New Hampshire Timber Harvesting Laws Guide

New Hampshire has laws and regulations designed to encourage responsible timber harvesting and minimize environmental impacts of logging. Landowners, loggers, and foresters have the responsibility to know and understand New Hampshire’s timber harvesting laws. In addition, municipal officials have the authority and responsibility to work with state agencies to ensure that these laws are consistently enforced. This publication is intended to assist municipal officials, landowners, and natural resource professionals working in New Hampshire’s forests

Near Peripheral Motion Detection Threshold Predicts Detection Failure Accident Risk in Younger and Older Drivers

Motion contrast thresholds for 0.4 cycle/degree drifting Gabor stimuli were assessed at 15-degrees eccentricity for 16 younger drivers (ages 24 to 42), and 15 older drivers (ages 65 to 84), using a temporal two-alternative forced choice staircase procedure. Two self-report questionnaires assessed detection failure accident risk—the Driver Perception Questionnaire (DPQ5), and an abridged Aging Driver Questionnaire (ADQ15). The UFOV® test battery was also administered. Mean peripheral motion contrast thresholds (PMCT) of younger and older participants were –39.3 dB and –33.8 dB, respectively. For younger drivers, the correlation between PMCT and DPQ5 scores was .62 (p\u3c.01), and between DPQ5 and ADQ16 (new and validated self-report measures, respectively) was .59 (p\u3c.01). For older drivers, correlation between PMCT and DPQ5 scores was .49 (p\u3c.01), between DPQ5 and ADQ16 was .73 (p\u3c.01), and between PMCT and age was .49 (p\u3c.05). For drivers overall, correlation was .48 (p\u3c.01) between PMCT and DPQ5 scores, .63 (p\u3c.0001) between DPQ5 and ADQ16, and .69 (p\u3c.0001) between PMCT and age. For drivers overall, correlation was .30 (p\u3c.05) between UFOV1 and age, .67 (p\u3c.0001) between UFOV2 and age, .56 (p\u3c.001) between UFOV2 and PMCT, .80 (p\u3c.0001) between UFOV3 and age, and .58 (p\u3c.001) between UFOV3 and PMCT. Holding age constant, partial correlation of PMCT with DPQ5 was .55 (p\u3c.001), and of PMCT with ADQ15 was .39 (p\u3c.05). PMCT significantly predicted self-reported driving performance in a laboratory setting, and worsened significantly with age. PMCT assessment should be made practicable. Informing high-risk drivers may encourage appropriate risk reduction countermeasures

Near Peripheral Motion Contrast Threshold Predicts Older Drivers\u27 Driving Simulator Performance

The method of descending limits assessed motion contrast thresholds of 11 young participants (17–28), and 21 older drivers (63–86) for 0.4 cycle/degree drifting Gabor stimuli at 15 degrees eccentricity. Peripheral motion contrast thresholds (PMCT) of younger participants (M = –45.5 dB, SD = 1.66 dB) and older participants (M = –43.3 dB, SD = 3.79 dB) differed (t(29) = 2.295, p < .05 (all p-values one-tailed)). Older drivers performed UFOV® tests and a high-fidelity driving simulation. Between independent variables, significant correlations were PMCT with UFOV2 (r = .74, p < .001), PMCT with UFOV3 (r = .50, p < .01), PMCT with age (r =.73, p < .001), UFOV2 with age (r = .48, p < .05), and UFOV3 with age (r = .44, p < .05). Between vision and simulator measures, PMCT and UFOV2 significantly predicted rater’s simulator score (r = .66, p < .001; r = .58, p < .01 respectively), and simulator crashes ( r = .63, p < .001; r = .72, p < .001 respectively). Thus, PMCT and UFOV2 strongly predicted simulator performance. Partial correlations showed that: substantial association between PMCT and UFOV2 was not age–related; PMCT and UFOV2 tapped a common visual function; and PMCT assessed a component not captured by UFOV2. The descending limits procedure is as reliable and faster than forcedchoice. A practicable PMCT test that informs at-risk drivers about visual deficits may help them compensate effectively by learning voluntary scanning techniques and by otherwise modifying their driving techniques

A Guide for Pronunciation Fellows in the International Teaching Assistant Program

In this paper, we would like to talk about our experiences working with students from the International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Program at Michigan State University over the course of 2019-2020. The main goal of this paper is to both share our experiences and also offer advice and resources for future ITA tutors. This paper is divided into two main sections: segmentals (vowels and consonants) and suprasegmentals (word stress, intonation, etc.). Dmitrii focused on segmentals and Steven focused on suprasegmentals, though there was some overlap based on student needs. We discuss helpful resources for ITA fellows and some of the difficulties that our students had with different pronunciation features in English. Each section has suggestions about lesson planning and examples of activities from our tutoring sessions. Some of the issues that we discuss in this paper include light L/dark L, R, the minimal pair /æ/ and /e/, and different intonation patterns. The paper concludes with the list of resources for ITA students and fellows

Two-Minute Peripheral Motion Contrast Threshold Test Predicts Older Drivers’ Collisions and Hazardous Driving in Simulator

Older drivers’ contrast thresholds for low spatial frequency drifting Gabor stimuli at 15 degrees eccentricity were measured with a previously validated 10-minute forced-choice test and a 2-minute increasing contrast detection test (implemented on an iMac and a PC). Older drivers’ contrast thresholds significantly predict collisions, near collisions, hazardous lane excursions, and speeding, during a simulated drive with surprising hazard encounters and highway merging tasks. The 2-minute tests also correlate with each other and with the 10-minute test. The 2-minute tests are potentially suitable for use in an operational driver assessment setting

Efficient Mutagenesis by Cas9 Protein-Mediated Oligonucleotide Insertion and Large-Scale Assessment of Single-Guide RNAs

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been implemented in a variety of model organisms to mediate site-directed mutagenesis. A wide range of mutation rates has been reported, but at a limited number of genomic target sites. To uncover the rules that govern effective Cas9-mediated mutagenesis in zebrafish, we targeted over a hundred genomic loci for mutagenesis using a streamlined and cloning-free method. We generated mutations in 85% of target genes with mutation rates varying across several orders of magnitude, and identified sequence composition rules that influence mutagenesis. We increased rates of mutagenesis by implementing several novel approaches. The activities of poor or unsuccessful single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) initiating with a 5′ adenine were improved by rescuing 5′ end homogeneity of the sgRNA. In some cases, direct injection of Cas9 protein/sgRNA complex further increased mutagenic activity. We also observed that low diversity of mutant alleles led to repeated failure to obtain frame-shift mutations. This limitation was overcome by knock-in of a stop codon cassette that ensured coding frame truncation. Our improved methods and detailed protocols make Cas9-mediated mutagenesis an attractive approach for labs of all sizes

Satt aus der Stadt? – Bericht vom 2. Braunschweiger Stadtgrün-Tag

Vor dem Hintergrund des geringen Selbstversorgungsgrades Deutschlands an Obst und Gemüse fordert die Politik regionale und lokale nachhaltige Agrar- und Ernährungssysteme als Wege in eine krisenfeste Landwirtschaft. Darin spielt die Ausrichtung der Landwirtschaft auf die Stadt eine besondere Rolle. Anlässlich des 2. Braunschweiger Stadtgrün-Tages stellten sich die Teilnehmenden darüber hinaus die Frage, welchen Beitrag die nicht-professionelle urbane Nahrungserzeugung in Braunschweigs Gärten für die Selbstversorgung der Stadt mit Obst und Gemüse spielen könnte. Das überraschende Ergebnis war, dass sich Braunschweig theoretisch innerhalb seiner Stadtgrenzen mit Gemüse und Obst selbst versorgen könnte. Die Faktoren, die die praktische Umsetzung begrenzen, wurden diskutiert