Comparison of two plant functional approaches to evaluate natural restoration along an old-field-deciduous forest chronosequence

Question: Are direct and indirect trait-based approaches similar in their usefulness to synthesize species responses to successional stages?\ud Location: Northern hardwood forests, Que´bec, Canada\ud (451010–451080N; 731580–741210W).\ud Methods: Two different trait-based approaches were used to relate plant functional traits to succession on an old-field – deciduous forest chronosequence: (i) a frequently used approach based on co-occurrence of traits (emergent groups), and (ii) a new version of a direct functional approach at the trait level (the fourth-corner method). Additionally, we selected two different cut-off levels for the herb subset of the emergent group classification in order to test its robustness and ecological relevance.\ud Results: Clear patterns of trait associations with stand developmental stages emerged from both the emergent group and the direct approach at the trait level. However, the emergent group classification was found to hide some trait-level differences such as a shift in seed size, light requirement and plant form along the chronosequence. Contrasting results were obtained for the seven or nine group classification of the herbaceous subset, illustrating how critical is the number of groups for emergent group classification.\ud Conclusion: The simultaneous use of two different traitbased\ud approaches provided a robust and comprehensive characterization of vegetation responses in the old-field -deciduous forest chronosequence. It also underlines the different goals as well as the limitations and benefits of these two approaches. Both approaches indicated that abandoned pastures of the northern hardwood biome have good potential for natural recovery. Conversion of these lands to other functions may lead to irremediable loss of biodiversity

Les activités quotidiennes et la cognition chez les personnes atteintes de schizophrénie

Cet article présente une recension des écrits sur l’impact des déficits cognitifs sur les activités quotidiennes des personnes atteintes de schizophrénie, domaine encore peu exploré. Les études recensées ont démontré des associations entre les déficits de l’attention soutenue, de la mémoire de travail, de l’organisation, de l’utilisation de la stratégie spatiale et certaines difficultés observées pendant l’exécution d’une tâche quotidienne. Par ailleurs, l’article questionne le type d’analyse de tâche utilisé dans ces études pour décrire les problèmes observés. Des suggestions sont faites par rapport au type d’analyse à prioriser afin d’obtenir des informations plus complètes sur les processus cognitifs, et les comportements observés au cours de l’accomplissement des tâches quotidiennes par ces personnes.This paper presents a literature review on the impact of cognitive deficits on daily activities in persons affected by schizophrenia, a domain little explored. Associations were found in studies between cognitive functions such as sustained attention, working memory, organisation and use of spatial strategy deficits and specific difficulties observed during the task performance. Besides, the type of task analysis used in these studies in order to describe the problems observed needs more investigation. Suggestions are made relative to the type of task analysis that should be given priority in order to obtain better information on cognitive processes and behaviours observed during daily task performance by persons affected by schizophrenia.Este artículo presenta una reseña de los escritos sobre el impacto de los déficits cognitivos en las actividades cotidianas de las personas que sufren de esquizofrenia, campo aún poco explorado. Los estudios examinados han demostrado las asociaciones entre los déficits de la atención mantenida, la memoria de trabajo, la organización, la utilización de la estrategia espacial y ciertas dificultades observadas durante la ejecución de una tarea cotidiana. Por otro lado, el artículo cuestiona el tipo de análisis de la tarea utilizada en estos estudios para describir los problemas observados. Se presentan sugerencias relacionadas con el tipo de análisis a priorizar a fin de obtener información más completa acerca de los procesos cognitivos y los comportamientos observados en el curso de la realización de las tareas cotidianas por parte de estas personas.Este artigo apresenta uma recensão do que já foi escrito sobre o impacto dos déficits cognitivos nas atividades cotidianas das pessoas que sofrem de esquizofrenia, área ainda pouco explorada. Os estudos recenseados demonstraram associações entre os déficits da atenção concentrada, da memória de trabalho, da organização, da utilização da estratégia espacial e algumas dificuldades observadas durante a execução de uma tarefa cotidiana. Além disto, o artigo questiona o tipo de análise de tarefas utilizado nos estudos para descrever os problemas observados. São feitas sugestões em relação ao tipo de análise a priorizar, para obter informações mais completas sobre os processos cognitivos, e os comportamentos observados durante a realização de tarefas cotidianas por estas pessoas

Unusual use of objects after unilateral brain damage. The technical reasoning model.

International audienceIt has been suggested that gesture engrams, conceptual knowledge and/or the ability to infer function from structure can support object use. The present paper proposes an alternative view which is based upon the idea that object use requires solely the ability to reason about technical means provided by objects. Technical means are abstract principles which are not linked with any object representation (e.g., cutting involves the opposition between dense and permeable material). The technical reasoning model predicts that the inability to perform technical reasoning should impair performance in any situation requiring the use of objects (in a conventional way or not). Twenty left brain-damaged (LBD) patients, 11 right brain-damaged (RBD) patients and 41 healthy controls were examined on experimental tests assessing the conventional use of objects (e.g., screwing a screw with a screwdriver), conceptual knowledge about object function, pantomime of object use and recognition of object utilization gestures. We also designed the Unusual Use of Objects test, which demands unusual applications of objects to achieve a purpose for which the usually applied object is not provided (e.g., screwing a screw with a knife). The key findings are that only LBD patients have more difficulties on the Unusual Use of Objects Test than controls or RBD patients, and that the severity of their impairment is correlated with that on conventional use of objects. Correlations with tests assessing conceptual knowledge as well as with tests of pantomime of object use and recognition of object utilization gestures were weaker. These results support the technical reasoning model and question the role of conceptual knowledge and gesture engrams in object use. Since the technical reasoning model also predicts two distinct technical disorders, the discussion focuses on the existence of these disorders in regard to individual performance profiles obtained in the Unusual Use of Objects test

How do GP practices and patient characteristics influence the prescription of antidepressants? A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Under-prescription of antidepressants (ADs) among people meeting the criteria for major depressive episodes and excessive prescription in less symptomatic patients have been reported. The reasons influencing general practitioners’ (GPs) prescription of ADs remain little explored. This study aimed at assessing the influence of GP and patient characteristics on AD prescription. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on a sample of 816 GPs working within the main health care insurance system in the Seine-Maritime district of France during 2010. Only GPs meeting the criteria for full-time GP practice were included. The ratio of AD prescription to overall prescription volume, a relative measure of AD prescription level, was calculated for each GP, using the defined daily dose (DDD) concept. Associations of this AD prescription ratio with GPs’ age, gender, practice location, number of years of practice, number of days of sickness certificates prescribed, number of home visits and consultations, number and mean age of registered patients, mean patient income, and number of patients with a chronic condition were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The high prescribers were middle-aged (40–59) urban GPs, with a moderate number of consultations and fewer low-income and chronic patients. GPs’ workload (e.g., volume of prescribed drug reimbursement and number of consultations) had no influence on the AD prescription ratio. GPs with more patients with risk factors for depression prescribed fewer ADs, however, which could suggest the medications were under-prescribed among the at-risk population. CONCLUSIONS: Our study described a profile of the typical higher AD prescriber that did not include heavy workload. In future work, a more detailed assessment of all biopsychosocial components of the consultation and other influences on GP behavior such as prior training would be useful to explain AD prescription in GP’s practice. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12991-015-0041-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Population structure and growth acclimation of mountain maple along a successional gradient in the southern boreal forest

A range of stands was sampled in the southern boreal forest of eastern Canada to determine the impact of forest development stages and light availability on the dynamics of an abundant understory shrub: mountain maple (Acer spicatum). Mountain maple was studied at both the population and individual stem levels. At the population level, a total of 190 1-m2 quadrats were sampled in five forest types representing a successional gradient (young aspen, mature aspen, mixedwood, shade-tolerant conifer, and old spruce budworm-affected conifer forests). At the individual stem level, a total of 100 stems of different sizes were harvested in a sub-sample of the quadrats. Mountain maple stem biomass, density, and population structure were found to be affected by forest composition, the coniferous forest being the least favourable. At the individual stem level, light availability and stem size were found to have an important impact on stem morphology and growth, suggesting a high level of plasticity in relation to canopy opening. From these results, four developmental phases of mountain maple population dynamics were identified: 1) following a drastic disturbance, a first phase of rapid growth, and potentially intense competition with aspen suckers, when present, takes place; 2) following the development of a closed aspen canopy, the overall density, biomass, and presence of mountain maple in the understory increase; 3) following recruitment of conifer trees into the overstory canopy, mountain maple enters a suppression phase associated with a decrease in light; and 4) following the occurrence of small scale disturbances, mountain maple quickly responds to rapidly dominate the openings, which further ensures its maintenance in the understory

Blending of Newtonian and Shear-Thinning Fluids in a Tank Stirred with a Helical Screw Agitator

Newtonian and non-Newtonian laminar fluid flow has been simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics for a cylindrical vessel stirred by a helical screw agitator. Simulations have been performed for a vessel geometry with and without a draft tube. Simulated flow patterns in the vessel have been examined and compared with the experimental work of previous authors. The power number and the circulation number have been evaluated, and interpreted in a similar manner to other works. The PO.Re constant, A, has been determined to be 295 for the geometry with the draft tube and 150 for that without the draft tube. These results are in the same range as previously reported values. The Metzner and Otto constant, k, has been evaluated to be 16.23 which is in excellent agreement with experimental results reported in the literature

Dynamique Saisonnière de Nedotepa curta (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) et Proutista fritillaris (Homoptera, Derbidae), Potentiels Vecteurs du Phytoplasme de la Maladie du Jaunissement Mortel du Cocotier de Grand-Lahou (Côte d’Ivoire)

En Côte d’Ivoire, le cocotier (Cocos nucifera L.) est essentiellement cultivé sur le littoral ivoirien et constitue la principale culture de rente en assurant des revenus à plus de 20 000 familles. Cependant, la plante est sujette à plusieurs contraintes dont la plus inquiétante actuellement est le jaunissement mortel du cocotier de Grand-Lahou. Ce travail vise à étudier la dynamique saisonnière des potentiels vecteurs du phytoplasme de la maladie du jaunissement mortel du cocotier à Grand-Lahou (Nedotepa curta et Proutista fritillaris). Les insectes ont été collectés avec des pièges à glu, hissés à l’aide d’une corde dans la couronne des cocotiers de deux villages de Grand-Lahou (Badadon et Yaokro), d’octobre 2015 à septembre 2016. Sur ces deux sites, les fluctuations les plus importantes des populations de N. curta et P. fritillaris ont été observées en décembre 2015 et en février 2016. L’analyse de corrélation de Pearson réalisée entre quelques facteurs abiotiques et les fluctuations des populations de ces insectes montre que la température et les fluctuations de ces insectes ne sont pas significativement corrélées. Par contre, il existe une influence hautement significative et négative (r˃-0,7 ; p˂0,0001) de la pluviométrie sur les populations de ces insectes. Une influence significative et négative (r˃-0,7 ; p˂0,005) de l’humidité relative sur ces insectes a été également observée. Les potentiels vecteurs du jaunissement mortel du cocotier de Grand-Lahou pullulent donc au cours des périodes sèches de l’année. La température n’affecte pas le développement de ces insectes alors que la pluviométrie et l’humidité relative diminue leur développement.   In Côte d’Ivoire, the coconut tree (Cocos nucifera L.) is cultivated essentially on the coastline of Côte d'Ivoire. It is one of the main cash crops that provide income to close to 20,000 families. The plant is subject to several constraints of which the most troubling one among them is the coconut lethal yellowing of Grand-Lahou. This paper focuses on the seasonal dynamics of the potentials vectors of phytoplasma of the coconut lethal yellowing of Grand-Lahou (Nedotepa curta and Proutista fritillaris). The insects were collected with traps tights, hoisted with the help of a rope in the crown of the coconut trees of two villages of Grand-Lahou (Badadon and Yaokro), from October 2015 to September 2016. On these two sites, the most important fluctuations of the populations of N. curta and P. fritillaris were observed in December 2015 and in February 2016. The realized Pearson interrelationship analysis between some abiotic factors and the fluctuations of the populations of these insects show that the temperature and the fluctuations of these insects are not correlated meaningfully. On the other hand, there is a highly meaningful and negative influence (r˃-0,7 ; p˂0,0001) of rainfall on the populations of these insects. A meaningful and negative influence (r˃-0,7 ; p˂0,005) of the relative humidity on these insects were also observed. The potentials vectors of the coconut lethal yellowing of Grand-Lahou swarm can be seen during the dry periods of the year. Although the temperature does not affect the development of these insects, the rainfall and the relative humidity decrease their development.&nbsp