cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro elimination of Black raspberry necrosis virus from black raspberry ( Rubus occidentalis) - Short communication

Black raspberry necrosis virus (BRNV) is one of the most important viral pathogens of Rubus spp. In this study, a procedure combining in vitro culture and heat therapy on axillary buds of Rubus occidentalis was developed to eliminate BRNV from infected plants. Axillary buds were grown aseptically at 4-h alternating periods of 29°C and 38°C with 14-h day length for 1-5 weeks. Shoots induced after thermotherapy were tested for the viruses by RT-PCR. BRNV was not detected in any shoots indicating that BRNV was heat labile. BRNV-free shoots were rooted in vitro and acclimatized in greenhouse. Regenerated plants remained virus-free after 2-month acclimatization, 3-month dormancy and 5-month growth periods.
The association of parental alcoholism and rigidity with chronic illness and abuse among women.

BACKGROUND: This study determined whether women in a primary care practice who described one or both of their parents as alcohol dependent (group A) or harsh, rigid, or difficult (group B) were more likely to have chronic illness than women who denied having parents with these characteristics (group C). METHODS: A consecutive sample of 120 women scheduled for comprehensive physical examinations were interviewed to determine parental characteristics, demographic data (age, education, employment, and marital status), and clinical information (chronic illness and lifetime surgeries). In addition, all women were asked standardized questions about sexual and physical abuse. RESULTS: The overall difference among the groups for women with a history of chronic illness was significant (P less than .001). More women in groups A (55%) and B (48%) were identified with chronic illness than in group C (18%). Women in groups A and B also reported more sexual and physical abuse (32% and 44%, respectively) than women in group C (8% [P less than .001]). Women identifying abuse were diagnosed with more chronic illness (67%, compared with 25% [P less than .001]) and more lifetime surgeries (3.3 compared with 1.75 [P less than .05]) than women denying abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Parental alcoholism and parental rigidity were associated with increased prevalence of chronic illness and physical or sexual abuse among women patients. Language: en
Ramp compression of tantalum to 330 GPa

We report on the stress–density and rate-dependent response for Ta, ramp compressed to 330 GPa with strain rates up to 5 × 108 s−1. We employ temporally shaped laser drives to compress Ta stepped foils over several to tens of nanoseconds. Lagrangian wave-profile analysis reveals a stress–density relationship which falls below the Hugoniot, above the hydrostat, and is consistent with ramp-compression experiments at lower strain rates. We also report on the peak elastic stress prior to plastic deformation as a function of strain rate for laser-driven ramp and shock-compression data spanning the 1–50 × 107 s−1 strain-rate range. When combined with previously published lower strain data (101–107 s−1), we observe a change in rate dependence, suggesting a transition from thermally activated to defect-limited (phonon drag) dislocation motion occurring at a strain rate of about 105 s−1.
Direct Intracochlear Acoustic Stimulation Using a PZT Microactuator.

Combined electric and acoustic stimulation has proven to be an effective strategy to improve hearing in some cochlear implant users. We describe an acoustic microactuator to directly deliver stimul...
Privacy and Quality in Health Care

This article presents current activity in the privacy of personal health information (PHI) and the quality of health care, discusses the connections between them, and examines the effects of this activity on certain groups. In recent years, as more insurers, providers, and purchasers have adopted electronic systems to store, process, and transmit information, awareness has grown about the importance of developing efficient and compatible systems that readily permit electronic transfer of medical information. At the same time, this increasing ability to easily transmit and share medical information is raising public policy concerns about inappropriate uses of personal health information (PHI), and how to protect the privacy and confidentiality of patients' PHI. Many groups, including patients, providers, insurers, employers, and researchers, are concerned about real or perceived conflicts between privacy of individuals' personal health information and efforts to improve health care quality. It is useful to examine both privacy of PHI and quality of health care, since they are interrelated, and actions taken in one area often will affect the other.
Regulation of carboxypeptidase H by inhibitory and stimulatory mechanisms during neuropeptide precursor processing.

1. Carboxypeptidase H is one of several proteolytic processing enzymes required for conversion of large neuropeptide precursors into the small peptide neurotransmitters and hormones. 2. Because of the importance of posttranslational processing as a regulatory step for the production of active peptides, recent studies investigating control mechanisms for carboxypeptidase H (CPH) are reviewed. 3. Evidence is discussed which illustrates how CPH can be inhibited and activiated. These findings suggest that a processing enzyme can play a role in the control of neuropeptide production. 4. It will be important in further studies to understand how the multiple processing enzymes—endopeptidase(s) and aminopeptidase, along with CPH—are coordinately regulated for the synthesis of active peptides.
Anelliptic approximations for qP velocities in orthorhombic media

The exact expressions for qP velocities in orthorhombic media involve nine independent parameters. However, previous researchers have shown that qP wave propagation can be adequately described using just six combinations of those nine parameters. We propose novel six-parameter approximations for phase and group velocities based on the extension of the modified anelliptic approximations for qP velocities in TI media. The proposed phase-velocity approximation represents a more accurate alternative to previously proposed approximations. The proposed group-velocity approximation is highly accurate and can find applications in ray tracing and seismic data analysis in anisotropic media.
Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Investigation of Gold Nanoparticle Clustering and Ligand Structure Under Antisolvent Conditions

Solution-based nanoparticle synthesis offers many benefits, primarily control over nanoparticle size, shape, and surface chemistry, as appropriate for different applications. Often, excess stabilizing ligand or surfactant is required during synthesis and remains in solution. This can be deleterious to end applications, and thus postsynthesis purification must be employed. Ethanol is a common liquid antisolvent used to purify and size-selectively fractionate hydrophobically modified metallic nanoparticles dispersed in organic solvents, particularly toluene or hexane. We have employed small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to investigate the nanoparticle ligand response to antisolvent conditions for gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in toluene-d8 and n-hexane-d14 at varying ethanol-d6 antisolvent compositions. These conditions are common in postsynthesis nanoparticle purification, fractionation, and surface deposition. The ligand lengths and ligand solvation for octadecanethiol and dodecanethiol modified GNPs were f...
Cycling Times of Thin-Film NiTi on Si

The thermo-mechanical properties of NiTi are well known for bulk material although its deposition and utilization as a thin film are still in their earliest stages. The deposition of thin-films of Shape Memory Effect NiTi onto Si(100) wafers offers several advantages over bulk NiTi, including fast response times and comparitively large transformation forces, and so is a promising candidate as a micro-actuator for MicroElectroMechanical (MEMS) systems as well as in strain measurements. The response time for a variety of NiTi layers were modelled under different boundary conditions and show response times similar to the acoustic velocities for one micron thick NiTi.
Biomechanical evaluation of CIBOR spine interbody fusion device.

Background The CIBOR PEEK spinal interbody fusion device is an anterior lumbar interbody fusion construct with a hollow center designed to accommodate an osteoinductive carbon foam insert to promote bony ingrowth to induce fusion where rigid stabilization is needed. Methods Three different sizes of the device were investigated. Part-I: implants were tested under axial compression and rotation using polyurethane foam blocks. Part-II: simulated 2-legged stance using cadaveric specimen using the L5–S1 lumbar spine segment. Part-III: a survey feedback form was used to investigate two orthopedic surgeons concern regarding the implant. Results In Part-I, the subsidence hysteresis under axial compression loading was found to be statistical significant difference between these three implant sizes. It was noted that the implants had migration as rotation applied, and the amount of subsidence was a factor of the axial compression loads applied. In Part-II, a minor subsidence and carbon foam debris were observed when compared to each implant size. Poor contact surface of the implant with the end plates of the L5 or S1 vertebrae from the anterior view under maximum loads was observed; however, the implant seemed to be stable. Each surgeon has their own subjective opinion about the CIBOR implant. Discussion Two out of the three different sizes of the device (medium and large sizes) provided appropriate rigid stabilization at the physiological loads. Neither orthopedic surgeon was 100% satisfied with overall performance of the implant, but felt potential improvement could be made. Clinical Relevance: This study indicates an option for operative treatment of spine interbody fusion, as the CIBOR spine interbody fusion device has a hollow center. This hollow center is designed to accommodate a carbon foam insert to promote bony ingrowth. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2016.
Disruption of Heliothis spp. Mating Behavior with Chemical Sex Attractant Components

Three chemicals significantly reduced the mating success of female tobacco budworms (TBW), Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and disrupted courtship behavior of males when deployed separately or in paired combinations at the rate of 1 g/0.4 ha. These chemicals were ( Z )-11-hexadecenal, ( Z )-9-tetradecenal (Z-9-TDAL), and ( Z )-11-hexadecen-1-ol (Z-11-HDOL). Four other chemicals [( Z )-9-hexadecenal, ( Z )-7-hexadecenal, hexadecanal, and tetradecanal] were deployed separately at the same 1-g rate in the test plots but showed little or no effect on TBW courtship behavior, as indicated by catches in traps. Amounts of the chemicals that actually dissipated during 60-htreatment periods varied between chemicals from ca. 23 to 84%. Based upon actual quantities dispensed and relative biological effects, Z-11-HDOL was the most potent chemical assayed. Male H. zea (Boddie) moths were caught in traps baited with virgin TBW females when Z-9-TDAL was deployed at 1 g/0.4 ha in different 4-ha cotton fields in 1978 and 1979. Male H. zea were also captured in the traps in 1979 when Z-11-HDOL was deployed at 1 g/O.4 ha and again in 1981 when only 0.7 g was dispersed in 60 h. This interspecific response did not occur when the other five chemicals were deployed separately at the same rate, even though H. zea males were in the fields.
A Preliminary Study of the Longitudinal Merging of Instability Wave Packets and Turbulent Spots in a Hypersonic Boundary Layer

The longitudinal merging of wave packets and turbulent spots in a hypersonic boundary layer was studied on the nozzle wall of the Boeing/AFOSR Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel. Two pulsed glow perturbations were created in rapid succession to generate two closely spaced disturbances. The time between the perturbations was varied from run to run to simulate longitudinal merging. Preliminary results suggest that the growth of the trailing disturbance seems to be suppressed by the presence of the leading disturbance. Conversely, the core of the leading disturbance appears unaffected by the presence of the trailing disturbance and behaves as if isolated. This result is consistent with low-speed studies as well as DNS computations of longitudinal merging. However, the present results may be influenced by the perturber performance and therefore further studies of longitudinal merging are necessary to confirm the effect on the internal pressure structure of the interacting disturbances.
Effect of acetic, monochloracetic, dichloroacetic, and trichloroacetic acids on oxygen consumption of mouse liver.

SummaryAt the concentrations studied monochloroacetic acid produces a marked depression in the respiration of mouse liver slices. The order of decreasing effect of the 3 acids is: monochloroacetic dichloroacetic trichloroacetic. Acetic acid has no effect.
The principle of charity

Generically, the Principle of Charity is a methodological constraint on the attribution of belief. We suppose that interpretations respecting this principle yield better explanations of behavior than those that do not. Roughly, it says that, other things being equal, we ought to interpret a person as having reasonable beliefs. But what sort of reasonableness are we to attribute? And how does our adherence to this principle enhance the explanatory power of our attributions of belief? These are the questions I shall try to answer in this paper. They are important questions for two broad reasons: First, we need answers if we are to understand the nature of explanation in terms of in tentional states. Second, our account of the reasonableness we must attribute for the sake of explanation might shed some light on rationality per se. In order to give the problem some bite, I begin by considering several tempting but unsatisfactory articulations of the Principle of Charity.1 First, if we think of reason as serving truth, we might try:
Saquinavir Loaded Acetalated Dextran Microconfetti – a Long Acting Protease Inhibitor Injectable

Purpose Since the adoption of highly active antiretroviral therapy, HIV disease progression has slowed across the world; however, patients are often required to take multiple medications daily of poorly bioavailable drugs via the oral route, leading to gastrointestinal irritation. Recently, long acting antiretroviral injectables that deliver drug for months at a time have moved into late phase clinical trials. Unfortunately, these solid phase crystal formulations have inherent drawbacks in potential dose dumping and a greater likelihood for burst release of drug compared to polymeric formulations.
Investigation on STDs/AIDS infection among MSM in Nanchang

Objective To understand the infectious status of STDs/AIDS among MSM in Nanchang,China.Methods Blood samples of MSM were collected,and syphilis,HCV and HIV were detected in 354 MSM,using Respondent Drivien Sampling(RDS).Results Among 354 MSM,the infectious rate of HIV was 4.2%,syphilis,7.9% and Hepatitis C,0.6%.The infectious rate of syphilis was different in MSM looking for sex partners in different sites,and those often visiting public bathroom was the highest(17.1%).Conclusions The infection of HIV,syphilis and Hepatitis C are present in MSM in Nanchang.
Analysis on occupational hazard factors and critical control points in a salt manufacturing enterprises in Chongqing City

[Objective]To find and analyze the occupational hazard factors of the salt manufacturing enterprise,and confirm the critical control points of occupational hazard. [Methods]The on-site occupational health investigation and occupational hazard factors inspection method were adopted. [Results]59 points of noise positions were detected,39 points exceeded the standard,and the exceeding rate was 66. 1%. 20 points of WBGT index were detected,3 points exceeded the standard,and the exceeding rate was 15. 0%. 16 points of dust positions were detected,3 points exceeded the standard,and the exceeding rate was 18. 75%. The chemical detection all reached the standard. [Conclusion] The post of brine,chemicals feed,coal transfer,ashpit,cinder bin and packing which made noise,heat and dust are the critical control points. The effective occupational disease prevention facilities and measures should be adopted to reduce the occupational hazards and protect wokers' health.
From Consumer Socialization to Status Consumption: A Cross Cultures Study among High School Students

Consumer socialization (Ward 1974) or consumer development (McNeal 2007) is the area of marketing concerning “consumer orientation” of the individual, i.e., their growth in the areas of material and symbolic consumption, as opposed to physical and cognitive development in other areas. In fact, “functioning” in the “marketplace” is a sign of growth and maturity (Scott 1974 p.2). Any parental book, such as The Wonder Years (Altmann 2006), can give evidence on how children grow up through various areas of consumptions (diapers, toys, apparels, foods, etc.). For example, at one month of age, babies learn to look at themselves in mirrors on their car seats or in their cribs. Inevitably, when they grow older they start learning the symbolic meaning behind those products, such as parents’ love, which is accompanied by brands and price tags.
‘The Most Interesting Work a Woman can Perform in Wartime’: The Exceptional Status of British Women Pilots during the Second World War

AbstractThis article deals with the women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. It argues that the same cultural factors that successfully won these women equal pay during the war also undercut their ability to have a long-term impact. The article encompasses prewar flying communities as well as efforts after the war to create a permanent reserve of women pilots for the RAF.
The Effect of Cuts in Medical Assistance on Low-Income Dental School Patients Seeking Periodontal Treatment

Objectives Scaling and root planing is basic treatment for periodontal disease Historically large numbers of patients treated by University of Pittsburgh dental students pay for services through government sponsored public funding programs In Sept Pennsylvania rsquo s Medical Assistance program largely eliminated any payments for routine dental procedures when the state governor then in office declined to opt into Medicaid expansion The objective of this research was to determine the extent of dental patient care at the University impacted by the decision Methods Retrospective analysis of the Electronic Health Record database regarding patients seeking scaling and root planing while eligible for dental procedure reimbursement under federal or state public financing programs Those numbers of patients for the period Sept through Sept when procedure reimbursement was offered under Pennsylvania state Medicaid are compared with numbers seeking scaling and root planing during the subsequent three year state discontinuation of Medical Assistance Results From Sept beginning of the database to September during the period when Pennsylvania Medical Assistance was operating at full strength to reimburse periodontal procedures Medical Assistance periodontal patients were seen compared to periodontal patients in the general dental school population After the cuts in Medical Assistance Medical Assistance periodontal patients were seen in the period until Sept compared to periodontal patients in the general dental student patient pool Reduction in the number of patients without procedure reimbursement under Medicaid was more significant p lt than the reduction in patient numbers overall Conclusion Basic periodontal treatment at this dental school was affected significantly p when the former state government in Pennsylvania declined to opt into state Medicaid expansion as provided for by the Affordable Care Act
Internationalizing a Community College: A View From the Top

ABSTRACTUsing definitions of the American Council on Education (2012) and Knight (2015) as guides, this article explores the internationalization of one urban community college. Twelve interviews–the president, board, and administrators–were held. While all acknowledged that the college had made progress toward the goal of internationalization, they identified various issues that may affect all community colleges in their quest to internationalize. We discuss these issues and provide recommendation for practitioners.
Numerics, Symbolics and Graphics in Science

This chapter reviews some of the independent and dependent variables and parameters in the context of some down-to-earth applications. It Some of the most basic functions defined by explicit formulas are linear functions, polynomials, power functions, trigonometric functions, inverse trig functions, and exponential functions, especially the natural exponential and the natural logarithm. The familiar slope–intercept formula for a line is y = mx + b , where the letter x stands for the independent variable, y is the dependent variable, or y = y [ x ] is a function of x . The letters m and b are parameters—they are fixed as far as x is concerned.
Stretchable Substrates for the Assembly of Polymeric Microstructures.

The directed assembly of micro-/nanoscale objects relies on physical or chemical processes to generate structures that are not possible via self-assembly alone. A relatively unexplored strategy in directed assembly is the “active” manipulation of building blocks through deformations of elastomeric substrates. This manuscript reports a method which uses macroscopic mechanical deformations of chemically modified silicone films to realize the rational assembly of microscopic polymer structures. Specifically, polystyrene microparticles are deposited onto polydimethylsiloxane substrates using microcontact-printing where, through a process that involved stretching/relaxing the substrates and bonding of the particles, they are elaborated into microstructures of various sizes, shapes, symmetries, periodicities, and functionalities. The resulting polymeric microstructures can be released and redeposited onto planar/nonplanar surfaces. When building blocks with different properties (e.g., those with fluorescent and catalytic properties) are used, it is possible to fabricate structures with heterogeneous functionality. This method can be extended to the assembly of numerous micro-/nanoscale building blocks (e.g., colloidal organic/inorganic materials) with rational control over the size, shape, and functionality of the product. As a strategy, the use of substrate deformations to enable the micromanipulation and fabrication of a potentially diverse set of assemblies represents a powerful tool useful to, for example, nanotechnology and micromanufacturing.
Orphan status, school attendance, and relationship to household head in Nigeria

Background: This study addresses the important issue of whether extended family networks can meet the educational needs of orphans in Nigeria. The theory behind this paper is based on Hamilton’s rule, which holds that individuals are less altruistic toward those with whom they have distant kinship ties. Objective: Our objective is to determine whether orphans experience an educational advantage if they reside in households headed by blood relatives rather than non-relatives, paying attention to age and household income differences. Methods: We use logistic regression to estimate models of children’s school attendance based on data from the 2010 Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS). The analyses examine the associations of paternal (father died) and maternal/double orphans (mother or both parents died) and child’s relation to the household head with school attendance. It also investigates how the pattern of relationships differs by age of children and household income. Results: The results indicate that paternal and maternal/double orphans who are distantly related to their household heads have lower chances of attending school than those who have close biological ties, specifically when they reside in poor households. This finding is consistent with Hamilton’s rule. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests that orphanhood is problematic for those more distantly related to their guardians and in poor households. Since the disadvantages of orphanhood carry on into later life, ameliorative policies and programs need to be attentive to the double disadvantages faced by children in such circumstances. Contribution: This study contributes to the literature by showing that while close kinship ties to household head produce educational advantage for orphans, the willingness of household heads to display altruism regardless of degree of kinship is highly dependent on their economic resources.
We Have Met the Enemy—And It Is Us

The field of physical education has accomplished much in the past 30 years. And while there are many ways we have progressed, there are also ways in which we have not. Most alarming is the fact tha...
Fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status in Mexican American families

Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little is known about the associations between fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on Latino fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status, even though Latino children suffer some of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. We examined the associations between fathers' feeding practices and child weight status, conditional on mothers' feeding practices, within 174 Mexican American families with children aged 8-10 years. Parents completed the Parental Feeding Practices Questionnaire, which consists of four subscales: positive involvement in child eating, pressure to eat, use of food to control behavior, and restriction of amount of food. To assess child weight status, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and converted to age- and gender-specific percentile scores (BMI z-score). We fit four sets of regression models, one set for each of the four parental feeding practices subscales, with child BMI z-score as the outcome variable. Fathers' pressure to eat (b = -0.20, p = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.01) and use of food to control behavior (b = -0.36, p = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.65, -0.07) were associated with lower child BMI z-score, and restriction of amount of food (b = 0.56, p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.84) was associated with higher child BMI z-score, after accounting for mothers' feeding practices. Fathers' positive involvement in child eating was not associated with child BMI z-score. These findings provide empirical evidence that fathers' feeding practices are independently associated with children's weight status, even when mothers' feeding practices are taken into account, and suggest that fathers' feeding practices also matter in regard to children's weight status.
Chapter 9: Financial Psychopaths

The term “financial psychopath” was coined after the financial crisis of 2007−2008. Intended as a term of derision, the media used it to negatively label financial professionals, rather than to draw a clinical profile. The expression succinctly conveys the widespread post−2008 public anger and resentment toward those in the finance profession, particularly on Wall Street, who were responsible for damaging the world economy and destroying the personal wealth of many people. In the decades before the financial crisis, multiple factors had come together to change the operating structure of the financial landscape. This new environment was conducive to investment professionals’ engaging in transactions bearing the hallmarks of psychopathic behavior. What defines a financial psychopath? Is the answer in the individual’s personality traits, the behavioral edicts dictated by the environment within which he or she works, or a combination? This chapter attempts to answer these questions.
Behavioral analysis in Drosophila mosaics.

Mutations disrupting several different types of behavior in Drosophila are currently under intensive investigation (reviewed by Benzer, 1973; Grossfield, 1975; Pak, 1975; Pak and Pinto, 1976). The purpose is to unravel basic features of the development and function of the many parts of the nervous system, through studies of perturbations in nervous system embryology and physiology. To use the fly’s visual system merely as an example, one could attempt to analyze this system, through the isolation of mutations showing defects in visually triggered behavior (and many such mutants, to be discussed later, have been found). Given all the background information on the development and anatomy of the photoreceptor cells and neurons in the optic lobes (e.g., Meinertzhagen, 1973), one could ask if a behavior mutant involving the visual system has disrupted cell differentiation or the formation of nerve connections in the developing system. Since much is known about the physiology of vision in Drosophila (e.g., Pak, 1975), one could ask if this kind of mutant is defective in a process such as membrane permeability changes, caused by light-induced changes in photopigment conformation. The eventual aim is to learn how the action of particular genes programs into the animal such unknown mechanisms as those having to do with the formation of nerve connections and those involved in phototransduction.
Minimally Invasive Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: Implementation Early in a Surgical Career.

ObjectiveSeveral centers have presented minimally invasive surgical approaches to centrifugal left ventricular assist device implantation. Although minimally invasive implantation has been successf...
Persisting responses of salt marsh fungal communities to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Abstract The plant microbiome, composed of diverse interacting microorganisms, is thought to undergird host integrity and well-being. Though it is well understood that environmental perturbations like oil pollution can alter the diversity and composition of microbiomes, remarkably little is known about how disturbance alters plant-fungal associations. Using Next-Generation sequencing of the 18S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) region, we examined outcomes of enduring oil exposure on aboveground leaf and belowground endophytic root and rhizosphere fungal communities of Spartina alterniflora, a highly valued ecosystem engineer in southeastern Louisiana marshes affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident. We found that aboveground foliar fungal communities exhibited site-dependent compositional turnover with consequent loss in diversity according to oiling history. Rhizosphere soil communities also exhibited shifts in community composition associated with oiling history, whereas root endophytic communities did not. Oiling did not increase or decrease similarities among aboveground and belowground communities within an individual host, indicating that host plant characteristics exert stronger control than external factors on fungal community composition. These results show that fungal community responses to oiling vary within tissues of the same host plant, and that differences in the local environment, or alternatively, site-specific differences in residual oil constrain the magnitude of exposure responses. Our study offers novel perspectives on how environmental contaminants and perturbations can influence plant microbiomes, highlighting the importance of assessing long-term ecological outcomes of oil pollution to better understand how shifts in microbial communities influence plant performance and ecosystem function. Our findings are relevant to coastal management programs tasked with responding to oil spills and increasing pressures arising from intensifying development and climate change. Understanding how modification of plant-microbiome associations influences plant performance, particularly of ecosystem engineers like S. alterniflora, can help guide efforts to protect and restore at-risk coastal ecosystems.
Entfernung zweier Punkte

Es sei A (x 1; y 1) der Anfangspunkt, B (x 2; y 2) der Endpunkt der Strecke A B. Projiziert man A B auf die Koordinatenachsen, so sind die Projektionen gegeben durch $$\begin{gathered} A'B' = {x_2} - {x_1}, \hfill \\ A''B'' = {y_2} - {y_1}. \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$
Ureterocele: Minimally invasive endoscopic treatment

Ureterocele, often associated with renal duplex system, may represent an uncommon cause of pyeloureteral obstruction with possible severe consequences on kidneys and urinary tract in young children. Early decompressive treatment is advocated to reduce the risk of febrile urinary infection and renal damage. Endoscopic techniques have been proposed using diathermic electrode. Endoscopic decompression of ureterocele should be considered as first-line treatment in young infants and children. The technique utilizing multiple punctures by laser energy of ureterocele is a really minimally invasive treatment that allows immediate decompression and reduces the risk of further aggressive surgery.
Improving Dissemination and Localization of Cultural Heritage Through Multimedia Maps - The Case of Lipari Island

Most of the maps in tourist information websites show only the position of the Points of Interest (PoIs)—providing sometime a link to a webpage—making choices difficult. Multimedia maps, instead, could support users in satisfying the traveler needs giving links to information about the PoIs. The developed application supports improved connections between documents and the places they refer to because the user could select PoIs to visit through previews of its multimedia documents. PoIs could also be filtered through their categories and types, accessibility status and time line, thus improving the system usability. This article describes a multimedia map developed as sample for the Lipari Island, the largest of the Aeolian Islands (in Sicily), inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Low-temperature tolerance of maize and sorghum seedlings grown under the same environmental conditions

ABSTRACTEven though maize (Zea mays L.) is considered to be more cold tolerant than sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], no studies have directly compared the ability of the two crops to tolerate low temperature when grown together under the same environmental conditions. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to compare the low-temperature tolerance of the two crops at the seedling stage. A second objective was to analyze seeds for size (width and weight) and biochemical characteristics (content of protein, starch, and amylose). Five commercial hybrids of maize and 18 genotypes of sorghum were maintained in growth chambers for 31 days at two temperatures: a control air temperature (25/20°C, day/night) and low temperatures of the air (11/8°C for 14 days; 12.5/9.5°C for 14 days; and 14/11°C for 3 days). Both maize and sorghum seedlings emerged when the low temperatures reached 12.5/9.5°C; 100 and 18% of the emerged maize and sorghum seedlings survived, respectively. At harvest of maize under the...
Predicting understory vegetation structure in selected western forests of the United States using FIA inventory data

Abstract Understory vegetation structure and its relationship with forest canopies and site conditions are important determinants of carbon stocks, wildlife habitat, and fuel loading for wildland fire assessments. Comprehensive studies are needed to assess these relationships through the use of consistently collected field-based data. One approach to achieve this is to make use of preexisting forest inventory data to estimate understory vegetation height and cover from site and overstory attributes. In this study, overstory, understory, and abiotic data describing site conditions were obtained from over 6700 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) fixed radius plots collected between 2000 and 2012 to assess how understory vegetation cover and height vary with overstory attributes and site characteristics. The focus was restricted to four common forest types including lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), and grand fir (Abies grandis) found on approximately 43 million hectares in the western United States. Random Forest regression classification trees were developed for cover and height of shrub and herb understories as a function of field-measured predictor variables. Separate analyses were undertaken for the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and the Interior West (IW) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) regions. Models developed from the IW data generally performed better and the OOB (out-of-bag) percent variance explained varied from 8.08% for forb height to 39.24% for shrub height. For the PNW data, percent variance explained ranged from 13.82% for forb height to 27.4% for shrub height. Percent variance explained values were higher in all corresponding models for the IW than PNW, except for forb and grass height. Differences in model performance were smallest in the case of forb cover (27.17% vs. 26.15%) and greatest in the case of percent shrub cover (30.92% vs. 15.53%) for IW and PNW models, respectively. Cover models within each dataset performed better, on average, than their associated height models. The most influential variables for predicting understory cover and height were ones representing overstory conditions and conform to ecological expectation corroborated by many studies examining the influence of forest overstories on understory vegetation dynamics. Several variables, including aspect, slope, and stand disturbance and treatment, were not important and contrary to expectation. Predicting understory vegetation attributes to aid assessments of carbon, fuel, and wildlife habitat may be more generalizable across forests of the western U.S. using standardized national inventory data in conjunction with improved measurements.
Teaching the Domino Effect to Combat the Rise in Unintentional Injuries

Health educators are tasked with addressing the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in schools and communities. For decades, all groups of people in the United States suffered mainly from chr...
The perception of distance in simulated visual displays: A comparison of the effectiveness and accuracy of multiple depth cues across viewing distances

The ability effectively and accurately to simulate distance in virtual and augmented reality systems is a challenge currently facing R&D. To examine this issue, we separately tested each of seven visual depth cues relative brightness, relative size, relative height, linear perspective, foreshortening, texture gradient, and stereopsis as well as the condition in which all seven of these cues were present and simultaneously providing distance information in a simulated display. The viewing distances were 1 and 2 m. In developing simulated displays to convey distance and depth there are three questions that arise. First, which cues provide effective depth information so that only a small change in the depth cue results in a perceived change in depth? Second, which cues provide accurate depth information so that the perceived distance of two equidistant objects perceptually matches? Finally, how does the effectiveness and accuracy of these depth cues change as a function of the viewing distance? Ten college-aged subjects were tested with each depth-cue condition at both viewing distances. They were tested using a method of constant stimuli procedure and a modified Wheat-stone stereoscopic display. The perspective cues linear perspective, foreshortening, and texture gradient were found to be more effective than other depth cues, while effectiveness of relative brightness was vastly inferior. Moreover, relative brightness, relative height, and relative size all significantly decreased in effectiveness with an increase in viewing distance. The depth cues did not differ in terms of accuracy at either viewing distance. Finally, some subjects experienced difficulty in rapidly perceiving distance information provided by stereopsis, but no subjects had difficulty in effectively and accurately perceiving distance with the perspective information used in our experiment. A second experiment demonstrated that a previously stereo-anomalous subject could be trained to perceive stereoscopic depth in a binocular display. We conclude that the use of perspective cues in simulated displays may be more important than the other depth cues tested because these cues are the most effective and accurate cues at both viewing distances, can be easily perceived by all subjects, and can be readily incorporated into simpler, less complex displays e.g., biocular HMDs or more complex ones e.g., binocular or see-through HMDs.
Prediction of Energy Expenditure from Pedometer-Determined Step-Rate in Adults with and without Down Syndrome

Electronic pedometers are relatively inexpensive devices to monitor physical activity. To assess physical activity intensity using a pedometer, establishing the relationship between step-rate measured by a pedometer and the rate of oxygen uptake (VO2) is needed. This study examined the step-counting accuracy of the NL-2000i electronic pedometer and whether pedometer-measured step-rate accurately predicts the energy expenditure in adults with and without Down syndrome (DS). Participants were 15 adults with DS and 15 adults without DS. Participants completed three walking trials at: their preferred speed; 0.8 m·s−1; and 1.4 m·s−1. We measured VO2 with a portable open-circuit spirometer and step rate with NL-2000i worn on the non-dominant hip and hand-tally as the criterion. We used multi-level modeling to develop an equation predicting VO2. We computed the absolute percent error of the VO2 prediction equation and the step-counting error of the pedometer. We evaluated differences between groups across speeds for these variables using 2 × 3 (group × speed) two-way analysis of variance. Step-counting error of the NL-2000i was low, but it was higher in adults with than without DS at the preferred and fast walking speeds (p ≤ .029). An equation predicting energy expenditure included step-rate, group, and their interaction (p < .001; R2 = 0.52). The NL-2000i pedometer has high accuracy across speeds. Step-rate measured by NL-2000i predicts energy expenditure with a relatively low error in adults with and without DS.
Headspace Characterization and Quantification of Aromatic Organosulfur Compounds in Garlic Extracts Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering with a Mirror-in-a-Cap Substrate.

BACKGROUND Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been deployed in the analysis of food at solid and aqueous states. However, its capability has not been fully explored in headspace profiling. OBJECTIVE To develop an innovative SERS method for analyzing headspace volatile compounds in foods. METHODS A volatile-capture device was developed by depositing a film of silver nanoparticles in a vial cap to capture the volatiles released from a model flavor compound (garlic). RESULTS SERS peaks at 1632, 1400, 1291, 1191, 731, and 577 cm-1 were identified in the headspace of the garlic sample, which was representative of an organosulfur compound (diallyl disulfide), and its concentration was determined at 135 ppm, which was comparable to the value determined using GC. Preparation and analysis could be carried out in <10 min for the SERS method. The sensitivity of the SERS method (10 ppm), however, was slightly less than that of the GC method (5 pm). CONCLUSIONS The SERS method was able to quantify the concentration of diallyl disulfide in the headspace of a raw garlic ethanolic extract. Compared to GC, the SERS method had a much shorter analysis time and simpler sample preparation procedure than GC when analyzing large numbers of samples. HIGHLIGHTS The innovative "mirror-in-a-cap" substrate was simpler and faster than other reported SERS substrates used for this purpose. Additionally, SERS has much better portability and the potential for real-time monitoring of changes in the garlic headspace concentration during manufacturing and processing.
Diagnostic Value of Ultrasound in CTS in Diabetic Versus Nondiabetic Populations

Purpose Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-known risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, few studies have compared differences in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve in patients with and without DM. The purpose of this study was to compare the utility of ultrasound for the diagnosis of CTS in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients. Method A total of 248 hands of 155 patients were evaluated: 154 hands belonged to non-DM patients with CTS, 80 to DM patients with CTS, 13 patients with DM but no CTS, and 51 patients without DM or CTS. All hands underwent ultrasonography of the median nerve at the wrist for determination of CSA; patients completed a CTS Symptom Severity Scale and Functional Status Scale for each hand. Results Average CSA (mm2) of non-DM patients with CTS was 11.25 whereas the average in DM patients with CTS was 12.23 (P = .17). Cross-sectional area of 9.5 or greater was the most powerful predictor of CTS in patients without DM, and CSA of 10.5 or greater in patients with DM. Conclusions Cross-sectional area of the median nerve was similar for patients with and without DM; however, cutoff values for positive diagnosis may need to be adjusted in patients with DM. Ultrasonography of the wrist is a valuable resource for diagnosing CTS in patients with and without DM. Type of study/level of evidence Diagnostic II.
Endowing the Standard Model with a new r-symmetry

In the Standard Model, there is the single Higgs field, ϕ, which gives rise to constituent quark and lepton masses. The Yukawa coupling is a highly complex set of 3 × 3 matrices, resulting in many textures of quark and lepton masses. In this talk, we propose to transfer the complexity of the Yukawa coupling matrices to a family of Higgs fields, so that the Yukawa coupling itself becomes a simple interaction. In the context of an Enriched Standard Model, we introduce a new r-symmetry in the extended SU(2)L × U(1)Y × U(1)R model and show how a particularly simple scenario results in a near degeneracy of masses in the 126 GeV region, with a hierarchy of heavier masses suggested by the quark and lepton texture mass matrices.
Searching for Transiting Planets in Stellar Systems

We analyze the properties of searches devoted to finding planetary transits by observing simple stellar systems, such as globular clusters, open clusters, and the Galactic bulge. We develop the analytic tools necessary to predict the number of planets that a survey will detect as a function of the parameters of the system, the observational setup, site properties, and planet properties. We find that the detection probability is generally maximized for I-band observations. The signal-to-noise ratio of a planetary transit is weakly dependent on the mass of the primary for sources with flux above the sky background, and falls very sharply for sources below sky. Therefore the number of detectable planets is roughly proportional to the number of stars with fluxes above sky (and not necessarily the number of sources with photometric error less a given threshold). In order to maximize the number of detections, experiments should be tailored such that stars near sky are above the detection threshold. Once this requirement is met, the number of detected planets is relatively weakly dependent on the detection threshold, diameter of the telescope, exposure time, seeing, age of the system, and planet radius. The number of detected planets is a strongly decreasing function of the distance to the system, implying that the nearest, richest clusters may prove to be optimal targets.