scholarly journals Changes in the Spatial Structure of the Landscape of Isolated Forest Complexes in the 19th and 20th Centuries and Their Potential Effects on Supporting Ecosystem Services Related to the Protection of Biodiversity Using the Example of the Niemodlin Forests (SW Poland)

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4237
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Badora ◽  
Radosław Wróbel
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Landscape Metrics ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Spatial Composition ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Sw Poland ◽  
And Function

This study assesses the changes in the spatial structure of the landscape between 1825 and 2019 in the isolated, protected forest complex of the Niemodlin Forests. Based on the analysis of changes in this structure, a change the supporting ecosystem services related to the protection of biodiversity was proposed. The landscape metrics were used separately for the analysis of the structure of the whole landscape, and individual types of ecosystems were used in the research. There were no major changes in the share of individual types of ecosystems during the period under review. At the same time, a very large increase in built-up areas and tree stands was found in 1825. Landscape metrics point to internal changes in the landscape composition, which is important for the functioning of the landscape and is related to the fragmentation and increasing isolation of ecosystems. Changes in the share of the surface of individual types of ecosystems in the landscape do not provide enough information about the actual structural and functional changes and ongoing ecosystem support services. There has been ecosystem degradation that is associated with freshwater habitats—surface waters, marshlands, meadows and pastures, as well as ecosystem support services related to these habitats. Changes in the spatial structure of the landscape cannot be solely deduced on the basis of changes in landscape metrics that are calculated for the whole landscape. Changes in the spatial composition of individual groups of ecosystems should be analyzed. Landscape metrics are very helpful in studying changes in the structure and function of ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Right Heart Structure, Geometry and Function Assessed by Echocardiography in 6-Year-Old Children Born Extremely Preterm—A Population-Based Cohort Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Lilly-Ann Mohlkert ◽  
Jenny Hallberg ◽  
Olof Broberg ◽  
Gunnar Sjöberg ◽  
Annika Rydberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Ductus Arteriosus ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Right Heart ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Cardiac Phenotype ◽  
Extremely Preterm ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Function

Preterm birth has been associated with altered cardiac phenotype in adults. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that children surviving extremely preterm birth have important structural or functional changes of the right heart or pulmonary circulation. We also examined relations between birth size, gestational age, neonatal diagnoses of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with cardiac outcomes. We assessed a population-based cohort of children born in Sweden before 27 weeks of gestation with echocardiography at 6.5 years of age (n = 176). Each preterm child was matched to a healthy control child born at term. Children born preterm had significantly smaller right atria, right ventricles with smaller widths, higher relative wall thickness and higher estimated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) than controls. In preterm children, PVR and right ventricular myocardial performance index (RVmpi’) were significantly higher in those with a PDA as neonates than in those without PDA, but no such associations were found with BPD. In conclusion, children born extremely preterm exhibit higher estimated PVR, altered right heart structure and function compared with children born at term.

scholarly journals Evidence for rapid structural and functional changes of the melanophore microtubule-organizing center upon pigment movements

1979 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 623-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Schliwa ◽  
U Euteneuer ◽  
W Herzog ◽  
K Weber
Keyword(s):  
Complete Removal ◽  
Cell System ◽  
The State ◽  
Microtubule Assembly ◽  
Microtubule Organizing Center ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Organizing Center ◽  
Pigment Distribution ◽  
And Function ◽  
In Cells

Melanophores of the angelfish, pterophyllum scalare, have previously been shown to display approximately 2,400 microtubules in cells wih pigment dispersed; these microtubules radiate from a presumptive organizing center, the central apparatus (CA), and their number is reduced to approximately 1,000 in the state with aggregated pigment (M. Schliwa and U. Euteneuer, 1978, J. Supramol. Struct. 8:177-190). In an attempt to elucidate the factors controlling this rapid reorganization of the microtubule apparatus, structure and function of the CA have been investigated under different physiological conditions. As a function of the state of pigment distribution, melanophores differ markedly with respect to CA organization. A complex of dense amorphous aggregates and associated fuzzy material, several micrometers in diameter, surrounds the centrioles in cells with pigment dispersed, and numerous microtubules emanate from this complex in a radial fashion. In the aggregated state, on the other hand, few microtubules are observed in the pericentiolar region, and the amount of fibrous material is greatly reduced. These changes in CA morphology as a function of the state of pigment distribution are associated with a marked difference in its capacity to initiatiate the assembly of microtubules from exogenous pure porcine brain tubulin in lysed cell preparations. After complete removal of preexisting microtubules, cells lysed in the dispersed state into a solution of 1-2 mg/ml pure tubulin have numerous microtubules associated with the CA in radial fashion, while cells lysed in the aggregated state nucleate the assembly of only a few microtubules. We conclude that it is the activity of the CA that basically regulates the expression of microtubules. This regulation is achieved through a variation in the capacity to initiate microtubule assembly. Increase or decrease in the amount of dense material, as readily observed in the cell system studied here, seems to be a morphologic expression of such a physiologic function.

STRUCTURALAND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES OF HEART IN DEPENDENCE OF GALLBLADDER CONDITION IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-20
Author(s):  
L. M. Strilchuk
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Coronary Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Systolic Function ◽  
Systolic Dysfunction ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Optimal Values ◽  
And Function

According to the literature data, gallbladder (GB) condition influences the course of coronary heart disease (CHD) and parameters of heart structure and function. The aim of this work was to estimate the peculiarities of heart condition in patients with CHD (acute myocardial infarction) in dependence of GB condition. We held a retrospective analysis of data of 142 patients. Results. It was revealed that in 83.7 % patients GB was changed: cholelithiasis (34.5 %), past cholecystectomy due to cholelithiasis (7.0 %), sludge and poliposis (17.6 %), bent GB body (13.4 %), neck deformations and signs of past cholecystitis (14.8 %). GB changes were accompanied by significant increase of heart rate, which was the most prominent in case of cholelithiasis, neck deformations and past cholecystitis signs. Conclusions. Pathological conditions of GB were accompanied by left ventricle dilatation, aortic distension, significant decrease of ejection fraction and systolic dysfunction, whereas after GB removal sizes of heart chambers were close to optimal values, although the systolic function did not normalize. Keywords: gallbladder, coronary heart disease, sludge, cholecystitis, heart structure.

Cardiovascular adaptations in Andean natives after 6 wk of exposure to sea level

1991 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 2650-2655 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. McKenzie ◽  
L. S. Goodman ◽  
C. Nath ◽  
B. Davidson ◽  
G. O. Matheson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Barometric Pressure ◽  
Cycle Ergometer ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Left Ventricular Ejection ◽  
Noninvasive Methods ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
And Function ◽  
Quechua Indians

Six male Quechua Indians (34.0 +/- 1.1 yr, 159.5 +/- 2.1 cm, 60.5 +/- 1.6 kg), life-long residents of La Raya, Peru (4,350-m altitude with an average barometric pressure of 460 Torr), were studied using noninvasive methods to determine the structural and functional changes in the cardiovascular system in response to a 6-wk deacclimation period at sea level. Cardiac output, stroke volume, and left ventricular ejection fractions were determined using radionuclide angiographic techniques at rest and during exercise on a cycle ergometer at 40, 60, and 90% of a previously determined maximal O2 consumption. Subjects at rest were subjected to two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiograms and a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were measured on arrival at sea level by use of a Coulter Stacker S+ analyzer. After a 6-wk deacclimation period, all variables were remeasured using the identical methodology. Hemoglobin values decreased significantly over the deacclimation period (15.7 +/- 1.1 to 13.5 +/- 1.2 g/dl; P less than 0.01). The results indicate that the removal of these high-altitude-adapted natives from 4,300 m to sea level for 6 wk results in only minor changes to the cardiac structure and function as measured by these noninvasive techniques.

scholarly journals Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Pacifier Removal on Oro-Dentofacial Structures: A Controlled Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Guedes de Oliveira Scudine ◽  
Camila Nobre de Freitas ◽  
Kizzy Silva Germano Nascimento de Moraes ◽  
Silvana Bommarito ◽  
Rosana de Fátima Possobon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Mixed Model Anova ◽  
And Function ◽  
Clinical Trials Registry ◽  
Facial Anthropometry ◽  
Over Time

It is well recognized that pacifier habit leads to occlusal and orofacial functional changes in children. However, the effects of the interruption of prolonged pacifier habit on the development of the dento-facial complex has not yet been fully characterized. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of pacifier removal on aspects of oro-dentofacial morphology and function in preschool children. For that, a pacifier group (n = 28) and a control group (n = 32) of 4-year-old children with and without pacifier habit, respectively, were followed up by a group of dentists and speech therapists at baseline, 6 and 12 months after habit removal. Bite force and lip pressure were assessed using digital systems, and the evaluation of breathing and speech functions was performed using validated protocols, together with the measurements of dental casts and facial anthropometry. The Two-way mixed model ANOVA was used in data analysis. After 12 months, a decrease in malocclusion frequency was observed in pacifier group. Additionally, a change over time was observed in facial, intermolar and palate depth measurements, as well in bite and lip forces and speech function scores, increasing in both groups (p < 0.01). The upper and lower intercanine widths and breathing scores differed between groups at baseline and changed over time reducing the differences. The presence of speech distortions was more frequent in the pacifier group at baseline and decreased over time (p < 0.05). The interruption of pacifier habit improved the maxillary and mandibular intercanine widths, as well as the breathing and speech functions, overcoming the oro-dentofacial changes found.Trial Registration: This clinical trial was registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC; http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/), protocol no. RBR-728MJ2.

scholarly journals Spatial and single-cell transcriptional landscape of human cerebellar development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Aldinger ◽  
Zach Thomson ◽  
Parthiv Haldipur ◽  
Mei Deng ◽  
Andrew E. Timms ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Molecular Organization ◽  
Cerebellar Development ◽  
Disease Genes ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Human Cerebellum ◽  
Spatial Composition ◽  
And Function

ABSTRACTCerebellar development and function require precise regulation of molecular and cellular programs to coordinate motor functions and integrate network signals required for cognition and emotional regulation. However, molecular understanding of human cerebellar development is limited. Here, we combined spatially resolved and single-cell transcriptomics to systematically map the molecular, cellular, and spatial composition of early and mid-gestational human cerebellum. This enabled us to transcriptionally profile major cell types and examine the dynamics of gene expression within cell types and lineages across development. The resulting ‘Developmental Cell Atlas of the Human Cerebellum’ demonstrates that the molecular organization of the cerebellar anlage reflects cytoarchitecturally distinct regions and developmentally transient cell types that are insufficiently captured in bulk transcriptional profiles. By mapping disease genes onto cell types, we implicate the dysregulation of specific cerebellar cell types, especially Purkinje cells, in pediatric and adult neurological disorders. These data provide a critical resource for understanding human cerebellar development with implications for the cellular basis of cerebellar diseases.

scholarly journals Defining Urban Science

2021 ◽  
pp. 15-28
Author(s):  
Michael Batty
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Spatial Interaction ◽  
Urban Informatics ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Urban Science ◽  
Operational Models ◽  
And Function ◽  
The City ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractThis introductory chapter provides a brief overview of the theories and models that constitute what has come to be called urban science. Explaining and measuring the spatial structure of the city in terms of its form and function is one of the main goals of this science. It provides links between the way various theories about how the city is formed, in terms of its economy and social structure, and how these theories might be transformed into models that constitute the operational tools of urban informatics. First the idea of the city as a system is introduced, and then various models pertaining to the forces that determine what is located where in the city are presented. How these activities are linked to one another through flows and networks are then introduced. These models relate to formal models of spatial interaction, the distribution of the sizes of different cities, and the qualitative changes that take place as cities grow and evolve to different levels. Scaling is one of the major themes uniting these different elements grounding this science within the emerging field of complexity. We then illustrate how we might translate these ideas into operational models which are at the cutting edge of the new tools that are being developed in urban informatics, and which are elaborated in various chapters dealing with modeling and mobility throughout this book.

scholarly journals An integrative method for testing form–function linkages and reconstructed evolutionary pathways of masticatory specialization

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (107) ◽  
pp. 20150184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Jack Tseng ◽  
John J. Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Integrate Form ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Form Function ◽  
Evolutionary Pathways ◽  
And Function

Morphology serves as a ubiquitous proxy in macroevolutionary studies to identify potential adaptive processes and patterns. Inferences of functional significance of phenotypes or their evolution are overwhelmingly based on data from living taxa. Yet, correspondence between form and function has been tested in only a few model species, and those linkages are highly complex. The lack of explicit methodologies to integrate form and function analyses within a deep-time and phylogenetic context weakens inferences of adaptive morphological evolution, by invoking but not testing form–function linkages. Here, we provide a novel approach to test mechanical properties at reconstructed ancestral nodes/taxa and the strength and direction of evolutionary pathways in feeding biomechanics, in a case study of carnivorous mammals. Using biomechanical profile comparisons that provide functional signals for the separation of feeding morphologies, we demonstrate, using experimental optimization criteria on estimation of strength and direction of functional changes on a phylogeny, that convergence in mechanical properties and degree of evolutionary optimization can be decoupled. This integrative approach is broadly applicable to other clades, by using quantitative data and model-based tests to evaluate interpretations of function from morphology and functional explanations for observed macroevolutionary pathways.

Water Quantity and Hydrology

2018 ◽  
pp. 67-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew McCartney
Keyword(s):  
Water Discharge ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Freshwater Biodiversity ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
And Function ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Ecosystem Structure And Function ◽  
Hydrological Monitoring

Freshwater ecosystems are naturally dynamic. The source of water, discharge, turnover, and residence times all affect which organisms can live in different freshwater habitats and are key determinants of freshwater ecosystem structure and function. Human-induced changes to the volume and timing of both surface and ground water flows are a leading driver of global declines in freshwater biodiversity and are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. The conservation of many wetlands around the world, including in some cases the preservation of unique flora and fauna, is now entirely dependent on continued human intervention and water management. Such management can only be successful if based on sound understanding of water budgets and hydrological processes informed by accurate hydrological monitoring. This chapter provides a brief introduction to hydrological monitoring—what needs to be measured and how—for freshwater ecology and conservation.

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