University of Victoria

About: University of Victoria is a education organization based out in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 14994 authors who have published 41051 publications receiving 1447972 citations. The organization is also known as: Victoria College.

Heavy metal tolerant transgenic Brassica napus L. and Nicotiana tabacum L. plants.

Abstract: A chimeric gene containing a cloned human metallothionein-II (MT-II) processed gene was introduced into Brassica napus and Nicotiana tabacum cells on a disarmed Ti-plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transformants expressed MT protein as a Mendelian trait and in a constitutive manner. Seeds from self-fertilized transgenic plants were germinated on media containing toxic levels of cadmium and scored for tolerance/ susceptibility to this heavy metal. The growth of root and shoot of transformed seedlings was unaffected by up to 100 μM CdCl2, whereas control seedlings showed severe inhibition of root and shoot growth and chlorosis of leaves. The results of these experiments indicate that agriculturally important plants such as B. napus can be genetically engineered for heavy metal tolerance/sequestration and eventually for partitioning of heavy metals in non-consumed plant tissues.

Coastal vulnerability across the Pacific dominated by El Niño-Southern Oscillation

Abstract: To predict future coastal hazards, it is important to quantify any links between climate drivers and spatial patterns of coastal change. However, most studies of future coastal vulnerability do not account for the dynamic components of coastal water levels during storms, notably wave-driven processes, storm surges and seasonal water level anomalies, although these components can add metres to water levels during extreme events. Here we synthesize multi-decadal, co-located data assimilated between 1979 and 2012 that describe wave climate, local water levels and coastal change for 48 beaches throughout the Pacific Ocean basin. We find that observed coastal erosion across the Pacific varies most closely with El Nino/Southern Oscillation, with a smaller influence from the Southern Annular Mode and the Pacific North American pattern. In the northern and southern Pacific Ocean, regional wave and water level anomalies are significantly correlated to a suite of climate indices, particularly during boreal winter; conditions in the northeast Pacific Ocean are often opposite to those in the western and southern Pacific. We conclude that, if projections for an increasing frequency of extreme El Nino and La Nina events over the twenty-first century are confirmed, then populated regions on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean basin could be alternately exposed to extreme coastal erosion and flooding, independent of sea-level rise. The dynamic components of coastal water level can add metres to water levels during extreme events. A data synthesis reveals that Pacific regional wave and water level fluctuations are closely related to the El Nino/Southern Oscillation.

The marital and family functioning of adults with ADHD and their spouses.

Abstract: Little is known about the family relationships of adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, the marital adjustment and family functioning of 33 married adults with ADHD and their spouses was compared to 26 non-ADHD control participants and their spouses. Results revealed that married adults with ADHD reported poorer overall marital adjustment on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; Spanier, 1989) and more family dysfunction on the Family Assessment Device (FAD; Eptein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983) than control adults. The spouses of adults with ADHD did not differ from control spouses in reports of overall marital adjustment and family dysfunction. A greater proportion of their marital adjustment scores, however, fell within the maladjusted range. The ADHD adults' perceptions of the health of their marriages and families were more negative than their spouses' perceptions. The way in which spouses of ADHD adults compensated for their partners' difficulties were explored through clinical interviews. The findings in this study underscore the need for assessments and treatments to address marital and family functioning of adults with ADHD.