4,375 research outputs found
Is crustacean hyperglycaemic hormone precursor-related peptide a circulating neurohormone in crabs?
No full textSites of synthesis and release patterns of crustacean hyperglycaemic hormone precursor-related peptide (CPRP) were investigated with those of crustacean hyperglycaemic hormone (cHH), in order to determine whether this precursor-related peptide satisfies certain criteria necessary for its definition as a secretable, circulating hormone. Using the edible crab, Cancer pagurus, sites of CPRP synthesis were determined by immunohistochemistry and release patterns of both peptides were determined in vivo and in vitro by radioimmunoassay of haemolymph and eyestalk superfusates. Both peptides were co-released from sinus glands (SGs) following potassium-evoked depolarization of isolated eyestalk preparations. However, stress-evoked in vivo release resulted in apparent non-stoichiometric circulating peptide profiles. This phenomenon is explained by notable differences in clearance rates of the peptides in haemolymph. In contrast to cHH, CPRP is very slowly degraded in vivo. Although CPRP is clearly a circulating peptide, whose release is concomitant with that of cHH, physiologically pertinent roles for this molecule remain to be discovered
Saperda calcarata Say 1824
No full textSaperda calcarata Say, 1824 New Brunswick: Albert Co., Mary’s Point, 5.VIII.2003, D.S. Christie, (1, CGMC). Gloucester Co., St. Simon, 10.VII.1980, G. Gallien (1, UMNB); St Simon, 18.VIII.1983, P. Mallet (1, UMNB). Kent Co., Cocagne Road, 25.VI.1942, 29.VI.1942, FIS, poplar (2, AFC; Mineral, 19.VII.1949, H Bennett, det. W.J. Brown (1, NSAC); Kouchibouguac Park, 25.VII.1994, Danielle Richard (1, UMNB). Northumberland Co., Sillikers, 29.VII.2008, Nelson Poirier. Westmorland Co., Moncton, 15.VII.1981, Leo G. (1, UMNB); Moncton, 10.IX.1999, E Rivard (1, UMNB). York Co. , Charters Settlement, 45.8395°N, 66.7391°W, 9.VII.1993, 14. Viii. 1993, 4.VIII.1996, 7.VIII.1997, 29.VII.2000, 17.VII.2004, 27.VI.2006, R.P. Webster, mixed forest, M. V. light (7, NBM, RWC); Fredericton, 16.VII.1990, R.P. Webster, (1, RWC); Fredericton, July 1927, L.J. Simpson, AFC; Fredericton, 23.VIII.1953, G.W. Barter, Populus tremuloides, 67C21 (1, AFC); Fredericton, August 1954. C.C. Smith (1, AFC); Fredericton, 8.VIII.1955, G.W. Barter, Populus tremuloides (2, AFC); Nashwaaksis, 23.VII.1959, FIS, light trap, 59-624, 59C33 (1, AFC).Published as part of Webster, Reginald, McCoqrquodale, David & Majka, Christopher, 2009, New records of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, Canada, pp. 285-308 in ZooKeys 22 (22) on page 301, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.22.122, http://zenodo.org/record/57654
Towards the tumble resistant microlight
No full textThe tumble mode is a pitching departure from controlled flight which leads to a pitch autorotation that is generally unrecoverable – resulting in vertical ground impact, usually preceded by in-flight breakup (the mechanism for which, surprisingly, can sometimes prevent loss of life). This was identified in work led by the British Microlight Aircraft Association beginning in 1997 as a response to a number of fatal accidents in Rogallo winged microlight aeroplanes, although the tumble is also known to occur to hang-gliders. This paper explains how this class of aeroplane is controlled, and how it has been found that they can enter the tumble mode. The mechanism by which the tumble can be entered is described. This has led to work showing how flight testing can be used to establish and demonstrate resistance to tumble entry – particularly important with increasing number of very high performance flexwings. These flight tests will be explained, together with the significance of the results. Recent accident investigation work has also shown a new mechanism of tumble entry, through partial failure of the A-frame structure and the pitch-trimmer mechanism. Also described is a possible relevance to well known historical accidents to flying wing aeroplanes– specifically the YB-49 and dH-108, and discovered data on the characteristics of the BKB-1flying wing glider; are also described
The tumble mode - where test pilots fear to tread
No full textFollowing a fatal accident in 1997 and identification of common patterns in several (usually fatal) previous accidents the AAIB (United Kingdom Air Accidents Investigation Branch) asked the BMAA (British Microlight Aircraft Association) to pursue a course of investigation into the tumble mode, which had been attributed as the primary cause of that fatal accident.
The tumble mode is a peculiarity of weightshift controlled aircraft - that is flexwing microlights and hang-gliders. It is a departure from controlled flight leading to a nose-down pitch autorotation: pitch rates of 400°/s are known. When a tumble occurs in a microlight aeroplane, it is rare for the crew to survive and loss of the aircraft is universal
Phyllanthus allemii G. L. Webster 2002
No full text<i>Phyllanthus allemii</i> G.L. Webster (2002: 24, Figures 1, 2, 3). <p> Type:— BRAZIL. Goiás [Tocantins]: Mun. Taguatinga, 7 km a nordeste de Taguatinga, BR - 242, rumo a Barreiras, 12°20’S / 46°25’W, 850 m, 19 November 1984, <i>A. C</i> <i>. Allem, G. L. Webster & W. E.</i> <i>Werneck 3041</i> (holotype CEN8729!; isotypes DAV153082!, DAV153085!; MICH1259636!; SP 315080!).</p> <p>Subshrub, 0.2‒1 m tall, erect, monoecious. Stem terete, glabrous, smooth, grayish, small lenticels. Non-phyllanthoid branching. Cataphylls absent. Branchlet axes terete, glabrous, sparsely ramifying, pinatiform, 2.2‒5.5 cm long, with (9‒)10‒17(‒20) leaves; stipules intrapetiolar persistent, 0.5‒0.7 mm long, 0.3‒0.6 mm wide, triangular, glabrous, with irregular margin, reddish brown, persistent. Petioles 0.6‒1 mm long, subcylindric, glabrous. Leaf blades 3.8‒7.1 × 2.6‒6.4 mm, orbicular, suborbicular, broad-obovate, discolorous when dry; base truncate or obtuse, apex rounded, emarginated or with short acumen 0.1mm long, symmetrical, glabrous in both surfaces, margin entire, coriaceous,adaxial surface with hifodromous venation, main vein flattened, abaxial surface with venation simple brochidodromous or hifodromous, secondary veins (3‒)4–5 pairs, flattened, tertiary veins absent. Inflorescence axillary, cymules unisexual, pistillate flowers solitary on distal axils of branchlets, staminate flowers 1 or 2 on proximal axils of branchlets. Bracts ca. 1 mm long, triangular, glabrous. Staminate flowers with pedicels 1‒1.5 mm long, sepals 5, 1‒1.3 × 0.5‒1 mm, obovate, disk segments 5, glandular, elliptic, 0.25‒0.3 mm in diam., stamens 2, completely connate into a column, 0.6 mm high, anthers sessile on the column, dehiscing obliquely, 0.25‒0.3 mm wide. Pistillate flowers with pedicels 3‒5 mm long, 0.5‒0.7 mm in diam., sepals 5, the outer 1.1‒1.2 mm long, the inner 1.4‒1.6 mm long, ca 1 mm wide, elliptic; glandular disk entire, patelliform, pitted; ovary 1.3 mm long, 3-locular, globose, style 3, appressed, bifid until half, stigma rounded. Capsule ca. 4 mm diam., mericarps 6, oblate, calyx and stigma persistent, fruiting pedicels 5‒7 mm long, columella ca. 1.5 mm long. Seeds 1.8‒2 mm long, trigonous, cream or brownish, vernicose; seed surface longitudinally finely verrucose-striate, with coarse strigose cross-striae; hilum obtriangular, terminal.</p> <p> <b>Material examined:</b> — BRAZIL. Tocantins: Ponte Alta, ESEC Serra Geral do Tocantins, 85 km SE de Ponte Alta, 15 N km do Acampamento Brejo do Leite, Serra da Muriçoca, 10°37’33”S, 46°59’06”W, 450 m, 01 March 2021, fl., fr., <i>M. F</i> <i>.</i> <i>Simon et al. 4168</i> (CEN 118047, PEUFR); Mateiros, ESEC Serra Geral de Tocantins. Morro à esquerda da estrada em direção a Mateiros, 10°40’06”S, 46°15’29”W, 674 m, 17 June 2021, fl., <i>B</i> <i>.</i> <i>Schindler et al. 197</i> (CEN 119070, PEUFR, UB 217420).</p> <p> <b>Taxonomic Considerations:</b> —Original description of <i>P. allemii</i> was based on the <i>A. C. Allem et al. 3041</i> collection made in 1984 in the municipality of Taguatinga, which formerly belonged to Goiás state, but nowadays is located within Tocantins. The species was assigned to <i>Phyllanthus</i> subgen. <i>Phyllanthus</i> sect. <i>Phyllanthus</i> subsect. <i>Clausseniani</i> by the presence of free stamens, with connective deeply emarginated or with stipitate thecae (Webster 2002). The species was named in honour of Dr. Antonio Costa Allem, a renowned Brazilian expert in Euphorbiaceae, who collected the type material. Comparisons of the vegetative and reproductive structures of the recently collected specimens with those of the type collections (Fig. 2) allowed an accurate identification of these specimens as <i>P. allemii</i>. According to Webster (2002), diagnostic characteristics that distinguish <i>P. allemii</i> from closely related species are the staminate flowers with two stamens, filaments united in a column, clavate fruiting pedicels, and larger and ornamented seeds. All these features are present in the recently collected material, confirming their usefulness in species delimitation.</p> <p> <b>Phenology:</b> —The species has an apparently asynchronous phenology with flowering observed along the year and fruiting individuals collected in November and March.</p> <p> <b>Habitat:</b> — <i>Phyllanthus allemii</i> was found growing in shrubby vegetation on the rocky slopes (<i>cerrado rupestre</i>) of flat plateaus (Serra Geral), as well as on the residual flat-topped mountains widespread in the region (Fig. 3). These formations, which belong to the geological group Urucuia, are derived from the erosion of sandstone rocks (Villela & Nogueira 2011). Rupicolous species that are conspicuous in these habitats include <i>Cheilanthes pohliana</i> Mettenius (1859: 23) (Pteridaceae), <i>Encholirium disjunctum</i> Forzza (2005: 15–16, 19, 39), and <i>Pitcairnia ensifolia</i> Mez (1894: 436) (Bromeliaceae). Our new collections, together with label information on the type specimen, suggest that <i>P. allemii</i> is restricted to rocky soils between 450 and 850 m altitude associated with sandstone formations of the Urucuia group.</p> <p> <b>Distribution and preliminary conservation status:</b> —So far, the species is endemic to Tocantins state. Its known geographic range extends from the slopes of Serra Geral in the Tocantins / Bahia border (town of Taguatinga) to the north on rocky slopes of remnant mountains in eastern Tocantins, ca. 180 km northwest of the original collection (Fig. 1).</p> <p> <i>Phyllanthus allemii</i> was previously classified by Santana (2021) as data deficient (DD) since it was only known from the type collection. With the new records obtained here, however, we were able to calculate an EOO of 7,531 km 2 and an AOO of 12 km 2. Native vegetation covered 82% of the species EOO in 2020. We observed an annual rate of habitat loss of 0.5% from 1985 to 2020. Decline in natural vegetation occurred mainly on the flat landscapes (plateaus) that are more suitable for large-scale agriculture.</p> <p> Considering IUCN’s criterion A (population reduction), the inferred decline in the extent of EOO observed over the last ten years (2.2%; 168 km 2) does not qualify <i>P. allemii</i> as threatened. Considering IUCN’s criterion B (geographic range), an AOO <500 km 2, in association with a number of locations ≤ 5 and a continuing decline in EOO (observed habitat loss of 18% from 1985 to 2020; 1243 km 2), would qualify <i>P. allemii</i> as Endangered B2ab(i) based on IUCN criteria. However, we preferred to classify <i>P. allemii</i> as Near Threatened, which is applied to taxa that do not qualify as threatened now, but may be nearing that status. We justify this choice because we believe that the restricted AOO (12 km 2) and number of locations (three) reported here, both critical parameters in assessing a species under criterion B, have been clearly underestimated because of the poor sampling effort in the region. We expect that the species occurs all over the slopes of the Serra Geral, stretching for more than 300 km along the border between south-eastern Tocantins and western Bahia, as well as on rocky slopes associated with mesetas to the west. More intensive field surveys in the region would probably reveal a higher AOO and number of locations.</p> <p> Field observations in two populations, both located inside a protected area, indicate that local abundance is relatively high, despite the sparse occurrence in the landscape. A recent survey in the study region (Antar & Sano 2019) was not able to find <i>P. allemii</i>, suggesting that it may be relatively rare. However, these authors did not sample vegetation on rocky substrates, the preferred habitat of <i>P. allemii</i>.</p> <p> The geographic range of <i>P. allemii</i> coincides with that of the Matopiba, a region comprised of parts of the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia. These combined areas have been experiencing accelerated habitat loss caused by agricultural expansion in recent decades (Araújo <i>et al.</i> 2019). Such loss of native vegetation within the range of <i>P. allemii</i> may result in population reduction. However, it is likely that the ecological preference of <i>P. allemii</i> for rocky habitats that are less suitable for large scale agriculture makes it less threatened than plants that occur on flat deep soils.</p> <p> Despite its high floristic richness, which includes a large number of undescribed, rare and threatened species (e.g. Barbosa-Silva & Antar 2020), the Matopiba region still lacks detailed floristic studies since most of its territory remains under-sampled (Antar & Sano 2019, Santana 2021). We expect that greater collection efforts in the region will reveal additional populations of <i>P. allemii</i>, in addition to other species rare or new to science, highlighting that the Matopiba remains a major biodiversity repository within the Cerrado region.</p>Published as part of <i>Mendes, Jone Clebson Ribeiro, Figueira, Maurício, Schindler, Bianca, Noronha, Sérgio E., Simon, Marcelo Fragomeni, Sales, Margareth Ferreira De & Athiê-Souza, Sarah Maria, 2022, Novelties in Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) from the Brazilian Cerrado: new records of the rare species P. allemii, pp. 149-156 in Phytotaxa 538 (2)</i> on pages 151-152, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.538.2.7, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/6333728">http://zenodo.org/record/6333728</a>
The buffering effects of social support on psychological states and obstetrical outcomes in pregnancy
No full textForecasting banknotes
No full textA central bank’s liquidity forecast is important in ensuring that it supplies the banking system’s need for central bank money. Banknote (or currency in circulation) demand is the largest and for some central banks the most variable component of the liquidity forecast. Accurate forecasting of banknotes is essential in ensuring an accurate liquidity forecast and in turn effective monetary policy implementation. This Handbook discusses these issues and outlines a structural time series state space (STSSS) model which is now used by central banks including the Bank of England and ECB to forecast banknotes (currency in circulation).Forecasting banknotes
Recall of random and distorted positions: Implications for the theory of expertise.
No full textThis paper explores the question, important to the theory of expert performance, of the nature and number of chunks that chess experts hold in memory. It examines how memory contents determine players' abilities to reconstruct (a) positions from games, (b) positions distorted in various ways and (c) and random positions. Comparison of a computer simulation with a human experiment supports the usual estimate that chess Masters store some 50,000 chunks in memory. The observed impairment of recall when positions are modified by mirror image reflection, implies that each chunk represents a specific pattern of pieces in a specific location. A good account of the results of the experiments is given by the template theory proposed by Gobet and Simon (in press) as an extension of Chase and Simon's (1973a) initial chunking proposal, and in agreement with other recent proposals for modification of the chunking theory (Richman, Staszewski & Simon, 1995) as applied to various recall tasks
Phyllanthus (subsect. Clausseniani) G. L. Webster
No full textKey to the species of Phyllanthus subsection Clausseniani in the Cerrado domain 1. Branchlets and leaf blades hirsute..................................................................................................................................... P. arenicola - Branchlets glabrous or scabridulous and leaf blades glabrous...........................................................................................................2 2. Stamens connate into a column..........................................................................................................................................................3 - Stamens free.......................................................................................................................................................................................4 3. Leaf blade coriaceous ± flat, orbicular; stamens 2................................................................................................................ P. allemii - Leaf blade subcoriaceous ± concave, elliptical or obovate; stamens 3........................................................................... P. fastigiatus 4. Shrub; sepals 6 in both female and male flowers; staminate disk surface discretely foveolate....................................... P. claussenii - Herb or subshrub; sepals 5 in both female and male flowers; staminate disk surface slightly verrucous or verrucous....................5 5. Herb; branchlets not ramified; staminate disk with segments falcate, anther obtriangular, deeply emarginate......... P. heteradenius - Subshrub; branchlets often ramified; staminate disk with segments rounded, anther oblong, slightly emarginate............................................................................................................................................................................................................. P. subemarginatusPublished as part of Mendes, Jone Clebson Ribeiro, Figueira, Maurício, Schindler, Bianca, Noronha, Sérgio E., Simon, Marcelo Fragomeni, Sales, Margareth Ferreira De & Athiê-Souza, Sarah Maria, 2022, Novelties in Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) from the Brazilian Cerrado: new records of the rare species P. allemii, pp. 149-156 in Phytotaxa 538 (2) on page 154, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.538.2.7, http://zenodo.org/record/633372
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