Effect of different treatments on germination of Romi red grape seeds

Germination of seeds required a stratification period either at cold (5 ± 1 °C) or warm (18 ± 1 °C) conditions. Besides, production of normal seedlings (seedlings with plumule) needed stratification of at least 60 d. Cold stratification treatments increased pronouncedly the percentages of seed germination and normal seedlings when seeds were first subjected to warm stratification conditions. Soaking the seeds in IAA, IBA or Ethrel at different concentrations before sowing failed completely to produce normal seedlings. Conversely, the best results with respect to germination i;ercentage and normal seedlings were obtained with GA-, especially at 5000 ppm, followed by thiourea and kinetin. Applying GA3 to seeds immediately before stratification was more effective than adding it after stratification.Der Einfluß verschiedener Behandlungsbedingungen auf die Samenkeimung bei der Rebsorte Romi redDie Samen der Rebsorte Romi red keimten nur nach Stratifikation, entweder unter Kälte- oder unter Wärmebedingungen (5 ± 1 °C bzw. 18 ± 1 °C). Normale Sämlinge, d. h. solche mit Plumula, entwickelten sich nur bei einer Stratifikationsdauer von mindestens 60 d. Durch Kaltstratifikation wurde der Anteil keimender Samen und normaler Sämlinge bedeutend erhöht, wenn die Samen zuvor warmstratifiziert worden waren. Das Einweichen der Samen vor der Aussaat in unterschiedlichen Konzentrationen von IAA, IBA oder Ethrel förderte die Bildung normaler Sämlinge in keiner Weise. Umgekehrt wurden im Hinblick auf die Samenkeimung und die Bildung normaler Sämlinge die besten Ergebnisse mit GA3, vor allem in der Konzentration von 5000 ppm erzielt; auch Thioharnstoff und Kinetin zeigten einen positiven Einfluß. GA3-Behandlung der Samen unmittelbar vor der Stratifikation war wirksamer als danach

Validation of a rapid remote digital test for impaired cognition using clinical dementia rating and mini-mental state examination: An observational research study

BACKGROUND: The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) are useful screening tools for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, these tests require qualified in-person supervision and the CDR can take up to 60 min to complete. We developed a digital cognitive screening test (M-CogScore) that can be completed remotely in under 5 min without supervision. We set out to validate M-CogScore in head-to-head comparisons with CDR and MMSE. METHODS: To ascertain the validity of the M-CogScore, we enrolled participants as healthy controls or impaired cognition, matched for age, sex, and education. Participants completed the 30-item paper MMSE Second Edition Standard Version (MMSE-2), paper CDR, and smartphone-based M-CogScore. The digital M-CogScore test is based on time-normalised scores from smartphone-adapted Stroop (M-Stroop), digit-symbols (M-Symbols), and delayed recall tests (M-Memory). We used Spearman's correlation coefficient to determine the convergent validity between M-CogScore and the 30-item MMSE-2, and non-parametric tests to determine its discriminative validity with a CDR label of normal (CDR 0) or impaired cognition (CDR 0.5 or 1). M-CogScore was further compared to MMSE-2 using area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) with corresponding optimal cut-offs. RESULTS: 72 participants completed all three tests. The M-CogScore correlated with both MMSE-2 (rho = 0.54, p < 0.0001) and impaired cognition on CDR (Mann Whitney U = 187, p < 0.001). M-CogScore achieved an AUC of 0.85 (95% bootstrapped CI [0.80, 0.91]), when differentiating between normal and impaired cognition, compared to an AUC of 0.78 [0.72, 0.84] for MMSE-2 (p = 0.21). CONCLUSION: Digital screening tests such as M-CogScore are desirable to aid in rapid and remote clinical cognitive evaluations. M-CogScore was significantly correlated with established cognitive tests, including CDR and MMSE-2. M-CogScore can be taken remotely without supervision, is automatically scored, has less of a ceiling effect than the MMSE-2, and takes significantly less time to complete

Exploring the impact of social media on anxiety among university students in the United Kingdom: qualitative study

Background: The rapid surge in social media platforms has significant implications for users’ mental health, particularly anxiety. In the case of social media, the impact on mental well-being has been highlighted by multiple stakeholders as a cause for concern. However, there has been limited research into how the association between social media and anxiety arises, specifically among university students—the generation that has seen the introduction and evolution of social media, and currently lives through the medium. Extant systematic literature reviews within this area of research have not yet focused on university students or anxiety, rather predominantly investigating adolescents or generalized mental health symptoms and disorders. Furthermore, there is little to no qualitative data exploring the association between social media and anxiety among university students. Objective: The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic literature review of the existing literature and a qualitative study that aims to develop foundational knowledge around the association of social media and anxiety among university students and enhance extant knowledge and theory. Methods: A total of 29 semistructured interviews were conducted, comprising 19 male students (65.5%) and 10 female students (34.5%) with a mean age of 21.5 years. All students were undergraduates from 6 universities across the United Kingdom, with most students studying in London (89.7%). Participants were enrolled through a homogenous purposive sampling technique via social media channels, word of mouth, and university faculties. Recruitment was suspended at the point of data saturation. Participants were eligible for the study if they were university students in the United Kingdom and users of social media. Results: Thematic analysis resulted in 8 second-order themes: 3 mediating factors that decrease anxiety levels and 5 factors that increase anxiety levels. Social media decreased anxiety through positive experiences, social connectivity, and escapism. Social media increased anxiety through stress, comparison, fear of missing out, negative experiences, and procrastination. Conclusions: This qualitative study sheds critical light on how university students perceive how social media affects their anxiety levels. Students revealed that social media did impact their anxiety levels and considered it an important factor in their mental health. Thus, it is essential to educate stakeholders, including students, university counselors, and health care professionals, about the potential impact of social media on students’ anxiety levels. Since anxiety is a multifactorial condition, pinpointing the main stressors in a person’s life, such as social media use, may help manage these patients more effectively. The current research highlights that there are also many benefits to social media, and uncovering these may help in producing more holistic management plans for anxiety, reflective of the students’ social media usage

Laboratory Evaluation of Malaysian Cellulose Oil Palm Fiber for Use in Stone Mastic Asphalt Mixes

The primary agricultural product of Malaysia is palm oil. As a result, some two million tons of empty fruit bunch wastes are being dumped behind palm oil mills every year. This is causing serious environmental problems. This paper discusses a study undertaken in 1996 to look into the suitability of the Malaysian oil palm fiber in Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) mixes. The oil palm fiber was analyzed and compared with other traditional European fiber that is commonly used in gap-graded mixes. Several experiments were carried out on the fiber including the Fiber Drain Down Test (FDDT) and Morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Besides this, chemical analysis was also carried out with a variation of cellulose content and particle size. The results of the laboratory analysis showed that the Malaysian Cellulose Oil Palm Fiber (COPF) has great potential to be used in SMA mixes

Theoretical and Experimental Sets of Choice Anode/Cathode Architectonics for High-Performance Full-Scale LIB Built-up Models

To control the power hierarchy design of lithium-ion battery (LIB) built-up sets for electric vehicles (EVs), we offer intensive theoretical and experimental sets of choice anode/cathode architectonics that can be modulated in full-scale LIB built-up models. As primary structural tectonics, heterogeneous composite superstructures of full-cell-LIB (anode//cathode) electrodes were designed in closely packed flower agave rosettes TiO2@C (FRTO@C anode) and vertical-star-tower LiFePO4@C (VST@C cathode) building blocks to regulate the electron/ion movement in the three-dimensional axes and orientation pathways. The superpower hierarchy surfaces and multi-directional orientation components may create isosurface potential electrodes with mobile electron movements, in-to-out interplay electron dominances, and electron/charge cloud distributions. This study is the first to evaluate the hotkeys of choice anode/cathode architectonics to assemble different LIB–electrode platforms with high-mobility electron/ion flows and high-performance capacity functionalities. Density functional theory calculation revealed that the FRTO@C anode and VST-(i)@C cathode architectonics are a superior choice for the configuration of full-scale LIB built-up models. The integrated FRTO@C//VST-(i)@C full-scale LIB retains a huge discharge capacity (~ 94.2%), an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.85% after 2000 cycles at 1 C, and a high energy density of 127 Wh kg−1, thereby satisfying scale-up commercial EV requirements

Development of superconducting YBa2Cu3O(x) wires with low resistance electrical contacts

Materials exhibiting superconductivity above liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) will enable new applications of this phenomena. One of the first commercial applications of this technology will be superconducting magnets for medical imaging. However, a large number of aerospace applications of the high temperature superconducting materials have also been identified. These include magnetic suspension and balance of models in wind tunnels and resistanceless leads to anemometers. The development of superconducting wires fabricated from the ceramic materials is critical for these applications. The progress in application of a patented fiber process developed by Clemson University for the fabrication of superconducting wires is reviewed. The effect of particle size and heat treatment on the quality of materials is discussed. Recent advances made at Christopher Newport College in the development of micro-ohm resistance electrical contacts which are capable of carrying the highest reported direct current to this material is presented

Neotectonics of the South Marmara Sub-Region

Neotektonik d&ouml;nemde Kuzey Anadolu Fayı ve kolları, inceleme alanı ve Marmara B&ouml;lgesi&rsquo;nde en etkin tektonik yapıyı oluşturmaktadırlar. KAF, Marmara B&ouml;lgesi&rsquo;nde kuzey ve g&uuml;ney olmak &uuml;zere iki kola ayrılır. Bunlardan Marmara Denizi&rsquo;nin kuzeyinden ge&ccedil;en kol kuzey kol, g&uuml;neyinden ve inceleme alanından ge&ccedil;en kol ise g&uuml;ney koldur. İnceleme alanında kuzeyde Edincik, Kapıdağı, Bandırma-Mudanya y&uuml;kselimleri, g&uuml;neyde Uludağ y&uuml;kselimi ve S&ouml;ğ&uuml;talan platosu yer alır. Bu iki y&uuml;kselim alanının ortasında doğu-batı uzanımlı bir &ccedil;&ouml;k&uuml;nt&uuml; (depresyon) alanı gelişmiştir. Bu y&uuml;kselim alanları ve &ccedil;&ouml;k&uuml;nt&uuml; alanı, neotektonik d&ouml;nemde Kuzey Anadolu Fayı&rsquo;nın g&uuml;ney kolunun etkinliği ve kontrol&uuml; ile meydana gelmişlerdir. &Ccedil;&ouml;k&uuml;nt&uuml; alanı i&ccedil;erisinde ise bir &ccedil;ok &ccedil;ek-ayır bi&ccedil;iminde havzalar oluşmuştur. B&ouml;lgede KAF&rsquo;ın g&uuml;ney koluna ait faylar Yenice-G&ouml;nen, Manyas-Mustafakemalpaşa, Uluabat ve Bursa faylarıdır. Sismolojik veriler b&ouml;lgedeki depremlerin &nbsp;b&uuml;y&uuml;k &ouml;l&ccedil;&uuml;de KAF&rsquo;a ait g&uuml;ney kol &uuml;zerinde meydana geldiğini, hasar yapıcı ve yıkıcı depremlerin &nbsp;hem doğrultu atımlı hem de eğim atımlı faylar &uuml;zerinde oluştuğunu g&ouml;stermektedir.Anahtar Kelimeler: G&uuml;ney Marmara B&ouml;lgesi, Kuzey Anadolu Fayı, &ccedil;ek-ayır havza, yanal atımlı fay.&nbsp;&nbsp;In neotectonic period, North Anatolian Fault and its branches are the most active in the study area and Marmara Region. NAF is divided into two bracnhes as north and south &nbsp;in the Marmara Region. The northern branch is located in the north of the Sea of Marmara. The southern branch is located in study area and south of the Sea of Marmara. The South Marmara Region has ptwo uplift areas located at southern and northern margins and a depression between these uplifts. The north uplifts are Edincik, Kapıdağı and Bandırma-Mudanya, south uplifts are Uludağ uplift and S&ouml;ğ&uuml;talan Plateau. The uplift and depression areas are contrelled by the southern branch of the NAF in the neotectonic period. In the depression area a lot of pull-apart style basins happened. The southern branch of the North Anatolian Fault, which consists of the Yenice-G&ouml;nen, Manyas-M.Kemalpaşa, Uluabat and Bursa faults. According to seismological data of&nbsp; South Marmara Region, earthquakes have occured on the southern branch of the NAF and earthquakes show that the faults have not only strike-slip but also normal fault characteristics.Keywords: South Marmara Region, North Anatolian Fault, pull-apart basin, strike-slip faul