Collective dynamical regimes predict invasion success and impacts in microbial communities.

The outcomes of ecological invasions may depend on either characteristics of the invading species or attributes of the resident community. Here we use a combination of experiments and theory to show that the interplay between dynamics, interaction strength and diversity determine the invasion outcome in microbial communities. We find that the communities with fluctuating species abundances are more invasible and diverse than stable communities, leading to a positive diversity-invasibility relationship among communities assembled in the same environment.

Prevalence Rates of Diabetic Retinopathy and Undiagnosed Diabetes Among Delaware Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility Residents.

To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and undiagnosed diabetes among Delaware nursing home and assisted care facility residents. This cross-sectional study involved the statistical analysis of comprehensive eye examination records of 2,063 nursing home residents residing in 18 facilities and 4 assisted living facilities in Delaware from 2005 to 2009. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to identify the rates of retinal dot and blot hemorrhages and existing systemic diabetes diagnoses.

Local and extensive fluctuations in sparsely interacting ecological communities.

Ecological communities with many species can be classified into dynamical phases. In systems with all-to-all interactions, a phase where species abundances always reach a fixed point and a phase where they continuously fluctuate have been found. The dynamics when interactions are sparse, with each species interacting with only a few others, has remained largely unexplored.

Generalized Lotka-Volterra Equations with Random, Nonreciprocal Interactions: The Typical Number of Equilibria.

We compute the typical number of equilibria of the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations describing species-rich ecosystems with random, nonreciprocal interactions using the replicated Kac-Rice method. We characterize the multiple-equilibria phase by determining the average abundance and similarity between equilibria as a function of their diversity (i.e.

The association between maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy and the risk of sporadic unilateral retinoblastoma among offspring.

Previous studies have associated maternal diet during pregnancy with the development of sporadic unilateral retinoblastoma (RB), but few studies have focused on the role of individual nutrients. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy and the development of sporadic unilateral RB in the offspring. A modified food frequency questionnaire, with additional questions on supplement use, was completed via a phone interview.