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Endurance training during PR requires exercise prescription at sufficient intensity to achieve physiological benefits. This analysis sought to investigate whether walking training prescribed from 6-minute walk test (6MWT) average speed provides an appropriate training intensity for people with ILD during PR.Individuals with ILD completed cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and 6MWT in random order. A 10-minute constant speed treadmill walk test (10MTW) was undertaken at 80% of the average 6MWT speed. Oxygen uptake (VOEleven people with ILD (age 71 (8) years; forced vital capacity 73 (18) %predicted, 6-minute walk distance 481 (99) meters, and VOFor people with ILD, walking training prescribed at 80% of 6MWT average speed can provide adequate exercise training intensity for PR.

Purpose: “Self-management” empowers individuals to take responsibility for their healthcare through skill-building, personal growth, and self-efficacy related to chronic health condition management. Self-management approaches may benefit people with aphasia (PwA); however, PwA are often excluded from stroke self-management research and there is no published research reporting on aphasia-specific self-management programs. Communication partners (CPs) are involved in the rehabilitation and day-to-day lives of PwA, thus giving them unique insights and knowledge of PwA needs. The present study aimed to investigate CP experiences and perspectives regarding aphasia self-management and to explore CP perceptions of the use of technology in aphasia self-management. Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 14 CPs living in Australia. Interview data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Analysis revealed six core themes: (1) aphasia self-management is embedded into everyday life, (2) CPs provide comprehensive self-management support, (3) speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide tools and support to enable PwA to self-manage, (4) aphasia self-management can be enhanced by technological supports, (5) potential positive outcomes of aphasia self-management, and (6) factors influencing successful aphasia self-management. Conclusions: Aphasia self-management programs should focus on individual needs, functional communication in daily life, and social interaction. PwA and CPs are central to these programs, assisted by SLPs. Technology should be explored to augment aphasia self-management.Implications for Rehabilitation Communication partners suggest that people with aphasia are already engaging in aspects of self-management and that more formal aphasia-specific self-management approaches may be beneficial. Dedicated aphasia self-management programs should be situated in daily life with a focus on functional communication, life participation, confidence, and independence. Communication partners, speech-language pathologists, and technology are key support sources for aphasia self-management. Further input should be sought from communication partners in the development of aphasia self-management programs.

Little is known regarding community participation in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to explore community participation in individuals with COPD and to determine whether there is an association between community participation and activity-related outcome variables commonly collected during pulmonary rehabilitation assessment. We also sought to investigate which of these variables might influence community participation in people with COPD. Ninety-nine individuals with COPD were enrolled (67 ± 9 years, FEV1: 55 ± 22% predicted). We assessed community participation (Community Participation Indicator (CPI) and European Social Survey (ESS) for formal and informal community participation), daily physical activity levels (activity monitor), exercise capacity (6-minute walk test), breathlessness (Modified Medical Research Council, MMRC scale), self-efficacy (Pulmonary Rehabilitation Adapted Index of Self-Efficacy) and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Higher levels of community participation on the CPI were associated with older age and greater levels of physical activity (total, light and moderate-to-vigorous) (all rs = 0.30, p

The present study investigates the proteomic content of milk-derived exosomes. A detailed description of the content of milk exosomes is essential to improve our understanding of the various components of milk and their role in nutrition.The exosomes used in this study were isolated as previously described and characterized by their morphology, particle concentration, and the presence of exosomal markers. Human and bovine milk exosomes were evaluated using Information-Dependent Acquisition (IDA) Mass Spectrometry. A direct comparison is made between their proteomic profiles.IDA analyses revealed similarities and differences in protein content. About 229 and 239 proteins were identified in the human and bovine milk exosome proteome, respectively, of which 176 and 186 were unique to each species. Fifty-three proteins were common in both groups. These included proteins associated with specific biological processes and molecular functions. Most notably, the 4 abundant milk proteins lactadherin, butyrophilin, perilipin-2, and xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase were present in the top 20 list for both human and bovine milk exosomes.The milk exosome protein profiles we have provided are crucial new information for the field of infant nutrition. They provide new insight into the components of milk from both humans and bovines.

The "contingent valuation" method is used to quantify the value of services not available in traditional markets, by assessing the monetary value an individual ascribes to the benefit provided by an intervention. The aim of this study was to determine preferences for home or center-based pulmonary rehabilitation for participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using the "willingness to pay" (WTP) approach, the most widely used technique to elicit strengths of individual preferences. This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled equivalence trial comparing center-based and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation. At their final session, participants were asked to nominate the maximum that they would be willing to pay to undertake home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in preference to a center-based program. Regression analyses were used to investigate relationships between participant features and WTP values. Data were available for 141/163 eligible study participants (mean age 69 [SD 10] years

Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) based on Machine Learning (ML) algorithms are widely used for predicting house prices. While there is consensus in the literature that cross-validation (CV) should...

A chemometric approach is presented to differentiate and segregate bark biomass variability by proportionating the chemical functionality of components based on solid state NMR. Bark can vary from ...

This study examines the extent to which older males are willing to offer psychosocial and sexual health promoting support to their younger male partners, as well as the individual and relationship-level factors associated with this willingness to provide support. In total, 324 men over the age of 45, who currently or previously had younger male sexual partners, completed an anonymous online survey. Results show that participants were most willing to provide emotional support to their younger male partners, followed by health-related encouragement, HIV/STI testing support, and financial support. Of note, HIV positive status and being in a "main partnership" were associated with greater willingness to provide financial support. These results suggest that older men are willing to provide psychosocial and health promotive support to younger male partners, which could be leveraged in targeted interventions to reduce HIV transmission.

To investigate people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD): 1) self-reported communication and swallowing difficulties due to Parkinson's disease (PD), 2) participation and psychosocial impacts of these difficulties and 3) experience with and access to speech-language pathology (SLP) services.A cross-sectional mix-methods survey was conducted using nonprobability, purposive sampling for recruitment. An inclusion criterion was that participants needed to have self-reported communication and/or swallowing changes due to PD. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were utilised.All of the 78 PwPD who participated reported changes to their communication (97%) and/or swallowing (93%). A diverse range of participation restrictions was found in social, recreational, vocational and everyday living activities. Adverse emotional impacts including frustration, loss of self-confidence, depression and isolation were reported due to these changes. Only 59% of our sample had accessed SLP services. The most common reason for PwPD not accessing services was that neither their general practitioner nor neurologist had referred them to SLP. The majority of PwPD wanted to access SLP at some point in the future. Wide variability in the SLP services provided was evident. Most of the PwPD who had received SLP support wanted further ongoing management.This study provided insight into the everyday impacts of communication and swallowing changes experienced by PwPD, and the gap between service supply and demand.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the prevalence of parenting and child-caretaking among a sample of black men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as associations between parent...

Glassy polymer coatings on metal substrates rely on their mechanical, physical, and transport properties for corrosion protection. These properties are influenced by free volume between polymer cha...

Recently, there was an increase of costs to explore new economical mineral occurrences, while the success of discovery of new deposits has diminished. Therefore, Metal Earth was conceived with the ...

Purpose: To explore the perceptions, use and interest to use telepractice by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to deliver services to people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Method: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods online survey was conducted. Recruitment of SLPs with an active caseload of PwPD was conducted through non-probability, purposive sampling. Data were analysed using frequency distribution and thematic analysis. Result: A total of 63 SLPs responded. The majority (82.5%) were interested in telepractice, but only 23.1% provided services to PwPD online. Monitoring of motor speech function, and therapy were the primary services delivered online. Of those who did not currently offer online services to PwPD, 77.5% expressed interest to use telepractice. The development of telepractice guidelines and a comprehensive list of available software were the resources most requested to assist clinicians in offering such services. Most perceived telepractice as an appropriate delivery method for speech-language pathology services. However, views regarding the preference for face-to-face delivery were divided. Conclusion: SLPs view telepractice as a viable service delivery model for PwPD, but uptake of the model is variable. Several key barriers and resource limitations must be addressed to facilitate the implementation and sustainability of telepractice in clinical services.

Background: Traumatic injuries were the most common reason for pediatric admission to military hospitals during the recent wars in the Middle East. We describe injury characteristics and prehospita...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides non-invasive, high-resolution in vivo imaging of the ocular surface and anterior segment. Over the years, it has become an essential tool for evaluating the anterior segment of the eye to monitor ocular development and ocular pathologies in both the clinical and research fields of ophthalmology and optometry. In this review, the clinical applications relating to the use of anterior segment OCT for imaging and quantifying normal and pathological features of the ocular surface, cornea, anterior chamber, and aqueous outflow system are summarised in a range of human ocular diseases. Applications of anterior segment OCT technology that have improved imaging and quantitation of ocular inflammation in experimental animal models of ocular diseases, such as anterior uveitis, microbial keratitis and glaucoma, are also described. The capacity to longitudinally evaluate anterior segment anatomical changes during development, and inflammation facilitates the understanding of the dynamics of tissue responses, and further enhances the intra-operative in vivo imaging during procedures, such as corneal transplantation and drug delivery. Future developments including in vivo ultrahigh-resolution anterior segment OCT, automated analyses of anterior segment OCT images and functional extensions of the technique, may revolutionise the clinical evaluation of anterior segment, corneal and ocular surface diseases.

Background: Self-management approaches are routinely used in chronic conditions to enable patients to take responsibility for their own care. A self-management approach may be appropriate for indiv...

Abnormal sleep duration is associated with poor health. Upwards of 50% of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) report poor sleep quality. The effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on self-reported sleep quality is variable. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on objectively measured sleep quality (via actigraphy) in people with COPD. Sleep quality was assessed objectively using the SenseWear Armband (SWA, BodyMedia, Pittsburgh, PA), worn for ≥4 days before and immediately after completing an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program. Sleep characteristics were derived from accelerometer positional data and registration of sleep state by the SWA, determined from energy expenditure. Forty-eight participants (

High intermittency renewable generation reduces the system inertial and increase system uncertainties introducing new challenges for frequency regulation of future grid, including primary, secondar...

This essay examines the commonplace argument that particular weapons have the power to end war forever. I argue that the basic form of the durable memetic phrasal pattern that emerges from the commonplace’s many iterations is Weapon X makes war impossible. I call this meme the perpetual peace weapons snowclone. Snowclones are formulaic communication patterns that enable users to swap out words, phrases, or images for one another without breaking the original pattern. To understand how and why the perpetual peace weapons snowclone remains cogent for weapons advocacy, I connect Erasmus’s concept of copia to the contemporary concept of snowclones. Taken together, collective copia and snowclones demonstrate how simultaneous linguistic flexibility and rigidity help memes and other rhetorical commonplaces to replicate. I then trace the perpetual peace weapons snowclone’s replication with a historical survey of the oft-repeated commonplace through the development of the atomic bomb, at which point the pe...

Background: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have begun to incorporate telepractice methods into clinical service delivery and online intervention for aphasia is recognised as an appropriate alt...

This paper, describes the design, development, and evaluation of The Test, a theory-based mobile game prototype designed to promote HIV testing by providing information and influencing motivations, and behavioral intentions among YMSM. The Test was designed using embedded design, first described by Kaufman & Flanagan (2015), which diverges from traditional “educational game” design strategies by mixing on-message content with nonfocal content, in an attempt to make the overall experience more approachable and engaging. One challenge of embedded design is that it targets attitudes and actions that are not always proximate to a particular behavior. Games with embedded content forgo explicit takeaways, and their possible distal effects present a challenge to traditional tests of efficacy. The benefit of embedded design, however, is that its holistic or ecological design approach (which considers feelings, emotions, affects, social relations, and connections to broader communities) stands in close alignment with the social-ecological model.

Fractional cover of photosynthetic vegetation (FPV), non-photosynthetic vegetation (FNPV) and bare soil (FBS) is an important input for assessment of the productivity of global pastures and rangelands. Here we describe the updating of this product using the new Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR) Collection 6 reflectance product (C6) and a major expansion of the field calibration database. Fractional cover based on the C6 input exhibited reduced bias and root mean square error compared with the Collection 5 (C5) product. The expanded calibration database with more sites in arid areas provided greater separation between reflectance values of end-members for FNPV and FBS. Specific site variations in FNPV and FBS in arid areas could be traced to small but consistent changes in blue and green band, and occasional changes in short wave infrared reflectance in C6 when compared to C5. The recalibration described here provides an Australian fraction...

Previous studies have evaluated prehospital analgesia during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but were limited to the adult population. However, a significant portion of the casualties of those conflicts were children. We describe the prehospital analgesia administered to wartime pediatric trauma patients.We queried the Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DODTR) for all pediatric patients (18 years of age) admitted to United States and Coalition fixed-facility hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan from January 2007 to January 2016. We divided pediatric patients into 2 groups: those that had documentation of receipt of analgesic drugs in the prehospital setting (n = 618) and those who had not received analgesia before reaching a fixed-facility (n = 2,821). For characterization of drug administration, we grouped patients into those receiving acetaminophen, NSAID, fentanyl, ketamine, morphine, or other analgesics (e.g., hydromorphone, tramadol, etc.).During the study period, there were 3,439 pediatric encounters with documentation of 703 instances of analgesia administrations to 618 patients (17.9% of total pediatric encounters). Of the subjects receiving analgesic agents, 46.2% (n = 325) received morphine, 30.4% (n = 214) received fentanyl, 17.4% (n = 122) received ketamine, 1.8% (n = 13) received acetaminophen, and 2.8% (n = 20) received a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The remaining 9 administrations consisted of methoxyflourane (1), nalbuphine (2), hydromorphone (3), and tramadol (3). An injury severity score (ISS)15 increased the odds of receiving an analgesic agent (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.02-1.56). Additionally, there was an association between analgesia administration and the following prehospital interventions: wound dressing, tourniquet, intravenous (IV) line placement, intraosseous line placement, IV fluids, intubation, and external warming.Overall, a low proportion of pediatric trauma subjects within this population received analgesia in the prehospital environment. The most common analgesic medication administered was morphine. Those receiving analgesic agents had more severe injuries and higher rates of concomitant interventions. These results highlight the potential need for Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines specifically providing recommendations for analgesia administration among pediatric patients.

This study investigates the combination of image processing and supervised classification to identify invasive yellow flag iris (YFI; Iris pseudacorus) plants in images collected by an un-calibrate...

Purpose: Aphasia group therapy offers many benefits, however people with aphasia report difficulty accessing groups and speech–language pathologists are faced with many challenges in providing aphasia group therapy. Telerehabilitation may offer an alternative service delivery option. An online aphasia group therapy program – Telerehabilitation Group Aphasia Intervention and Networking (TeleGAIN) – has been developed according to the guidelines of the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for complex interventions. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of TeleGAIN and the results of a pilot trial to determine feasibility and acceptability. Method: The development of TeleGAIN was informed through literature reviews in relevant topic areas, consideration of expert opinion and application of the social cognitive theory. TeleGAIN was then modelled through a feasibility pilot trial with four people with aphasia. Result: TeleGAIN appeared to be feasible and acceptable to participants and able to be implemented as planned. Participant satisfaction with treatment was high and results suggested some potential for improvements in language functioning and communication-related quality of life. Conclusion: TeleGAIN appeared to be feasible and acceptable, however the study highlighted issues related to technology, clinical implementation and participant-specific factors that should be addressed prior to a larger trial.

We used geographic datasets and field measurements to examine the mechanisms that affect soil carbon (SC) storage for 65 grazed and non-grazed pastures in southern interior grasslands of British Co...

This study explored labeling of penile-anal intercourse (PAI), manual-anal (MA), and oral-anal (OA) behaviors as having "had sex" among heterosexual men and women with such experience residing in the United States (n = 3,218). Adult men and women completed an online questionnaire assessing sexual behaviors and whether each counted as having had sex. With the exception of anal intercourse, there was high variation in whether a behavior was labeled having had sex. There was not consensus on which anal sexual behaviors constituted having had sex, with attitudes varying across age, gender, and behavioral experience. Those who were older, male, and had the specific behavioral experience were more likely to label it as having had sex. Behaviorally specific assessments of the various anal behaviors as part of the sexual repertoire is critical to more accurate evaluation of sexual histories and assessment of risks to sexual health.

This study explores the use of the relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index NDVI and the shortwave infrared ratio SWIR32 vegetation indices VI to retrieve fractional cover over the structurally complex natural vegetation of the Cerrado of Brazil using a time series of imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS. Data from the EO-1 Hyperion sensor with 30 m pixel resolution is used to sample geographic and seasonal variation in NDVI, SWIR32, and the hyperspectral cellulose absorption index CAI, and to derive end-member values for photosynthetic vegetation PV, non-photosynthetic vegetation NPV, and bare soil BS from a suite of protected and/or natural vegetation sites across the Cerrado. The end-members derived from relatively pure 30 m pixels are then applied to a 500 m pixel resolution MODIS time series using linear spectral unmixing to retrieve PV, NPV, and BS fractional cover FPV, FNPV, and FBS. The two-way interaction response of MODIS-equivalent NDVI and SWIR32 was examined for regions of interest ROI collected within protected areas and nearby converted lands. The MODIS NDVI, SWIR32 and retrieved FPV, FNPV, and FBS are then compared to detailed cover and structural composition data from field sites, and the influence of the structural and compositional variation on the VIs and cover fractions is explored. The hyperion ROI analysis indicated that the two-way NDVI–SWIR32 response behaved as an effective surrogate for the two-way NDVI–CAI response for the campo limpo/grazed pasture to cerrado sensu stricto woody gradient. The SWIR32 sensitivity to the NPV and BS variation increased as the dry season progressed, but Cerrado savannah exhibited limited dynamic range in the NDVI–CAI and NDVI–SWIR32 two-way responses compared to the entire landscape, which also comprises fallow croplands and forests. Validation analysis of MODIS retrievals with Quickbird-2 images produced an RMSE value of 0.13 for FPV. However, the RMSE values of 0.16 and 0.18 for FBS and FNPV, respectively, were large relative to the seasonal and inter-annual variation. Analysis of site composition and structural data in relation to the MODIS-derived NDVI, SWIR32 and FPV, FNPV, and FBS, indicated that the VI signal and derived cover fractions were influenced by a complex mix of structure and cover but included a strong year-to-year seasonal effect. Therefore, although the MODIS NDVI–SWIR32 response could be used to retrieve cover fractions across all Cerrado land covers including bare cropland, pastures and forests, sensitivity may be limited within the natural Cerrado due to sub-pixel heterogeneity and limited BS and NPV sensitivity.

We used surveillance data collected in California before, concurrent with, and subsequent to an outbreak of highly pathogenic (HP) clade 2.3.4.4 influenza A viruses (IAVs) in 2014-2015 to (i) evaluate IAV prevalence in waterfowl, (ii) assess the evidence for spill-over infections in marine mammals and (iii) genetically characterize low-pathogenic (LP) and HP IAVs to refine inference on the spatiotemporal extent of HP genome constellations and to evaluate possible evolutionary pathways. We screened samples from 1496 waterfowl and 1142 marine mammals collected from April 2014 to August 2015 and detected IAV RNA in 159 samples collected from birds (n=157) and pinnipeds (n=2). HP IAV RNA was identified in three samples originating from American wigeon (Anas americana). Genetic sequence data were generated for a clade 2.3.4.4 HP IAV-positive diagnostic sample and 57 LP IAV isolates. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the HP IAV was a reassortant H5N8 virus with gene segments closely related to LP IAVs detected in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) sampled in California and other IAVs detected in wild birds sampled within the Pacific Americas Flyway. In addition, our analysis provided support for common ancestry between LP IAVs recovered from waterfowl sampled in California and gene segments of reassortant HP H5N1 IAVs detected in British Columbia, Canada and Washington, USA. Our investigation provides evidence that waterfowl are likely to have played a role in the evolution of reassortant HP IAVs in the Pacific Americas Flyway during 2014-2015, whereas we did not find support for spill-over infections in potential pinniped hosts.

Aphasia after stroke, tumour or injury is a chronic communication disorder. However, aphasia rehabilitation services are time limited and/or difficult to access (Rose, Ferguson, Power, Togher, & Wo...

Access to aphasia rehabilitation diminishes over time due to limited resources within the health care system. This results in many people with chronic aphasia being unable to access ongoing rehabil...

This study investigates the utility of an off-the-shelf, consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicle UAV for invasive species mapping in a lacustrine fringe environment. Specifically, this work sought to determine whether such a UAV would be capable of creating accurate maps of the extent of patches of an invasive plant, yellow flag iris Iris pseudacorus L., more efficiently than could be accomplished by a traditional field survey, which is often considered in the literature to provide the most accurate maps. The study was conducted at two lakes in the central interior of British Columbia. The UAV used in this study was a DJI Phantom 3 Professional that can acquire images using the built-in 12.4 MP digital camera. This UAV was selected because it is representative of the type of aerial platform that is easily accessible to invasive plant managers in terms of cost, ease of use, and lack of legal restrictions. Three methods of mapping the yellow flag iris were compared: 1 field survey, 2 manual interpretation of the raw UAV-acquired imagery and the orthoimage created from these data, and 3 pixel-based classification of the orthoimage created from the UAV imagery using a random forest classifier. The results revealed that, at both lakes considered, manual interpretation of the UAV-acquired imagery produced the most accurate maps of yellow flag iris infestation, with a false-positive and false-negative classification rate of less than 1%.

The Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI), which represents a comprehensive biophysical, anthropogenic, and land-use inventory of grasslands in Alberta, is widely used as a baseline for grassland co...

The Cooper Basin is currently Australia's premier onshore hydrocarbon-producing province and hosts a range of unconventional gas play types, including the very extensive basin-centred and tight gas accumulations in the Gidgealpa Group, both shallow and deep dry coal seam gas associated with the Patchawarra and Toolachee formations, as well as the shale gas plays in the Murteree and Roseneath shales. Characterisation of mineralogical properties of shales is critical to hydraulic fracture design and development of unconventional hydrocarbon resources. Properties are sensitive to variations in mineralogy, especially clays, and historically, acquisition of a suite of rock mechanics analyses has been on a point-source basis rather than on a continuous sampling approach, which is uncommon. In this paper, a near-continuous 382 m cored section, comprising the lower Permian Daralingie Formation, Roseneath and Murteree shales, the Epsilon Formation and the top portion of the Patchawarra Formation from Holdf...

This paper examines the dynamite at the 1886 Haymarket Square bombing trial and in the courtroom address of accused bomb conspirator August Spies. The analysis focuses on the crucial object of the Haymarket events—the dynamite bomb—as much as it focuses on Spies's words. I argue that the material presence of dynamite interacted with polysemy and paradox when Spies preached dynamite. Spies delved into the polysemy of the term dynamite by drawing attention to the word's multiple meanings, and he constructed turnaround arguments warranted by dynamite to reverse the accusation of conspiring to commit violence back onto the state.

Regeneration of insulin-producing β-cells from resident pancreas progenitors requires an understanding of both progenitor identity and lineage plasticity. One model suggested that a rare β-cell sub-population within islets demonstrated multi-lineage plasticity. We hypothesized that β-cells from young mice (postnatal day 7, P7) exhibit such plasticity and used a model of islet dedifferentiation toward a ductal epithelial-cell phenotype to test this theory. RIPCre;Z/AP(+/+) mice were used to lineage trace the fate of β-cells during dedifferentiation culture by a human placental alkaline phosphatase (HPAP) reporter. There was a significant loss of HPAP-expressing β-cells in culture, but remaining HPAP(+) cells lost insulin expression while gaining expression of the epithelial duct cell marker cytokeratin-19 (Ck19). Flow cytometry and recovery of β-cell subpopulations from whole pancreas vs. islets suggest that the HPAP(+)Ck19(+) cells had derived from insulin-positive, glucose-transporter-2-low (Ins(+)Glut2(LO)) cells, representing 3.5% of all insulin-expressing cells. The majority of these cells were found outside of islets within clusters of

A simple and useful method to monitor the water content of coal samples using Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is presented. ATR-FTIR analyses of oven-dried and polymer-dried brown coal samples are discussed. The difference spectra indicate that the drying of as-received coal at room temperature using a Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) removes only 44% of moisture compared to oven drying at 105 °C. As the SAP does not completely remove the water from the coal the possibility of explosion due to oxidation of the coal powder is greatly reduced. SAP drying is energy and emission efficient compared to oven drying method. At the pH < 5 studied SAP dewatering is dominated by physical processes. The movements in H-bonding observed in ATR-FTIR suggest a physico-chemical process.

Retrieval from remote sensing of separate temporal dynamics for the understorey layer in tropical savannahs would be beneficial for monitoring fuel loads, biomass for livestock, interrelationships between trees and grasses, and modelling of savannah systems. In this study, we combined unmixing of fractional cover with normalized difference vegetation index NDVI and the short wave infrared ratio SWIR32 with time series decomposition of the NDVI to attempt to fully resolve the dynamics of the herbaceous understorey in the Australian tropical savannah based on the fractions of photosynthetic herbaceous vegetation FPVH and non-photosynthetic vegetation FNPV, from the woody overstorey, represented by the fraction of photosynthetic vegetation in the tree canopy FPVW. Evaluation of FPVH against field data gave moderate relationships between predicted and observed values R2 between 0.5 and 0.6; since semivariogram metrics of representativeness indicated that field sites were relatively unrepresentative of variation at the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS pixel scale. Both FPVW and FPVH produced strong linear relationships root mean square error < 0.1 units with high-resolution Orbview 3 cover fractions classified from tasselled cap transformations. However, FNPVH non-photosynthetic herbaceous cover fraction retrievals at southern arid locations produced an evaluation relationship with a greater deviation from the 1:1 line than for northern locations. This suggested that there may be limitations on the NDVI–SWIR32 unmixing approach in more sparsely vegetated savanna. Maps of average annual maximum FPVH, FNPVH, and total herbaceous cover fraction could be used as indicators of savannah productivity and landscape health. However, close examination of the limitations of the NDVI–SWIR32 response may be required for application of this method in other global savannahs.

Fractional cover of photosynthetic vegetation FPV, non-photosynthetic vegetation FNPV, and bare soil FBS has been retrieved for Australian tropical savannah based on linear unmixing of the two-dimensional response envelope of the normalized difference vegetation index NDVI and short wave infrared ratio SWIR32 vegetation indices VI derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS reflectance data. The approach assumes that cover fractions are made up of a simple mixture of green leaves, senescent leaves, and bare soil. In this study, we examine retrieval of fractional cover using this approach for a study area in southern Africa with a more complex vegetation structure. Region-specific end-members were defined using Hyperion images from different locations and times of the season. These end-members were applied to a 10-year time series of MODIS-derived NDVI and SWIR32 from 2002 to 2011 to unmix FPV, FNPV, and FBS. Results of validation with classified high-resolution imagery indicated major bias in estimation of FNPV and FBS, with regression coefficients for predicted versus observed data substantially less than 1.0 and relatively large intercept values. Examination with Hyperion images of the inverse relationship between the MODIS-equivalent SWIR32 index and the Hyperion-derived cellulose absorption index CAI to which it nominally approximates revealed: 1 non-compliant positive regression coefficients for certain vegetation types; and 2 shifts in slope and intercept of compliant regression curves related to day of year and geographical location. The results suggest that the NDVI–SWIR32 response cannot be used to approximate the NDVI–CAI response in complex savannah systems like southern Africa that cannot be described as simple mixtures of green leaves, dry herbaceous material high in cellulose, and bare soil. Methods that use a complete set of multispectral channels at higher spatial resolution may be needed for accurate retrieval of fractional cover in Africa.

Enzymatic extraction methods were evaluated with classical extraction approaches for the determination of arsenic in food. The extraction efficiency for total arsenic was determined by analysing CRM materials DORM-3 fish protein, NIES 106 rice flour and GBW10015 spinach. These were compared with total arsenic concentration determined using microwave-assisted acid digestion and ICP-MS. The total arsenic concentrations in the CRM materials were in good agreement with the certified values. Enzymatic hydrolysis using trypsin has been successfully employed to extract arsenic species in DORM-3 and fish samples. Whilst this method of hydrolysing the proteins worked well for the fish samples, an alternative approach was required to facilitate the digestion of cellulose in plant materials. However, enzymatic extraction using cellulase was found to give unsatisfactory results for both the NIES and GBW10015 CRM materials. Dilute nitric acid (1% HNO3) was found to give a more efficient extraction for arsenic species in the same CRM materials and rice samples. The study was extended to evaluate a range of real samples. Total arsenic concentrations in 13 different types of fish tissue were determined following microwave-assisted acid digestion using nitric acid/hydrogen peroxide, followed by measurement using HPLC-ICP-MS for speciation analysis. The results obtained for fish were in the range of 3.53-98.80 µg g(-1) As (dry weight). Similarly, the results of 17 rice samples were in the range of 0.054-0.823 µg g(-1). This study demonstrates the importance of selecting an appropriate extraction technique for the quantitative measurement of arsenic species in food.

Savannas are multi-layered tree–grass–forb systems which exhibit a high level of diversity in vegetation structure and arrangement, and complex ecosystem functions dependent upon highly seasonal cl...

Data from 1,380 self-identified bisexual women and men age 18 to 70 living in the United States document significant diversity across age and gender in attitudes regarding which behaviors constitute “sex” and behavioral histories. With the exceptions of deep kissing, penile-vaginal intercourse, and penile-anal intercourse, the 18 to 29 age groups of both genders were significantly less likely to count all other behaviors (manual and oral stimulation of breasts, genitals, and anus; and use of sex toys) as sex. Stronger age effects were found for men than women for manual and oral stimulation of genitals or anus, and sex toy use. Compared to older men and women, fewer 18- to 29-year-olds had experienced each behavior. Use of behaviorally nonspecific sexual history questions in research and clinical practice is problematic because (1) across age-group comparisons may be contaminated by differential interpretation of questions across age groups and (2) within age-group comparisons may be confounded by...

This paper presents findings from a focus group study conducted to evaluate The Source, an alternate reality game (ARG). ARGs are a relatively new genre of interactive digital games that use a variety of media to engage game players. We developed modules on sexual health, sexual orientation, and homophobia in a game that was delivered to 133 predominantly African-American and Latino US youth. Ten focus groups were conducted with 43 young people aged 13–18 who played The Source to understand feasibility and acceptability issues and the impact of the game on young people’s attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours. Data were transcribed and analysed for common themes by two independent coders. Four primary themes were identified: (1) the feasibility and acceptability of using an ARG for sexual education; (2) the acceptability of The Source’s specific sexual health content; (3) the game’s influence on sexual health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours; and (4) the impact of the game on young peopl...

We present a global analysis of the changing face of vegetation persistence in savanna ecosystems by boreal seasons. We utilized nearly 30 years of monthly normalized difference vegetation index data in an innovative time-series approach and developed associated statistical significance tests, making the application of continuous vegetation metrics both more rigorous and more useful to research. We found that 8,000,000–11,000,000 km2 of savanna have experienced significant vegetation decline during each season, while 20,000,000–23,000,000 km2 have experienced an increase in vegetation persistence during each season, relative to the baseline period (1982–1985). In addition, with the exception of the March–April–May season, which is mixed, the pattern of significant vegetation persistence in the Northern Hemisphere is almost exclusively positive, while it is negative in the Southern Hemisphere. This finding highlights the increasing vulnerability of the Southern Hemisphere savanna landscapes; either resulti...

Programs across the higher education landscape, including tourism education, are increasingly embracing experiential learning approaches, as provided through field schools, study abroad trips, and international internships. Most work on the value of such programs has tended to start in the most obvious place, by focusing on the programs themselves, the experiences students have with them, and the outcomes that ensue. Lurking beneath work on organized study trips, however, are deeper questions about the connections between learning and travel itself. What is it about travel that promotes learning? Are there certain conditions of travel that tend to be relevant for facilitating particular kinds of learning, and even for potentially transforming the way people see themselves and the world? This article briefly summarizes the outcomes of an empirical study on the relationship between travel and learning, for the purpose of offering discussion regarding how the insights derived from this work might be useful i...

China experienced a rapid economic growth in the past few decades, whereas it has been facing a critical environmental situation. It is palpable that creating a sustainable energy structure in China is urgently required. As reported in China's 12th Five-year (2011–2015) Plan (which is a five-year development plan that outlines the development focus and strategic plan for different sectors in the next five-year period, published by the State Council of the PRC every five years), integrating more renewable energy, especially from solar and wind sources, becomes an essential part of their smart grid development. This article comprehensively reviews the existing achievements of renewable technology development and current status including relevant policies from central government and some on-going demonstration projects. Promoting new energy vehicles (e.g., electric vehicles) as an effective way of reducing carbon emissions is addressed in this article as well. Finally, the difficulties at the current...

Courses: Rhetoric Studies, Discourse Studies, Persuasive Writing, Argumentation, Rhetoric of Social MovementsObjectives: (1) This semester-long project requires each student to write one entry that will be compiled with their classmates' entries into an argumentative dictionary and published as an eBook. By “argumentative dictionary,” I mean a book that defines terms, and argues about how they rhetorically function. (2) By writing argumentative dictionary entries that include definitions, historical contextualization, and mini rhetorical analyses, students will learn the fundamentals of rhetorical studies, including the rhetoric of definitions, persuasive writing, argumentation, rhetorical criticism, and discourse analysis, as well as ePublishing. (3) Learning how to write for a public, open-access audience is emphasized.