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Seeds zones are bounded geographic areas to guide seed sourcing for landscape scale restoration. Yet seed zones based on plant adaptative traits are lacking for most restoration species. Sulfur‐flower buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum Torr) includes herbs, subshrubs, and shrubs adapted to a range of ecological regions within North America. Its widespread occurrence and diversity make it a suitable model species to explore seed zone development based on evolutionary plant adaptations. Within a common garden, 69 populations from diverse seed sources and 13 taxonomic varieties were evaluated for 17 phenological, morphological, and production traits in 2016 and 2017. Analyses of variance showed taxonomic varieties and seed source locations differed for all plant traits. Linear correlation revealed source locations with warmer mean temperature and more precipitation generally had later phenology, larger umbels, more leaf area, higher leaf dry weight, and more seed and shoot dry weight production. Canonical correlation strongly linked seed source climates at source locations with plant traits evaluated in the common garden, suggesting climate‐driven adaptive evolution. Canonical variates 1 and 2, explaining 60% of the variation, were used to develop regression models that predicted their values from climate variables across the study area. Using geographic information technology these were mapped into 12 seed zones representing 1.31 million km2 in the Western United States. These zones were designed to provide guidance to practitioners when sourcing sulfur‐flower buckwheat for restoration projects. We expect this methodology can be successfully applied to other species to develop seed zones based on adaptive evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild lettuces (Lactuca L.) provide valuable genetic resources for crop breeding, but are also significant invasive weeds. We explored the distributions, habitats, and ecological characteristics of populations of wild Lactuca species in central Chile. We documented two species – Lactuca serriola L. (prickly lettuce) and Lactuca virosa L. (opium/bitter lettuce) in 204 localities. These observations indicate that: i) both allochthonous (Euroasian) Lactuca species occur and are able to regenerate in central Chile; ii) L. serriola forms dense populations in urbanized areas; iii) both species can expand along transport corridors to high elevations; iv) the spread of L. virosa and persistence of dense populations in elevations above 2,000 m a.s.l. prove the invasiveness of this species in extreme climates; v) both species may contain novel traits of interest for germplasm conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Aramaic of Daniel, the imperfect expresses past situations 29 times. Scholars have long wrestled with these past time uses, and although important contributions have been made along the way, one of the most salient semantic issues that arise with these uses—the semantic intersection of imperfective aspect and telicity—has been overlooked. This study addresses this issue directly by providing a linguistic analysis of the past imperfective uses of the imperfect that describes their semantics in light of situation aspect and (un)boundedness. This study also describes the past modal use of the imperfect, and offers a linguistic explanation for how the imperfect acquired such a use. Ultimately, this study provides a linguistic analysis of the past time uses of the imperfect that fosters more artful and nuanced readings of the text in light of its semantic and functional sophistication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective assessments of the current status of biodiversity conservation are needed to support planning, policy and action, from local to global levels. Of particular use would be well documented, reproducible methods based on openly accessible data and tools. Such methods should provide an accurate estimate of the state of conservation of diversity, identifying gaps in current conservation systems, while providing a benchmark against which to measure success, including determining when conservation goals have been met. Here we introduce GapAnalysis, an open source R package developed to support the assessment of the state of conservation of taxa, both ex situ (in genebanks, botanic gardens and other repositories) and in situ (in protected natural areas). The eco‐geographic variation maintained in conservation repositories and that present within protected natural areas is compared with the full extent of eco‐geographic variation predicted within species' native ranges. Eco‐geographic conservation gaps are identified, and taxa are then prioritized for further action. The package enables users to quickly determine conservation status, gaps and priorities for as few as one to as many as thousands of taxa, for any wild flora or fauna for which occurrence data and species distribution models are available. To demonstrate the use of GapAnalysis, we provide case studies for wild plant taxa in the genera Capsicum L. and Cucurbita L, with an accompanying online R tutorial for three of the Cucurbita species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an assessment of the classification accuracy of the 2000 and 2010 GlobeLand30 (GL30) Forest land cover class for the forests in Mexico at the national level. The rich diversity of temperate and tropical forests in Mexico provides an ideal stage for this assessment. As validation data set, we used thousands of field sampling sites with detailed forest cover information from two sampling cycles of the national forests inventory of Mexico. We defined 9 distinct types of forests and assessed the GL30 Forest class classification accuracy for each of them. This accuracy was higher in tropical forests than in temperate forests (around 90% vs. around 77%). The lowest accuracy values (around 73%) were in the tropical and temperate forest with dominance of deciduous tree species. The largest number of wrongly classified sampling sites covered by forests fell in three GL30 classes: Shrublands, Grasslands, and Cultivated. In the temperate forests, almost 100% of the wrongly classified sites fell into the first two land covers. The more specific tropical forest types defined in our study showed distinct patterns of distribution of the misclassified sites between these three GL30 land cover classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comprehensive and uniform description that accounts for the use of all the participial periphrastic constructions in Biblical Hebrew and calls into question the claim that a second ('preterite') function of the construction was developed in Late Biblical Hebrew. We define the syntagm and give criteria for distinguishing true participial periphrastic constructions from superficially similar constructions. We then show that close attention to situation aspect and (un)boundedess provides a unified and sound account of every occurrence of the syntagm in the Hebrew Bible. We conclude that, unless the situation is bounded by an adverbial phrase, every participial periphrastic construction is unbounded which semantically distinguishes the construction from wayyiqtol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the prophetic literature, vision descriptions (which are not to be equated with 'vision reports') have certain temporal and deictic orientations. Temporally, they are either past, as the vision itself is presented as past from the speech time, or present, meaning that it is described as if were occurring before the prophet's eyes at the speech time. The spatial orientation of the text is also affected in vision descriptions as the location is in the world of the vision. Identifying a text as a vision description offers a much more coherent and meaningful interpretation of the text and fosters a deeper understanding of the text's significance in its literary context. To that end, this study identifies two linguistic expressions that function as vision signals, that is, they indicate that the text is describing a vision. This study fills gaps in the commentary literature on the relevant texts and the literature on prophetic visions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To fill knowledge gaps regarding the distributions, ecogeographic niches and conservation status of sorghum's wild relatives (Sorghum Moench). Location: The study covered the potential native ranges of wild Sorghum taxa worldwide, including Australia, New Guinea, Asia, Africa and Central America. Methods: We modelled the distributions of 23 wild Sorghum taxa, characterized their ecogeographic niches, assessed their conservation status both ex situ and in situ and performed preliminary threat assessments. Results: Three taxa were categorized as "high priority" for further conservation based on their ex situ and in situ assessments, with a further 19 as "medium priority" and only one as "low priority". The preliminary threat assessment indicated that 12 taxa may be Endangered, four Vulnerable and four Near Threatened. The taxa fill a wide range of climatic niches, both across and within taxa, including temperatures and precipitation. Main conclusions: Taxon richness hotspots, especially in northern Australia, represent hotspots for conservation action, including further seed collection and habitat protection, with Sorghum macrospermum E. D. Garber being the highest priority for increased in situ protection. Outside Australia, Sorghum propinquum (Kunth) Hitchc. stands out for further ex situ conservation, especially given its close relationship to the crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Crop wild relatives—wild species closely related to cultivated plants—are valuable genetic resources for crop improvement, but gaps in knowledge constrain their conservation and limit their further use. We develop new information on the distributions, potential breeding value, and conservation status of the 16 known wild relatives of cultivated pumpkins, squashes, zucchini, and gourds (Cucurbita L.). The taxa occur from the central USA to Central America, plus two South American species, with the greatest richness in central Mexico and the western borderlands between Mexico and the USA. We determine the majority of species are of medium priority for conservation, both with regard to collecting for ex situ maintenance, and for enhanced habitat protection. SummaryCrop wild relatives are valuable genetic resources for crop improvement. Knowledge gaps, including with regard to taxonomy, distributions, and characterization for traits of interest constrain their use in plant breeding. These deficiencies also affect conservation planning, both with regard to in situ habitat protection, and further collection of novel diversity for ex situ maintenance.Here we model the potential ranges of all 16 known wild cucurbit taxa (Cucurbita L.), use ecogeographic information to infer their potential adaptations to abiotic stresses, and assess their ex situ and in situ conservation status.The taxa occur from the central USA to Central America, plus two South American species. Predicted taxon richness was highest in central Mexico and in the western borderlands between Mexico and the USA. We find substantial ecogeographic variation both across taxa and among populations within taxa, with regard to low temperatures, high and low precipitation, and other adaptations of potential interest for crop breeding.We categorize 13 of the taxa medium priority for further conservation as a combination of the ex situ and in situ assessments, two low priority, and one sufficiently conserved. Further action across the distributions of the taxa, with emphasis on taxonomic richness hotspots, is needed to comprehensively conserve wild Cucurbita populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To fill critical knowledge gaps with regard to the distributions and conservation status of the wild relatives of chile peppers (Capsicum L.). Location: The study covered the potential native ranges of currently recognized wild Capsicum taxa, throughout the Americas. Methods: We modelled the potential distributions of 37 wild taxa in the genus, characterized their ecogeographic niches, assessed their ex situ and in situ conservation status, and performed preliminary threat assessments. Results: We categorize 18 of the taxa as "high priority" for further conservation action as a consequence of a combination of their ex situ and in situ assessments, 17 as "medium priority," and two as "low priority." Priorities for resolving gaps in ex situ conservation were determined to be high for 94.6%, and medium or high with regard to increased habitat protection for 64.9% of the taxa. The preliminary threat assessment indicated that six taxa may be critically endangered, three endangered, ten vulnerable, six near threatened and 12 least concern. Main conclusions: Taxonomic richness hot spots, especially along the Atlantic coast of Brazil, in Bolivia and Paraguay, and in the highlands of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, represent particularly high priority regions for further collecting for ex situ conservation as well as for enhanced habitat conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to restore natural landscapes impacted by environmental perturbations such as wildfires, and droughts, gave rise to Seeds of Success (SOS), a collaborative effort led by the Bureau of Land Management to collect seed of US wild native species since 2001. These collected native species are also important for agricultural activities; however, this has not been fully assessed. The SOS National Collection was evaluated for potential as sources of traits for crop improvement and direct development for agricultural purposes. Use of the collection was examined using information provided in seed requests from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System. From 2001 to 2017, SOS collected 23,577 accessions of 4761 different species, representing almost 30% of the native species in the United States. Collecting efforts have filled gaps in the conservation of native crop wild relatives; 12% of species and 18% of accessions are close and distant relatives of major and minor crops. Almost a third of the National Collection includes species with potential use in ornamental, food, medicinal, forage and feed, or material and industrial plant production. Of these species, those with ornamental potential are the most abundant in the National Collection. Requests for seed have been increasing over time, with the top three uses categorized as genetic studies, botanical or taxonomic investigations, and varietal development. Seeds of Success has positively affected the availability of native, wild plant genetic resources that have many potential uses in support of agricultural crop improvement, research, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American crop wild relatives (CWR) of lettuce (Lactuca L.) represent an underexplored pool of genetic diversity of potential value to breeding programs. The 10 species belong to three different groups: a native clade including at least six allotetraploid species [L. biennis (Moench) Fernald, L. canadensis L., L. floridana (L.) Gaertn., L. graminifolia Michx., L. hirsuta Muhl. ex Nutt., and L. ludoviciana (Nutt.) Riddell], a diploid clade with one species [L. tatarica (L.) C. A. Mey. subsp. pulchella (Pursh) Stebbins], and a clade related to the cultivated taxon (L. sativa L.) with three non‐native species (L. saligna L., L. serriola L., and L. virosa L.). In this review, we examine the role of herbarium and genebank holdings in taxonomic and other foundational studies, as well as for germplasm exploration and use. We compile the state of knowledge on the ranges of lettuce CWR in North America, modeling the potential distributions of the species and assessing their ex situ and (for native species) in situ conservation status. We categorize seven of the species as high priority for further conservation and three as medium priority, with none currently considered low priority or sufficiently conserved. Further, we review morphological, phenological, genetic diversity, and pest and disease information with regard to North American species. We conclude by outlining the critical gaps and describing a way forward for addressing challenges in the conservation and use of North American wild lettuce germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop wild relatives, the wild progenitors and closely related cousins of cultivated plant species, are sources of valuable genetic resources for crop improvement. Persisting gaps in knowledge of taxonomy, distributions, and characterization for traits of interest constrain their expanded use in plant breeding and likewise negatively affect ex situ (in genebanks) and in situ (in natural habitats) conservation planning. We compile the state of knowledge on the taxonomy and distributions of the wild relatives of carrot (genus Daucus L.) natively occurring within Tunisia—a hotspot of diversity of the genus, containing 13 taxa (27% of species worldwide). We use ecogeographic information to characterize their potential adaptations to abiotic stresses of interest in crop breeding and assess their ex situ and in situ conservation status. We find substantial ecogeographic variation both across taxa and between populations within taxa, with regard to adaptation to high temperatures, low precipitation, and other traits of potential interest. We categorize three of the taxa high priority for further conservation both ex situ and in situ, five medium priority, and five low priority, with none currently considered sufficiently conserved. Geographic hotspots for species diversity, especially in the northern coastal areas, represent particularly high value regions for efficient further collecting for ex situ conservation and for in situ protection in Tunisia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study investigated the association of the failure to complete performance-based measures (PBM) with poor health status and an increased risk of death among the elderly. The authors studied infeasibility in PBMs and whether missing data were informative. They also compared the characteristics of people from the clinical examination in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging-2 who were able to perform both the Functional Reach and Timed Up and Go with those who could not.

Background: In 6-month anti-dementia drug trials, a 4-point change in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) is held to be clinically important. We examined how this change compared with measures of clinical meaningfulness. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a 12 month open-label study of 100 patients (71 women) diagnosed with mild to moderate AD treated with 5-10 mg of donepezil daily. We studied the observed case, 6-month change from baseline on the ADAS-Cog, the Clinician's Interview Based Impression of Change-Plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-Plus), patient-Goal Attainment Scaling (PGAS) and clinician-GAS (CGAS). Results: At 6 months, donepezil-treated patients (n = 95) were more likely to show no change (+/ - 3 points) on the ADAS-Cog (56%) than to improve (20%) or decline (24%) by 4-points. ADASCog change scores were little correlated with other measures: from -0.09 for PGAS to 0.27 for the CIBIC-Plus. While patients who improved on the ADAS-Cog were less likely to decline on the clinical measures (26%), 43% of patients who declined on the ADAS-Cog improved on at least two of the clinical measures. Conclusion: The ADAS-Cog did not capture all clinically important effects. In general, ADAS-Cog improvement indicates clinical improvement, whereas many people with ADAS-Cog decline do not show clinical decline. The open-label design of this study does not allow us to know whether this is a treatment effect, which requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents two views on the question of whether technology in physical education (PE) enhances or increases the time available to engage in physical activity. Debra A. Ballinger, a physical education teacher education at East Stroudsburg University, says that too many teachers are spending too much effort to use technology to meet the standards of physical education. Laura Zavatto of Stagecoach Elementary believes that technology in PE can be a great motivator.

Declining populations of Zizania palustris L. (northern wildrice, or wildrice) during the last century drives the demand for new and innovative techniques to support monitoring of this culturally and ecologically significant crop wild relative. We trained three wildrice detection models in R and Google Earth Engine using data from annual aquatic vegetation surveys in northern Minnesota. Three different training datasets, varying in the definition of wildrice presence, were combined with Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Sentinel-1 C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to map wildrice in 2015 using random forests. Spectral predictors were derived from phenologically important time periods of emergence (June–July) and peak harvest (August–September). The range of the Vertical Vertical (VV) polarization between the two time periods was consistently the top predictor. Model outputs were evaluated using both point and area-based validation (polygon). While all models performed well in the point validation with percent correctly classified ranging from 83.8% to 91.1%, we found polygon validation necessary to comprehensively assess wildrice detection accuracy. Our practical approach highlights a variety of applications that can be applied to guide field excursions and estimate the extent of occurrence at landscape scales. Further testing and validation of the methods we present may support multiyear monitoring which is foundational for the preservation of wildrice for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present "CO-RIP", a novel spatial dataset delineating riparian corridors and riparian vegetation along large streams and rivers in the United States (US) portion of the Colorado River Basin. The consistent delineation of riparian areas across large areas using remote sensing has been a historically complicated process partially due to differing definitions in the scientific and management communities regarding what a "riparian corridor" or "riparian vegetation" represents. We use valley-bottoms to define the riparian corridor and establish a riparian vegetation definition interpretable from aerial imagery for efficient, consistent, and broad-scale mapping. Riparian vegetation presence and absence data were collected using a systematic, flexible image interpretation process applicable wherever high resolution imagery is available. We implemented a two-step approach using existing valley bottom delineation methods and random forests classification models that integrate Landsat spectral information to delineate riparian corridors and vegetation across the 12 ecoregions of the Colorado River Basin. Riparian vegetation model accuracy was generally strong (median kappa of 0.80), however it varied across ecoregions (kappa range of 0.42–0.90). We offer suggestions for improvement in our current image interpretation and modelling frameworks, particularly encouraging additional research in mapping riparian vegetation in moist coniferous forest and deep canyon environments. The CO-RIP dataset created through this research is publicly available and can be utilized in a wide range of ecological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]