Search results for " Systematics."
showing 10 items of 4820 documents
Genome-wide mapping of signatures of selection using a high-density array identified candidate genes for growth traits and local adaptation in chicke…
2023
Abstract Background Availability of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping arrays and progress in statistical analyses have allowed the identification of genomic regions and genes under selection in chicken. In this study, SNP data from the 600 K Affymetrix chicken array were used to detect signatures of selection in 23 local Italian chicken populations. The populations were categorized into four groups for comparative analysis based on live weight (heavy vs light) and geographical area (Northern vs Southern Italy). Putative signatures of selection were investigated by combining three extended haplotype homozygosity (EHH) statistical approaches to quantify excess of haplotype homoz…
Host filtering, not competitive exclusion, may be the main driver of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community assembly under high phosphorus
2023
A major goal in ecology is understanding the factors which determine the diversity and distribution of organisms. The outcome of the symbiotic relationship between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is strongly influenced by soil phosphorus (P) availability. Despite this knowledge, there is still much to uncover about how soil P status can shape the taxonomic and phylogenetic assembly of root-colonising AM fungi. Additionally, there is a paucity of understanding about the implications of these changes for the outcome of the AM symbiosis in terms of plant growth, nutrient status and defence traits. We conducted a factorial pot experiment where sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) was grown un…
Predicting valuable forest habitats using an indicator species for biodiversity
2020
Intensive management of boreal forests impairs forest biodiversity and species of old-growth forest. Effective measures to support biodiversity require detection of locations valuable for conservation. We applied species distribution models (SDMs) to a species of mature forest, the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis, goshawk), that is often associated with hotspots of forest biodiversity. We located optimal sites for the goshawk on a landscape scale, assessed their state under intensified logging operations and identified characteristics of goshawks' nesting sites in boreal forests. Optimal sites for the goshawk covered only 3.4% of the boreal landscape and were mostly located outside pro…
Do large‐scale associations in birds imply biotic interactions or environmental filtering?
2023
Aim There has been a wide interest in the effect of biotic interactions on species' occurrences and abundances at large spatial scales, coupled with a vast development of the statistical methods to study them. Still, evidence for whether the effects of within-trophic-level biotic interactions (e.g. competition and heterospecific attraction) are discernible beyond local scales remains inconsistent. Here, we present a novel hypothesis-testing framework based on joint dynamic species distribution models and functional trait similarity to dissect between environmental filtering and biotic interactions. Location France and Finland. Taxon Birds. Methods We estimated species-to-species association…
Species distributions models may predict accurately future distributions but poorly how distributions change: A critical perspective on model validat…
2023
Aim: Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used to make predictions on how species distributions may change as a response to climatic change. To assess the reliability of those predictions, they need to be critically validated with respect to what they are used for. While ecologists are typically interested in how and where distributions will change, we argue that SDMs have seldom been evaluated in terms of their capacity to predict such change. Instead, typical retrospective validation methods estimate model's ability to predict to only one static time in future. Here, we apply two validation methods, one that predicts and evaluates a static pattern, while the other measures change…
Adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes : psychological flexibility is associated with the glycemic control, quality of life and depressiv…
2021
This study investigates the role of psychological flexibility in relation to glycaemic control (HbA1c) and quality of life among adolescents with poorly-controlled diabetes. Adolescents (n = 65, aged 12–16 years) completed the Children and Adolescents Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), the Diabetes Acceptance and Action Scale for Children and Adolescents (DAAS), the Depression Scale (RBDI), and the Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (KINDL-R). HbA1c values were collected from medical records. A higher level of psychological flexibility was associated with better glycaemic control, better quality of life, and lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Mediation analysis showed that diabetes…
Early sudden gains in an acceptance and values-based intervention: Effects on treatment outcome for depression and psychological flexibility
2018
Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to explore early temporal patterns of change in a treatment delivered by novice therapists. We examined if early sudden gains (ESGs) in a six-session acceptance and values-based intervention would produce superior treatment outcomes when compared to slower improvements. Method The temporal patterns of change of 56 clients diagnosed with depression were analyzed. ESGs were defined as reaching the status of recovered or improved in the Reliable Change Index (RCI) (Jacobson & Truax (1991)) classification after two sessions. The group with ESGs was then compared to participants without ESGs for differences in treatment outcome on measures of symptoma…
The role of thought suppression and psychological inflexibility in older family caregivers’ psychological symptoms and quality of life
2021
Abstract Background Family caregivers often report high levels of distress, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and reduced quality of life. There is a need for a greater understanding of the factors influencing, explaining, and maintaining psychological distress in family caregivers. Aim The aim of this study was to examine whether avoidance strategies such as thought suppression (WBSI), psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II), and, and caregiver experiential avoidance (EACQ) predict psychological distress (BDI-II, GAD-7) and quality of life (WHOQOL) in family caregivers aged 60 and over. We hypothesized that these avoidance strategies would explain elevated levels of psychological sympto…
A brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention for depression : A randomized controlled trial with 3-year follow-up for the intervention group
2018
Abstract Objective This study examined the outcomes of a brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention for depression delivered by novice therapists. Method Participants (N = 115) were randomized either to the brief (six sessions) ACT or to a waitlist control condition (WLC). Outcomes were assessed with diagnoses of depressive episodes (ICD-10) and questionnaires. Results After the 6-week intervention, diagnostic remission rates were 60% in the ACT and 22% in the control group. Further, 70% of the ACT participants were classified as either recovered or improved. The post-measurement between-group effect size for depression symptoms was large and favored the ACT group (BDI-II, d…
What happens after five years?: The long-term effects of a four-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy delivered by student therapists for depress…
2017
Brief interventions can be viable treatment options worth consideration in addressing the growing need for treatments of subclinical and clinical depressive symptoms. However, there is uncertainty regarding the long-term benefits of these interventions. The aim was to examine the long-term (5-year) effects of a 4-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention for low mood delivered by novice therapists in order to see whether lasting effects could be achieved cost-effectively with four intervention sessions. Originally, 57 self-referred clients were randomized into two groups: an intervention group and a waiting-list control group which received treatment later. The groups wer…