Factors affecting nest success of colonial nesting waterbirds in Southwest Louisiana

As the coastline of Louisiana shifts with global climate change, subsidence, and accelerated sea level rise, important breeding islands for colonial nesting waterbirds are disappearing. In many recent studies flooding has been a leading cause of nest failure for a variety of species, especially those that nest on the ground. I examined the nest success of four species of colonial nesting waterbirds with various nesting strategies on Rabbit Island in southwestern Louisiana during 2017 and2018 by determining nest and fledging success. I monitored 855 nests, including 457 Brown Pelicans nests with an estimated hatch probability of 70%, 270 Forster’s Terns with an estimated 12% hatch likelihood, 92 Tricolored Herons at a hatch success rate of 77%, and 36 Roseate Spoonbills with the highest hatch rate at 70%. My findings indicate that nest strategy and nest timing have a significant impact on survival rate, however the effect is mediated by conditions within a specific breeding season. The largest cause of nest failure was flooding for all species except Tricolored Herons, indicating that the island may currently be too low for small differences in elevation between nest sites to impact survival. Increasing island elevation could reduce the probability of nest failure due to overwash, but increased elevation may also lead to island abandonment or reduced nest success due to increased chance of island colonization by rank woody vegetation, mammalian predators, and/or fire ants

Citrus black spot detection using hyperspectral image analysis

A recently discovered fungal disease called citrus black spot, is threatening the Florida citrus industry.  The fungal disease, which causes cosmetic lesions on the rind of the fruit and can cause a tree to drop its fruit prematurely, could possibly lead to a ban on sales of fresh Florida citrus in other citrus-producing states.  The objective of this research is to develop a multispectral imaging algorithm to detect citrus black spots based on hyperspectral image data.  Hyperspectral images of citrus fruits (Valencias) were collected in the wavelength range of 480 nm to 950 nm.  Five surface conditions were examined, citrus black spot, greasy spot, melanose, wind scar, and normal one.  The first part of the image analysis determined the optimal wavelengths using correlation analysis based on the wavelength ratio (l1/l2) and wavelength difference (l1 - l2).  Four wavelengths were identified, 493 nm, 629 nm, 713 nm, and 781 nm.  In the second part, pattern recognition approaches namely linear discriminant classifier and artificial neural networks were developed using the four selected wavelengths as the input.  Both pattern recognition approaches had an overall accuracy of 92%.  The detection accuracy was improved to 96% by using the NDVI band ratio method of 713 nm and 781 nm.  The multispectral image algorithm developed in this study haspotential to be adopted by a real-time multispectral imaging system for citrus black spot detection.     Keywords: activation energy, effective diffusivity, foam-mat drying, foam characteristics, modeling, Shrim

Prospective Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction, and Surgeon and Patient Trainer Assessment of the Coloplast Titan One Touch Release Three‐Piece Inflatable Penile Prosthesis

Introduction.  A single‐armed, prospective, multicenter international study evaluated the redesigned Coloplast Titan One Touch Release (OTR) pump inflatable penile prosthesis. The OTR pump has a unique release valve that permits deflation of the implant with one squeeze of opposing touch pads. Aims.  To assess the impact of a new penile prosthesis design, the Titan OTR, on patient ease of operation. Furthermore, to assess patient satisfaction, surgeon acceptance, and the ease with which patients were trained in device operation in the clinic setting. Methods.  A total of 113 eligible patients from eight centers were recruited from men presenting with erectile dysfunction without prior prosthetic implantation. The subjects had a mean age of 61 years, and had a number of comorbidities, including diabetes (31.9%), hypertension (34.5%), and Peyronie's disease (23.9%). All underwent implantation of the study device. Main Outcome Measures.  Questionnaires were used to capture patient satisfaction as well as physician feedback on ease of implantation and patient education. A paired analysis was completed for patient satisfaction at 6 (N = 96) and 12 (N = 90) months. Results.  Overall satisfaction with the device was 90.6% and 90.0% at 6 and 12 months, respectively. The primary end point, ease of deflation, was seen in 70.8% and 73.3% at these two time points, with the 12‐month value statistically better than historical controls. Physicians overwhelmingly reported straightforward/simple intraoperative product preparation (97.3%) and equivalent or easier training compared with their previous pump of choice (96.4%). Adverse events for all subjects (N = 113) included removal of the device in four cases (3.5%) for infection and one case for chronic pain (0.8%). Conclusions.  The Titan OTR represents an advance in penile prosthetic technology that is well accepted by patients and physicians. The study design allowed for realistic evaluation of the new technology aimed at enhancing clinical outcomes. Ohl DA, Brock G, Ralph D, Bogache W, Jones L, Munarriz R, Levine L, and Ritenour C. Prospective evaluation of patient satisfaction, and surgeon and patient trainer assessment of the Coloplast Titan One Touch Release three‐piece inflatable penile prosthesis. J Sex Med 2012;9:2467–2474.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93661/1/j.1743-6109.2012.02819.x.pd

Nutrient Management Impacts on HLB-affected ‘Valencia’ Citrus Tree Growth, Fruit Yield, and Postharvest Fruit Quality

Since the first occurrence of Huanglongbing (HLB) in the Florida commercial citrus industry in 2004, fruit yield and yield components of HLB-affected citrus have declined in endemically affected citrus tree groves. Optimal fertilization is thus critical for improving tree performance because nutrients are vital for tree growth and development, and play a significant role in tree disease resistance against various biotic and abiotic stresses. The objective of the current study was to determine whether leaf nutrient concentration, tree growth, yield, and postharvest quality of HLB-affected citrus trees were improved by the split application of nutrients. The four micronutrient application rates were used as fixed factors and the three nitrogen (N) rates were used as random factors for leaf nutrient analyses, tree growth, fruit yield, and postharvest analyses. Significant leaf manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were detected when trees received foliar and soil-applied micronutrients regardless of the N rates. There was a strong regression analysis of leaf Mn and Zn nutrient concentration and nutrient rates with R2: 0.61 and 0.59, respectively. As a result, a significant leaf area index associated with foliar and soil-applied micronutrient rates had a positive correlation with leaf area index and soil pH with R2: 0.58 and 0.63 during the spring and summer seasons, respectively. Trees that received a moderate (224 kg·ha−1) N rate showed the least fruit decay percentage and total soluble solids (TSS) of 8% more than the lowest (168 kg·ha−1) and highest (280 kg·ha−1) N rates, even though fruit yield variations were barely detected as these micronutrients promoted vegetative growth. Moreover, the TSS to titratable acidity (TA) ratio of foliar and soil-applied micronutrient-treated trees showed 2% and 7% greater values than the foliar-only treated and control trees, respectively. Although micronutrients exacerbated stem-end rind breakdown (SERB), these nutrients significantly improved fruit storage when the fruits were stored for extended periods (8–11 weeks). Thus, moderate N rate, foliar (1×), and soil-applied (1×) micronutrient treatments improved tree growth, fruit postharvest, and fruit storage characteristics

New quality index based on dry matter and acidity proposed for Hayward kiwifruit

Researchers from various countries have proposed using dry matter at harvest as a worldwide quality index for Hay-ward kiwifruit, because it includes both soluble (sugars and acids) and insoluble (structural carbohydrates and starch) solids and doesn't change during post-harvest handling. Our consumer tests in 1999 and 2008 indicated that dry matter and ripe titratable acidity are related to in-store consumer acceptance of kiwifruit. In most California seasons, when ripe titratable acidity was less than 1.2%, only a dry matter greater than or equal to 15.1% was required for consumer acceptability. Our 6-year quality attribute survey of California kiwifruit at harvest and from cold storage demonstrated that dry matter and ripe soluble solids concentration were highly variable among vineyards and seasons, but ripe titratable acidity values varied more among seasons than between vineyards. Our results provide strong evidence that dry matter would be a reliable quality index candidate for California kiwifruit, especially if ripe titratable acidity were factored in

Anthocyanin management in fruits by fertilization

Anthocyanins are water-soluble vacuolar plant pigments that are mainly synthesized in epidermal layers and the flesh of fruits such as apples, cherries, grapes, and other berries. Because of their attractive red to purple coloration and their health-promoting potential, anthocyanins are significant determinants for the quality and market value of fruits and fruit-derived products. In crops, anthocyanin accumulation in leaves can be caused by nutrient deficiency which is usually ascribed to insufficient nitrogen or phosphorus fertilization. However, it is a little-known fact that the plant’s nutrient status also impacts anthocyanin synthesis in fruits. Hence, strategic nutrient supply can be a powerful tool to modify the anthocyanin content and consequently the quality and market value of important agricultural commodities. Here we summarize the current knowledge of the influence of plant nutrients on anthocyanin synthesis in fruits of major global market value and discuss the underlying cellular processes that integrate nutrient signaling with fruit anthocyanin formation. It is highlighted that fertilization that is finely tuned in amount and timing has the potential to positively influence the fruit quality by regulating anthocyanin levels. We outline new approaches to enrich plant based foods with health-promoting anthocyanins

Gold and silver diffusion in germanium: a thermodynamic approach

Diffusion properties are technologically important in the understanding of semiconductors for the efficent formation of defined nanoelectronic devices. In the present study we employ experimental data to show that bulk materials properties (elastic and expansivity data) can be used to describe gold and silver diffusion in germanium for a wide temperature range (702–1177 K). Here we show that the so-called cBΩ model thermodynamic model, which assumes that the defect Gibbs energy is proportional to the isothermal bulk modulus and the mean volume per atom, adequately metallic diffusion in germanium

Blast Shock Wave Mitigation Using the Hydraulic Energy Redirection and Release Technology

A hydraulic energy redirection and release technology has been developed for mitigating the effects of blast shock waves on protected objects. The technology employs a liquid-filled plastic tubing as a blast overpressure transformer to transfer kinetic energy of blast shock waves into hydraulic energy in the plastic tubings. The hydraulic energy is redirected through the plastic tubings to the openings at the lower ends, and then is quickly released with the liquid flowing out through the openings. The samples of the specifically designed body armor in which the liquid-filled plastic tubings were installed vertically as the outer layer of the body armor were tested. The blast test results demonstrated that blast overpressure behind the body armor samples was remarkably reduced by 97% in 0.2 msec after the liquid flowed out of its appropriate volume through the openings. The results also suggested that a volumetric liquid surge might be created when kinetic energy of blast shock wave was transferred into hydraulic energy to cause a rapid physical movement or displacement of the liquid. The volumetric liquid surge has a strong destructive power, and can cause a noncontact, remote injury in humans (such as blast-induced traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder) if it is created in cardiovascular system. The hydraulic energy redirection and release technology can successfully mitigate blast shock waves from the outer surface of the body armor. It should be further explored as an innovative approach to effectively protect against blast threats to civilian and military personnel