A new Pintalia species from Costa Rica (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae)

Eine neue Cixiidae-Art, Pintalia hannae nov. spec., wird aus den Regenwäldern der Cordillera Talamanca und des südlichen (pazifischen) Teils von Costa Rica beschrieben. Die Art ist leicht an ihrer auffälligen Färbung zu erkennen: Kopf und Thorax sind leuchtend orange, die Vor-derflügel-Ränder sind entlang des Clavus breit weiß, die übrigen Vorderflügel gelblich-stroh-farben mit nur wenigen dunkleren Flecken. A new Cixiidae species, Pintalia hannae nov. spec., is described from rainforests of the Cordillera Talamanca and the southern (Pacific) part of Costa Rica. The species is easily recognised by its stunning colouration: Head and thorax are bright orange, the forewing mar-gins are broad white along the clavus, and the remaining forewings are yellowish-straw col-oured with only a few darker spots.&nbsp

Customer-to-Customer Interactions within Online Review Sites: A Typology of Contributors

As the Internet has become an increasingly relevant communication and exchange platform, social interactions exist online in multiple forms. Based on the literature on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication, social exchange theory and transformative consumer research, we conduct latent profile analysis to understand who engages in eWOM communication as well as how and why they do so. In addition to the traditional dichotomy of \u27posters\u27 and \u27lurkers\u27, we show that another group is included, which multiplies the scope of the WOM through transmission. By identifying and describing two active customer groups in addition to lurkers, our study provides insights into important user groups. Both groups are central for the service provider to manage the community and for understanding who contributes to social capital. Reciprocity as important mechanism in virtual environments presents a key condition for the development of social capital. Our research contributes to the growing field of consumer articulations online by empirically investigating why individuals engage online in social capital generation

Social Media Days at UMass Boston

Hosted by Professor Werner Kunz, Social Media Days is envisioned to be a meeting place and networking hub for Boston businesses and organizations interested in Social Media. This daylong event combines presentations from high profile speakers with breakout discussions/small group workshops. Attendees can expect high quality and knowledgeable speakers and an increased amount of face to face interaction. Social Media Days strengthens the connection between UMass Boston and the local business community through an engaging day long event

The Role of Surface Coordination in Precipitation and Dissolution of Mineral Phases

In precipitation and dissolution of minerals, the coordinative partners of the crystal-forming ions are changed. In heterogeneous nucleation, these ions interact coordinatively (surface complex formation and ligand exchange) with the surface sites of the heteronuclei or template. The dissolution of oxides too depends on the influence of surface complex-forming ligands and on the degree of surface protonation. A specific rate law for the dissolution of 1>-Ah03 as influenced by [H+] and [oxalate] is given. Generalized ideas on the effect of surface coordination in accelerating or inhibiting the dissolution of hydrous oxides and its relevance in the chemistry of rock weathering and metal corrosion are discussed

3D ultrastructural organization of whole Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells studied by nanoscale soft x-ray tomography

The complex architecture of their structural elements and compartments is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells. The creation of high resolution models of whole cells has been limited by the relatively low resolution of conventional light microscopes and the requirement for ultrathin sections in transmission electron microscopy. We used soft x-ray tomography to study the 3D ultrastructural organization of whole cells of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at unprecedented spatial resolution. Intact frozen hydrated cells were imaged using the natural x-ray absorption contrast of the sample without any staining. We applied different fiducial-based and fiducial-less alignment procedures for the 3D reconstructions. The reconstructed 3D volumes of the cells show features down to 30 nm in size. The whole cell tomograms reveal ultrastructural details such as nuclear envelope membranes, thylakoids, basal apparatus, and flagellar microtubule doublets. In addition, the x-ray tomograms provide quantitative data from the cell architecture. Therefore, nanoscale soft x-ray tomography is a new valuable tool for numerous qualitative and quantitative applications in plant cell biology

Towards a sustainable and green extraction of curcuminoids using the essential oil of Cinnamomum cassia

A natural and sustainable alternative to conventional solvents in terms of solubilization and extraction of curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. was investigated. By mixing ethanol with natural aromas, a drastic increase (up to 30-fold) of curcumin solubility with regard to pure ethanol could be achieved. Through a solubility screening of ten naturally abundant aromas with different functionalities, conducted via UV/vis analysis, cinnamaldehyde was determined to be the most promising one. COSMO-RS calculations combined with 1H and NOESY NMR were conducted to determine the solving mechanism. As a natural source, rich in cinnamaldehyde, essential cinnamon oils were examined concerning their curcumin solving ability with regard to their chemical composition. The best oil, coming from Cinnamomum cassia with a cinnamaldehyde content of 79%, was used successively as a natural solvent for cycle extraction experiments. By encountering a premature saturation, a theoretical model for cycle extractions was proposed