Book Reviews

Reviews of the following books: The Bonds of Womanhood: Woman\u27s Sphere in New England, 1780-1835 by Nancy F. Cott; Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned by Joyce Butler; The Peoples Lewiston-Auburn Maine, 1875-1975 by John A. Rand; Big Dreams and Little Wheels by Ruth Crosby Wiggi

Selection in monoculture vs. mixture alters plant metabolic fingerprints

Aims In grassland biodiversity experiments, positive biodiversity effects on primary productivity increase over time. Recent research has shown that differential selection in monoculture and mixed-species communities leads to the rapid emergence of monoculture and mixture types, adapted to their own biotic community. We used eight plant species selected for 8 years in such a biodiversity experiment to test if monoculture and mixture types differed in metabolic profiles using infrared spectroscopy. Methods Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to assess metabolic fingerprints of leaf samples of 10 individuals of each species from either monocultures or mixtures. The FTIR spectra were analyzed using multivariate procedures to assess (i) whether individuals within species could be correctly assigned to monoculture or mixture history based on the spectra alone and (ii) which parts of the spectra drive the group assignment, i.e. which metabolic groups were subject to differential selection in monocultures vs. mixtures. Important Findings Plant individuals within each of the eight species could be classified as either from monoculture or mixture selection history based on their FTIR spectra. Different metabolic groups were differentially selected in the different species; some of them may be related to defense of pathogens accumulating more strongly in monocultures than in mixtures. The rapid selection of the monoculture and mixture types within the eight study species could have been due to a sorting-out process based on large initial genetic or epigenetic variation within the specie

Self-Selected Versus Standardised Warm-Ups; Physiological Response on 500 m Sprint Kayak Performance

This study investigated the effectiveness of a self-selected (SS) warm-up on 500 m sprint kayak performance (K500) compared to continuous (CON) and intermittent high intensity (INT)-type warm-ups. Twelve nationally ranked sprint kayakers (age 17.7 ± 2.3 years, mass 69.2 ± 10.8 kg) performed CON (15 min at the power at 2 m·mol−1), INT (10 min at 2 m·mol−1, followed by 5 × 10 s sprints at 200% power at VO2max with 50 s recovery at 55% power at VO2max), and SS (athlete’s normal competition warm-up) warm-ups in a randomised order. After a five-minute passive recovery, K500 performance was determined on a kayak ergometer. Heart rate and blood lactate (BLa) were recorded before and immediately after each warm-up and K500 performance. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded at the end of the warm-up and K500. BLa, heart rate, and RPE were generally higher after the INT than CON and SS warm-ups (p 0.05). RPE and changes in BLa and heart rate after the K500 were comparable. There were no differences in K500 performance after the CON, SS, or INT warm-ups. Applied practitioners can, therefore, attain similar performance independent of warm-up type

Group versus Individualised Minimum Velocity Thresholds in the Prediction of Maximal Strength in Trained Female Athletes

This study examined the accuracy of di erent velocity-based methods in the prediction of bench press and squat one-repetition maximum (1RM) in female athletes. Seventeen trained females (age 17.8 1.3 years) performed an incremental loading test to 1RM on bench press and squat with the mean velocity being recorded. The 1RM was estimated from the load–velocity relationship using the multiple- (8 loads) and two-point (2 loads) methods and group and individual minimum velocity thresholds (MVT). No significant e ect of method, MVT or interaction was observed for the two exercises (p > 0.05). For bench press and squat, all prediction methods demonstrated very large to nearly perfect correlations with respect to the actual 1RM (r range = 0.76 to 0.97). The absolute error (range = 2.1 to 3.8 kg) for bench press demonstrated low errors that were independent of the method and MVT used. For squat, the favorable group MVT errors for the multiple- and two-point methods (absolute error = 7.8 and 9.7 kg, respectively) were greater than the individual MVT errors (absolute error = 4.9 and 6.3 kg, respectively). The 1RM can be accurately predicted from the load–velocity relationship in trained females, with the two-point method o ering a quick and less fatiguing alternative to the multiple-point method

Prediction of One Repetition Maximum Using Reference Minimum Velocity Threshold Values in Young and Middle-Aged Resistance-Trained Males

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-04-29, pub-electronic 2021-05-07Publication status: PublishedBackground: This study determined the accuracy of different velocity-based methods when predicting one-repetition maximum (1RM) in young and middle-aged resistance-trained males. Methods: Two days after maximal strength testing, 20 young (age 21.0 ± 1.6 years) and 20 middle-aged (age 42.6 ± 6.7 years) resistance-trained males completed three repetitions of bench press, back squat, and bent-over-row at loads corresponding to 20–80% 1RM. Using reference minimum velocity threshold (MVT) values, the 1RM was estimated from the load-velocity relationships through multiple (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80% 1RM), two-point (20 and 80% 1RM), high-load (60 and 80% 1RM) and low-load (20 and 40% 1RM) methods for each group. Results: Despite most prediction methods demonstrating acceptable correlations (r = 0.55 to 0.96), the absolute errors for young and middle-aged groups were generally moderate to high for bench press (absolute errors = 8.2 to 14.2% and 8.6 to 20.4%, respectively) and bent-over-row (absolute error = 14.9 to 19.9% and 8.6 to 18.2%, respectively). For squats, the absolute errors were lower in the young group (5.7 to 13.4%) than the middle-aged group (13.2 to 17.0%) but still unacceptable. Conclusion: These findings suggest that reference MVTs cannot accurately predict the 1RM in these populations. Therefore, practitioners need to directly assess 1RM

4D Imaging and Diffraction Dynamics of Single-Particle Phase Transition in Heterogeneous Ensembles

In this Letter, we introduce conical-scanning dark-field imaging in four-dimensional (4D) ultrafast electron microscopy to visualize single-particle dynamics of a polycrystalline ensemble undergoing phase transitions. Specifically, the ultrafast metal–insulator phase transition of vanadium dioxide is induced using laser excitation and followed by taking electron-pulsed, time-resolved images and diffraction patterns. The single-particle selectivity is achieved by identifying the origin of all constituent Bragg spots on Debye–Scherrer rings from the ensemble. Orientation mapping and dynamic scattering simulation of the electron diffraction patterns in the monoclinic and tetragonal phase during the transition confirm the observed behavior of Bragg spots change with time. We found that the threshold temperature for phase recovery increases with increasing particle sizes and we quantified the observation through a theoretical model developed for single-particle phase transitions. The reported methodology of conical scanning, orientation mapping in 4D imaging promises to be powerful for heterogeneous ensemble, as it enables imaging and diffraction at a given time with a full archive of structural information for each particle, for example, size, morphology, and orientation while minimizing radiation damage to the specimen

Recovery index, attentiveness and state of memory after xenon or isoflurane anaesthesia: a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Performance of patients immediately after anaesthesia is an area of special interest and so a clinical trial was conducted to compare Xenon with Isoflurane anaesthesia. In order to assess the early cognitive recovery the syndrome short test (SST) according to Erzigkeit (Geromed GmbH) was applied.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>ASA I and II patients undergoing long and short surgical interventions were randomised to receive either general anaesthesia with Xenon or Isoflurane. The primary endpoint was the validated SST which covering memory disturbances and attentiveness. The test was used on the day prior to intervention, one and three hours post extubation. The secondary endpoint was the recovery index (RI) measured after the end of the inhalation of Xenon or Isoflurane. In addition the Aldrete score was evaluated up to 180 min. On the first post-operative day the patients rated the quality of the anaesthetic using a scoring system from 1-6.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The demographics of the groups were similar. The sum score of the SST delivered a clear trend one hour post extubation and a statistically significant superiority for Xenon three hours post extubation (p < 0.01). The RI likewise revealed a statistically significant superiority of Xenon 5 minutes post extubation (p < 0.01). The Aldrete score was significantly higher for 45 min. The scoring system results were also better after Xenon anaesthesia (p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results show that recovery from anaesthesia and the early return of post-operative cognitive functions are significantly better after Xenon anaesthesia compared to Isoflurane. The results of the RI for Xenon are similar with the previously published results.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>The trial was registered with the number ISRCTN01110844 <url>http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/pf/01110844</url>.</p

Word add-in for ontology recognition: semantic enrichment of scientific literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the current era of scientific research, efficient communication of information is paramount. As such, the nature of scholarly and scientific communication is changing; cyberinfrastructure is now absolutely necessary and new media are allowing information and knowledge to be more interactive and immediate. One approach to making knowledge more accessible is the addition of machine-readable semantic data to scholarly articles.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The Word add-in presented here will assist authors in this effort by automatically recognizing and highlighting words or phrases that are likely information-rich, allowing authors to associate semantic data with those words or phrases, and to embed that data in the document as XML. The add-in and source code are publicly available at <url>http://www.codeplex.com/UCSDBioLit</url>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Word add-in for ontology term recognition makes it possible for an author to add semantic data to a document as it is being written and it encodes these data using XML tags that are effectively a standard in life sciences literature. Allowing authors to mark-up their own work will help increase the amount and quality of machine-readable literature metadata.</p

Beam-induced backgrounds measured in the ATLAS detector during local gas injection into the LHC beam vacuum

Inelastic beam-gas collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), within a few hundred metres of the ATLAS experiment, are known to give the dominant contribution to beam backgrounds. These are monitored by ATLAS with a dedicated Beam Conditions Monitor (BCM) and with the rate of fake jets in the calorimeters. These two methods are complementary since the BCM probes backgrounds just around the beam pipe while fake jets are observed at radii of up to several metres. In order to quantify the correlation between the residual gas density in the LHC beam vacuum and the experimental backgrounds recorded by ATLAS, several dedicated tests were performed during LHC Run 2. Local pressure bumps, with a gas density several orders of magnitude higher than during normal operation, were introduced at different locations. The changes of beam-related backgrounds, seen in ATLAS, are correlated with the local pressure variation. In addition the rates of beam-gas events are estimated from the pressure measurements and pressure bump profiles obtained from calculations. Using these rates, the efficiency of the ATLAS beam background monitors to detect beam-gas events is derived as a function of distance from the interaction point. These efficiencies and characteristic distributions of fake jets from the beam backgrounds are found to be in good agreement with results of beam-gas simulations performed with the Fluka Monte Carlo programme

MAK-4 and -5 supplemented diet inhibits liver carcinogenesis in mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Maharishi Amrit Kalash (MAK) is an herbal formulation composed of two herbal mixtures, MAK-4 and MAK-5. These preparations are part of a natural health care system from India, known as Maharishi Ayur-Veda. MAK-4 and MAK-5 are each composed of different herbs and are said to have maximum benefit when used in combination. This investigation evaluated the cancer inhibiting effects of MAK-4 and MAK-5, <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>assays: Aqueous extracts of MAK-4 and MAK-5 were tested for effects on <it>ras </it>induced cell transformation in the Rat 6 cell line assessed by focus formation assay. <it>In vivo </it>assays: Urethane-treated mice were put on a standard pellet diet or a diet supplemented with MAK-4, MAK-5 or both. At 36 weeks, livers were examined for tumors, sera for oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and liver homogenates for enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and NAD(P)H: quinone reductase (QR). Liver fragments of MAK-fed mice were analyzed for connexin (cx) protein expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>MAK-5 and a combination of MAK-5 plus MAK-4, inhibited <it>ras</it>-induced cell transformation. In MAK-4, MAK-5 and MAK4+5-treated mice we observed a 35%, 27% and 46% reduction in the development of urethane-induced liver nodules respectively. MAK-4 and MAK4+5-treated mice had a significantly higher ORAC value (<it>P </it>< 0.05) compared to controls (200.2 ± 33.7 and 191.6 ± 32.2 <it>vs. </it>152.2 ± 15.7 ORAC units, respectively). The urethane-treated MAK-4, MAK-5 and MAK4+5-fed mice had significantly higher activities of liver cytosolic enzymes compared to the urethane-treated controls and to untreated mice: GPX(0.23 ± 0.08, 0.21 ± 0.05, 0.25 ± 0.04, 0.20 ± 0.05, 0.21 ± 0.03 U/mg protein, respectively), GST (2.0 ± 0.4, 2.0 ± 0.6, 2.1 ± 0.3, 1.7 ± 0.2, 1.7 ± 0.2 U/mg protein, respectively) and QR (0.13 ± 0.02, 0.12 ± 0.06, 0.15 ± 0.03, 0.1 ± 0.04, 0.11 ± 0.03 U/mg protein, respectively). Livers of MAK-treated mice showed a time-dependent increased expression of cx32.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results show that a MAK-supplemented diet inhibits liver carcinogenesis in urethane-treated mice. The prevention of excessive oxidative damage and the up-regulation of connexin expression are two of the possible effects of these products.</p