Characterization of Legacy Sediment variations in accretion and carbon dynamics following dam removal in a recently restored tidal freshwater wetland

Damming disrupts the natural flow of sediment to adjoining water bodies resulting in the accumulation of Legacy Sediments (LS). While the impact of LS inputs has been well investigated in lotic Mid-Atlantic piedmont stream restorations, (i.e. milldam removal 1,2,3,4,5,), there have been few studies investigating LS following dam removal in low-gradient coastal plain streams. The objectives of this study were to quantify spatial and temporal variations of LS characteristics in a low-gradient tidal stream restoration within the lower James River watershed. Secondary objectives were to assess the current temporal and spatial variability in sediment deposition within the recently restored Kimages Creek wetlands and adjacent, unaltered wetlands of Harris Creek to investigate current sedimentation processes in a restoration setting

Understanding Amylose Structure, What It Controls And What Controls It.

Starch accounts for at least 92% (dry weight) of a milled rice grain. Starch is comprised of two fractions, amylose and amylopectin. Amylose content can range from 0% (in waxy rice) to about 30%. Amylose is essentially a linear molecule ranging from about 800 degrees of polymerization (DP) to about 10 000 DP. It carries a few widely spaced chains. Amylose plays a significant role in almost all of the cooking qualities of rice. The process of cooking of rice begins with the softening of the starch granules, which is primarily a function of amylopectin. The next process, swelling, is greatly affected by amylose. As the starch granules swell, amylose leaches from the granules into the solution phase. Behaviour observed in the field of synthetic polymer science suggests that the linear amylose molecules surround the swelling granules and inhibit the swelling. After amylose leaches from granules, it joins the continuous phase and van der Waal forces inside the helices of chains cause double helices to form. The double helices aggregate into a gel; the more double helices, the firmer the gel. The early stages of gel formation would occur in the interval between removing from heat and eating the rice. Long chains of amylose have a higher viscosity than short chains, and this limits the mobility of the long chains. Thus, with long chains, the formation of double helices and aggregations is slower, leading to a softer gel. Therefore, amylose structure could explain why two varieties with the same amylose content differ in cooked texture. In the later stages of gel formation, typically occurring well after cooking the rice, and when the temperature falls below 25 ºC, short chains of amylose will form double helices and crystallites much more readily than long chains of amylose. Therefore, rice that contains short chains of amylose are likely to be hard when cooled after cooking. The knowledge and information that could be provided by developing a method to measure amylose structure will provide a tool allowing greater insights into the effect of amylose structure on different cooking properties, with the ultimate aim of developing the knowledge into a selection tool for rice breeders. After developing a tool to measure amylose structure, it was applied to understanding a particular nutritional property of rice, namely resistant starch. Literature and early research indicated some link between resistant starch content and amylose content, however, detailed investigations of the structure of resistant starch, hypothesised to reveal more of the secrets of amylose, in actuality, revealed some of the secrets of amylopectin

Prey capture behaviour by pygmy bluetongue lizards with simulated grazing

Published version made available in accordance with the Publishers policy. This article is under an embargo for a period of three years from the date of publication

Measuring the Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Coaching with Nonverbal Immediacy on the Self-Efficacy of Undergraduate Students in STEM Courses

A quasi-experimental study explored whether the practice of cognitive behavioral coaching with an intentional focus on nonverbal immediacy has an impact on the self-efficacy of undergraduate students taking college-level STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses. A positive impact to self-efficacy for students who receive the coaching intervention was anticipated. The research took place at a public research university located in the Midwest. Subjects included students who were required to work with a success coach as a condition of their enrollment and/or financial aid eligibility. Information obtained included perception of nonverbal immediacy of the coaches and self-efficacy of the student, as determined by existing assessments called, Nonverbal Immediacy Scale – Observers and Self-Efficacy for Learning Form – Abridged version. Success coaches provided the coaching intervention to students through a prescribed protocol of at least four face-to-face meetings throughout the semester with regular contact via email and phone. Students participated in the coaching interventions as mentees. Students received support by coaches to supplement their academic pursuits. Paired t-Tests (see Table 7) did not confirm that there was a significant difference between the pre-assessment scores, and the post-assessment scores; therefore, the null hypotheses were not rejected

Evaluating Outer Segment Length as A Surrogate Measure of Peak Foveal Cone Density

Adaptive optics (AO) imaging tools enable direct visualization of the cone photoreceptor mosaic, which facilitates quantitative measurements such as cone density. However, in many individuals, low image quality or excessive eye movements precludes making such measures. As foveal cone specialization is associated with both increased density and outer segment (OS) elongation, we sought to examine whether OS length could be used as a surrogate measure of foveal cone density. The retinas of 43 subjects (23 normal and 20 albinism; aged 6–67 years) were examined. Peak foveal cone density was measured using confocal adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), and OS length was measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and longitudinal reflectivity profile-based approach. Peak cone density ranged from 29,200 to 214,000 cones/mm2(111,700 ± 46,300 cones/mm2); OS length ranged from 26.3 to 54.5 μm (40.5 ± 7.7 μm). Density was significantly correlated with OS length in albinism (p \u3c 0.0001), but not normals (p = 0.99). A cubic model of density as a function of OS length was created based on histology and optimized to fit the albinism data. The model includes triangular cone packing, a cylindrical OS with a fixed volume of 136.6 μm3, and a ratio of OS to inner segment width that increased linearly with increasing OS length (R2 = 0.72). Normal subjects showed no apparent relationship between cone density and OS length. In the absence of adequate AOSLO imagery, OS length may be used to estimate cone density in patients with albinism. Whether this relationship exists in other patient populations with foveal hypoplasia (e.g., premature birth, aniridia, isolated foveal hypoplasia) remains to be seen

Nontraumatic Dental Condition-related Visits to Emergency Departments on Weekdays, Weekends and Night Hours: Findings from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

Objective: To determine whether the rates of nontraumatic dental condition (NTDC)-related emergency department (ED) visits are higher during the typical working hours of dental offices and lower during night hours, as well as the associated factors. Methods: We analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 1997 through 2007 using multivariate binary and polytomous logistic regression adjusted for survey design to determine the effect of predictors on specified outcome variables. Results: Overall, 4,726 observations representing 16.4 million NTDC-related ED visits were identified. Significant differences in rates of NTDC-related ED visits were observed with 40%–50% higher rates during non-working hours and 20% higher rates on weekends than the overall average rate of 170 visits per hour. Compared with 19–33 year olds, subjects [relative rate ratio (RRR) = 1.6 to 1.8], whereas those aged 73 and older had lower relative rates during nonworking hours (RRR = 0.4; overall P = 0.0005). Compared with those having private insurance, Medicaid and self-pay patients had significantly lower relative rates of NTDC visits during nonworking and night hours (RRR = 0.6 to 0.7, overall P \u3c 0.0003). Patients with a dental reason for visit were overrepresented during the night hours (RRR = 1.3; overall P = 0.04). Conclusion: NTDC-related visits to ED occurred at a higher rate during non-working hours and on weekends and were significantly associated with age, patient-stated reason for visit and payer type

The well-being of carers of older Aboriginal people living in the Kimberley region of remote Western Australia: Empowerment, depression, and carer burden

Objective: To describe demographic features and well-being of carers of Aboriginal Australians aged ≥45 years in remote Western Australia. Method: Carer burden, empowerment, and depression were assessed in 124 Aboriginal carers in four remote Aboriginal communities. Results: Carers were aged 38.8 ± 15.0 years, 73.4% were female, and 75.8% were children or grandchildren of the person cared for. The mean Zarit-6 score was 3.7 ± 3.6. Attending high school (odds ratio [OR] = 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.1, 0.7]) and feeling empowered (OR = 0.2; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.8]) were inversely associated with carer burden; female carers were less likely to feel empowered (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = [0.2, 0.9]); and empowerment was inversely associated with depression (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.7]). Discussion: Aboriginal carers in remote communities are relatively young and most are children or grandchildren. Carer burden was lower than anticipated. However, existing tools may not adequately measure Aboriginal perspectives. Education and empowerment are key factors which support programs must consider

A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing the Frequency of Drug Interactions After Adding Simeprevir- or Sofosbuvir-Containing Therapy to Medication Profiles of Hepatitis C Monoinfected Patients.

INTRODUCTION:This study compares the expected occurrence of contraindicated drug-drug interactions (XDDIs) when simeprevir (SIM)- or sofosbuvir (SOF)-containing therapy is added to medication profiles of patients with hepatitis C (HCV) monoinfection to quantify, in relative terms, the population-based risk of XDDIs. Second, this study identified the predictors of XDDIs when HCV therapies are added to medication profiles. METHODS:A cross-sectional study was performed among Veterans' Affairs patients. Inclusion criteria were: (1) age ≥18 years, (2) HCV infection, and (3) availability of a medication list. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus were excluded. Demographics, comorbidities, year of HCV diagnosis, and most recent medication list were collected from medical records. The primary outcome was the presence of XDDIs involving HCV therapy and the medications in the patient's home medication list after the addition of either SIM- or SOF-containing regimens. To define XDDIs, Lexi-Interact drug interaction software was used. RESULTS:4,251 patients were included. The prevalence of XDDIs involving SIM- or SOF-containing therapy were 12.6% and 4.7% (p < 0.001), respectively. In multivariable analyses examining the predictors of XDDIs involving SIM-containing therapy, the only medication-related predictor was use of ≥6 home medications (odds ratio OR 4.58, 95% confidence interval CI 3.54-5.20, p < 0.001). Similarly, use of ≥6 home medications was also the only variable associated with an increased probability of XDDI involving SOF-containing therapy (OR 3.83, 95% CI 2.57-5.70, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Sofosbuvir-containing therapy had a lower frequency of XDDIs than SIM-containing therapy. Polypharmacy with various classes of home medications predicted XDDIs involving SIM- or SOF-containing therapy