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While vegetation has intensively been surveyed on mountain summits, limited knowledge exists about the diversity and community structure of soil biota. Here, we study how climatic variables, vegetation, parent material, soil properties, and slope aspect affect the soil microbiome on 10 GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments) mountain summits ranging from the lower alpine to the nival zone in Switzerland. At these summits we sampled soils from all four aspects and examined how the bacterial and fungal communities vary by using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. We found that mountain summit soils contain highly diverse microbial communities with a total of 10,406 bacterial and 6,291 fungal taxa. Bacterial a-diversity increased with increasing soil pH and decreased with increasing elevation, whereas fungal a-diversity did not change significantly. Soil pH was the strongest predictor for microbial b-diversity. Bacterial and fungal community structures exhibited a significant positive relationship with plant communities, indicating that summits with a more distinct plant composition also revealed more distinct microbial communities. The influence of elevation was stronger than aspect on the soil microbiome. Several microbial taxa responded to elevation and soil pH. Chloroflexi and Mucoromycota were significantly more abundant on summits at higher elevations, whereas the relative abundance of Basidiomycota and Agaricomycetes decreased with elevation. Most bacterial OTUs belonging to the phylum Acidobacteria were indicators for siliceous parent material and several OTUs belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes were associated with calcareous soils. The trends for fungi were less clear. Indicator OTUs belonging to the genera Mortierella and Naganishia showed a mixed response to parent material, demonstrating their ubiquitous and opportunistic behaviour in soils. Overall, fungal communities responded weakly to abiotic and biotic factors. In contrast, bacterial communities were strongly influenced by environmental changes suggesting they will be strongly affected by future climate change and associated temperature increase and an upward migration of vegetation. Our results provide the first insights into the soil microbiome of mountain summits in the European Alps that are shaped as a result of highly variable local environmental conditions and may help to predict responses of the soil biota to global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: The alpine vegetation of the Alps is particularly vulnerable to climate change, as the temperature increase in this region is twice the global average and the available area for new colonisations decreases with increasing elevation. While numerous studies have investigated the response of vascular plants to a warming climate in the alpine belt, only a handful have investigated that of cryptogams in the European Alps. Based on a 21‐year monitoring project, we assessed the effects of climate change on cryptogams along elevation, from the treeline to the subnival belt. Location: Four GLORIA summits in Valais (Switzerland). Methods: Between 2001 and 2022, terricolous lichens and bryophytes (from 2008) were inventoried in 52 1‐m2 plots distributed across four summits: 2360 m a.s.l. (treeline), 2550 m (lower alpine), 2990 m (upper alpine) and 3210 m (subnival). Changes in species cover and richness were analysed using generalised linear mixed‐effects model (GLMMs). Results: For bryophytes, total cover remained stable overall. However, six species declined significantly between 2008 and 2022, and the species richness decreased after 2015. For terricolous lichens, total cover significantly increased on the lower alpine summit, while species richness increased on the upper alpine and subnival summits. Conclusions: Bryophytes have probably suffered from the increasingly dry conditions, with a succession of very warm and dry summers over the last decades. Terricolous lichens have taken advantage of the warmer conditions to increase their cover on the lower alpine summit, and new species have colonised the upper summits. However, as they compete with vascular plants for soil and light, they may suffer from shrub and tree encroachment in the future and will be limited upwards by the rarity of developed soils. The large topo‐climatic gradient (850 m) and the length of the time series suggest that similar trends are likely to be more widespread across the Alps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing of optically complex inland waterbodies is challenging due to the complex nonlinear correlation between water quality parameters and water optical properties. However, integration of deep learning techniques and representative datasets offers the potential to address these challenges effectively. This study aims to develop robust deep learning models, utilizing limited but highly representative dataset of in-situ water quality and radiometrically corrected hyperspectral remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) measurements collected from optically diverse lakes of China, for independent and simultaneous retrieval of Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), Secchi Disk Depth (SDD), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) using Sentinel-2 analysis ready products. The GLObal Reflectance community dataset for Imaging and optical sensing of Aquatic environments (GLORIA) provides over 400 such measurements for Chinese lakes, which are simulated to Sentinel-2 Rrs with its spectral response function to build a representative dataset. Using this dataset, Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) based Deep Neural Network (DNN) models are developed and compared with eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms. The DNN models outperformed in effective evaluation of Chl-a (Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) = 14.18 mg/m3), TSS (RMSE=7.23 g/m3) and SDD (RMSE=0.12 m) on test datasets and Chl-a (RMSE=14.42 mg/m3) and SDD (RMSE=0.07 m) against Sentinel-2A validation dataset of Liangzi lake. Mixed Density Network (MDN) model showed less accuracy for Chl-a (RMSE=16.76 mg/m3) on same validation dataset. Impact of different atmospheric correction processors is also assessed and DNN models achieved their accuracy on Sentinel-2 Atmospheric Correction (Sen2Cor) processor. Finally, water quality maps for various lakes in China are produced showing realistic ranges. These results show the potential of DNN models trained with limited but representative dataset in practical applications for spatial and temporal analysis of water quality.

This study investigates the impact of varying planting densities on cotton plants’ morphological traits and yield. As planting density increases, there is a reduction in monopodial and sympodial branches, resulting in a more compact plant structure. The study highlights the highest yield achieved with specific planting densities, endorsing the viability of both holl and row planting methods. It suggests adopting narrow or ultra-narrow row systems to enhance yield and economize input costs. The study was conducted in 2017 at the experimental field of Aydın Adnan Menderes University in the Faculty of Agriculture’s Department of Field Crops. The material used in this study was the widely cultivated cotton variety “Gloria” in the Aegean region. The investigation was conducted using a randomized block design with 4 replications. In evaluating cotton yield and related parameters, it was observed that D1 and D2 (14.285 plants/da) achieved the highest yield concerning plant density, emphasizing the viability of both holl and row planting methods. The study concluded that augmenting the number of plants within a specific area of production significantly contributes to higher seed cotton yields. To enhance yield and economize cotton input costs, the adoption of a narrow or ultra-narrow row production system is suggested as an alternative strategy to conventional methods.

Music is an essential part of human life, but it is also integral to the experience of faith. From its beginnings, music has been associated with religious expression and worship. One of the oldest Christian hymns is the hymn "Gloria in excelsis Deo"-"Glory to God in the highest", which was originally a component of morning and evening prayer. Later, it became part of the Holy Mass and is still sung during the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays and feast days. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive view of this precious hymn in terms of its historical use. The study pays special attention to the sources of the text of this ancient hymn. A theological analysis of the text is also an indispensable prerequisite for a deeper understanding. Finally, the study offers up-to-date guidelines for the hymn's use today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frescos that adorn the residences of the eighteenth century Palermitan aristrocacy are among the most interesting artistic testimonies of that age, not only because they celarly express the evolution of the taste from baroque to rococo and neoclassic style, but also and above all because they allow us to reconstruct peculiar traits and aspirations of the nobility. Princes and barons, always committed in claiming their political role e their status, hired the artists in vogue in the city to convey self celebrating messa-ges in glories, triumphs, mythological and literary scenes.

Music is an essential part of human life, but it is also integral to the experience of faith. From its beginnings, music has been associated with religious expression and worship. One of the oldest Christian hymns is the hymn “Gloria in excelsis Deo”-“Glory to God in the highest”, which was originally a component of morning and evening prayer. Later, it became part of the Holy Mass and is still sung during the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays and feast days. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive view of this precious hymn in terms of its historical use. The study pays special attention to the sources of the text of this ancient hymn. A theological analysis of the text is also an indispensable prerequisite for a deeper understanding. Finally, the study offers up-to-date guidelines for the hymn’s use today.

Although alpine regions of the Himalaya are characterized by low-temperature and short-growing periods, yet these harbour a high richness of plant species including a greater proportion of partly-endemic flora. Climate warming has drastically influenced the composition of alpine vegetation globally leading to threats of biodiversity loss. Himalaya, a rich biodiversity hotspot, have also been experiencing such warming effects in the recent decades. However, its impact on the Himalayan ecosystem especially on the alpine vegetation is not yet studied in detail. Therefore, we established permanent monitoring plots (PMPs) on three summits of Indian north-western Himalayan region in 2014 at one of the benchmark sites identified and selected under the aegis of Himalayan Alpine Dynamics Research Initiative (HIMADRI) network for long-term monitoring of alpine vegetation following Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) multi-summit protocols. These summits are along an elevation gradient from 3600 to 3900 m. Data from PMPs were recorded in the years 2015 and 2020. Over the period of these years, mean annual soil temperature has been found to increase significantly with more increase observed in the summer mean temperature of upper alpine (3900 m) summit. Increase in species richness and plant cover percentage were also observed. The changes in beta and zeta diversity indices revealed Homogenization of biotic communities. Thermophilization was found more pronounced in the lower alpine summits. The study provides the baseline scientific data of alpine communities of the region in response to climate. Thus, this study will serve as an effort towards filling the knowledge gaps in the less explored regions of Indian north-western Himalaya. Continued studies in the present site and further explorations in other parts of alpine eco-regions of Himalaya are necessary, which has greater implications for conservation of vulnerable flora of alpine regions of the Himalaya, in the changing climate scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper proposes that Sallust offers a conceptualization of civil conflict more in line with the Greek paradigm of stasis than with its Roman counterpart bellum ciuile. In doing so, it argues for the actual coexistence of these two differentiated conceptual strands in the political thought of the Late Republic. To this end, Sallust's corpus is analysed to identify the main threads that articulate civil strife in its multifarious manifestations: how it arises and who its protagonists are or, conversely, how it is kept in check, how it is connected to the human passions that drive ideology, and the violence that stems from the clash between political and familial spheres of influence. The article shows how the pathos of familial drama is what characterizes civil conflict for Sallust, rather than the struggle for legitimacy found in Cicero's narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the highest rate of distant metastasis and poorest overall survival among breast cancer subtypes. In a phase II study, adagloxad simolenin (AdaSim), a synthetic Globo H conjugate vaccine administered with adjuvant OBI-821, was shown to induce IgM and IgG anti-Globo H humoral responses in patients with metastatic breast cancer overexpressing the glycosphingolipid Globo H. GLORIA is an ongoing phase III, randomized, open-label clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AdaSim and the quality of life (QoL) of patients receiving AdaSim plus standard of care (SOC) versus SOC alone in high-risk, early-stage TNBC. The primary end point is invasive progression-free survival; secondary end points include overall survival, QoL, breast cancer-free interval, distant disease-free survival, safety, and tolerability. Patients with triple-negative breast cancer generally do very poorly with the current available therapies. A vaccine with a totally different mechanism of action is being investigated in these patients to see how they do with this new therapy. This trial is a very early investigation and is currently ongoing. Clinical Trial Registration:NCT03562637 (ClinicalTrials.gov) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RESUMO Em um momento de enfrentamentos dos exércitos romanos sob a liderança do imperador Graciano contra alamanos, godos, alanos e sármatas, este augusto mandou cunhar moedas que validavam seu poder de império e angariavam apoio de seus súditos. Neste artigo, atenho-me a analisar os discursos promovidos em três dessas moedas, pertencentes ao acervo do Museu Histórico Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (MHN-RJ), sob as identificações 163968, 163979 e 163987. Para analisar tais documentos, fotografei-os e criei quadros informativos para cada um deles. Por fim, a partir de exames próprios da numismática, de minhas leituras em bibliografia especializada e em outros documentos antigos, procedi à interpretação documental. Noto que os valores destacados nesses numerários, entre eles a “glória” e a “concórdia”, ressaltavam as habilidades de Graciano como militar e líder dos romanos e, assim, propagavam a opinião de que esse imperador era necessário à sua sociedade.

The focus of this article is on a curious episode at the end of the first book of Tacitus' Annals. It is argued that Tacitus here is at his most metaphoric and allusive, allowing a senatorial debate on the possibly prophetic meaning of an inundation of the Tiber to become a debate about the overwhelming power of the river's namesake Tiberius. Parallels from Dio (and perhaps also from Livy) indicate that inundations of the Tiber by the end of the Republic had become prophetic warnings of the rise of the dynasts undermining the stability of the Republic. In Tacitus, procedural anomalies and suggestive wordplay bring to the fore the religious and constitutional issues that in the Senate's handling of this Tiberine prodigium reflect its submission to the ever more oppressive power of Tiberius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species turnover is ubiquitous. However, it remains unknown whether certain types of species are consistently gained or lost across different habitats. Here, we analysed the trajectories of 1827 plant species over time intervals of up to 78 years at 141 sites across mountain summits, forests, and lowland grasslands in Europe. We found, albeit with relatively small effect sizes, displacements of smaller‐ by larger‐ranged species across habitats. Communities shifted in parallel towards more nutrient‐demanding species, with species from nutrient‐rich habitats having larger ranges. Because these species are typically strong competitors, declines of smaller‐ranged species could reflect not only abiotic drivers of global change, but also biotic pressure from increased competition. The ubiquitous component of turnover based on species range size we found here may partially reconcile findings of no net loss in local diversity with global species loss, and link community‐scale turnover to macroecological processes such as biotic homogenisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of this paper is the continuity of major religious, moral and ethical concepts of Roman culture in following periods. These are the virtues of the citizen, namely virtus, fides and pietas — which distinguish the Roman citizen as a brave warrior, honest magistrate and pious pater familias. The central one was the duty to the City. Some traces of this tradition can be observed in the most influental sources of the Christian Patristic period, although the very intention of morals has changed: res publica, a common/communal duty, was replaced by the adoration of God. With the view to a representative research, De Civitate Dei by Saint Augustine, the most famous Christian treatise dealing with the state, civic rights, state religion, authority etc. was analyzed. On the one hand, this great book provides multiple suitable illustrations for almost every feature of the continuity between the Ancient pagan culture and Christian intellectual one. On the other hand, it isn’t just a plain comparison of loci classici in pagan and Christian context, one can find the origins of a completely new approach to the world history, which had had an influence on minds of further generations of Christian theologians in Middle Ages and later periods.

Mountain ecosystems are globally among the most vulnerable to the impacts of global warming. This study is carried out on high-mountain summits dominated by dwarf bamboo, Yushania niitakayamensis, in the alpine zone of subtropical Taiwan. A total of six summits were selected using a multi-summit approach, following the common protocol of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA). To assess the climate change effects, we used the soil temperature and statistical downscaling precipitation data to analyze the climatic changing patterns, also applied enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and vegetation diversity index to assess the vegetation responses among summits along the timeline. The results showed that the temperature has a significant increase in all summits, especially in winter. The annual chilling days have reduced around 50% from 2010 to 2019, which would imply the extension of plant growing season. The EVI values showed a tendency to increase over time. Furthermore, the long-term trend of EVI had an abnormal drop in 2018. This coincided with low precipitation and extremely high temperature in the early growing season, which may have caused water shortage and a decline in plant growth. Although the temperature was increasing significantly, the species diversity was slightly increasing in the first survey, but significantly decreased in the third survey. We suggest that the increase in temperature and the extension of the growing season might have led to the expansion of the bamboo species Y. niitakayamensis. Its expansion, combined with an extreme climate event could have caused the decline in species diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing plant phenology and plant–animal interaction networks can provide sensitive mechanistic indicators to understand the response of alpine plant communities to climate change. However, monitoring data to analyze these processes is scarce in alpine ecosystems, particularly in the highland tropics. The Andean páramos constitute the coldest biodiversity hotspot on Earth, and their species and ecosystems are among the most exposed and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Here, we analyze for the first time baseline data for monitoring plant phenological dynamics and plant–pollinator networks along an elevation gradient between 4,200 and 4,600 m asl in three mountain summits of the Venezuelan Andes, which are part of the GLORIA monitoring network. We estimated the presence and density of plants with flowers in all the summits and in permanent plots, every month for 1 year. Additionally, we identified pollinators. We calculated a phenological overlap index between species. We summarized the plant–pollinator interactions as a bipartite matrix and represented a quantitative plant–pollinator network, calculating structural properties (grade, connectance, nestedness, and specialization). We also evaluated whether the overall network structure was influenced by differences in sampling effort, changes in species composition between summits, and phenology of the plant species. Finally, we characterized the pollination syndrome of all species. Flowering showed a marked seasonality, with a peak toward the end of the wet season. The overall phenological overlap index was low (0.32), suggesting little synchrony in flowering among species. Species richness of both plants and pollinators decreased along the elevation gradient. Flies, bumblebees, and hummingbirds were the most frequent pollinators in the network, while entomophily and anemophily were the prevailing pollination syndromes. The interaction network in all summits showed high connectance values, significant specialization (H2), and low nestedness. We did not find a significant effect of sampling effort, summit plant species composition, or plant phenology on network structure. Our results indicate that these high tropical alpine plant communities and their plant-pollination networks could be particularly vulnerable to the loss of species in climate change scenarios, given their low species richness and functional redundancy coupled with a high degree of specialization and endemism.

The alpine life zone is expected to undergo major changes with ongoing climate change. While an increase of plant species richness on mountain summits has generally been found, competitive displacement may result in the long term. Here, we explore how species richness and surface cover types (vascular plants, litter, bare ground, scree and rock) changed over time on different bedrocks on summits of the European Alps. We focus on how species richness and turnover (new and lost species) depended on the density of existing vegetation, namely vascular plant cover. We analyzed permanent plots (1 m × 1 m) in each cardinal direction on 24 summits (24 × 4 × 4), with always four summits distributed along elevation gradients in each of six regions (three siliceous, three calcareous) across the European Alps. Mean summer temperatures derived from downscaled climate data increased synchronously over the past 30 years in all six regions. During the investigated 14 years, vascular plant cover decreased on siliceous bedrock, coupled with an increase in litter, and it marginally increased on higher calcareous summits. Species richness showed a unimodal relationship with vascular plant cover. Richness increased over time on siliceous bedrock but slightly decreased on calcareous bedrock due to losses in plots with high plant cover. Our analyses suggest contrasting and complex processes on siliceous versus calcareous summits in the European Alps. The unimodal richness-cover relationship and species losses at high plant cover suggest competition as a driver for vegetation change on alpine summits.

The Social Literary Criticism Underpins This Study. Literary Work Is A Reflection Of Human Existence, Expressing A Wide Range Of Human Emotions, Feelings, And Behaviours. Through Literary Art, People Can Transcend Human Ingenuity Into Something Larger Than Life And Beyond Their Imagination. Racism Has Been The Subject Of Numerous References, Scientific Studies, And Literary Works. "Gloria" By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Is One Of The Literary Works That Analyze Such Phenomena. The Researcher Is Classed As A Literary Critic Since She Evaluates And Analyzes The Selected Literary Work To Achieve The Study's Objectives. The Researcher Looks At This Literary Endeavour From Two Angles: Intrinsic And Extrinsic And Then Applies Genetic Structuralism Theory. This Paper Tries To Answer Some Questions Such As "Do Asians In America Confront A Variety Of Forms Of White Racism?" And "What Are The Important Things For Asians To Continue Their Struggle Against Racism And Win Equity?". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High mountain environments are often characterised by low temperatures and short growing seasons, yet support high plant endemism and biodiversity. While such ecosystems are considered among the most vulnerable to climatic warming, the impacts of climate change on diversity and composition can be complex. To develop a deeper understanding of these dynamics, changes in vegetation over time along five alpine summits that are part of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environment (GLORIA), were assessed including species richness, α-diversity, β-diversity, vegetation and growth form cover as well as composition. The five summits of Mount Clarke in the Australian Alps were surveyed in 2004, 2011 and 2019. Despite increases in species richness over time, there was an overall decline in diversity through biotic homogenisation across the summits. Near complete vegetation cover was recorded in 2004 but increased over the 15 years via in-filling and densification, driven by increasing cover of graminoids and shrubs. Consequently, there was also a shift in species composition which was greatest at higher elevations. The results indicate that there has been a shift towards more competitive and thermophilic composition, which may have implications for flammability in a warming and drying climate. Further assessments will be required to more fully explore the effect of climate variation from climate change, and implications for conservation of this and other alpine floras globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While climatic research about treeline has a long history, the climatic conditions corresponding to the upper limit of closed alpine grasslands remain poorly understood. Here, we propose a climatic definition for this limit, the 'grassline', in analogy to the treeline, which is based on the growing season length and the soil temperature. Eighty-seven mountain summits across ten European mountain ranges, covering three biomes (boreal, temperate, Mediterranean), were inventoried as part of the GLORIA project. Vascular plant cover was estimated visually in 326 plots of 1 × 1 m. Soil temperatures were measured in situ for 2–7 years, from which the length of the growing season and mean temperature were derived. The climatic conditions corresponding to 40% plant cover were defined as the thresholds for alpine grassland. Closed vegetation was present in locations with a mean growing season soil temperature warmer than 4.9 °C, or a minimal growing season length of 85 days, with the growing season defined as encompassing days with daily mean ≥ 1 °C. Hence, the upper limit of closed grasslands was associated with a mean soil temperature close to that previously observed at the treeline, and in accordance with physiological thresholds to growth in vascular plants. In contrast to trees, whose canopy temperature is coupled with air temperature, small-stature alpine plants benefit from the soil warmed by solar radiation and consequently, they can grow at higher elevations. Since substrate stability is necessary for grasslands to occur at their climatic limit, the grassline rarely appears as a distinct linear feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Examining community turnover across climate gradients at multiple scales is vital to understanding biogeographic response to climate change. This approach is especially important for alpine plants in which the relative roles of topographic complexity and nonclimatic or stochastic factors vary across spatial scales. Methods: We examined the structure of alpine plant communities across elevation gradients in the White Mountains, California. Using community climatic niche means (CCNMs) and measures of community dissimilarity, we explored the relation between community composition and elevation gradients at three scales: the mountain range, individual peaks, and within elevation contours. Results: At the mountain range scale, community turnover and CCNMs showed strongly significant relations with elevation, with an increase in the abundance of cooler and wetter‐adapted species at higher elevations. At the scale of single peaks, we found weak and inconsistent relations between CCNMs and elevation, but variation in community composition explained by elevation increased. Within the elevation contours, the range of CCNMs was weakly positively correlated with turnover in species identity, likely driven by microclimate and other site‐specific factors. Conclusions: Our results suggest that there is strong environmental sorting of alpine plant communities at broad scales, but microclimatic and site‐specific, nonclimatic factors together shape community turnover at finer scales. In the context of climate change, our results imply that community–climate relations are scale‐dependent, and predictions of local alpine plant range shifts are limited by a lack of topoclimatic and habitat information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by Foucault's argument that "knowledge is an 'invention' behind which lies something completely different from itself: the play of instincts, impulses, desires, fears, and the will to appropriate," this study considers the possibility that "nondirectivity" in Rogerian psychotherapy operates as a trope for power. This is partly based on Edwin Kahn's observation that nondirective therapists may be less mindful of their own fallibility than other therapists, less wary of their capacity to influence clients, and therefore, less prepared to interrogate the ways they might actually be influencing them. Nondirective, client-centered therapists, in short, may be less likely to have doubts about their comments and interventions, and thus more likely to exercise influence. What I show in this study is how Rogers did just this in his famous session with Gloria, how—without telling Gloria about his personal and theoretic biases, without first discussing them with her to see if and how they fit her goals—he continually pushed her to view herself through the lens of those biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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High-elevation habitats host a large number of plant species and are characterized by high biodiversity. The vegetation dynamics in these cold adapted ecosystems are difficult to predict, being affected by global warming, especially in the last decades. With the aim to promote a better understanding of climate-driven changes of alpine vegetation, we investigated the variation in species richness, α-diversity, β-diversity, and total cover of plant functional types over a time lapse of 15 years, relying on multiple re-surveys of mountain summit vegetation in 2001, 2008 and 2015. The study area, included in the long term global observation network GLORIA, was at the boundary between temperate and Mediterranean mountains of S-Europe (northern Apennines, Italy). We identified a trend of loss in biodiversity and signals of biotic homogenization using multiple diversity metrics, despite the overall species richness increment observed in the study area. Cold-adapted and rare species declined while dominant species like graminoids and shrubs increased. Our results highlight that long-term vegetation monitoring activities paired with multiple measures of diversity are required to properly assess biodiversity and to obtain useful indications for future conservation activities in alpine environments. The methods here presented could be applied in all GLORIA sites to quantify biodiversity changes over time, obtaining comparable results for biodiversity monitoring in high-elevation habitats from all over the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El presente trabajo procura llevar a cabo una reflexión acerca de la virtud política y sus límites en la Ciropedia de Jenofonte. Nuestra lectura sostendrá que la Ciropedia es una reflexión implícita sobre la mejor forma de gobierno y su relación con la virtud y la virtud política. El tratamiento de esta cuestión nos permitirá, a su vez, tematizar la cuestión de las posibilidades del republicanismo aristocrático y democrático. Para llevar adelante este trabajo nos concentraremos en la educación recibida por Ciro, tal como es tratada en los primeros libros. Desde este punto de partida se realizará un examen sistemático de las reformas del régimen de los persas que Ciro realiza a lo largo de su vida (de república aristocrática a imperio democrático), su relación con las ideas de virtud que componen su formación, los resultados de tal experimento, y el modo en que iluminan, en conclusión, una cierta idea de virtud (política y no política).

High mountain zones in the Mediterranean area are considered more vulnerable in comparison to lower altitudes zones. Lefka Ori massif, a global biodiversity hotspot on the island of Crete is part of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) monitoring network. The paper examines species and vegetation changes with respect to climate and altitude over a seven-year period (2001–2008) at a range of spatial scales (10 m Summit Area Section-SAS, 5 m SAS, 1 m2) using the GLORIA protocol in a re-survey of four mountain summits (1664 m–2339 m). The absolute species loss between 2001–2008 was 4, among which were 2 endemics. At the scale of individual summits, the highest changes were recorded at the lower summits with absolute species loss 4 in both cases. Paired t-tests for the total species richness at 1 m2 between 2001–2008, showed no significant differences. No significant differences were found at the individual summit level neither at the 5 m SAS or the 10 m SAS. Time series analysis reveals that soil mean annual temperature is increasing at all summits. Linear regressions with the climatic variables show a positive effect on species richness at the 5 m and 10 m SAS as well as species changes at the 5 m SAS. In particular, June mean temperature has the highest predictive power for species changes at the 5 m SAS. Recorded changes in species richness point more towards fluctuations within a plant community’s normal range, although there seem to be more significant diversity changes in higher summits related to aspects. Our work provides additional evidence to assess the effects of climate change on plant diversity in Mediterranean mountains and particularly those of islands which remain understudied.

Background: Continuous delivery of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) provides stable plasma levodopa concentrations and reduces motor fluctuations in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Objective: To compare the effectiveness and safety of LCIG monotherapy vs polytherapy in patients in the GLORIA registry. Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a 24-month, multinational observational registry where advanced PD patients with persistent motor complications received LCIG (with adjunctive PD treatment, as necessary). Patients were categorized retrospectively into three stable treatment groups: LCIG monotherapy, LCIG in combination with oral levodopa only ("levodopa monotherapy" [including nighttime oral levodopa]), or LCIG in combination with any other antiparkinsonian medication ("LCIG polytherapy"). Results: Of 356 patients, 208 were on stable regimens (LCIG monotherapy n = 80; levodopa monotherapy n = 47; LCIG polytherapy n = 81). Baseline characteristics were similar across groups. LCIG monotherapy showed significant improvements until month 18 in activities of daily living and quality of life, and until month 24 for Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor examination (p < 0.05), "Off" time (p < 0.001), "On" time with dyskinesia (p < 0.01), and non-motor symptoms (p < 0.01). More patients in the levodopa monotherapy and LCIG polytherapy groups experienced treatment-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) including dyskinesias and serious ADRs than did patients in the LCIG monotherapy group. There were few polyneuropathy-related ADRs, of which one case of polyneuropathy led to discontinuation from the Levodopa monotherapy group. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that LCIG monotherapy is an effective treatment option in appropriate advanced PD patients; however, definitive baseline clinical predictors identifying patients who can discontinue concomitant oral therapy have not yet been defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While vegetation has intensively been surveyed on mountain summits, limited knowledge exists about the diversity and community structure of soil biota. Here, we study how climatic variables, vegetation, parent material, soil properties, and slope aspect affect the soil microbiome on 10 GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments) mountain summits ranging from the lower alpine to the nival zone in Switzerland. At these summits we sampled soils from all four aspects and examined how the bacterial and fungal communities vary by using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. We found that mountain summit soils contain highly diverse microbial communities with a total of 10,406 bacterial and 6,291 fungal taxa. Bacterial α-diversity increased with increasing soil pH and decreased with increasing elevation, whereas fungal α-diversity did not change significantly. Soil pH was the strongest predictor for microbial β-diversity. Bacterial and fungal community structures exhibited a significant positive relationship with plant communities, indicating that summits with a more distinct plant composition also revealed more distinct microbial communities. The influence of elevation was stronger than aspect on the soil microbiome. Several microbial taxa responded to elevation and soil pH. Chloroflexi and Mucoromycota were significantly more abundant on summits at higher elevations, whereas the relative abundance of Basidiomycota and Agaricomycetes decreased with elevation. Most bacterial OTUs belonging to the phylum Acidobacteria were indicators for siliceous parent material and several OTUs belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes were associated with calcareous soils. The trends for fungi were less clear. Indicator OTUs belonging to the genera Mortierella and Naganishia showed a mixed response to parent material, demonstrating their ubiquitous and opportunistic behaviour in soils. Overall, fungal communities responded weakly to abiotic and biotic factors. In contrast, bacterial communities were strongly influenced by environmental changes suggesting they will be strongly affected by future climate change and associated temperature increase and an upward migration of vegetation. Our results provide the first insights into the soil microbiome of mountain summits in the European Alps that are shaped as a result of highly variable local environmental conditions and may help to predict responses of the soil biota to global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the Study: With biodiversity and rates of climate change among the highest, the eastern Himalaya are critical for understanding the interaction of these two variables. However, there is a dearth of longitudinal data sets that address the effects of climate change on the exceptional alpine biodiversity of the Himalaya. Methods: We established permanent alpine vegetation monitoring plots in three mountain chains of the Hengduan Mountains, the easternmost Himalaya, which have warmed 0.03–0.05°C yr−1 since 1985. Recently, we resampled plots (176 1‐m2 quadrat plots and 88 sections of 11 summits in three Hengduan mountain chains) to measure changes in vegetation after 7 years. Key Results: Over 7 years, Tibetan alpine vegetation increased in number of species (+8 species/summit; +2.3 species/m2), in frequency (+47.8 plants/m2), and in diversity (+1.6 effective species/m2). Stepwise regressions indicated that warmer temperatures, southerly aspects, and higher elevations were associated with greater increases in these vegetation metrics. Unexpectedly, Himalayan endemic species increased (+1.4 species/m2; +8.5 plants/m2), especially on higher‐elevation summits. In contrast, the increase in relative abundance of non‐alpine species was greater at lower‐elevation summits. Plants used by local Tibetans also increased (+1.3 species/m2; +32 plants/m2). Conclusions: As in other alpine areas, biodiversity is increasing with climate change in the Himalaya. Unlike other areas, endemic species are proliferating at the highest summits and are indicators of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: High mountain ecosystems and their biota are governed by low‐temperature conditions and thus can be used as indicators for climate warming impacts on natural ecosystems, provided that long‐term data exist. We used data from the largest alpine to nival permanent plot site in the Alps, established in the frame of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) on Schrankogel in the Tyrolean Alps, Austria, in 1994, and resurveyed in 2004 and 2014. Vascular plant species richness per plot increased over the entire period, albeit to a lesser extent in the second decade, because disappearance events increased markedly in the latter period. Although presence/absence data could only marginally explain range shift dynamics, changes in species cover and plant community composition indicate an accelerating transformation towards a more warmth‐demanding and more drought‐adapted vegetation, which is strongest at the lowest, least rugged subsite. Divergent responses of vertical distribution groups of species suggest that direct warming effects, rather than competitive displacement, are the primary causes of the observed patterns. The continued decrease in cryophilic species could imply that trailing edge dynamics proceed more rapidly than successful colonisation, which would favour a period of accelerated species declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article compares affective economies in the The Iliad and a corpus of drug runner ballads, focusing on the way they organize power through honor and glory, instead of money. I argue that affective economies go beyond the merely pecuniary, demonstrating how heroes in both Mexico and ancient Greece operate within economies built upon the notions of honor and glory. The essay proposes that there are common strategies to resolve similar needs from social constructs that are alike in nature: the organization of bandits ruled by Agamemnon depicted by Homer as an Achaean league and the organization that was allegedly ruled by Joaquín Guzmán Loera, known as the Sinaloa Cartel. Both organizations face problems structural problems typical of a political environment where military might is stronger than institutional power or mediums of economic exchange. In such an environment, honor is seen as a defensive system, and glory acts as an offensive one, both of them oriented towards the preservation (real or symbolic) of life in the face of open military confrontation. For these purposes, sung ballads and epic poems show how other forms of power can be more useful than money to men whose lives are continuously at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out in Tungnath alpine meadows of Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary, Western Himalaya from subalpine to upper alpine zone. A total of four summits were selected along an altitudinal gradient and sampled for detailed vegetation analysis using multi summit approach as per Global observation research initiative in alpine environments (GLORIA). Species richness, diversity, and evenness among four summits as well as the interaction between environmental variables with plant communities were assessed. Monthly mean soil temperature was calculated using data retrieved from geo-precision temperature logger in order to identify the trend of soil temperature among different season and altitudinal gradient and its implications to plant communities. Soil samples were analyzed from each summit by collecting randomized composite soil samples. The indirect non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and direct canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) tools of ordination techniques to determine the linkage between plant species from various sample summits and biotic/abiotic environmental gradients were used in the present study. The results of the study demonstrated increase in species richness as soil temperature increases, the ecotone representing summits were found most warm summits followed by highest species richness. Annual soil temperature increased by 1.43°C at timberline ecotone. Whereas, at upper alpine zone the soil temperature increased by 0.810C from year 2015 to 2016. Sørensen’s similarity index was found to be increased between subalpine and upper alpine zone with increase in the presence of subalpine plant species at upper alpine zone. Both the ordination tools separate the subalpine summit and their respective vegetation from summits representing timberline ecotone and upper alpine zone. Soil pH, altitude, soil cation exchange capacity were found as the key abiotic drivers for distribution of plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal climate-related changes in the plant diversity of alpine ecosystems in recent decades, a target region of the GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) worldwide network consisting of four mountain summits representing an elevation gradient from the subalpine to the upper part of alpine ecotone (2181, 2231, 2358, and 2475 m above sea level) has been established in Katunskiy Biosphere Reserve (Russia, Central Altai). In the course of the observation period (2005-2015), species in the target region have shifted towards higher altitudes by 5.3 m on average. The plant species richness has increased on the three higher summits and decreased on the lowest summit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim In the alpine life zone, plant diversity is strongly determined by local topography and microclimate. We assessed the extent to which aspect and its relatedness to temperature affect plant species diversity, and the colonization and disappearance of species on alpine summits on a pan-European scale. Location Mountain summits in Europe's alpine life zone. Methods Vascular plant species and their percentage cover were recorded in permanent plots in each cardinal direction on 123 summits in 32 regions across Europe. For a subset from 17 regions, resurvey data and 6-year soil temperature series were available. Differences in temperature sum and Shannon index as well as species richness, colonization and disappearance of species among cardinal directions were analysed using linear mixed-effects and generalised mixed-effects models, respectively. Results Temperature sums were higher in east- and south-facing aspects than in the north-facing ones, while the west-facing ones were intermediate; differences were smallest in northern Europe. The patterns of temperature sums among aspects were consistent among years. In temperate regions, thermal differences were reflected by plant diversity, whereas this relationship was weaker or absent on Mediterranean and boreal mountains. Colonization of species was positively related to temperature on Mediterranean and temperate mountains, whereas disappearance of species was not related to temperature. Main conclusions Thermal differences caused by solar radiation determine plant species diversity on temperate mountains. Advantages for plants on eastern slopes may result from the combined effects of a longer diurnal period of radiation due to convection cloud effects in the afternoon and the sheltered position against the prevailing westerly winds. In northern Europe, long summer days and low sun angles can even out differences among aspects. On Mediterranean summits, summer drought may limit species numbers on the warmer slopes. Warmer aspects support a higher number of colonization events. Hence, aspect can be a principal determinant of the pace of climate-induced migration processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estudio iconográfico de los frescos de la cúpula de la Basílica de la Virgen de los Desamparados de Valencia, obra de Antonio Palomino realizada entre 1701 y 1704. Aproximación a un análisis del ámbito de la Gloria celestial. Aquí la Virgen aparece como reina e intercesora ante el Trono de Gracia, en donde, de acuerdo con la tradición iconográfica, se incluye a San Juan Bautista y los arma Christi portados por ángeles. En torno a este núcleo se disponen los bienaventurados, agrupados bajo el criterio de la Letanía Lauretana, en la cual María es invocada con los títulos de Reina de los Ángeles, de los Patriarcas, Profetas, Apóstoles, Mártires, Confesores, Vírgenes y de Todos los Santos. Este artículo tiene continuidad con otro titulado: “La Cúpula de la Basílica de la Virgen de los Desamparados de Valencia (y II): El ámbito Histórico-Alegórico”, con el cual se completa el estudio.

Highly accurate 3D micro topographic mapping in mountain research demands for light equipment and low cost solutions. Recent developments in structure from motion and dense matching techniques provide promising tools for such applications. In the following, the feasibility of terrestrial photogrammetry for mapping topographic location properties of sparsely vegetated areas in selected European mountain regions is investigated. Changes in species composition at alpine vegetation locations are indicators of climate change consequences, such as the pronounced rise of average temperatures in mountains compared to the global average. Better understanding of climate change effects on plants demand for investigations on a micro-topographic scale. We use professional and consumer grade digital single-lens reflex cameras mapping 288 plots each 3 x 3 m on 18 summits in the Alps and Mediterranean Mountains within the GLORIA (GLobal Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments) network. Image matching tests result in accuracies that are in the order of millimetres in the XY-plane and below 0.5 mm in Z-direction at the second image pyramid level. Reconstructing vegetation proves to be a challenge due to its fine and small structured architecture and its permanent movement by wind during image acquisition, which is omnipresent on mountain summits. The produced 3D point clouds are gridded to 6 mm resolution from which topographic parameters such as slope, aspect and roughness are derived. At a later project stage these parameters will be statistically linked to botanical reference data in order to conclude on relations between specific location properties and species compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UCD Watcher robotic telescope is planning to participate in the Sierra Stars Observatory Network (SSON), a US-based organisation that provides astronomical images upon request to subscribing users, who are typically either amateurs or university/college students. Implementing the tasks required for the integration of Watcher to SSON, such as remote scheduling, file transfer, image quality validation and the provision of meteorological information, have provided useful experience for the GLORIA project. It has also become apparent that managing user expectations will be important for GLORIA.

This article includes a series of considerations regarding the commentary on the verse «with strange beauties» from the Third Song of Flame of Living Fire. It focuses on the use of the word «primor» in the works of St. John of the Cross, as well as in contemporary treatises on beatitude to which the saint had access. This is the point of departure for the double commentary he makes on the verse in question, the first of which is in line with the full commentary to the Song, while the second is extrapolated from contemporary treatises on heaven. This double commentary allows us to compare St. John's eschatology, which is based on an experience of God as revealed in Christ, and the eschatology reflected in other theological treatises of his era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se estudian los conceptos claves de fortuna, virtù y gloria, con elobjeto de buscar algunas aclaraciones sobre el problema de larelación entre moral y política en Maquiavelo. La virtù maquiavelianaincluye, sin duda, múltiples componentes de energía, talento,pero no está completamente exenta de elementos morales. Delconcepto de fortuna podemos extraer una serie de criterios parala acción política que forman parte de la virtù maquiaveliana, lacual, si bien se aleja de la moral cristiana vigente en su tiempo, lesitúa dentro de una moral republicana. Del examen del conceptode gloria descubrimos cómo la gloria es recompensa de la virtù,pero no se reconoce a cualquier político que tiene éxito en susempresas, sino solo a quien salva a la patria y lo hace con mediosbenignos.