Limited knowledge exists of the terrain variables that have an influence on gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrow locations. Previous studies suggest that terrain features may play a role in preference of burrow location. LiDAR- (Light Detection and Ranging) derived terrain features can be evaluated through GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis at a fine spatial scale. LiDAR data acquired at 0.5 meter post spacing over three locations on Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, MS were used to develop DTMs (Digital Terrain Models) for use in burrow site characterization. Terrain variables (e.g. elevation, slope, aspect) were developed from the LiDAR DTM in ArcGIS. Burrows and randomly allocated non-burrow points were used in logistic regression analysis to model the relationship between burrow occurrence and terrain features. Four models correctly classified more than 83% of the burrow locations. The R2 were 34.83%, 49.31%, 28.09%, and 31.51%.

in English Montane conditions represent a relatively unfavorable climate for most plants and their pollinators. Consequently, zoogamous plant species growing at high elevations are expected to be pollen limited. According to the "reproductive assurance" and "transmission advantage" hypotheses, such pollen-limited plants will adapt more toward self-pollination than plants in communities with more reliable pollination. To test such predictions, I studied reproduction strategies and pollen limitation of ten zoogamous plant species at three elevations (2,800 m a.s.l. 3,500 m a.s.l. and 4,000 m a.s.l.) in montane grasslands on Mount Cameroon, West/Central Africa. I compared seed sets produces by plants with four treatments in our extensive hand-pollination experiments: autogamy, geitonogamy, outcrossing, and natural control. One experimental species was found to be self-incompatible, six species were partially self-compatible, and one was completely self-compatible and predominantly selfing. In five of these plant species, I compared the reproduction strategies and pollen limitation among the elevations. I found that pollen limitation did rise in two species, we expect this to be due to the fact that the species were already pollen limited at 2,800 m a.s.l. Contrary to the two hypotheses, selfing did...

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京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第21968号 / 農博第2358号 / 新制||農||1070(附属図書館) / 学位論文||R1||N5219(農学部図書室) / 京都大学大学院農学研究科地域環境科学専攻 / (主査)教授 北山 兼弘, 教授 小杉 緑子, 教授 舟川 晋也 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Montane forests provide habitat for unique assemblages of flora and fauna that contribute significantly to a region’s biodiversity. Previous work indicates that montane forest ecosystems are exceedingly vulnerable to a host of anthropogenic stressors including climate change, atmospheric deposition, and recreation, to name a few. Montane forests and other high elevation ecosystems are considered to be among the first and most severely impacted by climate change. It is therefore, imperative to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on montane ecosystems and maintain reliable monitoring methods that are capable of tracking potential shifts in the distribution of species dependent on these systems. I surveyed birds at various distances from hiking trails in the White Mountain National Forest from 2006 - 2009 to determine whether existing monitoring programs, all of which are based on trail-centered surveys, are accurately reflecting bird abundance, abundance stability and recruitment. Contrary to previous studies, I found that recreational trails generally did not alter estimates of abundance, recruitment, abundance stability, and detection probability for five species of birds considered to be indicators of montane forest ecosystem integrity in northeastern North America. Therefore, trail-based monitoring programs for montane birds appear to accurately reflect dynamics of bird communities undisturbed by hiking trails. These conclusions were supported by my finding that the daily nest survival of a montane spruce-fir indicator species, blackpoll warbler (Steophaga striata), did not vary as a function of distance from trail. I then used data from the White Mountain National Forest’s montane bird monitoring program from 1994 through 2009 to assess potential shifts in the elevational distribution of montane birds in conjunction with documented habitat shifts in the region. My results provide evidence that low elevation forest birds have expanded their upper elevational boundary while high elevation birds have expanded their lower elevation boundary. These results highlight the complicated relationship between habitat, climate, and other anthropogenic stressors such as atmospheric deposition and that even in the face of climate change other stressors may be playing a significant role in shifts of species distributions. Understanding how climate affects the reproductive ecology of montane organisms is an important step toward unraveling the potential mechanisms by which climate change will alter the distribution of these species. I used blackpoll warbler breeding data from the Green Mountains, VT from 1994 to 2003 to determine if temporal variation in climate influenced blackpoll nesting initiation and found that years with warm Mays and typical precipitation lead to earlier nest initiation. I also examined the effect of spatial variation in climate on blackpoll reproductive ecology and demography. I found a gradient in habitat quality associated with the spatial variation in climate along an elevation gradient. Blackpolls were less abundant, younger, had lower pairing success, lower daily nest survival, higher nest predator occupancy, and lower fecundity at lower elevations. The climatic conditions at these lower elevations represent the climatic conditions predicted to encompass increasingly larger portions of montane areas. Collectively, these findings contribute to filling in a dearth of knowledge regarding management and an understanding of how species dependent on montane ecosystems are responding to climate change.

Heavy metals, such as mercury (Hg), have a long residence time in the atmosphere and can be transported long distances and deposited in the Arctic via wet and dry deposition. Still, there are few studies on the complex mercury cycle and how different plant groups absorb Hg. In this study, I investigated if and/or how Hg concentrations differ between different humus soils in tundra vegetation types in Alaska and Abisko. I also investigated the potential changes in Hg deposition with increasing elevation in Abisko (500, 750, and 1000 m a.s.l). Further, a comparison between the analyzing methods XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and HF digestion was evaluated to investigate if XRF is a suitable method for analyzing heavy metals in the humus layer of soils. To achieve this, humus soil samples from four different vegetation types in Alaska and two from Abisko were analyzed with a Hg analyzer (DMA-80 Direct Mercury Analyzer) and a handheld XRF. The results show that Hg concentration was highest in heath vegetation for Alaska and Abisko. Meanwhile, increasing elevation had no impact on Hg concentration in general, nor was there a difference within the two vegetation types. The comparison between HF digestion and XRF resulted in a positive linear relationship for P, Fe, and Al. The results highlight that Hg concentration differs between humus soil due to different vegetation types, although there is no clear explanation to the distribution of Hg in aboveground vegetation. Litterfall and precipitation may influence Hg concentrations with elevation, and the XRF samples need to be replicated multiple times to avoid errors, as my study shows.

Диссертационное исследование посвящено исследованию возможностей использования фитнес-тренажера ЕТМ для повышения общей и специальной выносливости сотрудников охранных структур. / The dissertation research is devoted to researches using possibilities fitness equipment for improving general and special endurance of security personal.

Current evidence regarding the effect of intravenous morphine administration on reperfusion injury and/or cardioprotection in patients with myocardial infarction is conflicting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of morphine administration, on infarct size and reperfusion injury assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in a large multicenter ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) population. In total, 734 STEMI patients reperfused by primary percutaneous coronary intervention <12 h after symptom onset underwent CMR imaging at eight centers for assessment of myocardial damage. Intravenous morphine administration was recorded in all patients. CMR was completed within one week after infarction using a standardized protocol. The clinical endpoint of the study was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within 12 months after infarction. Intravenous morphine was administered in 61.8% (n = 454) of all patients. There were no differences in infarct size (17%LV, interquartile range [IQR] 8–25%LV versus 16%LV, IQR 8–26%LV, p = 0.67) and microvascular obstruction (p = 0.92) in patients with versus without morphine administration. In the subgroup of patients with early reperfusion within 120 min and reduced flow of the infarcted vessel (TIMI-flow ≤2 before PCI) morphine administration resulted in significantly smaller infarcts (12%LV, IQR 12–19 versus 19%LV, IQR 10–29, p = 0.035) and reduced microvascular obstruction (p = 0.003). Morphine administration had no effect on hard clinical endpoints (log-rank test p = 0.74) and was not an independent predictor of clinical outcome in Cox regression analysis. In our large multicenter CMR study, morphine administration did not have a negative effect on myocardial damage or clinical prognosis in acute reperfused STEMI. In patients, presenting early ( ≤120 min) morphine may have a cardioprotective effect as reflected by smaller infarcts; but this finding has to be assessed in further well-designed clinical studies

Ett foster har inte samma blodflöde och resistans mot förändringar i sin miljö som en vuxen människa har och kan vid små temperaturförändringar orsakas skada i till exempel den utvecklande hjärnan. Vid ultraljudsundersökning finns bevisat en viss värmeökning, men det råder ovisshet kring hur stor denna skulle kunna bli under en längre tids exponering av ultraljud. Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka värmeutvecklingen vid obstetriskt ultraljud genom att utforma en 3D-modell i mjukvarumiljön COMSOL Multiphysics version 6.0. En modell kan bidra med kunskap för att besluta kring om riskerna med temperaturökning hos foster till följd av ultraljud behöver studeras vidare. Resultaten av framtagen modellering visade på en mycket liten uppvärmningseffekt. Slutsatsen drogs att om modellen i 3D ska kunna göra trovärdiga beräkningar i programmet krävs en mer avancerad dator än vanligt, med betydligt större minneskapacitet. Vidare utveckling av modell i COMSOL bör göras i 2D, alternativt med en mer avancerad dator, för att få tillförlitliga resultat. / A fetus does not have the same blood perfusion and resistance to changes in its environment as an adult and small changes in temperature can cause irreversible damage for example to the fetal brain. Ultrasound examinations are proven to cause some heat gain but there are uncertainties regarding the amount of heat gain during a longer time of ultrasound exposure. The purpose of this study was to analyse the heat development during obstetric ultrasound by designing a 3D-model in the software environment COMSOL Multiphysics version 6.0. A model could contribute to knowledge in making an informed decision whether the risks of heating in a fetus because of ultrasound are necessary to study further. The results of the developed model showed a very small heating effect. The conclusion was made that if the model in 3D is to be able to make correct calculations in the programme it is required to use a more advanced computer than usual, with significantly greater memory capacity. Further development of a model in COMSOL should be made in 2D, or with a more advanced computer, to get reliable results.

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