Nitrogen uptake and internal recycling in Zostera marina exposed to oyster farming: eelgrass potential as a natural biofilter

Oyster farming in estuaries and coastal lagoons frequently overlaps with the distribution of seagrass meadows, yet there are few studies on how this aquaculture practice affects seagrass physiology. We compared in situ nitrogen uptake and the productivity of Zostera marina shoots growing near off-bottom longlines and at a site not affected by oyster farming in San Quintin Bay, a coastal lagoon in Baja California, Mexico. We used benthic chambers to measure leaf NH4 (+) uptake capacities by pulse labeling with (NH4)-N-15 (+) and plant photosynthesis and respiration. The internal N-15 resorption/recycling was measured in shoots 2 weeks after incubations. The natural isotopic composition of eelgrass tissues and vegetative descriptors were also examined. Plants growing at the oyster farming site showed a higher leaf NH4 (+) uptake rate (33.1 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)) relative to those not exposed to oyster cultures (25.6 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)). We calculated that an eelgrass meadow of 15-16 ha (which represents only about 3-4 % of the subtidal eelgrass meadow cover in the western arm of the lagoon) can potentially incorporate the total amount of NH4 (+) excreted by oysters (similar to 5.2 x 10(6) mmol NH4 (+) day(-1)). This highlights the potential of eelgrass to act as a natural biofilter for the NH4 (+) produced by oyster farming. Shoots exposed to oysters were more efficient in re-utilizing the internal N-15 into the growth of new leaf tissues or to translocate it to belowground tissues. Photosynthetic rates were greater in shoots exposed to oysters, which is consistent with higher NH4 (+) uptake and less negative delta C-13 values. Vegetative production (shoot size, leaf growth) was also higher in these shoots. Aboveground/belowground biomass ratio was lower in eelgrass beds not directly influenced by oyster farms, likely related to the higher investment in belowground biomass to incorporate sedimentary nutrients

Using self-definition to predict the influence of procedural justice on organizational, interpersonal, and job/task-oriented citizenship behaviors

An integrative self-definition model is proposed to improve our understanding of how procedural justice affects different outcome modalities in organizational behavior. Specifically, it is examined whether the strength of different levels of self-definition (collective, relational, and individual) each uniquely interact with procedural justice to predict organizational, interpersonal, and job/task-oriented citizenship behaviors, respectively. Results from experimental and (both single and multisource) field data consistently revealed stronger procedural justice effects (1) on organizational-oriented citizenship behavior among those who define themselves strongly in terms of organizational characteristics, (2) on interpersonal-oriented citizenship behavior among those who define themselves strongly in terms of their interpersonal relationships, and (3) on job/task-oriented citizenship behavior among those who define themselves weakly in terms of their distinctiveness or uniqueness. We discuss the relevance of these results with respect to how employees can be motivated most effectively in organizational settings

Dynamic Modeling of the Geological CO2 Storage in Fractured Aquifers – Application to the Ordos Basin CCS Project

Unique reservoir performance was observed in the Shenhua (100,000 metric tons/year) Carbon Capture and Storage (SHCCS) Demonstration Project. Hydraulic fracturing and a multi-layer injection procedure were employed to improve the reservoir injectivity and to reduce the overpressure risk. However, in-situ data showed that the total injection rate increased over the years, while the corresponding injection pressure decreased. Only four of the 21 injection aquifers did absorb CO2 during all of the injection tests from 2011 to 2014, while others stopped absorbing CO2 in the injection tests after 2011. Additionally, the uppermost injection layer, which was unfractured, had a considerable increase in injectivity over the years and absorbed the majority of the injected CO2 from 2012. Investigation into reservoir performance dynamics for this project was conducted through numerical simulations using TOUGH2-MP-ECO2N. The main features of the reservoir performance were reproduced through a heterogeneous model by using a time-dependent pressure boundary condition at the injection well. The results indicated that the heterogeneous distributions of permeability in the injection layers could be the cause for the observed dynamic reservoir performance. CO2-absorbing predominance of the uppermost injection layer could be attributed to its much higher overall permeability than that of other injection layers. A substantial increase in injectivity of this layer over the years could be explained by the permeability becoming considerably higher away from the injection well in a north-westerly direction. The induced fractures in the reservoir can greatly improve the injectivity at early injection, but this improvement dramatically declined afterwards. The intermittent injection procedure was helpful in keeping the pressure build-up low in the reservoir and the injection rate at the target level, and the accompanying hysteresis effects could improve the injectivity and storage safety

Wanted dead or alive : high diversity of macroinvertebrates associated with living and ’dead’ Posidonia oceanica matte

The Mediterranean endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica forms beds characterised by a dense leaf canopy and a thick root-rhizome ‘matte’. Death of P. oceanica shoots leads to exposure of the underlying matte, which can persist for many years, and is termed ‘dead’ matte. Traditionally, dead matte has been regarded as a degraded habitat. To test whether this assumption was true, the motile macroinvertebrates of adjacent living (with shoots) and dead (without shoots) matte of P. oceanica were sampled in four different plots located at the same depth (5–6 m) in Mellieha Bay, Malta (central Mediterranean). The total number of species and abundance were significantly higher (ANOVA; P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) in the dead matte than in living P. oceanica matte, despite the presence of the foliar canopy in the latter. Multivariate analysis (MDS) clearly showed two main groups of assemblages, corresponding to the two matte types. The amphipods Leptocheirus guttatus and Maera grossimana, and the polychaete Nereis rava contributed most to the dissimilarity between the two different matte types. Several unique properties of the dead matte contributing to the unexpected higher number of species and abundance of motile macroinvertebrates associated with this habitat are discussed. The findings have important implications for the conservation of bare P. oceanica matte, which has been generally viewed as a habitat of low ecological value.peer-reviewe

The Things You Do:Internal Models of Others' Expected Behaviour Guide Action Observation

Predictions allow humans to manage uncertainties within social interactions. Here, we investigate how explicit and implicit person models-how different people behave in different situations-shape these predictions. In a novel action identification task, participants judged whether actors interacted with or withdrew from objects. In two experiments, we manipulated, unbeknownst to participants, the two actors action likelihoods across situations, such that one actor typically interacted with one object and withdrew from the other, while the other actor showed the opposite behaviour. In Experiment 2, participants additionally received explicit information about the two individuals that either matched or mismatched their actual behaviours. The data revealed direct but dissociable effects of both kinds of person information on action identification. Implicit action likelihoods affected response times, speeding up the identification of typical relative to atypical actions, irrespective of the explicit knowledge about the individual's behaviour. Explicit person knowledge, in contrast, affected error rates, causing participants to respond according to expectations instead of observed behaviour, even when they were aware that the explicit information might not be valid. Together, the data show that internal models of others' behaviour are routinely re-activated during action observation. They provide first evidence of a person-specific social anticipation system, which predicts forthcoming actions from both explicit information and an individuals' prior behaviour in a situation. These data link action observation to recent models of predictive coding in the non-social domain where similar dissociations between implicit effects on stimulus identification and explicit behavioural wagers have been reported

Introducing Organizational (Dis)Entanglements: How Scholarship on Regime Complexity and Power Dynamics Helps Make Sense of International Order-Making

Scholars and pundits focusing on the changing international order and its possible fragmentation often pay little attention to the manifold relationships between international organizations (IOs). Neglecting inter-organizational relationships, we argue, biases discussions towards doomsday predictions and reinforces the perception of global fragmentation. In this Forum, we address these biases by bringing together two strands of IR scholarship: power rivalry/transition and regime complexity. We do so by introducing the concept of organizational (dis)entanglements. An examination of how more and less powerful national and international policymakers engage and disengage IOs, highlights processes of reinforcing, muddling through, or undermining various ongoing order-making initiatives. The individual contributions examine organizational (dis)entanglements by highlighting actors’ various multilateral order-making attempts across IOs, global and regional ordering dynamics through IOs, and the roles international bureaucrats play in these processes. These contributions help identify new directions of inquiry in the study of IOs and international order by, for example, demonstrating that actors can engage with competition and cooperation simultaneously. Not all ordering attempts are equally likely to radically change global politics.Les chercheurs et experts qui se concentrent sur l’évolution de l'ordre international et sa fragmentation potentielle accordent souvent peu d'attention aux relations multiples entre les organisations internationales (OI). Selon nous, l'omission des relations interorganisationnelles oriente les discussions vers des prédictions catastrophiques et renforce la perception d'une fragmentation mondiale. Dans ce forum, nous traitons de ces biais en rapprochant deux branches de la recherche en RI : rivalité/transition de pouvoir et complexité de régimes. Pour ce faire, nous présentons le concept de (dés)enchevêtrement organisationnel. En examinant comment des législateurs nationaux et internationaux plus ou moins puissants mettent en place et interrompent des collaborations entre OI, nous mettons en lumière les processus de renforcement, de débrouille ou de remise en question concernant les initiatives en cours qui visent à instaurer un ordre. Chaque contribution analyse les (dés)enchevêtrements organisationnels en mettant en lumière les tentatives de création d'ordres multilatéraux de puissants acteurs chez les différentes OI, la relation dynamique entre la création d'ordre mondial et régional par le biais des OI et le rôle que les bureaucrates internationaux jouent dans ces processus. Ces contributions permettent d'identifier de nouvelles orientations de recherche dans l’étude des OI et de l'ordre international en démontrant par exemple que les acteurs peuvent simultanément avoir recours à la concurrence et la coopération. Toutes les tentatives d'instauration d'ordre n'ont pas les mêmes chances de modifier radicalement la politique mondiale.Los académicos y expertos que centran su trabajo en el cambiante orden internacional y en su posible fragmentación tienden, a menudo, a prestar poca atención a las múltiples relaciones existentes entre las organizaciones internacionales (OOII). Argumentamos que el hecho de descuidar las relaciones interorganizacionales sesga los debates con respecto a predicciones apocalípticas y refuerza la percepción de fragmentación global. En este Foro, abordamos estos sesgos reuniendo dos vertientes de la investigación en el campo de las RRII: la rivalidad/transición de poder y la complejidad del régimen. Llevamos esto a cabo mediante la presentación del concepto de (des)enredos organizacionales. Realizamos un estudio en materia de cómo los responsables de la formulación de políticas, nacionales e internacionales, más y menos poderosos, se relacionan y desvinculan de las OOII. Este estudio pone de relieve los procesos de refuerzo, obstaculización o debilitamiento de las iniciativas de generación de órdenes en curso. Las contribuciones individuales examinan el (des)enredo organizacional y destacan los intentos de creación de órdenes multilaterales por parte de los actores poderosos a través de las OOII, la relación dinámica entre el ordenamiento global y regional a través de las OOII y el papel que juegan los burócratas internacionales en estos procesos. Estas contribuciones ayudan a identificar nuevas direcciones de investigación en el estudio de las OOII y el orden internacional ya que, por ejemplo, demuestran que los actores pueden comprometerse con la competencia y la cooperación simultáneamente. No todos los intentos de ordenamiento tienen las mismas probabilidades de cambiar radicalmente la política mundial

Visual attention and action: How cueing, direct mapping, and social interactions drive orienting

Despite considerable interest in both action perception and social attention over the last 2 decades, there has been surprisingly little investigation concerning how the manual actions of other humans orient visual attention. The present review draws together studies that have measured the orienting of attention, following observation of another’s goal-directed action. Our review proposes that, in line with the literature on eye gaze, action is a particularly strong orienting cue for the visual system. However, we additionally suggest that action may orient visual attention using mechanisms, which gaze direction does not (i.e., neural direct mapping and corepresentation). Finally, we review the implications of these gaze-independent mechanisms for the study of attention to action. We suggest that our understanding of attention to action may benefit from being studied in the context of joint action paradigms, where the role of higher level action goals and social factors can be investigated

Metacognitions in Patients With Frequent Mental Disorders After Diagnosis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background The prevalence of mental disorders, particularly adjustment disorder (AD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and panic disorder (PD) is increased in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, it is unclear which pathogenic mechanisms determine their development and could therefore be targeted in prevention or therapeutic interventions. Here, we assessed metacognitions in a sample of PAH patients with and without MDD and PD. Moreover, we reconstructed the course of mental illnesses following the PAH diagnosis. Methods Two hundred seventeen PAH patients were included in this cross-sectional study. The prevalence of AD was assessed retrospectively using DSM-V criteria. Current mental disorders were assessed using the structured clinical interview for DSM-V. Additionally, metacognitive beliefs and processes were assessed using established questionnaires (MCQ-30, AnTI). Results Patients with an AD consecutive to the PAH diagnosis more frequently developed MDD (37.5 vs. 13.9%, p < 0.001) and PD (26.3 vs. 8.8%, p = 0.001) later on compared to PAH patients without a former AD. Moreover, patients with current MDD/PD displayed more dysfunctional metacognitions than those without current MDD/PD (p < 0.001). Patients with current MDD/PD in the context of former AD had more dysfunctional metacognitive worries and beliefs compared to patients with current MDD/PD without former AD (p = 0.009). Conclusion Our results suggest that in the context of PAH, dysfunctional metacognitions are associated with MDD and PD. Therefore, a metacognitive approach to treat and prevent those mental illnesses seems promising and should be investigated in future studies

Toward Innovative, Cost-Effective, and Systemic Solutions to Improve Outcomes and Well-Being of Military Families Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder

The burdens faced by military families who have a child with autism are unique. The usual challenges of securing diagnostic, treatment, and educational services are compounded by life circumstances that include the anxieties of war, frequent relocation and separation, and a demand structure that emphasizes mission readiness and service. Recently established military autism-specific health care benefits set the stage for community-viable and cost-effective solutions that can achieve better outcomes for children and greater well-being for families. Here we argue for implementation of evidence-based solutions focused on reducing age of diagnosis and improving access to early intervention, as well as establishment of a tiered menu of services, individualized to the child and family, that fit with the military ethos and system of health care. Absence of this new model of care could compromise the utility and sustainability of the autism-specific benefit