Development of the cultivar xaraés under different concentrations of teak sawdust

Tectona grandis L.f. (Teak) is a highly cultivated forest species in Brazil. When industrially processed, it generates a large amount of sawdust, a waste that has limited reuse and accumulates in the industrial yards. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fresh teakwood sawdust on the development of Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) R.D.Webster cv. Xaraés in a nursery. The treatments consisted of concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 20, 33 and 50% of sawdust, arranged in four randomized blocks in split-plots. At 45, 75 and 120 days, plant heigh (h), average tillers diameter (d), number of live (nll) and dead leaves per plant, fresh and dry mass of shoots and roots, and Dickson's quality index (dqi) were measured. There was a decrease in h growth, d, nll, fresh and dry mass of shoots and roots and in the dqi of the cv. Xaraés as it increased to concentration of wood sawdust in the substrate. This negative effect can be attributed to the high C/N ratio of sawdust (196/1), which influences the decomposition of organic matter. In addition, the possible Teak allelopathic effects, which are the subject of other studies, should be considered. Unlike the other variables, number of live leaves was not influenced by the treatment with 5% sawdust. Teakwood sawdust has negative effects on the U. brizantha cv. Xaraés development.

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The effects of road crossings on stream macro-invertebrate diversity

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-019-01907-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 729-745 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Blanka Gál ◽

András Weiperth ◽

János Farkas ◽

Dénes Schmera

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Human Population ◽

Knowledge Gap ◽

Storm Events ◽

Freshwater Biodiversity ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Invertebrate Diversity ◽

Negative Effect ◽

The Subject

AbstractAlthough it is well known that the increasing size of the human population has a negative effect on freshwater biodiversity, the subject of whether or how the intersection of roads and streams (hereafter road crossings) influence the diversity of stream macro-invertebrates is under-researched. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we collected stream macro-invertebrates from road crossings (bridges and culverts) and compared their diversity with upstream and downstream sections. We found that road crossings had negative effects on the richness and abundance of native macro-invertebrates, as well as on the number of protected taxa. Our results showed also that alien individuals were more abundant at road crossings. These findings support the assumption that road crossings contribute to the spread of alien species. The assessment of environmental variables indicated that road crossings caused habitat modifications, and based on these it can be assumed that habitat modifications and associated phenomena (e.g. pollutants and storm events) were the major drivers of the observed patterns in biodiversity. Our results fill a knowledge gap and contribute to the deeper understanding of the effect of road crossings on freshwater biodiversity.

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Spontaneous Mutational Effects on Reproductive Traits of Arabidopsis thaliana

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/155.1.369 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 155 (1) ◽

pp. 369-378 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ruth G Shaw ◽

Diane L Byers ◽

Elizabeth Darmo

Keyword(s):

Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽

Spontaneous Mutation ◽

Reproductive Traits ◽

Dry Mass ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Single Seed Descent ◽

Standardized Measures ◽

Significant Divergence ◽

Further Development ◽

Mutational Variance

Abstract A study of spontaneous mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana was initiated from a single inbred Columbia founder; 120 lines were established and advanced 17 generations by single-seed descent. Here, we report an assay of reproductive traits in a random set of 40 lines from generations 8 and 17, grown together at the same time with plants representing generation 0. For three reproductive traits, mean number of seeds per fruit, number of fruits, and dry mass of the infructescence, the means did not differ significantly among generations. Nevertheless, by generation 17, significant divergence among lines was detected for each trait, indicating accumulation of mutations in some lines. Standardized measures of mutational variance accord with those obtained for other organisms. These findings suggest that the distribution of mutational effects for these traits is approximately symmetric, in contrast to the usual assumption that mutations have predominantly negative effects on traits directly related to fitness. Because distinct generations were grown contemporaneously, each line was represented by three sublines, and seeds were equal in age, these estimates are free of potentially substantial sources of bias. The finding of an approximately symmetric distribution of mutational effects invalidates the standard approach for inferring properties of spontaneous mutation and necessitates further development of more general approaches that avoid restrictions on the distribution of mutational effects.

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Asthma patients experience increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic

Chronic Respiratory Disease ◽

10.1177/14799731211029658 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 147997312110296

Author(s):

Geertje M de Boer ◽

Laura Houweling ◽

Rudi W Hendriks ◽

Jan H Vercoulen ◽

Gerdien A Tramper-Stranders ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

Care Workers ◽

Asthma Patients ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Patients Experience ◽

Anxiety Depression

Population studies showed a decrease in psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asthma is associated with a negative effect on anxiety and depression, which might worsen during the COVID-19 lockdown. The aim of the study was to compare fear, anxiety and depression between asthma patients and patients wit hout asthma pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic. This study compares fear, anxiety and depression in asthma patients and controls between pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 lockdown with a cross-sectional online survey. Participants were invited to fill out several questionnaires pertaining to fear, anxiety, depression, asthma control and quality of life. Asthma patients (N = 37) displayed, during the course of the pandemic, a clinically relevant increase in anxiety (3.32 ± 2.95 vs. 6.68 ± 3.78; p < 0.001) and depression (1.30 ± 1.15 vs. 3.65 ± 3.31; p < 0.001), according to the hospital anxiety and depression levels (HADS) compared to pre-COVID-19 assessment. This was not seen in controls. Also, asthma patients displayed more anxiety about acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls ((5.11 ± 1.99 vs. 3.50 ± 2.79), p = 0.006). Patients with asthma experienced an increase in anxiety and depression levels and were more afraid of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Also, patients with asthma were more likely to avoid healthcare facilities due to fear of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Therefore, we advise health care workers to address these possible negative effects on mental health by phone or e-consults.

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Impact of “non-lethal” tarsal clipping on bumble bees (Bombus vosnesenskii) may depend on queen stage and worker size

Journal of Insect Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10841-021-00297-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

John M. Mola ◽

Clara Stuligross ◽

Maureen L. Page ◽

Danielle Rutkowski ◽

Neal M. Williams

Keyword(s):

Genetic Material ◽

Population Monitoring ◽

First Year ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Worker Size ◽

Monitoring Tools ◽

Individual Survival ◽

Body Sizes ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Worker Caste

Abstract Recent bumble bee declines have prompted the development of novel population monitoring tools, including the use of putatively non-lethal tarsal clipping to obtain genetic material. However, the potential side effects of tarsal clipping have only been tested in the worker caste of a single domesticated species, prompting the need to more broadly test whether tarsal clipping negatively affects sampled individuals. To determine if tarsal clipping reduces queen survivorship and colony establishment, we collected wild queens of Bombus vosnesenskii and clipped tarsi from a single leg of half the individuals. We reared captive queens and estimated survivorship and nest establishment success. We also clipped tarsi of workers from a subset of colonies across a range of body sizes. We found no consistent negative effect of clipping on queen survival. In the first year, clipped nest-searching queens suffered heavy mortality, but there was no effect on foraging queens. The following year, we found no effect of clipping on queen survival or establishment. Clipping did not reduce overall worker survival but reduced survivorship for those in the smallest size quartile. Implications for insect conservation Our findings suggest tarsal clipping does not have consistent negative effects on individual survival. However, our results varied with queen behavioral state, year, and worker size, suggesting differences within and among species and interactions with landscape stressors warrant further study. In the interim, we recommend researchers and conservationists minimize the use of tarsal clipping for sensitive species, populations, or small workers except in cases of exceptional scientific need.

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Long-term subjective memory after electroconvulsive therapy

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2020.9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Robert Sigström ◽

Axel Nordenskjöld ◽

Anders Juréus ◽

Caitlin Clements ◽

Erik Joas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽

Memory Impairment ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Subjective Memory ◽

Subjective Memory Impairment ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Negative Expectations

Background There have been reports of long-term subjective memory worsening after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Aims To study the prevalence and risk factors of long-term subjective memory worsening among patients receiving ECT in routine clinical practice. Method Patients (n = 535, of whom 277 were included in the final analysis) were recruited from eight Swedish hospitals. Participants' subjective memory impairment was assessed before ECT and a median of 73 days after ECT using the memory item from the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale. Participants also rated their pre-ECT expectations and post-ECT evaluations of the effect of ECT on memory on a 7-point scale. We used ordinal regression to identify variables associated with subjective memory worsening and negative evaluations of the effect of ECT on memory. Results Comparisons of pre- and post-ECT assessments showed that subjective memory worsened in 16.2% of participants, remained unchanged in 52.3% and improved in 31.4%. By contrast, when asked to evaluate the effect of ECT on memory after treatment 54.6% reported a negative effect. Subjective memory worsening was associated with negative expectations before ECT, younger age and shorter duration of follow-up. Conclusions Although subjective memory improved more often than it worsened when assessed before and after ECT, a majority of patients reported that ECT had negative effects on their memory when retrospectively asked how ECT had affected it. This might suggest that some patients attribute pre-existing subjective memory impairment to ECT. Clinicians should be aware that negative expectations are associated with subjective worsening of memory after ECT.

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Dominant Negative Mutants Implicate STAT5 in Myeloid Cell Proliferation and Neutrophil Differentiation

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v93.12.4154 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 93 (12) ◽

pp. 4154-4166 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

Robert L. Ilaria ◽

Robert G. Hawley ◽

Richard A. Van Etten

Keyword(s):

Dna Binding ◽

Transcriptional Activation ◽

Dominant Negative ◽

Dominant Negative Effect ◽

Cytokine Signaling ◽

Transactivation Domain ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Murine Bone Marrow ◽

Negative Effect

Abstract STAT5 is a member of the signal transducers and activation of transcription (STAT) family of latent transcription factors activated in a variety of cytokine signaling pathways. We introduced alanine substitution mutations in highly conserved regions of murine STAT5A and studied the mutants for dimerization, DNA binding, transactivation, and dominant negative effects on erythropoietin-induced STAT5-dependent transcriptional activation. The mutations included two near the amino-terminus (W255KR→AAA and R290QQ→AAA), two in the DNA-binding domain (E437E→AA and V466VV→AAA), and a carboxy-terminal truncation of STAT5A (STAT5A/▵53C) analogous to a naturally occurring isoform of rat STAT5B. All of the STAT mutant proteins were tyrosine phosphorylated by JAK2 and heterodimerized with STAT5B except for the WKR mutant, suggesting an important role for this region in STAT5 for stabilizing dimerization. The WKR, EE, and VVV mutants had no detectable DNA-binding activity, and the WKR and VVV mutants, but not EE, were defective in transcriptional induction. The VVV mutant had a moderate dominant negative effect on erythropoietin-induced STAT5 transcriptional activation, which was likely due to the formation of heterodimers that are defective in DNA binding. Interestingly, the WKR mutant had a potent dominant negative effect, comparable to the transactivation domain deletion mutant, ▵53C. Stable expression of either the WKR or ▵53C STAT5 mutants in the murine myeloid cytokine-dependent cell line 32D inhibited both interleukin-3–dependent proliferation and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)–dependent differentiation, without induction of apoptosis. Expression of these mutants in primary murine bone marrow inhibited G-CSF–dependent granulocyte colony formation in vitro. These results demonstrate that mutations in distinct regions of STAT5 exert dominant negative effects on cytokine signaling, likely through different mechanisms, and suggest a role for STAT5 in proliferation and differentiation of myeloid cells.

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The Psychology of Sharing: Multigroup Analysis among Users and Non-Users of Carsharing

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13126842 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 6842

Author(s):

Érika Martins Silva Ramos ◽

Cecilia Jakobsson Bergstad

Keyword(s):

Travel Behavior ◽

Psychological Factors ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Subjective Norms ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Intention To Use ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis

The present study investigates the determinants of intention to use carsharing services by an integrated model of psychological predictors of travel behavior. The model proposed is tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) in structural equation modeling (SEM) with further discussion about analysis of invariance and its relevance for comparisons between groups. The sample was classified into four groups: Italian users, Italian non-users, Swedish users, and Swedish non-users of carsharing. The users were respondents who have used or are currently using carsharing, while non-users reported never using the carsharing services. The analysis of data from 6072 respondents revealed that control was the main predictor of intention to use carsharing; driving habits had stronger negative effects for users of carsharing than for non-users; subjective norms positively predicted the intention to use carsharing among all groups; trust was a predictor of intention only for the Italian groups; and climate morality had a small negative effect on the Swedish groups only. The outcomes of this investigation will increase the knowledge about the use of carsharing and help to identify the behavioral and psychological factors that primarily influence people’s intention to use it.

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Who Becomes Unhappy when Income Inequality Increases?

Applied Research in Quality of Life ◽

10.1007/s11482-020-09906-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bjorn Lous ◽

Johan Graafland

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Income Inequality ◽

Harmful Effect ◽

World Values Survey ◽

Lower Income ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Average Life ◽

Income Groups ◽

The World ◽

Negative Effect

AbstractLiterature has established that, on a macroeconomic level, income inequality has a negative effect on average life satisfaction. An unresolved question is, however, which income groups are harmed by income inequality. In this paper we investigate this relationship at the microeconomic level combining national indicators of income inequality with individual data of life satisfaction from the World Values Survey for 39 countries over a period of 25 years. Tests on moderation by income category show that the Gini coefficient is most negatively related to life satisfaction of the lowest income groups, but the negative effects also extends to other income groups. For the income share of the top 1% we find a similar result. These findings show that income inequality is especially a concern for the lower income groups, but that the harmful effect of income inequality also spillovers to the life satisfaction of other income groups.

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