Application of morphogeometric method estimation of fluctuating asymmetry of Acer pseudoplatanus L.

<p>The possibility of using a morpho-geometric method for determining the indices of the fluctuating asymmetry of <em>Асе</em><em>r</em> <em>pseudoplatanus</em> L. leaf for bioindication is evaluated. The material was collected on the roadside territories of motorways of the city of Donetsk with different traffic intensity. The values of the fluctuating asymmetry of <em>A.</em><em> </em><em>pseudoplatanus</em> leaf blade, grown in conditions of city roadside ecosystems, are increased with the increase in the transport load, obtained through Procrustean analysis of variance. The morphogeometric method for determining the fluctuating asymmetry showed greater sensitivity in comparison with the use of an index calculated by the normalizing formula based on measurements of individual bilateral features. It is expedient to carry out studies in which the task is to accumulate data on the dynamics of fluctuating asymmetry indices obtained by a morphogeometric method, with a view to the subsequent widespread application of this approach for bioindication and biomonitoring of the state of the environment.</p>

Chemometrics as a Tool in the Study of Lead Toxicity in Rats

<p>In this work, chemometric tools were applied to establish correlations between biomarkers and to identify the most significant ones in relation to acute exposure of Wistar rats to Pb. The metal content in biological matrices (serum, urine, liver, brain, and kidney), biochemical parameters (protein content, activity of the Glutathione S–Transferase enzymes, and urinalysis), apart from morphological measurements of organisms, were estimated in both the exposed and the control groups and submitted to Significance tests, Principal Component Analysis, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, and Generalized Procrustean Analysis. It could be observed that Pb in serum, but not in erythrocytes, was the biomarker associated with the Pb content in kidney and other parameters related to this organ. In the same way, Pearson correlation coefficients emphasized the relation between Pb in serum and these variables, with the exception of kidney weight. Additionally, Pb in serum was found to be the biomarker with the greatest difference between the control and the exposed groups, which converts it into the most sensitive biomarker in the present study. </p>

ON SOME RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ECOLOGY AND HEALTH

Three mathematical and statistical methods - namely correlation, Redundancy and Procrustean analysis were applied to analyze relationships between ecological factors of environment and health indicators. They used data from the International Organization for Environment Protection (UNEP) and the World Bank (World Bank). Environmental factors include emissions of various pollutants - N2O, NOx, PM10, CO2, and economic factors such as renewable energy resources. Of the indicators of health are considered life expectancy, mortality, morbidity from diabetes and tuberculosis. The results provide a basis for a series of discussions and conclusions. Key words: ecological factors, health indicators, correlation, Redundacy analysis, Procrustean analysis

The development of a new method of idiographic measurement for dynamic assessment intervention

This paper proposes a new method of idiographic measurement for dynamic assessment (DA) intervention. There are two main methods of measurement for DA intervention; split -half tests and integrated scoring systems. Split-half tests of ability have proved useful from a research perspective. Integrated scoring systems coupled with case studies are useful from a practitioner perspective. The purpose of this research is to bridge the gap between research and practice by developing a methodology that is compatible with both. To this end the paper proposes a measureable idiographic method of measurement, which utilises multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) and general procrustean analysis (GPA) to analyse the result of card-sort data gathered from a learner across the entire intervention. This approach provides a method of assessment, which is both compatible with individual intervention and suited to building a body of evidence-based research for DA. An example of the method in practice is given for illustrative purposes. The initial results suggest that this approach provides a methodology that satisfies the requirements of both practitioners when formulating targeted intervention and researchers who require methods of measurement of change in ability of the individual over time.

Life history differences parallel environmental differences among North American lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) populations

Lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) exhibit substantial life history variation range-wide and at a local scale. This study addresses two hypotheses that have been proposed to account for this: (i) over the zoogeographic range, climatic conditions are associated with life history differences; and (ii) within smaller geographic regions, physical lake attributes are associated with life history differences. Multivariate statistics (Procrustean analysis and canonical correlation analysis) identified a strong, range-wide association between climate and life history variables. Colder climates were associated with slower prematuration growth, older age at maturity, and increased longevity. Winter conditions were also important; longer, warmer winters were associated with slower prematuration growth, smaller maximum sizes, and increased weight at a standard length of 425 mm. In southern populations, these general trends were further modified by physical lake attributes. High productivity lakes had lake trout with faster prematuration growth and larger maximum sizes; deeper lakes were associated with larger maximum sizes and later ages at maturity; and larger lakes were associated with slower prematuration growth, greater longevity, and larger maximum sizes. This study identifies abiotic variables that should be incorporated into existing lake trout management models, thus extending their applicability range-wide and permitting them to deal with possible impacts of climate change.