Gold Cup Research Articles

Plastic responses to elevated temperature in low and high elevation populations of three grassland species.

Local persistence of plant species in the face of climate change is largely mediated by genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. In species with a wide altitudinal range, population responses to global warming are likely to differ at contrasting elevations. In controlled climate chambers, we investigated the responses of low and high elevation populations (1200 and 1800 m a.s.l.) of three nutrient-poor grassland species, Trifolium montanum, Ranunculus bulbosus, and Briza media, to ambient and elevated temperature. We measured growth-related, reproductive and phenological traits, evaluated differences in trait plasticity and examined whether trait values or plasticities were positively related to approximate fitness and thus under selection. Elevated temperature induced plastic responses in several growth-related traits of all three species. Although flowering phenology was advanced in T. montanum and R. bulbosus, number of flowers and reproductive allocation were not increased under elevated temperature. Plasticity differed between low and high elevation populations only in leaf traits of T. montanum and B. media. Some growth-related and phenological traits were under selection. Moreover, plasticities were not correlated with approximate fitness indicating selectively neutral plastic responses to elevated temperature. The observed plasticity in growth-related and phenological traits, albeit variable among species, suggests that plasticity is an important mechanism in mediating plant responses to elevated temperature. However, the capacity of species to respond to climate change through phenotypic plasticity is limited suggesting that the species additionally need evolutionary adaptation to adjust to climate change. The observed selection on several growth-related and phenological traits indicates that the study species have the potential for future evolution in the context of a warming climate.

Plant population differentiation and climate change: responses of grassland species along an elevational gradient

Mountain ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate change. Characterizing intraspecific variation of alpine plants along elevational gradients is crucial for estimating their vulnerability to predicted changes. Environmental conditions vary with elevation, which might influence plastic responses and affect selection pressures that lead to local adaptation. Thus, local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity among low and high elevation plant populations in response to climate, soil and other factors associated with elevational gradients might underlie different responses of these populations to climate warming. Using a transplant experiment along an elevational gradient, we investigated reproductive phenology, growth and reproduction of the nutrient-poor grassland species Ranunculus bulbosus, Trifolium montanum and Briza media. Seeds were collected from low and high elevation source populations across the Swiss Alps and grown in nine common gardens at three different elevations with two different soil depths. Despite genetic differentiation in some traits, the results revealed no indication of local adaptation to the elevation of population origin. Reproductive phenology was advanced at lower elevation in low and high elevation populations of all three species. Growth and reproduction of T. montanum and B. media were hardly affected by garden elevation and soil depth. In R. bulbosus, however, growth decreased and reproductive investment increased at higher elevation. Furthermore, soil depth influenced growth and reproduction of low elevation R. bulbosus populations. We found no evidence for local adaptation to elevation of origin and hardly any differences in the responses of low and high elevation populations. However, the consistent advanced reproductive phenology observed in all three species shows that they have the potential to plastically respond to environmental variation. We conclude that populations might not be forced to migrate to higher elevations as a consequence of climate warming, as plasticity will buffer the detrimental effects of climate change in the three investigated nutrient-poor grassland species.

Geographic distance is more relevant than elevation to patterns of outbreeding inRanunculus bulbosus

Geographic distance is more relevant than elevation to patterns of outbreeding in<i>Ranunculus bulbosus</i>

Research on the Relationship between Bionic Surface Friction Coefficient and Interface Medium

The convex structure on tree frogs foot pats provide huge adsorption force, we can extract this facture of tree frogs foot pats, and apply on the surface of belt conveyor drum encapsulation in order to increase friction between drum and conveyor belt. But the environment underground is complex. There is always has coal particle and water on the frictional contact surface. The friction performance test was done by MMW-1A universal friction and wear tester in order to verify the friction coefficient of bionic surface under different conditions. At last, we figure out that water or coal particle has little influence on bionic friction surface, but has huge influence on common surface.

Extensive contemporary pollen-mediated gene flow in two herb species, Ranunculus bulbosus and Trifolium montanum, along an altitudinal gradient in a meadow landscape

Genetic connectivity between plant populations allows for exchange and dispersal of adaptive genes, which can facilitate plant population persistence particularly in rapidly changing environments. Patterns of historic gene flow, flowering phenology and contemporary pollen flow were investigated in two common herbs, Ranunculus bulbosus and Trifolium montanum, along an altitudinal gradient of 1200-1800 m a.s.l. over a distance of 1 km among five alpine meadows in Switzerland. Historic gene flow was extensive, as revealed by Fst values of 0·01 and 0·007 in R. bulbosus and T. montanum, respectively, by similar levels of allelic richness among meadows and by the grouping of all individuals into one genetic cluster. Our data suggest contemporary pollen flow is not limited across altitudes in either species but is more pronounced in T. montanum, as indicated by the differential decay of among-sibships correlated paternity with increasing spatial distance. Flowering phenology among meadows was not a barrier to pollen flow in T. montanum, as the large overlap between meadow pairs was consistent with the extensive pollen flow. The smaller flowering overlap among R. bulbosus meadows might explain the slightly more limited pollen flow detected. High levels of pollen flow among altitudes in both R. bulbosus and T. montanum should facilitate exchange of genes which may enhance adaptive responses to rapid climate change.

Beating the odds: using epidemiology to pick the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner

Aim: To date epidemiology has been widely utilised to analyse disease and identify risk factors associated with injury. This study aimed to establish if epidemiology has the potential to be employed as a predictive model of National Hunt racing performance. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to apply the principles of epidemiology to predict factors that impact on individual performance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and to strengthen the potential of epidemiology as a valid methodology for predicting racehorse performance. Methods Relevant factors related to racehorse performance were identified and collated via the Racingpost website for horses that had run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup from 1995 to 2010. Subsequent univariate and multivariable single-level and mixed effects logistic regression models were developed using winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup as the dependent variable. Results The chance of a horse winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup is increased by 1.09 times for each extra 10 percentage point increase in the percentage of starts at Cheltenham that resulted in a win. Horses that had been ridden by only one or two jockeys throughout their career were 40 times more likely to win than horses that had been ridden by three or more jockeys. Conclusions National Hunt racehorses that have one or two consistent jockeys throughout their racing career and have a higher course runs to win ratio at Cheltenham are predicted to perform superiorly to their peers who do not. Potential relevance: Epidemiology appears to be a valid tool for predicting variables that can increase the probability of superior performance for specific events and has potential to be utilised in other equine sporting fields.

Eight microsatellite markers for the bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus (Ranunculaceae)

Pollen dispersal is a key biological process enabling plant populations to maintain genetic connectivity. Direct estimates of pollen dispersal using paternity assignment or correlated paternity estimates require highly variable genetic markers, of which microsatellites are the markers of choice. • Eight species-specific microsatellites have been developed for Ranunculus bulbosus, combining classical enrichment methods with 454 sequencing. These markers have been used in paternity analysis as well as in pollen-pool analyses and proven to be highly polymorphic (seven to 63 alleles in the largest population studied). An excess of homozygotes in six loci indicate the presence of null alleles. • These markers are the first microsatellites isolated and tested on R. bulbosus and provide a useful tool for population genetic studies in this common grassland herb.

Evaluating contemporary pollen dispersal in two common grassland species Ranunculus bulbosus L. (Ranunculaceae) and Trifolium montanum L. (Fabaceae) using an experimental approach

Pollen flow is a key biological process that connects plant populations, preventing genetic impoverishment and inbreeding. Pollen-mediated long-distance dispersal (LDD) events are especially important for plant species in increasingly fragmented landscapes. Patterns of pollen dispersal were directly estimated and dispersal kernels modelled in an experimental population of Ranunculus bulbosus and Trifolium montanum to determine the potential for LDD. Eight and 11 microsatellite markers were used for R.bulbosus and T.montanum, respectively, to run a likelihood-based paternity analysis on randomly chosen offspring (Ntotal = 180 per species) from five maternal plants. High rates of selfing were found in R.bulbosus (average 45.7%), while no selfing was observed in T.montanum. The majority (60%) of mating events occurred at very short distances: the median of the observed dispersal distances was 0.8 m in both species, and the average distances were 15.9 and 10.3 m in R.bulbosus and T.montanum, respectively. Modelling the pollen dispersal kernel with four different distribution functions (exponential-power, geometric, 2Dt and Weibull) indicated that the best fit for both species was given by a Weibull function. Yet, the tail of the T.montanum pollen dispersal kernel was thinner than in R.bulbosus, suggesting that the probability for LDD is higher in the latter species. Even though the majority of pollen dispersal occurred across short distances, the detection of several mating events up to 362 m (R.bulbosus) and 324 m (T.montanum) suggests that pollen flow may be sufficient to ensure population connectivity in these herb species across fragmented grasslands in Swiss agricultural landscapes.

Patterns of genetic variation across altitude in three plant species of semi-dry grasslands.

BackgroundEnvironmental gradients caused by altitudinal gradients may affect genetic variation within and among plant populations and inbreeding within populations. Populations in the upper range periphery of a species may be important source populations for range shifts to higher altitude in response to climate change. In this study we investigate patterns of population genetic variation at upper peripheral and lower more central altitudes in three common plant species of semi-dry grasslands in montane landscapes.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn Briza media, Trifolium montanum and Ranunculus bulbosus genetic diversity, inbreeding and genetic relatedness of individuals within populations and genetic differentiation among populations was characterized using AFLP markers. Populations were sampled in the Swiss Alps at 1800 (upper periphery of the study organisms) and at 1200 m a.s.l. Genetic diversity was not affected by altitude and only in B. media inbreeding was greater at higher altitudes. Genetic differentiation was slightly greater among populations at higher altitudes in B. media and individuals within populations were more related to each other compared to individuals in lower altitude populations. A similar but less strong pattern of differentiation and relatedness was observed in T. montanum, while in R. bulbosus there was no effect of altitude. Estimations of population size and isolation of populations were similar, both at higher and lower altitudes.Conclusions/SignificanceOur results suggest that altitude does not affect genetic diversity in the grassland species under study. Genetic differentiation of populations increased only slightly at higher elevation, probably due to extensive (historic) gene flow among altitudes. Potentially pre-adapted genes might therefore spread easily across altitudes. Our study indicates that populations at the upper periphery are not genetically depauperate or isolated and thus may be important source populations for migration under climate change.

Participation incentives among US adult, US youth, and Polish adult wheelchair basketball players

Wheelchair basketball may be the world’s oldest and most popular team sport for persons with a physical disability. At present, there are at least eight major international tournaments as well as zonal qualifying tournaments for the Paralympic Games and the Men’s and Women’s Gold Cup under the auspices of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. There were two purposes of this study. The first was to evaluate the participation motives of Polish wheelchair basketball players and the second was to compare the participation motives of Polish and American wheelchair basketball players. Data for this study were obtained from two sources: men and women who participated on Polish wheelchair basketball teams and data reported in studies by Brasile and Hedrick.1 In general, the results indicate that the incentives for participation in wheelchair basketball across these samples of players are more similar than dissimilar. The groups have similar mean scores and standard deviations for the task-oriented incentives. Future research may address whether American or European wheelchair basketball players have more similar participation motives than players from Africa, Asia, Australia, or South America or that the participants in noncompetitive sports or extreme sports have similar motives.

Aranyserleg a fraknói Esterházy-kincstárból

Recent publications on the goldsmiths of the early modern age employed in aristocratic courts provide the grounds for the reconsideration of some basic questions concerning an outstanding art work in the Esterházy col lection, first of all the circumstances of its commissioning and creation. It can be concluded that the “official” de finition of the gold cup with enamel decoration from the first decade of the 17th century prevalent for some twenty years now need revising. The more exact dating and the fact that the cup is adorned with the enamelled pictures of the coat of arms of Lower Austria allow for a far more palpable assumption about the client who gave the commission and the original owner. It is now presumed that the goldsmith's work was commissioned by archduke Matthias of Habsburg (1557–1619), Holy Roman Emperor from 1612, in 1608, the year of the beginning of his rule – after the resignation of his brother Rudolf II – over the hereditary Austrian provinces. As his personal present, the cup might have been given to its first designated owner Count Paul Sixtus Trautson (1550–1621), who was appointed lieutenant-governor (Statthalter) of Lower Austria at the same time. The subsequent fate of the art treasure is still an unsettled issue: how long it was in Trautson's possession, when and how it changed hands, how it arrived in the Fraknó treasury of the Esterházy family where it can be traced back to the 1690s. The paper attempts answers to these questions. The “final” answer, however, is expected to appear in a study of the Festschrift to be published on an equally festive occasion in honour of Miklós Mojzer in November 2021.

Testing flora as bioindicator of buried structures in the archaeological area of Maxentius’s villa (Rome, Italy)

The flora of the archaeological area of Maxentius’s villa (Rome) was tested as bioindicator of buried remains of masonry and pavements. A total of 53 floristic surveys provided the occurrence of each species in sample units, as well as some their phenological features. The data were elaborated through multivariate statistical analysis in order to assess floristic affinities/differences among sample units, and define their ecological characteristics. The fuzzy set methodology was applied to evaluate relation between floristic richness, plant cover and soil depth. Results showed that the buried remains of stonework create a discontinuity in the ground, influencing the flora growing above it. This phenomenon may give rise to differential presence of some species (e.g., Cota tinctoria, Trifolium scabrum ssp. scabrum on thin soil; Ranunculus bulbosus, Trifolium pratense on deeper soil), but will not have such a great effect on floristic richness. The bioindication of this phenomenon also occurs through phenological irregularities in single specimens and changes in plant cover. Nevertheless other environmental factors (soil moisture/aridity, trampling, enrichment of nitrogen, cutting, ground depression) can interfere with the use of plants as bioindicators of buried structures. It is therefore necessary to consider other factors ecological influencing each site when you want to use plants as bioindicators in archaeological prospection.

Can Pollen Headspace Volatiles and Pollenkitt Lipids Serve as Reliable Chemical Cues for Bee Pollinators?

Chemical analysis of putative contact chemical cues for pollinators from pollen of two plant species, Ranunculus bulbosus (Ranunculaceae) and Campanula rapunculoides (Campanulaceae), showed high consistency in the qualitative and quantitative composition of pollenkitt surface lipids in all samples analyzed per species. The pollenkitt lipids of R. bulbosus included an aldehyde, fatty acid amides, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, and secondary alcohols; the lipids of C. rapunculoides consisted of an aldehyde, monoketones, and β-diketones. In marked contrast, the pollen headspace volatiles showed a wide qualitative and quantitative variability among all samples per species, whereby the variability was more pronounced in R. bulbosus. Hence, the highly species-specific pollenkitt lipids may provide pollinators with more reliable information on pollen identity.

Investigation of the use of three electroencephalographic electrodes for long-term electroencephalographic recording in awake and sedated dogs

To compare electroencephalography (EEG) artifact associated with use of the subdermal wire electrode (SWE), gold cup electrode (GCE), and subdermal needle electrode (SNE) over an 8-hour period in sedated and awake dogs. 6 healthy dogs. 8 EEG channels were recorded during 20-minute video-EEG recording sessions (intermittently at 0.5, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours) with and without chlorpromazine sedation. Nonphysiologic artifacts were identified. Duration of artifact was summed for each channel. Number of unaffected channels (NUC) was determined. NUC was significantly affected by electrode type and sedation over time; median for SWE (2.80 channels; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 5.70 channels) was significantly different from medians for GCE (7.87 channels; 95% CI, 7.44 to 7.94 channels) and SNE (7.60 channels; 95% CI, 6.61 to 7.89 channels). After 4 hours, NUC decreased in awake dogs, regardless of electrode type. In awake dogs, duration of artifact differed significantly between SWE and GCE or SNE; medians at 8 hours were 61.55 seconds (95% CI, 21.81 to 173.65 seconds), 1.33 seconds (95% CI, 0.47 to 3.75 seconds), and 21.01 seconds (95% CI, 6.85 to 64.42 seconds), respectively. The SWE had a significant duration of artifact during recording periods > 2 hours, compared with results for the GCE and SNE, in awake dogs. The GCE, SNE, and sedation resulted in significantly more channels unaffected by artifact. For longer recordings, caution should be exercised in selecting EEG electrodes and sedation state, although differences among electrodes may not be clinically relevant.

“A Rank Outsider”: Gambling and Economic Rivalry in Ulysses

The 1904 Ascot Gold Cup Race presents an opportunity to contrast two competing economic experiences inherent within a capitalist system: the gambler’s trust in luck and the investor’s trust in time. Using Walter Benjamin’s analysis of the effect of capitalistic industrialization on experience, this study examines the competition between Leopold Bloom and Blazes Boylan as a contrast of economic strategies and the location of human value within them. Thus, Joyce’s reading of experience within a capitalistic world leads to a simultaneous critique of the modern urban world and an affirmation of the human response to it.

Ranunculus bulbosus bei Herpes zoster

Ranunculus bulbosus ist eines der wichtigsten Arzneimittel beim Herpes zoster des Thorax. In 3 Kasuistiken wird die Anwendung beschrieben.

Ranunculus bulbosus bei Heuschnupfen

The homeopathic therapy of hayfever requires different strategies depending on the symptomatology of the patient. The prescription of Ranunculus bulbosus is demonstrated by 3 case reports. The way to the correct remedy is based on using a new hayfever repertory considering the totality of the present characteristic symptoms. Repertorisation with the hayfever repertory is compared with standard repertories. Finally, Ranunculus bulbosus is presented as a remedy for hayfever regarding the characteristic symptoms as well as the original proving symptoms.

GAME EFFICIENCY OF ELITE FEMALE WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL PLAYERS DURING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (GOLD CUP) 2006

The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to describe of game efficiency in relation to teams ranking in Gold Cup 2006, and (2) to explore the relationship between the functional classification levels of female elite wheelchair basketball athletes and their basketball performance. All 72 athletes representing the eight teams participating in the World Championships for Wheelchair Basketball in 2006 (3-16 July, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) were evaluated in this study. All twenty-four scheduled games were videotaped. Female athletes were divided according to their functional classification level (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, and 4.5) and Gold Cup’s team ranking (teams from 1st to 4th place, teams from 5th and 6th place, teams from 7th and 8th place). Nineteen variables of game efficiency were evaluated. To determine quality of an athlete’s contribution to the game, modification of the Comprehensive Basketball Grading System (CBGSmodified) was used. Analyses of the results demonstrated that game efficiency in women’s wheelchair basketball is dependent on the athlete’s functional level and team ranking. The results support the notion that athletes from the “best” teams demonstrate higher shooting efficiency and significantly better CBSG values in comparison to female players from the “weakest” teams. In addition the data shows many similarities in game efficiency between those athletes from adjacent classifications levels.

Protolith age and timing of Precambrian magmatic and metamorphic events in the Priest River complex, northern Rockies

U–Pb dating of detrital zircons, magmatic zircons, and metamorphic zircon overgrowths and titanites from the Priest River complex, USA, reveal the ages of high-grade metasedimentary rocks, intrusive ages of associated igneous rocks, and the timing of Precambrian metamorphic events. Sensitive high-mass resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb dates of detrital zircons from the Hauser Lake gneiss and Gold Cup Quartzite are predominately Paleoproterozoic with some Archean grains. The Hauser Lake gneiss contains detrital zircons with nearly concordant ages as young as 1511 Ma. Isotope dilution – thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID–TIMS) and chemical abrasion – thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA–TIMS) dating of magmatic zircon from amphibolites in the Hauser Lake Gneiss yield 1470–1430 Ma crystallization ages based on discordant data, with Cretaceous lower intercepts. The U–Pb zircon systematics are very complex and reflect multiple periods of magmatic and metamorphic growth. A combination of mechanical abrasion, chemical abrasion (CA–TIMS), and SHRIMP methods were required to identify the major geochronological components. These data, in addition to one Nd model age, strengthen correlations between the Hauser Lake Gneiss and the lower Belt–Purcell Supergroup and the Gold Cup Quartzite with the Neihart Quartzite, which underlies the Belt–Purcell Supergroup. Four SHRIMP-dated metamorphic zircon overgrowths give concordant Grenville dates with a weighted average of 1127 ± 110 Ma. This Grenville-aged metamorphic event is recorded by many isotopic systems in the Belt–Purcell basin and reflects a static thermal event, possibly driven by magmatism at depth.

Rapid TLC analysis of Ranunculus bulbosus L. homeopathic tincture

Ranunculus bulbosus L., Bulbous Buttercup or Crowfoot (Ranunculacea) is a perennial plant native to the Northern parts of Europe and to the North eastern parts of the United States. Ethanolic tinctures of Ranunculi bulbosi herba cum radice are used in homoeopathy for skin diseases, rheumatism, gout, (zoster) neuralgia, influenza, and meningitis [1, 2]. Ranunculus bulbosus L. is monographed in the HAB 2005 [3]; however, the described TLC procedure is a general comparative method.