Period Of Slow Growth Research Articles

Prolonged growth during the food-restricted dry season in a small African mammal

Abstract Studying how different environmental parameters, such as resource availability and ambient temperature, affect growth rates aids to understand the evolution of different growth strategies. Low levels of food availability restrict growth, and high ambient temperature can constrain growth via trade-offs between body temperature maintenance and heat produced during digestion. We studied growth of African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio), a small mammal living in a seasonally arid habitat. Striped mice are born during spring with high food availability and low ambient temperature, and typically enter the food-restricted dry season before reaching adulthood. We predicted low food availability and high ambient temperature would negatively affect growth. We therefore expected an extended period of slow growth during the long dry season. We repeatedly measured body length of 369 free-living individuals, examined how ambient temperature and food availability influenced growth rate, and seasonal changes in growth rate. In addition, we investigated whether mice (N = 27) born in summer (atypical breeding season) have slower growth rates than those born in spring. Growth rate increased with increasing food availability and decreased with increasing ambient temperature. Individuals born in summer grew slower than those born in spring. Sexes reached asymptotic body length at 258 days (females) and 285 days (males), which is an unusually long growth period compared with other small rodents. As most striped mice live for less than 1 year, this period encompasses the entire life for most individuals, but stops at old age, which could indicate senescence. Our results demonstrate a positive influence of food availability on growth, a relationship mediated by ambient temperature. We conclude that striped mice enter the food-restricted dry season before postnatal growth is terminated, and early exposure to harsh environmental conditions during the long dry season likely explains the prolonged growth period in striped mice.

Reconstructing daily 30 m NDVI over complex agricultural landscapes using a crop reference curve approach

Multi-sensor remote sensing data fusion technologies have been developed and widely applied in recent years, providing a feasible and economical solution to increase the availability of high spatial and temporal resolution data. These methods, however, have been challenging to apply in highly heterogeneous areas, especially in complex agricultural landscapes where there are rapid changes at small scales, while features at larger scales change more slowly. In this study, we developed a novel method to reconstruct daily 30 m Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Landsat and Landsat-like platforms, and the Cropland Data Layer (CDL). This method utilizes a crop reference curve (CRC) approach, in which a set of NDVI time series are extracted from pure MODIS pixels (250 m resolution) identified using the CDL, and then used to fit Landsat-like observations (30 m). The CRC based method was applied over a complex agricultural landscape in the Choptank River watershed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Landsat data from 2013 and 2014 and Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) data from 2018 were used to reconstruct 30 m daily NDVI maps for major crop types. Results show that the relative error (RE) in reconstructed NDVI is around 6–8% during periods of rapid crop growth, and 3–5% during peak periods when growth is slow. The accuracy of the CRC method outperforms a standard image pair-based data fusion algorithm (Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model; STARFM), which yields RE of 4–9% in slow-growth periods and 10–16% in fast-growth periods when clear Landsat images are scarce. The CRC method was also compared with time-series data fusion methods, including a harmonic fitting model and the SaTellite dAta IntegRation (STAIR) model. The results show that CRC gives similar results when the Landsat-like image availability is high (around 27 images per year), but outperforms other methods when availability is limited (less than 15 images per year). The reconstructed NDVI time series for corn, soybean, winter wheat/soybean and forest at 30-m resolution show clear phenological patterns at the sub-field scale. The resulting 30-m NDVI timeseries data provide useful information for mapping crop phenology and monitoring crop condition in complex agricultural landscapes, especially for complex double-cropping areas. However, the input requirement of an accurate 30-m crop classification map constrains its application to areas and periods where classifications are available.

The impact of the free trade zone on green total factor productivity ——evidence from the shanghai pilot free trade zone

The green development of free trade zones conforms to the theoretical principles of sustainable development and is key to promoting regional transformation and upgrading. By using synthetic control methods (SCM) based on microscopic data, this paper investigates the net effect of the establishment of the China (Shanghai) pilot free trade zone (SPFTZ) on green total factor productivity (GTFP) in Shanghai. The results show that the SPFTZ has promoted the GTFP in Shanghai. As far as time trend is concerned, the effects of this promotion become more apparent after a short-term period of slow growth. In terms of impact paths, the main driving force of policy is technological progress. Therefore, the SPFTZ should improve GTFP and create greater incentives for technological innovation. Institutional innovation for green development should play a central guiding role in the construction. We need continue to explore other green development models as well as means of creating higher levels of economic openness.

Erosion characteristics of viscoelastic anticorrosive coatings for steel structures under sand flow

Due to the continuous erosion of anticorrosive coatings on hydraulic steel structures, the coating falls off over large areas, causing exposure and rusting of the steel structure. This process directly affects the normal use of hydraulic steel structures. To study the erosion law of viscoelastic anticorrosive coatings for steel structures in a sand flow environment, three kinds of polyurethane coatings were prepared with different proportions (A:B = 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3), and accelerated physical erosion tests of the above-mentioned anticorrosive coatings for steel structures in a sand flow environment were carried out with traditional epoxy asphalt coatings as the control group. The erosion patterns of various viscoelastic anticorrosive coatings under different erosion times, sand flow velocity and sediment concentrations under sand flow were obtained. The results show that the abrasion amount of coatings is logarithmically correlated with erosion time and exponentially correlated with sand flow velocity. Under higher sediment concentrations (4.0–8.0 kg/m3), the abrasion of the coating increases with increasing sand flow velocity. Under an erosion condition of low sediment concentration (0.5–1.8 kg/m3), the abrasion of the coating undergoes a long period of slow growth. The abrasion of the polyurethane coating is lower than that of the epoxy asphalt coating, and among the tested samples, the 1:3 polyurethane coating has the least abrasion and the best erosion resistance. Based on the results of the accelerated erosion test and the existing erosion theory, a prediction model was proposed for the viscoelastic anticorrosive coating of steel structures under sand flow, and the correctness of the prediction model was verified by the experimental results. The research results have important guiding significance for reasonably predicting the durability of hydraulic steel structures.

Sustainable Factor Investing: Where Doing Well Meets Doing Good

This paper investigates the impact of ESG integration on systematic factors in Australia. While excluding non-rated stocks leads to inferior performance, simultaneously exploiting ESG scores with past returns significantly improves the Sharpe ratio and the crash risk profile of the momentum strategy. Such outperformance is more pronounced during periods of slow growth, high inflation and high credit-spreads. The improved performance, which originates from the governance dimension, can be explained by sector tilts driven by ESG integration. Overall, our findings suggest that sustainable factor investing not only allows asset-owners to include their ethical preferences while offering strong potential for wealth generation, but also provides asset managers with the opportunity to mitigate risk.

Sustainable factor investing: Where doing well meets doing good

This paper investigates the impact of ESG integration on systematic factors in Australia. While excluding non-rated stocks leads to inferior performance, simultaneously exploiting ESG scores with past returns significantly improves the Sharpe ratio and the crash risk profile of the momentum strategy. Such outperformance is more pronounced during periods of slow growth, high inflation and high credit-spreads. The improved performance, which originates from the governance dimension, can be explained by sector tilts driven by ESG integration. Overall, our findings suggest that sustainable factor investing not only allows asset-owners to include their ethical preferences while offering strong potential for wealth generation, but also provides asset managers with the opportunity to mitigate risk.

Using critical slowing down indicators to understand economic growth rate variability and secular stagnation

This paper utilizes Critical Slowing Down (CSD; instability) indicators developed by statistical physics to analyse economic growth rate variability and secular stagnation in historical GDP data. Understanding these phenomena is vital, particularly in advanced economies faced with declining growth rates. Two novel indicators - the autocorrelation (AR1) and the variance – are found particularly useful in providing insight into inter-decadal GDP variability over this period. These indicators are first applied to the Maddison-Project historical dataset, which includes almost a century of data for some 80 countries and almost two centuries of data for 9 countries. They are additionally applied to ~50 years of recent annual data for around 130 countries from the World Bank dataset as well as ~60 years of recent quarterly data for around 20 countries from the OECD dataset. Analysis reveals inter-decadal variability in growth cycles (the recession cycle), highlighting periods of large slow growth cycles and periods of small fast growth cycles. The most commonly occurring pattern is characterised by an increase in CSD from the 1900s to 1940s, a decline in CSD between the 1930s and the 1970s, then a further increase in CSD from the 1960s to 2010. This pattern is significant in ~70% of the advanced economies. CSD indicators may then provide invaluable insights into specific aspects of inter-decadal GDP variability, such as on the nature of the business cycle, secular stagnation and the implicit “restoring forces” of the economy.

Seasonal variation of net ecosystem CO2 exchange and its influencing factors in an apple orchard in the Loess Plateau.

The Loess Plateau is the largest apple cultivation region in the world. However, the role of rain-fed apple orchards as carbon sinks or sources, including the dynamic variation and influencing factors, are still unclear. In this study, the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) was monitored by an eddy covariance (EC) system in Loess Plateau apple orchards during 2016-2017. The results demonstrated that the annual NEE was higher in 2016 (- 698.0gCm-2year-1) than in 2017 (- 554.0gCm-2year-1). Particularly, the amount of orchard CO2 uptake was significantly greater in 2016 (- 772.0gCm-2) than in 2017 (- 642.1gCm-2) during the carbon sink period. This difference may be attributed to the higher NEE in 2016 compared to 2017 during the fast and slow growth periods. In addition, a higher daily NEE occurred to the higher air temperature (Ta), which promoted early sprouting in 2016 (- 3.91gCm-2day-1) compared to 2017 (- 2.86gCm-2day-1) during the fast growth period. The daily NEE in 2016 (- 2.59gCm-2day-1) was remarkably higher than that in 2017 (- 1.41gCm-2day-1) during the slow growth period, owing to the greater number of cloudy and rainy days and lower temperatures in 2017. Overall, the present study demonstrated the key role played by the amount of precipitation and temperature in regulating the NEE during the growth season and provided accurate quantitative information on the carbon budget in apple orchards. Graphical abstract.

Evaluation of different deficit irrigation strategies in the late-maturing Japanese plum cultivar 'Angeleno'

In stone fruits, the pit hardening period is usually one of slow fruit growth that is considered relatively insensitive to an imposed moderate water stress. For this reason, this period is commonly employed for a first phase of reduced water input in regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies. However, in previous studies with the Japanese plum cv. 'Angeleno', the identification of a period of slow growth just before harvest suggested the need to reconsider the most suitable RDI strategy for this cultivar. In this 3-year study (2014, 2015 and 2016) three irrigation strategies were compared: Control (CON) designed to meet tree water requirements throughout the season; Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) with two separate periods of water deficit, one preharvest with no irrigation inputs during an intermediate period of fruit growth (pit hardening period), and the other postharvest with a 30 % reduction of the CON inputs; and Preharvest + Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDP) with a single period of deficit irrigation initiated before harvesting and extended until the end of the irrigation campaign. Both deficit irrigation treatments were found to be effective at controlling tree vigor, with lower trunk cross-sectional area growth and pruned wood weight than in the CON treatment. Average water savings with the RDI and RDP strategies over the three years of the study were 24 % and 18 %, respectively, compared to CON, with no impact on yield and no carry-over effect. Fruit size in the RDP treatment was similar to the CON. The differences in fruit firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), acidity, lightness (L), hue (ho) and chroma (C*) of the skin were only slight or inconsistent over the three years. Our results confirm the suitability of moderate pre- and postharvest water stress (RDP strategy) in this cultivar, with greater water productivity than the traditional RDI strategy.

Photoperiod and temperature separately regulate nymphal development through JH and insulin/TOR signaling pathways in an insect

Insects living in the temperate zone enter a physiological state of arrested or slowed development to overcome an adverse season, such as winter. Developmental arrest, called diapause, occurs at a species-specific developmental stage, and embryonic and pupal diapauses have been extensively studied in mostly holometabolous insects. Some other insects overwinter in the nymphal stage with slow growth for which the mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that this nymphal period of slow growth is regulated by temperature and photoperiod through separate pathways in the cricket Modicogryllus siamensis The former regulates the growth rate, at least in part, through the insulin / target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway. Lower temperature down-regulates the expression of insulin-like peptide (Ms'Ilp) and Target of rapamycin (Ms'Tor) genes to slow down the growth rate without affecting the number of molts. The latter regulates the number of molts independent of temperature. Short days increase the number of molts through activation of the juvenile hormone (JH) pathway and down-regulation of myoglianin (Ms'myo), a member of the TGFβ family, which induces adult metamorphosis. In contrast, long days regulate Ms'myo expression to increase during the fifth to sixth instar to initiate adult metamorphosis. When Ms'myo expression is suppressed, juvenile hormone O-methyl transferase (Ms'jhamt) was up-regulated and increased molts to prolong the nymphal period even under long-day conditions. The present findings suggested that the photoperiod regulated Ms'myo, and the JH signaling pathway and the temperature-controlled insulin/TOR pathway cooperated to regulate nymphal development for overwintering to achieve seasonal adaptation of the life cycle in M. siamensis.

The p53 Slavic Gene Mutation Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome

Nijmegen breakage syndrome is a rare autosomal congenital disorder. It originates from mutations in the NBS1 gene located in band 8q21, which encodes for the DNA double strand repair protein Nibrin. Immunodeficiency with increased susceptibility to infection. It is a condition characterized by short stature, an unusually small head size (microcephaly), distinctive facial features, recurrent respiratory tract infections, an increased risk of cancer, intellectual disability, and other health problems. People with this condition typically grow slowly during infancy and early childhood. After this period of slow growth, affected individuals grow at a normal rate but remain shorter than their peers. Microcephaly is apparent from birth in the majority of affected individuals. The head does not grow at the same rate as the rest of the body, so it appears that the head is getting smaller as the body grows (progressive microcephaly).Individuals with Nijmegen breakage syndrome have distinctive facial features that include a sloping forehead, a prominent nose, large ears, a small jaw, and outside corners of the eyes that point upward (up slanting palpebral fissures). These facial features typically become apparent by age 3. Keywords: Nijmegen breakage syndrome; Chromosomal instability; Immunodeficiency; Microcephaly

Financialization in Japan

Since the 1980s, neoliberal economic policies have promoted financialization throughout the global economy. While Japan has not been entirely unaffected by this phenomenon, its financialization is peculiar. It is certain that big businesses have been accumulating excess money, rather than reinvesting it, but financial institutions have not grown in terms of financial assets. Moreover, Japan’s financial system remains, even today, a traditional bank-based system. It is a fact that foreign investors now hold more stock in large Japanese companies than was previously the case, and consequently, they have imposed the rules of shareholder capitalism. However, in the 2000s, large Japanese companies have offered only modest increments in dividend payouts. Meanwhile, the total remuneration of the directors of those companies has been declining. Since the financial crisis of 1997–1998, big businesses in Japan have cut wages to increase profits during periods of slow economic growth. However, financial institutions have neither the will nor the capability to use their reserves. Additionally, households in Japan have avoided the option of taking out home mortgages and credit to purchase consumer goods that would have made them a part of financialization as borrowers. These events have prevented Japan from realizing full-fledged financialization. Instead, the Japanese economy grew through an expansion of exports in the 2000s; since then, under Abenomics, the old export-led model has come to an end. This does not mean, however, that Japan’s model is a replication of the American model.

Does Vitamin E Supplementation Enhance Growth Benefits of Breeding Helpers at No Oxidative Costs?

During early postnatal development, biomolecules are particularly exposed to the detrimental actions of unneutralized reactive oxygen species. These prooxidant molecules have been claimed to mediate the trade-off between growth and somatic maintenance. Vitamin E is a key exogenous antioxidant that plays an important role in protecting biological membranes against oxidative damage. However, evidence of the effect of vitamin E supplementation during early life on growth and oxidative status in wild populations is equivocal. We tested the effect of supplementing western bluebird nestlings (Sialia mexicana) with vitamin E on growth rate, antioxidant capacity, and oxidative damage to lipids. During the period of accelerated growth (5-8 d), bill growth rate was 21% higher in supplemented nestlings from nests with breeding helpers than in supplemented nestlings from unassisted nests. Vitamin E also boosted tarsus growth rate during the period of slow growth (11-18 d), and this effect was independent of the presence of breeding helpers. Differences in body size and mass, oxidative damage to lipids, and antioxidant capacity were not evident between supplemented and control nestlings at 18 d. Therefore, we conclude that vitamin E promoted faster bill and tarsus growth, but this transient effect disappeared as soon as the supplementation ceased. Our experimental study also supports the idea that tocopherols are rapidly metabolized, since we failed to detect any evident increase of vitamin E in supplemented nestlings at age 18 d. These results provide partial support for the hypothesis that growth rate is constrained by its costs in terms of increased susceptibility to oxidative stress.

2-DE-based proteomic analysis of protein changes associated with etiolated mesocotyl growth in Zea mays

BackgroundThe mesocotyl connects the coleoptilar node and the basal part of the seminal root of maize (Zea mays) seedling. The mesocotyl pushes the shoot of the seedling out of the soil during seed germination; thus, its growth is highly related to deep-sowing tolerance. Although many studies on the maize mesocotyl have been carried out at physiological and molecular levels, the proteomic changes associated with cellular and physiological activities during mesocotyl growth are still unknown.ResultsIn the present study, the maize hybrid Zhengdan 958 was used to study mesocotyl growth and accompanying protein changes. The dark-grown etiolated mesocotyls exhibited a slow-fast-slow feature, with significant changes in the levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and cellulose and the activity of peroxidase (POD). In particular, POD activity increased with mesocotyl growth, showing higher activity at the mature (lower) end of the mesocotyl. For the proteomic analysis, soluble proteins were extracted from etiolated mesocotyls dark-grown for 48 h, 84 h, and 132 h, corresponding to the initial, rapid, and slow growth periods, respectively, and subjected to separation by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). As a result, 88 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified using MALDI-TOF-TOF analysis. At 48 h, most DAPs were stress proteins, heat shock proteins and storage proteins; at 84 h, oxidation/reduction proteins, carbohydrate biogenesis-related proteins and cytoskeleton-related proteins were highly accumulated; at 132 h, the most striking DAPs were those involved in the synthesis and modification of the cell wall and the biogenesis of carbohydrates. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that changes in the abundance and proportion of DAPs were consistent with cellular and physiological activities and biological processes during mesocotyl growth. The accumulation of nine DAPs of interest was verified by immunoblotting and RT-qPCR.ConclusionsThe present study revealed that the protein patterns in 2-D gels differed greatly with mesocotyl growth. At different growth periods, a specific set of DAPs participate in various biological processes and underlie the cellular and physiological activities of the mesocotyl. These results contributed to the understanding of mesocotyl growth and the cultivation of maize lines with deep-sowing tolerance.

Effect of Grain Gradation on the Permeability Characteristics of Coarse-grained Soil Conditioned with Foam for EPB Shield Tunneling

To avoid water spewing out of the screw conveyor, foam is often used to reduce the permeability coefficient of the soil during earth pressure balance (EPB) shield tunneling. Whether foam can effectively reduce the permeability or not strongly depends on soil gradation characteristics. A series of permeability tests were carried out on foam-conditioned soil with changing effective grain size (d10), curvature coefficient (Cc), and uniformity coefficient (Cu), further, three characteristic times were defined to evaluate the permeation safety of the conditioned soil, including critical time (tc), flow rate safety time (ta) and flow quantity safety time (ts). The test results show that with an increase in d10, the initial permeability coefficient of the conditioned soil increased greatly, however, it only changed slightly with increases in Cc and Cu. In addition, permeability coefficient was still much lower than that of the unconditioned soil, even though entered the slow growth period for a long time. It is shown that as the Cc and Cu increased, the ta and ts changed slightly, however, as the d10 increased, the ta and ts decreased significantly. The results indicate that d10 can greatly affect the permeability characteristics of conditioned soil, more specifically, the initial permeability coefficient and the permeation safety. By contrast, Cc and Cu have less effects. In addition, it is not reasonable to consider that the permeability coefficient of the conditioned soil will reach or be close to that of unconditioned soil when most, or all, of foam in the foam-conditioned soil dissipates.

Cyclic activity of the Fuego de Colima volcano (Mexico): insights from satellite thermal data and nonlinear models

Abstract. The Fuego de Colima volcano (Mexico) shows a complex eruptive behavior, with periods of rapid and slow lava dome growth punctuated by explosive activity. We reconstructed the weekly discharge rate average between 1998 and 2018 by means of satellite thermal data integrated with published discharge rate data. By using spectral and wavelet analysis, we found a multiyear long-term, multi-month intermediate-term, and multi-week short-term cyclic behavior during the period of the investigated eruptive activity like that of many other dome-forming volcanoes. We use numerical modeling in order to investigate the nonlinear cyclic eruptive behavior considering a magma feeding system composed of a dual or a single magma chamber connected to the surface through an elastic dyke developing into a cylinder conduit in the shallowest part. We investigated cases in which the periodicity is controlled by (i) the coupled deep–shallow magma reservoirs, (ii) the single shallow chamber, and (iii) the elastic shallow dyke when it is fed by a fixed influx rate or constant pressure. Due to the limitations of the current modeling approach, there is no single configuration that can reproduce all the periodicities on the three different timescales. The model outputs indicate that the observed multiyear periodicity (1.5–2.5 years) can be described by the fluctuations controlled by a shallow magma chamber with a volume of 20–50 km3 coupled with a deep reservoir of ca. 500 km3, connected through a deep elastic dyke. The multi-month periodicity (ca. 5–10 months) appears to be controlled by the shallow magma chamber for the same range of volumes. The short-term multi-week periodicity (ca. 2.5–5 weeks) can be reproduced considering a fixed influx rate or constant pressure at the base of the shallower dyke. This work provides new insights on the nonlinear cyclic behavior of Fuego de Colima and a general framework for comprehension of the eruptive behavior of andesitic volcanoes.

Bone histology of two pareiasaurs from Russia (Deltavjatia rossica and Scutosaurus karpinskii) with implications for pareiasaurian palaeobiology

Abstract Pareiasaurs were one of the main clades of large herbivorous tetrapods in Middle–Late Permian continental ecosystems. Despite abundant pareiasaur material, many aspects of their biology remain poorly known. This paper provides a description of ontogenetic changes in long-bone and rib microanatomy/histology of two Upper Permian pareiasaurs from Russia, Deltavjatia rossica and Scutosaurus karpinskii. Analysis of a growth series of bones of Deltavjatia and Scutosaurus revealed rapid and cyclical growth early in ontogeny (as indicated by fast-growing fibrolamellar bone with lines of arrested growth). This was followed by a change in the growth pattern (as indicated by an outer avascular layer of lamellar bone in the cortex) and a decrease in the growth rate after 50% of maximum body size was reached in Deltavjatia and 75% in Scutosaurus (larger body sizes in Scutosaurus were attained through an extended initial period of fast skeletal growth). The study confirms that the bones of all pareiasaurs are histologically and microanatomically uniform [spongious (porous) microstructure and a very thin compact cortex] and indicate a similar growth strategy (a short initial period of rapid and cyclical growth followed by a long period of slow growth). The microanatomical characteristics of pareiasaurs do not provide a clear indication of their lifestyle.

Visualizing the History and Perspectives of Disaster Medicine: A Bibliometric Analysis

To analyze the development of disaster medicine and to identify the main obstacles to improving disaster medicine research and application. A topic search strategy was used to search the Web of Science Core Collection database. The 100 articles with the highest local citation scores were selected for bibliometric analysis; summarizing informetric indicators; and preparing a historiography, themes network, and key word co-occurrence map. The 100 articles with the highest local citation scores were published from 1983 to 2013 in 9 countries, mainly in the United States. The most productive authors were Koenig and Rubinson. The lead research institution was Columbia University. The most commonly cited journal was the Annals of Emergency Medicine. The development of disaster medicine could be separated into 3 consecutive periods. All results indicate that the development of disaster medicine faces some obstacles that need to be addressed. Research works have provided a solid foundation for disaster medicine, but its development has been in a slow growth period for a long time. Obstacles to the development of disaster medicine include the lack of scientist communities, transdisciplinary research, innovative research perspectives, and continuous research. Future research should overcome these obstacles so as to make further advances in this field.

Stress resilience in young men mediates the effect of childhood trauma on their offspring's birth weight - An analysis of 250,000 families.

Experiencing the death of a parent during childhood is a severe trauma that seems to affect the next generation's birth weight. We studied the consequences of parental loss during childhood for men's psychological and physiological characteristics at age 18, and whether these were important for their first-born offspring's birth outcomes. We used a structured life-course approach and four-way decomposition analysis to analyse data for 250,427 three-generation families retrieved from nationwide Swedish registers and found that psychological resilience was impaired and body mass index was higher in men who had experienced parental death. Both characteristics were linked to offspring birth weight. This was lower by 18.0 g (95% confidence interval: 5.7, 30.3) for men who lost a parent at ages 8–17 compared to other ages. Resilience mediated 40% of this influence. Mediation by body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was negligible, as was the effect of parental loss on length of gestation. There was no mediation by the education of the men's future spouse.Previous literature has indicated that the period before puberty, the “slow growth period”, is sensitive. Our evidence suggests that this may be too narrow a restriction: boys aged 8–17 appear to be particularly likely to respond to parental loss in a way which affects their future offspring's birth weight. We conclude that the observed transgenerational influence on birth weight is mediated by the father's psychological resilience but not by his body mass index or blood pressure.

Seasonal and diurnal relationship of forage nutritive value and mass in a tall fescue pasture under continuous stocking

AbstractMonitoring forage mass and nutritive value of pastures are encouraged to ensure adequate and efficient grazing management. For on‐farm monitoring, reliable instruments such as the rising plate meter (RPM) are useful and easy to achieve. The objective of this research was to verify the relationship between measurements of RPM (MRPM) to forage nutritive value based on seasonal and diurnal changes within a tall fescue sward under continuous stocking management. The study was conducted at the Plateau AgResearch and Education Center in Crossville, TN, from January 2015 to December 2016. The experiment was conducted in two 9‐hectare pastures consisting of a tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort., nom. cons., formerly Festuca arundinacea Schreb.] sward. During the 12‐month grazing period each year, total aboveground available forage was measured monthly in each pasture with a calibrated RPM. In addition, each month, several randomly placed 1‐m2 sample areas were collected at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to characterize forage nutritive value. Neutral detergent fiber, crude protein and in vitro total dry matter digestibility (IVTDMD) were predicted by means of near‐infrared spectroscopy. During the entire year of 2015, all correlation coefficients of forage nutritive value variables with MRPM were significant. However, in 2016, only IVTDMD showed a significant correlation with MRPM. Of the nutritive value variables, we chose to focus on the IVTDMD and MRPM relationship because it had one of the highest correlations for most seasons and different times of day, especially in 2015. There was a strong relationship between RPM measurements of herbage mass with IVTDMD, and this relationship is especially useful during the spring, where rapid growth is occurring. The same relationship was not found to be consistent during periods of slow forage growth, especially if recovering from a drought event.