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Heatwaves (HWs) pose a severe threat to human and ecological systems. Here we assess the projected changes in heatwaves over Latin America using bias corrected high-resolution regional climate simulations under two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCPs). Heatwaves are projected to be more frequent, long-lasting, and intense in the mid-century under both RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, with severe increases under the RCP8.5 scenario. Even under the low emissions scenario of RCP2.6, the frequency of heatwaves doubles over most of the region. A three- to tenfold rise in population exposure to heatwave days is projected over Central and South America, with climate change playing a dominant role in driving these changes. Results show that following the low emission pathway would reduce 57% and 50% of heatwave exposure for Central and South American regions respectively, highlighting the need to control anthropogenic emissions and implement sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a methodology to extract coherent structures from high-speed schlieren images of turbulent twin jets which are more physically interpretable than those obtained with currently existing techniques. Recently, Prasad and Gaitonde (J Fluid Mech 940:1–11, 2022) introduced an approach which employs the momentum potential theory of Doak (J Sound Vib 131(1):67–90, 1989) to compute potential (acoustic and thermal) energy fluctuations from the schlieren images by solving a Poisson equation, and combines it with spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) to educe coherent structures from the momentum potential field instead of the original schlieren field. While the latter field is dominated by a broad range of vortical fluctuations in the turbulent mixing region of unheated high-speed jets, the momentum potential field is governed by fluctuations which are intimately related to acoustic emission, and its spatial structure in the frequency domain is very organized. The proposed methodology in this paper improves the technique of Prasad and Gaitonde (J Fluid Mech 940:1–11, 2022) in three new ways. First, the solution of the Poisson equation is carried out in the frequency-wavenumber domain instead of the time-space domain, which simplifies and integrates the solution of the Poisson equation within the SPOD framework based on momentum potential fluctuations. Second, the issue of solving the Poisson equation on a finite domain with ad hoc boundary conditions is explicitly addressed, identifying and removing those unphysical harmonic components introduced in the solution process. Third, the solution of the SPOD problem in terms of momentum potential fluctuations is used to reconstruct schlieren SPOD fields associated with each mode, allowing the visualization of the obtained coherent structures also in terms of the density gradient. The method is applied here to schlieren images of a twin-jet configuration with a small jet separation at two supersonic operation conditions: a perfectly-expanded and an overexpanded one. The SPOD modes based on momentum potential fluctuations retain the wavepacket structure including the direct Mach-wave radiation, together with upstream- and downstream-traveling acoustic waves, similar to SPOD modes based on the schlieren images. However, for the same dataset, they result in a lower-rank decomposition than schlieren-based SPOD and provide an effective separation of twin-jet fluctuations into independent toroidal and flapping oscillations that are recovered as different SPOD modes. These coherent structures are more consistent with twin-jet wavepacket models available in the literature than those originally obtained with direct schlieren-based SPOD, facilitating their interpretation and comparison against theoretical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the reliability of a virtual reality-simulated classroom to generate a comparable self-perception of voice quality and acoustic effects of phonation to a real classroom in a group of teachers, and sense of presence. Thirty university professors participated in the study and were required to produce loud connected speech by reading a 100-word text in two conditions: (1) in a real classroom including a group of students, and (2) in a virtual replica of the classroom consisting of a 360-degree video of the same classroom and students, which was displayed using a head mounted display. Ambient noise was controlled in both conditions by playing classroom noise through headphones. The self-perception of voice quality, the long-term average spectrum and smooth cepstral peak prominence were estimated in both conditions. The sense of presence generated by virtual reality was measured after interacting with the virtual classroom. There were no statistically significant differences in the self-perception of voice quality or in the acoustic measures of voice production between conditions. The sense of presence in the virtual classroom was high. Our findings suggest that a virtual reality-simulated classroom generate comparable self-perception of voice quality and acoustic effects of phonation to the real classroom, and a high sense of presence, in a group of teachers. Additionally, it is important to highlight the potential of virtual reality to enhance the ecological validity of acoustic assessment of voice production in laboratories and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Divergent thinking is the ability to produce numerous and diverse responses to questions or tasks, and it is used as a predictor of creative achievement. It plays a significant role in the business organization's innovation process and the recognition of new business opportunities. Drawing upon the cumulative process model of creativity in entrepreneurship, we hypothesize that divergent thinking has a lasting effect on post-launch entrepreneurial outcomes related to innovation and growth, but that this relation might not always be linear. Additionally, we hypothesize that domain-specific experience has a moderating role in this relation. We test our hypotheses based on a representative longitudinal sample of 457 German business founders, which we observe up until 40 months after start-up. We find strong relative effects for innovation and growth outcomes. For survival, we find conclusive evidence for non-linearities in the effects of divergent thinking. Additionally, we show that such effects are moderated by the type of domain-specific experience that entrepreneurs gathered pre-launch, as it shapes the individual's ideational abilities to fit into more sophisticated strategies regarding entrepreneurial creative achievement. Our findings have relevant policy implications in characterizing and identifying business start-ups with growth and innovation potential, allowing a more efficient allocation of public and private funds. Plain English Summary: Divergent thinking is the ability to generate many different and novel ideas to solve tasks. When facing a challenge or a problem, divergent thinkers would explore different approaches in an unsystematic fashion in order to solve it. It is known that this cognitive ability plays a role in the innovation process of firms. However, what is its role in the entrepreneurial process itself, particularly in the last post-launch phase, where entrepreneurs seek survival through innovation and growth? Is the relation between divergent thinking and business outcomes linear? Are there other factors that exacerbate its role? Accounting for a variety of factors that might influence business outcomes, we find that divergent thinking has a positive effect on innovation and business growth 40 months after start-up, as well as evidence of non-linearities with respect to business survival. Furthermore, we find domain-specific experience to moderate the effect of divergent thinking on business performance in the post-launch phase. These results make a valuable contribution to the understanding of creativity and business performance and for public and private investors to identify and foster businesses with innovative and growth potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of globalization, two major human challenges are global warming and the loss of biological and cultural diversity. Solving the latter problem can help reduce greenhouse gases, diversify production, and maintain agrobiodiversity. The objective was to propose a design of complex agroecosystems based on indigenous and scientific knowledge. In 66 agroecosystems from seven ejidos (communal lands used for agriculture), the tree species were determined in 400 square meter plots, considering three layers: high (up to 35 m), middle (up to 25 m), and low (< 17.5 m), estimating carbon sequestration using allometric equations. Three participatory workshops were carried out with 36 peasants to corroborate the species observed in the field and create lists of attributes (foliage production, cover, growth speed, and flowering and fruiting periods). With these attributes, as well as carbon sequestration capacity, melliferous and nectar potential, a proposal for an agroecosystem design was developed. The species that sequestered the largest amount of carbon was: Pouteria sapota, Manilkara sapota, Brosimum alicastrum, and Calophyllum brasiliense. The highest valued species were: Spondias mombin, Citrus limon, and Psidium guajava, Guazuma ulmifolia, Trema micrantha, Inga spp., Bursera simaruba, Mangifera indica, Pouteria sapota, and Tabebuia rosea; in the shrub and understory layer Musa paradisiaca, Coffea arabica, Chamaedorea tepejilote, and Chamaedorea spp. The combination of indigenous and western scientific knowledge allows the structuring of complex agroecological matrices to diversify coffee agroecosystems. This can be the basis for reducing poverty, conserving, or restoring different trophic relationships, and reducing global warming. Section 1 presents the literature reviewed. Section 2 presents a description of the study area with the main biological and social characteristics, also, the main methods used to characterize coffee agroecosystems, the estimation of carbon sequestration and valuation of tree species by peasants and the attributes used for the proposal of design of agroecosystems. Sections 3 and 4 present the discussion of results and finally in Sect. 5, the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a highly contagious disease, causing mass coral mortalities in the Atlantic/Caribbean since 2014. In Puerto Rico, SCTLD was first reported in 2019 off the east coast, spreading to the north-central region by early February 2021. Benthic surveys were conducted at Cueva del Indio (CI) and Peñón de Mera (PM) off Arecibo to (1) quantify coral species-specific SCTLD prevalence using four 10 × 1-m2 belt transects and (2) acquire time-series photo and video surveys to illustrate the impact of SCTLD, to evaluate coral species-specific susceptibilities, and estimate the timing of onset in Arecibo. A total of 650 corals in six species (Pseudodiploria strigosa, P. clivosa, Montastraea cavernosa, Siderastrea siderea, Orbicella annularis, Porites astreoides) were recorded inside the belt transects at both sites. SCTLD prevalence varied between 54% (P. strigosa) and 35.5% (M. cavernosa) at CI, and between 87.5% (S. siderea) and 25% (O. faveolata) at PM. Photo/video surveys revealed that SCTLD caused partial mortality in 11 species and full mortality in P. strigosa, P. clivosa, S. siderea, M. cavernosa, and Dendrogyra cylindrus. The results are discussed in view of prior research and contribute to understanding the spread and impact of SCTLD around Puerto Rico, which can be applied to predict its spread to other regions in the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most frequent malignancy worldwide and has a high mortality rate related to late diagnosis. Although the gold standard for the GC diagnosis is endoscopy with biopsy, nonetheless, it is not cost-effective and is invasive for the patient. The Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) molecule is a checkpoint of the immune response. Its overexpression in cancer is associated with immune evasion, metastasis, poor prognosis, and lower overall survival. We evaluate the plasma levels of soluble HLA-G, (sHLA-G) in patients with GC and benign gastric pathologies using an ELISA test. A higher concentration of sHLA-G in patients with GC than in those with benign pathologies, higher levels of plasma sHLA-G in women with GC compared with men and significant differences in the sHLA-G levels between the benign gastric pathologies evaluated, was our main findings. As no significant differences were found between the GC assessed stages in our study population, we suggest that sHLA-G is not an adequate marker for staging GC, but it does have diagnostic potential. In addition to providing information on the potential of sHLA-G as a diagnostic marker for GC, our study demonstrate that HLA-G molecules can be found in the membrane of exosomes, which highlights the need to perform studies with a larger number of samples to explore the functional implications of HLA-G positive exosomes in the context of gastric cancer, and to determine the clinical significance and possible applications of these findings in the development of non-invasive diagnostic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-efficacy reflects the self-belief that one can persistently perform difficult and novel tasks while coping with adversity. As such beliefs reflect how individuals behave, think, and act, they are key for successful entrepreneurial activities. While existing literature mainly analyzes the influence of the task-related construct of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, we take a different perspective and investigate, based on a representative sample of 1,405 German business founders, how the personality characteristic of generalized self-efficacy influences start-up performance as measured by a broad set of business outcomes up to 19 months after business creation. Outcomes include start-up survival and entrepreneurial income, as well as growth-oriented outcomes such as job creation and innovation. We find statistically significant and economically important positive effects of high scores of self-efficacy on start-up survival and entrepreneurial income, which become even stronger when focusing on the growth-oriented outcome of innovation. Furthermore, we observe that generalized self-efficacy is similarly distributed between female and male business founders, with effects being partly stronger for female entrepreneurs. Our findings are important for policy instruments that are meant to support firm growth by facilitating the design of more target-oriented offers for training, coaching, and entrepreneurial incubators. Plain English Summary: The self-belief in own abilities to cope with adversity and succeed at an endeavor is called self-efficacy. This belief can outweigh other doubts or self-beliefs such that we can be resilient on our path to reaching goals. Can this belief influence the performance of entrepreneurs with nascent start-ups? Is this influence different for female and male entrepreneurs? Accounting for other factors that might influence business outcomes, we find that self-efficacy alone influences the chances of business survival, having employees, applying for patents or trademark protection, as well as the start-up generated income. On the other hand, we find similar levels of self-efficacy between female and male entrepreneurs, observing that self-efficacy affects the probability of growth-related outcomes for both females and males. This contributes to the understanding of what drives start-up growth and success, which is crucial for the development of target-oriented policies, including training measures, coaching offers, and business incubators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 20 years ago, Hanahan and Weinberg published a seminal review that addressed the biological processes that underly malignant transformation. This classical review, along with two revisions published in 2011 and 2022, has remain a classic of the oncology literature. Since many of the addressed biological processes may apply to non-malignant tumorigenesis, we evaluated to what extent these hallmarks pertain to the development of pituitary adenomas. Some of the biological processes analyzed in this review include genome instability generated by somatic USP8 and GNAS mutations in Cushing's diseases and acromegaly respectively; non-mutational epigenetic reprograming through changes in methylation; induction of angiogenesis through alterations of VEGF gene expression; promotion of proliferative signals mediated by EGFR; evasion of growth suppression by disrupting cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors; avoidance of immune destruction; and the promotion of inflammation mediated by alteration of gene expression of immune check points. We also elaborate further on the existence of oncogene induced senescence in pituitary tumors. We conclude that a better understanding of these processes can help us dilucidated why pituitary tumors are so resistant to malignant transformation and can potentially contribute to the development of novel anticancer treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban scaling is a framework that describes how city-level characteristics scale with variations in city size. This scoping review mapped the existing evidence on the urban scaling of health outcomes to identify gaps and inform future research. Using a structured search strategy, we identified and reviewed a total of 102 studies, a majority set in high-income countries using diverse city definitions. We found several historical studies that examined the dynamic relationships between city size and mortality occurring during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In more recent years, we documented heterogeneity in the relation between city size and health. Measles and influenza are influenced by city size in conjunction with other factors like geographic proximity, while STIs, HIV, and dengue tend to occur more frequently in larger cities. NCDs showed a heterogeneous pattern that depends on the specific outcome and context. Homicides and other crimes are more common in larger cities, suicides are more common in smaller cities, and traffic-related injuries show a less clear pattern that differs by context and type of injury. Future research should aim to understand the consequences of urban growth on health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, capitalize on longitudinal designs, systematically adjust for covariates, and examine the implications of using different city definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis, is a major pest in rose crops worldwide. This pest causes considerable esthetic injuries to rose flowers, thus reducing their market value, which leads to economic losses. WFT attacks on rose cultivars are determined by environmental conditions and host–plant features such as resources supply, flower developmental stage, petal color, flower shape, and plant chemical cues. To recognize the possible role that chemical cues could play in WFT–rose interactions, WFT incidence in six commercial rose cultivars was studied in greenhouse plots for commercial growing, and WFT preference to these cultivars was evaluated in choice tests in daylight and darkness under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, the WFT responses to the cultivars' flower odors were evaluated in a bioassay using a Y-tube olfactometer. Differences in the incidence of WFT between rose cultivars were observed in the field. Additionally, the choice tests showed a difference in WFT preference between rose cultivars in daylight conditions but not in darkness. For the six cultivars, WFT showed positive chemotactic responses to one cultivar and negative chemotactic response to two cultivars in Y-tube olfactometry bioassay. The different results found among the incidence in the field, the laboratory choice tests, and the Y-tube olfactometry bioassays, show that chemical cues alone cannot explain the behavioral responses of WFTs to different cultivars in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging politically polarized publics surrounding climate science is a vital element in the effort to enact climate mitigation policy. Science communication experts have identified several models of public engagement with science, including the deficit, dialogue, participation, and lay expertise model. Existing research suggests that the deficit model in particular is a largely ineffective model of engagement for controversial science like climate change. There is very little research, however, regarding the engagement preferences of political groups, or how those preferences differ. This study assesses preferences for climate change engagement in the state of Oregon in the United States and examines the relationship between those preferences and epistemic beliefs about climate science. Overall, we find that liberals are significantly more likely than moderates or conservatives to view climate science as certain and simple and to rely on expert knowledge more than their own direct experience. By contrast, conservatives are significantly more likely than liberals or moderates to view climate science as uncertain and complex and to rely on their own direct experience over the knowledge of content experts. We also find that perceived certainty and simplicity are positive predictors of a preference for the deficit model of science communication. Implications for public engagement with climate change and suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of variational Coulomb fitting from a purely practical scheme to reduce computational burden to a formal variant of Hohenberg–Kohn–Sham density functional theory (auxiliary density functional theory, ADFT) is discussed. After a summary of the historical evolution, an analysis of its connection with the Hohenberg–Kohn theorem is given, some implications for the Euler equation and for time-dependent DFT are given and some implications for the deMon2k code delineated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western flower thrips (WFT) is a serious pest on rose crops. Semiochemical-mediated WFT–rose interactions have been studied because different rose cultivars interact differently with WFT. Thus, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from six commercial rose cultivars were collected in vivo by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) in greenhouses and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Qualitative and quantitative differences were found among the six cultivars, and terpenes were the most abundant class of VOCs, followed by aromatic hydrocarbons, and esters. Principal component analysis (PCA) was further applied to identify the VOCs with the greatest influence on the differentiation of the cultivars. Cramer's phi coefficients between the VOCs emitted by each cultivar and their thrips incidence were also estimated. Accordingly, nine VOCs that could generate chemotactic responses in WFT were selected for testing in a linear track olfactometer, and seven of them elicited responses in female WFT at at least to one of the test concentrations. Thrips showed significant positive chemotaxis (attraction) to six compounds, and of these, the highest response was detected for (±)-theaspirane. These findings suggest that the tested VOCs could be used to develop a new strategy for the control of WFT on roses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages are key effector cells in obesity-associated inflammation. G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is highly expressed in different immune cell types. Using LysM-GRK2+/− mice, we uncover that a reduction of GRK2 levels in myeloid cells prevents the development of glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia after a high fat diet (HFD) through modulation of the macrophage pro-inflammatory profile. Low levels of myeloid GRK2 confer protection against hepatic insulin resistance, steatosis and inflammation. In adipose tissue, pro-inflammatory cytokines are reduced and insulin signaling is preserved. Macrophages from LysM-GRK2+/− mice secrete less pro-inflammatory cytokines when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and their conditioned media has a reduced pathological influence in cultured adipocytes or naïve bone marrow-derived macrophages. Our data indicate that reducing GRK2 levels in myeloid cells, by attenuating pro-inflammatory features of macrophages, has a relevant impact in adipose-liver crosstalk, thus preventing high fat diet-induced metabolic alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The implementation of hybrid Bt cotton unique to India has been heralded as a grand success by government agencies, seed companies and other proponents, and yet yields have stagnated at low levels and production costs have risen 2.5–3-fold. The low-yield hybrid cotton system of India contributes thousands of farmer suicides to the annual national toll. Conceptual and methodological barriers have hindered bioeconomic analysis of the ecological and social sustainability of such cross-scale agro-ecological problems in time and geographic space, under global technology and climate change. As a paradigm shift, we use conceptually simple, parameter-sparse, theoretically based, mechanistic, weather-driven physiologically based demographic models (PBDMs) to deconstruct the bio-economics of the Indian cotton system. Results: Our analysis of Indian hybrid cotton system explains some extant ecological and economic problems, and suggests a viable solution. Specifically, the model accurately captured the age-stage mass dynamics of rainfed and irrigated cotton growth/development and the interactions with the key pest pink bollworm across five south-central Indian states, and enabled identification of proximate bioeconomic factors responsible for low yield and their relationship to farmer suicides. The results are reinforced by analysis of Ministry of Agriculture annual state-level data. We explain why short-season, high-density non-GM cotton is a highly viable solution for Indian cotton farmers in rainfed and irrigated cotton areas of the five states, and possibly nationally. The transition from a theoretical bioeconomic construct to a real-world regional bioeconomic analysis proved seamless. Conclusions: The hybrid long-season Bt technology for rainfed and irrigated cotton is unique to India, and is a value capture mechanism. This technology is suboptimal leading to stagnant yields, high input costs, increased insecticide use, and low farmer incomes that increase economic distress that is a proximate cause of cotton farmer suicides. The current GM Bt technology adds costs in rainfed cotton without commensurate increases in yield. Non-GM pure-line high-density short-season varieties could double rainfed cotton yield, reduce costs, decrease insecticide use, and help ameliorate suicides. The GM hybrid technology is inappropriate for incorporation in short-season high-density varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To standardize and optimize the mass rearing of Orius insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), an important natural enemy of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a method using a production batch system for the rearing of this predator was evaluated. A total of 28 production batches (one batch was defined as a set of cohorts) were evaluated, in which some variables were alternated, such as the rearing conditions (laboratory or greenhouse), type of diet provided (F. occidentalis individuals alone or with Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), and frequency of maintenance (24 or 48 h). Each batch was monitored by recording parameters necessary for rearing, such as the survival of initial individuals, oviposition, time taken for new adult individuals to develop, and the total production of new adults. It was determined that when using a mixed diet, the production of new adult individuals was 8.4 times greater than when only a single food source was provided. Additionally, the constant conditions of the laboratory resulted in 4.9 times greater production than in the greenhouse and reduced the time required to obtain new individuals by 11.8 days. Further, a 48-h feeding frequency produced 4.2 times more individuals than a 24-h frequency. Control of these parameters will allow the standardization of a batch production process for ensuring the continuation of O. insidiosus production for use in biological control programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual audits using Google Street View are an increasingly popular method of assessing neighborhood environments for health and urban planning research. However, the validity of these studies may be threatened by issues of image availability, image age, and variance of image age, particularly in the Global South. This study identifies patterns of Street View image availability, image age, and image age variance across cities in Latin America and assesses relationships between these measures and measures of resident socioeconomic conditions. Image availability was assessed at 530,308 near-road points within the boundaries of 371 Latin American cities described by the SALURBAL (Salud Urbana en America Latina) project. At the subcity level, mixed-effect linear and logistic models were used to assess relationships between measures of socioeconomic conditions and image availability, average image age, and the standard deviation of image age. Street View imagery was available at 239,394 points (45.1%) of the total sampled, and rates of image availability varied widely between cities and countries. Subcity units with higher scores on measures of socioeconomic conditions had higher rates of image availability (OR = 1.11 per point increase of combined index, p < 0.001) and the imagery was newer on average (- 1.15 months per point increase of combined index, p < 0.001), but image capture date within these areas varied more (0.59-month increase in standard deviation of image age per point increase of combined index, p < 0.001). All three assessed threats to the validity of Street View virtual audit studies spatially covary with measures of socioeconomic conditions in Latin American cities. Researchers should be attentive to these issues when using Street View imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee, after petroleum, is the most valuable commodity globally in terms of total value (harvest to coffee cup). Here, our bioeconomic analysis considers the multitude of factors that influence coffee production. The system model used in the analysis incorporates realistic field models based on considerable new field data and models for coffee plant growth and development, the coffee/coffee berry borer (CBB) dynamics in response to coffee berry production and the role of the CBB parasitoids and their interactions in control of CBB. Cultural control of CBB by harvesting, cleanup of abscised fruits, and chemical sprays previously considered are reexamined here to include biopesticides for control of CBB such as entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae) and entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernema sp., Heterorhabditis). The bioeconomic analysis estimates the potential of each control tactic singly and in combination for control of CBB. The analysis explains why frequent intensive harvesting of coffee is by far the most effective and economically viable control practice for reducing CBB infestations in Colombia and Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have linked neighborhood food availability to the overall frequency of using food outlets without noting if those outlets were within or outside of participants' neighborhoods. We aimed to examine the association of neighborhood restaurant and food store availability with frequency of use of neighborhood food outlets, and whether such an association was modified by neighborhood street connectivity using a large and diverse population-based cohort of middle-aged U.S. adults. We used self-reported frequency of use of fast food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, and grocery stores in respondents' home neighborhoods using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study Year 20 exam in 2005-2006 (n = 2860; Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; and Oakland, CA) and geographically matched GIS-measured neighborhood-level food resource, street, and U.S. Census data. We used mixed-effects logistic regression to examine the associations of the GIS-measured count of neighborhood fast food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, and grocery stores with self-reported frequency of using neighborhood restaurants and food stores and whether such associations differed by GIS-measured neighborhood street connectivity among those who perceived at least one such food outlet. In multivariate analyses, we observed a positive association between the GIS-measured count of neighborhood sit-down restaurants (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04) and the self-reported frequency of using neighborhood sit-down restaurants. We observed no statistically significant association between GIS-measured count of neighborhood fast food restaurants and self-reported frequency of using neighborhood fast food restaurants, nor did we observe a statistically significant association between GIS-measured count of neighborhood grocery stores and self-reported frequency of using neighborhood grocery stores. We observed inverse associations between GIS-measured neighborhood street connectivity and the self-reported frequencies of using neighborhood fast food restaurants (OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.26-0.68) and grocery stores (OR = - 2.26, 95% CI - 4.52 to - 0.01). Neighborhood street connectivity did not modify the association between GIS-measured neighborhood restaurant and food store count and the self-reported frequency of using neighborhood restaurants and food stores. Our findings suggest that, for those who perceived at least one sit-down restaurant in their neighborhood, individuals who have more GIS-measured sit-down restaurants in their neighborhoods reported more frequent use of sit-down restaurants than those whose neighborhoods contain fewer such restaurants. Our results also suggest that, for those who perceived at least one fast food restaurant in their neighborhood, individuals who live in neighborhoods with greater GIS-measured street connectivity reported less use of neighborhood fast food restaurants than those who live in neighborhoods with less street connectivity. The count of neighborhood sit-down restaurants and the connectivity of neighborhood street networks appear important in understanding the use of neighborhood food resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing physical activity (PA) at the population level requires appropriately targeting intervention development. Identifying the locations in which participants with various sociodemographic, body weight, and geographic characteristics tend to engage in varying intensities of PA as well as locations these populations underutilize for PA may facilitate this process. A visual location-coding protocol was developed and implemented in Google Fusion Tables and Maps using data from participants (N = 223, age 18-85) in five states. Participants concurrently wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers and Qstarz BT-Q1000X GPS units for 3 weeks to identify locations of moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) or vigorous (VPA) bouts. Cochran-Mantel-Haenzel general association tests examined usage differences by participant characteristics (sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index (BMI), and recruitment city). Homes and roads encompassed >40% of bout-based PA minutes regardless of PA intensity. Fitness facilities and schools were important for VPA (19 and 12% of bout minutes). Parks were used for 13% of MVPA bout minutes but only 4% of VPA bout minutes. Hispanics, those without a college degree, and overweight/obese participants frequently completed MVPA bouts at home. Older adults often used roads for MVPA bouts. Hispanics, those with ≤high school education, and healthy/overweight participants frequently had MVPA bouts in parks. Applying a new location-coding protocol in a diverse population showed that adult PA locations varied by PA intensity, sociodemographic characteristics, BMI, and geographic location. Although homes, roads, and parks remain important locations for demographically targeted PA interventions, observed usage patterns by participant characteristics may facilitate development of more appropriately targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to determine if neighborhood measures were associated with physical activity cross-sectionally during late pregnancy (27-30 weeks' gestation), 3 months postpartum, and 12 months postpartum, and longitudinally with an increase in physical activity from late pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. Data are from the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition (PIN3) and Postpartum Prospective Cohort Study. Dichotomized self-reported recreation and total physical activity hours/week were explored cross-sectionally at three time points, and as an increase over time. Four factors from a neighborhood environmental audit were examined: arterial or thoroughfare, walkable neighborhood, physical incivilities, and decoration. Secondary spatial data included population density, hilliness, intersection density, distance to nearest major road, distance to nearest park, distance to nearest physical activity facility, and distance to nearest bus stop. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to assess the association between environmental variables and physical activity measures. A number of environmental variables were associated with total and recreation physical activity at the three time points in cross-sectional models. For increase in recreation physical activity over time, a moderate distance to nearest major road was significantly associated with increased recreation physical activity from 3 to 12 months postpartum (tertile 2 OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.08, 4.22). Living the furthest distance from the nearest park was inversely associated with an increase in recreation physical activity from pregnancy to 3 months postpartum (tertile 3 OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29, 0.85). The findings of this study indicate that several aspects of the neighborhood environment, such as walkability, access to transit, distance to recreation facilities, and road networks, are associated with physical activity during different stages of pregnancy and postpartum. Since physical activity may result in long-term health benefits for both the woman and child, environments that support this activity should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spreading depolarization (SD) is a fundamental pathophysiological mechanism of both pannecrotic and selective neuronal lesions following deprivation of energy. SD with brain injury has been reported including in one patient during an intracranial operation. However, the incidence of SDs in operative resections is unknown. Methods: We performed (a) retrospective analysis of intraoperative AC-recordings of 69 patients and (b) a prospective study using intraoperative near-DC recording. All patients had the diagnosis of pharmaco-resistant epilepsy. Both studies were designed to determine the incidence and characteristics of SDs intraoperatively. In the retrospective analysis, we used intraoperative electrocorticography (iECoG) recordings obtained from AC-recording of 69 patients. In the prospective analysis, we used an Octal Bio Amp and Power Lab ECoG recorder with near-DC range. Results: In the retrospective study, we included 69 patients with a mean of 1 h 3 min of iECoG recordings. In the prospective study, we recruited 20 patients with near DC recordings. A total of 35 h 41 min of iECoG recordings with mean of 2 h 32 min/patient were analyzed. We did not find SD in either study. Conclusions: SDs were not detected during intraoperative recordings of epilepsy surgery using AC- or DC-amplifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to underline the numerous similarities between Jorge Toledano, a play written by Lope de Vega in his youth, and La española, composed by Cepeda, a playwright who is nowadays almost unknown, but was relatively famous in the Golden Age. In addition to pointing out their thematic correspondences, which show that the public at the end of the sixteenth century enjoyed Byzantine plots that dealt with captivity in North Africa, the main goal of this study is to suggest a direct relationship between these works. Doubt surrounding the composition date of La española prevents us from affirming which author imitated the other, but the comparative analyse suggests that, in fact, both plays are directly connected. Furthermore, it is likely that La española is one of those plays—often forgotten—that inspired and assisted Lope in his early days as a playwright. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the progress towards the implementation of a double trap system for the coupling of ion clouds stored in different traps through the charges they induce in a common electrode. The two traps have cylindrical symmetry and can be used either as Penning or Paul traps. The laser system for Doppler cooling of 40Ca+ clouds is described. The cooling can be performed differentially in the two traps, aiming at the study of the coupling between two clouds of ions at different temperatures. This setup is the starting point for the realization of energy transfer between two Doppler-cooled ions stored in different traps. We report on the status of the experiment and evaluate the performance required for an efficient coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable and stable environmental audit instruments are needed to successfully identify the physical and social attributes that may influence physical activity. This study described the reliability and stability of the PIN3 environmental audit instrument in both urban and rural neighborhoods. Four randomly sampled road segments in and around a one-quarter mile buffer of participants' residences from the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition (PIN3) study were rated twice, approximately 2 weeks apart. One year later, 253 of the year 1 sampled roads were re-audited. The instrument included 43 measures that resulted in 73 item scores for calculation of percent overall agreement, kappa statistics, and log-linear models. For same-day reliability, 81% of items had moderate to outstanding kappa statistics (kappas ≥ 0.4). Two-week reliability was slightly lower, with 77% of items having moderate to outstanding agreement using kappa statistics. One-year stability had 68% of items showing moderate to outstanding agreement using kappa statistics. The reliability of the audit measures was largely consistent when comparing urban to rural locations, with only 8% of items exhibiting significant differences (α < 0.05) by urbanicity. The PIN3 instrument is a reliable and stable audit tool for studies assessing neighborhood attributes in urban and rural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A remarkable theorem of Domar asserts that the lattice of the invariant subspaces of the right shift semigroup (Sτ)τ≥0 in L²(ℝ+, w(t)dt) consists of just the "standard invariant subspaces" whenever w is a positive continuous function in ℝ+ such that (1) log w is concave in [c, ∞) for some c ≥ 0, (2) limt→ ∞ - log w(t)/ t = ∞, and ... . We prove an extension of Domar's Theorem to a strictly wider class of weights w, answering a question posed by Domar in [6]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classical result due to Foias and Pearcy establishes a discrete model for every quasinilpotent operator acting on a separable, infinite-dimensional complex Hilbert space $${\mathcal H}$$ . More precisely, given a quasinilpotent operator T on $${\mathcal H}$$ , there exists a compact quasinilpotent operator K in $${\mathcal H}$$ such that T is similar to a part of $$K\oplus K\oplus \cdots \oplus K\oplus \cdots $$ acting on the direct sum of countably many copies of $${\mathcal H}$$ . We show that a continuous model for any quasinilpotent operator can be provided. The consequences of such a model will be discussed in the context of $$C_0$$ -semigroups of quasinilpotent operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper simplifies a recently proposed method for measuring the thermal conductivity of powders using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) (Sánchez-Rodríguez et al. in J Therm Anal Calorim 121:469-473, ). With this method, a crucible is filled with powder and a spherical metal reference is partially sunk into it. The thermal resistance between the metal and the crucible wall at the metal melting point is obtained from the DSC melting peak slope. In the simplified method outlined in this paper, a cylindrical pan is substituted for the original hemispherical crucible. The equivalence of both methods is demonstrated with alumina powder and commercial cylindrical crucibles of several sizes and aspect ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the simulations of the Noah-MP surface processes over a crop and a forest sites in Amazonia using tower observations. Soil moisture simulations agree with the observations in both land covers, mainly during the rainy season. However, simulations show cold biases in the soil temperature at both sites. The magnitude and seasonal cycle of the surface energy fluxes are better simulated at the crop site, although the model significantly underestimates the sensible heat flux at this site. The model reproduces the seasonal pattern of surface runoff at both sites. The Noah-MP model does not adequately simulate the base flow at the crop site, while the simulated total runoff at the forest site is closer to the observation than at the crop site. The results show that, in general, the Noah-MP model simulations for the two sites in Amazonia exhibit fairly realistic performance, particularly over the crop site. However, there are cold biases in soil temperature simulations, which could be related with the parameterization of the equilibrium relationship between soil moisture and soil temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a new method to measure the thermal conductivity of powders by differential scanning calorimetry that works with masses in amounts as low as tens of mg. The method is based on that used by Camirand to determine the thermal conductivity of materials in the form of thin sheets but introducing a hemispherical pan to contain powders in such a way that the issue of heat transfer is reduced to a one-dimensional problem. The modification of the method was successfully validated on obtaining identical results in determining the thermal conductivity of a commercial silicone with both Camirand's method and the modified method. We have also tested our method with materials that, in bulk, cover a wide range of thermal conductivities and have performed the experiments with several atmospheres and reference metals. The results are consistent with already published general trends in that they confirm that thermal conductivity of powders is mainly governed by thermal conduction through the surrounding gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When gases evolve during a chemical reaction, a fraction of the reaction heat is lost with them. We have analyzed, both theoretically and experimentally, the deviations that this effect can produce on the determination of the reaction heat by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It is shown that, even in the absence of gas overheating, deviations related to variations in the sample heat capacity can be substantial in experiments involving very intense DSC peaks. However, experiments performed on thermal decomposition of metal organic salts and on evaporation of liquids have shown that deviations usually arise from gas overheating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shame has biological roots, possibly enhancing trust, favoring social cohesion. We studied bioeconomic aspects of shame and guilt using three approaches: 1-Anthropo-linguistic studies of Guilt and Shame among the Yanomami, a culturally isolated traditional tribal society; 2-Estimates of the importance different languages assign to the concepts Shame, Guilt, Pain, Embarrassment, Fear and Trust, counting the number of synonyms listed by Google Translate; 3-Quantitative correlations between this linguistic data with socioeconomic indexes. Results showed that Yanomami is unique in having overlapping synonyms for Shame, Fear and Embarrassment. No language had overlapping synonyms for Shame and Guilt. Societies previously described as 'Guilt Societies' have more synonyms for Guilt than for Shame. A large majority of languages, including those from societies previously described as 'Shame Societies', have more words for Shame than for Guilt. The number of synonyms for Guilt and Shame strongly correlated with estimates of corruption, ease of doing business and governance, but not with levels of interpersonal trust. We propose that cultural evolution of shame has continued the work of biological evolution, but its adaptive advantage to society is still unclear. Results suggest that recent cultural evolution must be responsible for the relationship between the levels of corruption of a society and the number of synonyms for Guilt and Shame in its language. This opens a novel window for the study of complex interactions between biological and cultural evolution of cognition and emotions, which might help broaden our insight into bioeconomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dutch mussel fishery in the Wadden Sea, a World Natural Heritage Site, is currently involved in a step-by-step transition from the traditional but controversial method of dredging mussel seed from natural beds using trawl nets to alternative sustainable practices. The main objectives of the transition are to allow the natural development of mussel bed ecosystems and to simultaneously achieve a large-scale sustainable mussel fishery. The transition is a joint enterprise of state officials, environmental organizations, and the mussel fishery sector and requires striking a balance among their differing interests and identities. As such, it may be considered as an example of social learning. This article explores the multiple efforts and controversies of this transition using concepts such as identities, communities and practices. We conclude that the transition endeavor is characterized by innovative new practices that have brought together two in principle contradictory identities in order to negotiate natural and social limits that might facilitate a sustainable future for the mussel fishery in the Wadden Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer (CC) as other cancer types, presents molecular deregulations, such as the alterations of transcription factors. Krüppel-like factors (KLF) are a family of transcriptional regulators. They are involved in diverse cellular processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis among others. Here, we analyzed the expression of all 17 KLF members at messenger RNA (mRNA) level, and protein expression of the two most commonly altered KLF5 and KLF6 in cervical tissues. Fifty-nine cervical tissues ranging from normal tissue to CC were evaluated for KLF1-17 mRNA expression by end-point RT-PCR and KLF5 by qRT-PCR. For KLF5 and KLF6 protein analysis, a tissue microarray was constructed containing the 59 cases and subjected for immunohistochemistry assay and KLF6 IVS1-27G>A single nucleotide polymorphism by direct DNA sequencing. KLF2-16 expressions were present in normal tissue, whereas all 17 were present in Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion, High-Grade-SIL and CC, unrelated to presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). KLF5 mRNA expression gradually increased throughout the subgroups and overexpressed in CC ( p = 0.01). KLF5 and KLF6 proteins were immunodetected in all samples. For the KLF6 SNP analysis, 80 % of the CC population analyzed presented GG genotype and the remaining 20 % presented GA genotype ( p = 0.491). Our present data show that KLFs expression could not be related to HPV presence, at least at transcriptional level, and KLF5 mRNA overexpression could represent a potential molecular marker for CC; KLF6 SNP has no relation to increased risk of CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato yellow vein virus ( Crinivirus) causes leaf yellowing, is limited to the phloem and is transmitted by Trialeurodes vaporariorum and tubers. PYVV causes up to 50 % yield reduction in S. tuberosum. The prevalence of PYVV was established in Group Phureja in 2008 in the Colombian states of Cundinamarca, Antioquia and Nariño. The presence (S) or absence (NS) of symptoms was established in 24,930 plants. Symptom prevalence was as follows: Cundinamarca 0.74 % ± 0.03, Antioquia 5.4 % ± 12 and Nariño 6.2 % ± 0.11. Percentages of S plants were highly variable among different states and municipalities. PYVV was diagnosed by RT-PCR in a subsample of 1,545 plants from Cundinamarca and Nariño. RT-PCR showed that 2.4 % ± 8.3 × 10 and 41 % ± 0.0009 % of the symptomless plants of Cundinamarca and Nariño respectively were positive. This suggests possible late infection of plants by the vector which did not have enough time to express symptoms, infections with two or more viruses or 'virus latency'. PYVV symptomatic prevalence in Group Phureja was lower than that reported for Diacol-Capiro (Group Andigena), but increases if molecular results are taken into account. This is the first known study aimed at determining PYVV prevalence using molecular tools and extensively sampling of S. tuberosum Group Phureja plants in grower's fields in three states and multiple municipalities of Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Dipolar and single-phase two-electrode quadrupolar detection schemes have been investigated at a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) setup built for the KATRIN experiment at the Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg. We present first experimental results of Li signals from a cylindrical Penning trap configuration for both detection schemes. While the prominent signal of the conventional dipolar detection scheme marks the reduced cyclotron frequency, the main signal for the quadrupolar detection appears at the sum of the reduced cyclotron frequency and the magnetron frequency. For ideal trapping fields, this sum frequency equals the ion cyclotron frequency ν = qB/(2 πm). Sidebands due to the combined motions of the cyclotron mode and magnetron mode are observed by quadrupolar detection which allows the determination of the respective combinations of eigenfrequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical point theory asserts that two-dimensional topologies are defined as degeneracies and any three-dimensional disturbance of a two-dimensional flow will lead to a new three-dimensional flowfield topology, regardless of the disturbance amplitude. Here, the topology of the composite flowfields reconstructed by linear superposition of the two-dimensional flow around a stalled airfoil and the leading stationary three-dimensional global eigenmode has been studied. In the conditions monitored the two-dimensional flow is steady and laminar and is separated over a fraction of the suction side, while the amplitudes considered in the linear superposition are small enough for the linearization assumption to be valid. The multiple topological bifurcations resulting have been analysed in detail; the surface streamlines generated by the leading stationary global mode of the separated flow have been found to be strongly reminiscent of the characteristic stall cells, observed experimentally on airfoils just beyond stall in both laminar and turbulent flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores whether and how the biotechnologization process that the fuel-plant Jatropha curcas is undergoing might strengthen local sustainable development. It focuses on the ongoing efforts of the multi-stakeholder network Gota Verde to harness Jatropha within local small-scale production systems in Yoro, Honduras. It also looks at the genomics research on Jatropha conducted by the Dutch research institute Plant Research International, specifically addressing the ways in which that research can assists local development in Honduras. A territorial approach is applied for analysis employing a three domain concept ( local sustainable biotechnological development) of territory, technology and re-territorialization. The article suggests that, although the biotechnologization process (through genomics) of Jatropha within the socio-technical framework of the institute and multi-stakeholder networks is an ongoing process––and different trajectories are, therefore, still open––the process can, nevertheless, strengthen local sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]