Functional Effects of Parasites on Food Web Properties during the Spring Diatom Bloom in Lake Pavin: A Linear Inverse Modeling Analysis

This study is the first assessment of the quantitative impact of parasitic chytrids on a planktonic food web. We used a carbon-based food web model of Lake Pavin (Massif Central, France) to investigate the effects of chytrids during the spring diatom bloom by developing models with and without chytrids. Linear inverse modelling procedures were employed to estimate undetermined flows in the lake. The Monte Carlo Markov chain linear inverse modelling procedure provided estimates of the ranges of model-derived fluxes. Model results support recent theories on the probable impact of parasites on food web function. In the lake, during spring, when ‘inedible’ algae (unexploited by planktonic herbivores) were the dominant primary producers, the epidemic growth of chytrids significantly reduced the sedimentation loss of algal carbon to the detritus pool through the production of grazer-exploitable zoospores. We also review some theories about the potential influence of parasites on ecological network properties and argue that parasitism contributes to longer carbon path lengths, higher levels of activity and specialization, and lower recycling. Considering the “structural asymmetry” hypothesis as a stabilizing pattern, chytrids should contribute to the stability of aquatic food webs

Epidural Interventions in the Management of Chronic Spinal Pain: American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) Comprehensive Evidence-Based Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Chronic spinal pain is the most prevalent chronic disease with employment of multiple modes of interventional techniques including epidural interventions. Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, systematic reviews, and guidelines have been published. The recent review of the utilization patterns and expenditures show that there has been a decline in utilization of epidural injections with decrease in inflation adjusted costs from 2009 to 2018. The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) published guidelines for interventional techniques in 2013, and guidelines for facet joint interventions in 2020. Consequently, these guidelines have been prepared to update previously existing guidelines. OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence-based guidance in performing therapeutic epidural procedures, including caudal, interlaminar in lumbar, cervical, and thoracic spinal regions, transforaminal in lumbar spine, and percutaneous adhesiolysis in the lumbar spine. METHODS: The methodology utilized included the development of objective and key questions with utilization of trustworthy standards. The literature pertaining to all aspects of epidural interventions was viewed with best evidence synthesis of available literature and recommendations were provided. RESULTS: In preparation of the guidelines, extensive literature review was performed. In addition to review of multiple manuscripts in reference to utilization, expenditures, anatomical and pathophysiological considerations, pharmacological and harmful effects of drugs and procedures, for evidence synthesis we have included 47 systematic reviews and 43 RCTs covering all epidural interventions to meet the objectives.The evidence recommendations are as follows: Disc herniation: Based on relevant, high-quality fluoroscopically guided epidural injections, with or without steroids, and results of previous systematic reviews, the evidence is Level I for caudal epidural injections, lumbar interlaminar epidural injections, lumbar transforaminal epidural injections, and cervical interlaminar epidural injections with strong recommendation for long-term effectiveness.The evidence for percutaneous adhesiolysis in managing disc herniation based on one high-quality, placebo-controlled RCT is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement in patients nonresponsive to conservative management and fluoroscopically guided epidural injections. For thoracic disc herniation, based on one relevant, high-quality RCT of thoracic epidural with fluoroscopic guidance, with or without steroids, the evidence is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term effectiveness.Spinal stenosis: The evidence based on one high-quality RCT in each category the evidence is Level III to II for fluoroscopically guided caudal epidural injections with moderate to strong recommendation and Level II for fluoroscopically guided lumbar and cervical interlaminar epidural injections with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term effectiveness.The evidence for lumbar transforaminal epidural injections is Level IV to III with moderate recommendation with fluoroscopically guided lumbar transforaminal epidural injections for long-term improvement. The evidence for percutaneous adhesiolysis in lumbar stenosis based on relevant, moderate to high quality RCTs, observational studies, and systematic reviews is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement after failure of conservative management and fluoroscopically guided epidural injections. Axial discogenic pain: The evidence for axial discogenic pain without facet joint pain or sacroiliac joint pain in the lumbar and cervical spine with fluoroscopically guided caudal, lumbar and cervical interlaminar epidural injections, based on one relevant high quality RCT in each category is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement, with or without steroids. Post-surgery syndrome: The evidence for lumbar and cervical post-surgery syndrome based on one relevant, high-quality RCT with fluoroscopic guidance for caudal and cervical interlaminar epidural injections, with or without steroids, is Level II with moderate to strong recommendation for long-term improvement. For percutaneous adhesiolysis, based on multiple moderate to high-quality RCTs and systematic reviews, the evidence is Level I with strong recommendation for long-term improvement after failure of conservative management and fluoroscopically guided epidural injections. LIMITATIONS: The limitations of these guidelines include a continued paucity of high-quality studies for some techniques and various conditions including spinal stenosis, post-surgery syndrome, and discogenic pain. CONCLUSIONS: These epidural intervention guidelines including percutaneous adhesiolysis were prepared with a comprehensive review of the literature with methodologic quality assessment and determination of level of evidence with strength of recommendations

Structural and mechanical properties of TiB 2 and TiC prepared by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis/dynamic compaction

Titanium-diboride and titanium-carbide compacts with diameters of 100 mm and thicknesses of 25 mm were fabricated by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis/dynamic compaction (SHS/DC) of the elemental powders. Under the best conditions, the densities were greater than 99% and 96.8% of the theoretical densities for TiB 2 and TiC, respectively. The microhardness, compressive strength, and elastic modulus of the TiB 2 prepared by the SHS/DC method were comparable to reported values for hot-pressed TiB 2 . While the microhardness and elastic modulus of the TiC compacts were comparable to those for hotpressed TiC, the compressive strength was lower due to extensive cracks in the compacts. The TiB 2 prepared using a low-purity boron powder (1–5% carbon impurity) compacted to higher densities and had less cracking than that prepared using a high-purity boron powder (0.2% carbon). This result could have an impact on the cost of producing TiB 2 /TiC structural components by the SHS/DC process.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44732/1/10853_2005_Article_BF01162518.pd

PATERNAL AND MATERNAL EFFECTS ON PROTEIN AND OIL CONTENT IN SUMMER RAPE

Comparisons among self- and cross-pollinated seeds from two summer rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars, Midas and Tower, suggest that protein and oil contents of the seed are determined by the genotype of the plant which produces the seed. Pollen source also appears to have a slight effect on oil content. Comparisons among seed samples produced by the F1 and F2 progenies, derived from reciprocal crosses, indicate that protein and oil contents of the seed are controlled by nuclear genes and not by extranuclear determinants. </jats:p

GENE ACTION FOR PROTEIN AND OIL CONTENT IN SUMMER RAPE

Genetic control of percent protein, percent oil, and sum of protein and oil as a percentage of the seed was investigated in two summer rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars, Midas and Tower, and their F1, F2 and backcross generations. All three traits were found to be governed by additive gene action. Dominance was not significant and epistasis was absent. Selection for sum of protein and oil was shown to be more effective than selection for either protein or oil alone. </jats:p

Dehydration effects on seedling development of four range species

The effects of temporary drought periods of semiarid regions were simulated by dehydration of germinating seeds of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum), Russian wildrye (Elymus junceus), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer) in 8 constant humidity environments, ranging from -10 to -220 MPa for 4 days. Combined effects of root excision and temporary dehydration at -22 to -160 MPa were also studied. Subsequent growth of seedlings was evaluated in growth performance tests under favorable soil moisture conditions. When the initial roots were killed by dehydration, survival of grasses depended on the development of seminal lateral root(s) from the scutellar nodes, and survival of legumes depended on development of a new meristem at the distal end or along the side of hypocotyl-root axis. The effect of dehydration was more drastic on the legumes than on the grasses, particularly at more severe conditions. While temporary dehydration of -59 MPa had little effect on grasses, it reduced the percent emergence of the legumes by about 70%. In the -220 MPa treatment, emergence percentages of crested wheatgrass, Russian wildrye, alfalfa, and cicer milkvetch were 59, 35, 6, and 1, respectively, and percentages of rooted seedlings were 58, 12, 3, and 1, respectively. Under combined effects of excision and dehydration at -160 MPa, emergence percentages of the 4 species were 50, 34, 14, and 0, respectively, and their root lengths decreased by 37, 42, 44, and 100%, respectively. Within species variation in tolerance of dehydration suggested opportunities to select and breed for this characteristic.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

GENETICS OF PROTEIN AND OIL CONTENT IN SUMMER RAPE: HERITABILITY, NUMBER OF EFFECTIVE FACTORS, AND CORRELATIONS

The estimates of broad sense heritability in the F2 generation derived from a cross involving two summer rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars were approximately 0.26 for each of percent protein and percent oil, and 0.33 for the "sum" of protein and oil as a percentage of the seed. The number of effective factors conditioning parental differences in percent protein, percent oil, and sum were estimated as five to seven, one, and two, respectively. Average phenotypic and genotypic correlations between protein and oil content were −0.81 and −0.71, respectively. These strong negative correlations, often considered undesirable, can be utilized in oilseed breeding programs by selecting for the sum of protein and oil rather than for either component. </jats:p