 3 months in addition to the conventional treatment of COPD similar to the prior one. We studied levels of IL-6 & CRP and correlated them with disease severity before and after the aforementioned intervention. Results: We observed that CRP levels decreased in both the groups after a follow up of 3 months, but neither of them was statistically significant (p=0.57 & 0.63 respectively) nor the mean of their difference (p=0.969). IL-6 levels showed a persistent decline in intervention group but, was not significant (p=0.91). In this study, we noticed statistically significant improvement in FEV1 (p=0.008) in the intervention group which was in contrast to non-intervention group. Similarly, the exercise capacity also statistically increased in the intervention group (p=0.002). There was also evident negative correlation between exercise capacity and IL-6 as well CRP levels. FEV1 also showed statistically significant negative correlation with IL-6 levels (p=0.023). Conclusion: We can improve the disease outcome and alter its natural progression by altering the levels of inflammatory markers with the aid of some additional pharmacological interventions i.e., in this study was atorvastatin.

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Patterns of biodiversity response along a gradient of forest use in Eastern Amazonia, Brazil

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.8486 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e8486

Author(s):

Sérgio G. Milheiras ◽

Marcelino Guedes ◽

Fernando Augusto Barbosa Silva ◽

Perseu Aparício ◽

Georgina M. Mace

Keyword(s):

Dung Beetle ◽

Brazil Nut ◽

Old Growth ◽

Local Livelihoods ◽

Old Growth Forest ◽

Wide Range ◽

Old Growth Forests ◽

High Conservation ◽

Forest Use ◽

Reduced Impact Logging

The preservation of tropical forests is increasingly at risk, including forests located within human-modified landscapes that retain high conservation value. People modify and interact with these landscapes through a wide range of uses. However, our knowledge of how different forest uses affect biodiversity is limited. Here, we analyse the responses of different taxa to four distinct categories of forest management, namely old-growth forest, Brazil nut extraction areas, reduced impact logging areas, and eucalyptus plantations. Within six independent replicates of each category, we sampled three taxa (fruit-feeding butterflies, dung beetles, and trees) in eastern Amazonia. Forests under moderate use (Brazil nut extraction and reduced-impact logging) had similar, albeit slightly lower, diversity levels relative to old-growth forests, while communities in plantations were significantly less diverse. Only 4%, 20%, and 17%, of the sampled butterfly, dung beetle, and tree species, respectively, were restricted to old-growth forests. This study provides further empirical evidence of the importance of old-growth forest conservation in the context of human-modified landscapes. It also suggests that landscape matrices integrating forest uses at varying intensities are well positioned to reconcile biodiversity conservation with the production of goods that support local livelihoods.

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Colonization and Diversity of AM Fungi by Morphological Analysis on Medicinal Plants in Southeast China

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2015/753842 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mingyuan Wang ◽

Pan Jiang

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Species Richness ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Am Fungi ◽

Wiener Index ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Spore Density ◽

Southeast China

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal distributions in the rhizosphere of 20 medicinal plants species in Zhangzhou, southeast China, were studied. The results showed 66 species of 8 genera of AM fungi were identified, of which 38 belonged toGlomus, 12 toAcaulospora, 9 toScutellospora, 2 toGigaspora, 2 toFunneliformis, 1 toSeptoglomus, 1 toRhizophagus, and 1 toArchaeospora.Glomuswas the dominant genera andG. melanosporum,Acaulospora scrobiculata,G. etunicatum,Funneliformis mosseae, andG. rubiformewere the prevalent species. The highest colonization (100%) was recorded inDesmodium pulchellum(L.) Benth. while the lowest (8.0%) was inAcorus tatarinowiiSchott. The AM fungi spore density ranged from 270 to 2860 per 100 g soil (average 1005), and the species richness ranged from 3 to 14 (average 9.7) per soil sample. Shannon-Wiener index ranged from 0.52 to 2 (average 1.45). In the present study, the colonization had a highly negative correlation with availableKand electrical conductivity. Species richness correlated positively with electrical conductivity and organic matter. Shannon-Wiener index had a highly significant negative correlation with pH. This study provides a valuable germplasm and theoretical basis for AM fungal biotechnology on medicinal standardization planting.

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Determination of Structural Characteristics of Old-Growth Forest in Ukraine Using Spaceborne LiDAR

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13071233 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 1233

Author(s):

Ben Spracklen ◽

Dominick V. Spracklen

Keyword(s):

Vertical Structure ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Structural Characteristics ◽

Old Growth ◽

Random Forest Classification ◽

Old Growth Forest ◽

Forest Classification ◽

Wide Range ◽

Old Growth Forests

A forest’s structure changes as it progresses through developmental stages from establishment to old-growth forest. Therefore, the vertical structure of old-growth forests will differ from that of younger, managed forests. Free, publicly available spaceborne Laser Range and Detection (LiDAR) data designed for the determination of forest structure has recently become available through NASA’s General Ecosystem and Development Investigation (GEDI). We use this data to investigate the structure of some of the largest remaining old-growth forests in Europe in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. We downloaded 18489 cloud-free shots in the old-growth forest (OGF) and 20398 shots in adjacent non-OGF areas during leaf-on, snow-free conditions. We found significant differences between OGF and non-OGF over a wide range of structural metrics. OGF was significantly more open, with a more complex vertical structure and thicker ground-layer vegetation. We used Random Forest classification on a range of GEDI-derived metrics to classify OGF shapefiles with an accuracy of 73%. Our work demonstrates the use of spaceborne LiDAR for the identification of old-growth forests.

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Thrombin generation in paediatric patients with congenital heart disease

Hämostaseologie ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1617119 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 28 (S 01) ◽

pp. S61-S66 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G. Cvirn ◽

A. Rosenkranz ◽

B. Leschnik ◽

W. Raith ◽

W. Muntean ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Congenital Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Congenital Heart ◽

Thrombin Generation ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Peak Height ◽

Global Test ◽

Paediatric Patients ◽

Age Range

SummaryThrombin generation was studied in paediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing cardiac surgery using the calibrated automated thrombography (CAT) in terms of the lag time until the onset of thrombin formation, time to thrombin peak maximum (TTP), endogenous thrombin potential (ETP), and thrombin peak height. The suitability to determine the coagulation status of these patients was investigated. Patients, material, methods: CAT data of 40 patients with CHD (age range from newborn to 18 years) were compared to data using standard coagulation parameters such as prothrombin (FII), antithrombin (AT), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F 1.2), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and prothrombin time (PT). Results: A significant positive correlation was seen between ETP and FII (p < 0.01; r = 0.369), as well as between peak height and F II (p < 0.01; r = 0.483). A significant negative correlation was seen between ETP and TFPI values (p < 0.05; r = –0.225) while no significant correlation was seen between peak height and TFPI. A significant negative correlation was seen between F 1.2 generation and ETP (p < 0.05; r = –0.254) and between F 1.2 generation and peak height (p < 0.05; r = –0.236). No correlation was seen between AT and ETP or peak. Conclusions: CAT is a good global test reflecting procoagulatory and inhibitory factors of the haemostatic system in paediatric patients with CHD.

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