2,4-D and Mycoleptodiscus terrestris for control of Eurasian Watermilfoil

Growth chamber studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of an indigenous fungal pathogen, Mycoleptodiscus terrestris (Gerd.) Ostazeski, and the herbicide 2,4-D applied alone and in combination with one another, on the growth of a nuisance submersed plant, Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.)(PDF has 6 pages.

Impact of maternal psychological distress and parental bonding on mother-adolescent agreement about emotional problems

Objective. To explore the impact of parent psychological distress and parental bonding on agreement between informants about adolescent emotional functioning. Methods. The study employed an observational design in which 87 pairs of mothers and their adolescent sons or daughters aged 12-17 completed proxyand self-report ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Mothers also completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale as a measure of their own psychological distress, and adolescents completed the Parental Bonding Instrument as a measure of their parenting experience. Moderation analyses using multiple linear regression were used to assess whether the association between maternal psychological distress and mother-adolescent agreement changed as a factor of parental bonding. Results. Kappa values indicated that mother-adolescent agreement was ‘fair’ for emotional problems. Mothers’ psychological distress and sub-optimal parenting were both associated with greater reporting discrepancies. Maternal psychological distress and perceived maternal were unique and combined predictors of reporting discrepancies. Perceived care moderated the relationship between maternal distress and agreement such that when care was rated as low, higher levels of maternal distress predicted poor agreement, but when care was rated as high no significant relationship was found between distress and agreement. Conclusions. Increased mother-adolescent agreement was associated with lower maternal psychological distress and higher ratings of perceived care. The effect of psychological distress on informant agreement varied as a factor of perceived maternal care. Results of this study support the need for multiinformant assessment and suggest that enquiry about mothers’ own psychological functioning could facilitate accurate assessment and intervention for adolescents who present at psychology services

The role of area-level deprivation and gender in participation in population-based faecal immunochemical test (FIT) colorectal cancer screening

This study aimed to investigate the effects of sex and deprivation on participation in a population-based faecal immunochemical test (FIT) colorectal cancer screening programme. The study population included 9785 individuals invited to participate in two rounds of a population-based biennial FIT-based screening programme, in a relatively deprived area of Dublin, Ireland. Explanatory variables included in the analysis were sex, deprivation category of area of residence and age (at end of screening). The primary outcome variable modelled was participation status in both rounds combined (with “participation” defined as having taken part in either or both rounds of screening). Poisson regression with a log link and robust error variance was used to estimate relative risks (RR) for participation. As a sensitivity analysis, data were stratified by screening round. In both the univariable and multivariable models deprivation was strongly associated with participation. Increasing affluence was associated with higher participation; participation was 26% higher in people resident in the most affluent compared to the most deprived areas (multivariable RR = 1.26: 95% CI 1.21–1.30). Participation was significantly lower in males (multivariable RR = 0.96: 95%CI 0.95–0.97) and generally increased with increasing age (trend per age group, multivariable RR = 1.02: 95%CI, 1.01–1.02). No significant interactions between the explanatory variables were found. The effects of deprivation and sex were similar by screening round. Deprivation and male gender are independently associated with lower uptake of population-based FIT colorectal cancer screening, even in a relatively deprived setting. Development of evidence-based interventions to increase uptake in these disadvantaged groups is urgently required

Validation of Chichewa short musculoskeletal function assessment (SMFA) questionnaire: A cross-sectional study

Background: The Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) tool measures function and quality of life in patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Objective: This study aimed to translate and adapt culturally the SMFA into Chichewa, and assess its clinimetric properties. Methods: The translated Chichewa version was administered to 53 patients with musculoskeletal disorders. To assess repeatability, an additional 20 patients answered the questionnaire twice over a time interval of two weeks. Internal consistency, floor and ceiling effects, and repeatability were tested; construct validity was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment tool (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: There was good internal consistency for both Dysfunction and Bothersome indices (Cronbach’s alpha 0.90) and good construct validity between both indices with the WHOQOL-BREF. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for repeatability for the Dysfunction Index were 0.941 and 0.922 (95% CI: 0.772, 0.971) respectively, and 0.877 and 0.851 (95% CI: 0.629, 0.941) for the Bothersome Index respectively. Conclusion: The translated Chichewa SMFA is a valid tool for populations that speak the Chichewa language.publishedVersio

A Mixed-Method Approach to Investigating Difficulty in Data Science Education

The purpose of this study was to define a methodology to identify any disconnect between students and instructors in data science classrooms through analyzing qualitative data. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach was used for analysis of survey data from students, faculty/instructors, and teaching assistants across three institutions. Using a manual content analysis paired with a TF-IDF analysis, researchers were able to pull out frequently used terms within responses and encode them into categories and subcategories. Trends were identified from these categories and subcategories to examine general areas of disconnect within the data science classroom. Additionally, a quality analysis was run to determine the effectiveness of the phrasing of the questions posed during the survey. As a whole, the methods used throughout this research process provide direction for researchers in interpretation and analysis of the survey data in an efficient and time-sensitive manner. Furthermore, it allows researchers to analyze the quality of responses to give insight towards rephrasing of survey questions in future analyses. Although the research was applied to data science classrooms, this method has the potential to be applied into other fields and areas of study when performed with coordination between a field expert and a data scientist

Validation and reliability of the Chichewa translation of the EQ-5D quality of life questionnaire in adults with orthopaedic injuries in Malawi

Background: The EQ-5D is a standardised instrument that measures health-related quality-of-life and explores cost-effectiveness of treatments. Malawi is a low-resource country that would benefit from assessment of quality-of-life among individuals living with chronic conditions. Chichewa is the official native language of Malawi. The Chichewa version of the EQ-5D-3L developed by EuroQoL group has not been validated with Chichewa speakers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the Chichewa EQ-5D-3L.Methods: Patients with orthopaedic conditions were recruited in the outpatient orthopaedic clinics and wards at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi. Fifty-three patients with various musculoskeletal problems were administered the Chichewa EQ-5D-3L and World Health Organization quality of life (WHO-QOL) questionnaires. To assess repeatability, a separate test–retest population of 20 patients were also selected from orthopaedic clinics and wards to fill out the questionnaire twice.Results: Convergence validity was determined, with each of the WHO-QOL domains and the EQ-5D descriptive index and visual analogue scale (VAS) having good to moderate correlation (r = 0.3–0.7). Internal consistency was measured for the descriptive index, and the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.7. The ceiling effect for the descriptive index and the VAS were 9.4% and 0%, respectively. No respondents reached floor effect for the descriptive index or the VAS. The test retest intraclass correlation coefficient reliability at 14 days was 0.984 for the VAS and 1 for the descriptive index, with all 20 respondents providing the same responses.Conclusions: The EuroQoL translated version of the Chichewa EQ-5D-3L was found to demonstrate adequate validity, internal consistency, floor/ ceiling effects, and reliability

Cost utility analysis of intramedullary nailing and skeletal traction treatment for patients with femoral shaft fractures in Malawi

Background and purpose — In Malawi, both skeletal traction (ST) and intramedullary nailing (IMN) are used in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures, ST being the mainstay treatment. Previous studies have found that IMN has improved outcomes and is less expensive than ST. However, no cost-effectiveness analyses have yet compared IMN and ST in Malawi. We report the results of a cost-utility analysis (CUA) comparing treatment using either IMN or ST. Patients and methods — This was an economic evaluation study, where a CUA was done using a decision-tree model from the government healthcare payer and societal perspectives with an 1-year time horizon. We obtained EQ-5D-3L utility scores and probabilities from a prospective observational study assessing quality of life and function in 187 adult patients with femoral shaft fractures treated with either IMN or ST. The patients were followed up at 6 weeks, and 3, 6, and 12 months post-injury. Quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated from utility scores using the area under the curve method. Direct treatment costs were obtained from a prospective micro costing study. Indirect costs included patient lost productivity, patient transportation, meals, and childcare costs associated with hospital stay and follow-up visits. Multiple sensitivity analyses assessed model uncertainty. Results — Total treatment costs were higher for ST ($1,349) compared with IMN ($1,122). QALYs were lower for ST than IMN, 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66–0.76) and 0.77 (CI 0.71–0.82) respectively. Based on lower cost and higher utility, IMN was the dominant strategy. IMN remained dominant in 94% of simulations. IMN would be less cost-effective than ST at a total procedure cost exceeding $880 from the payer’s perspective, or$1,035 from the societal perspective. Interpretation — IMN was cost saving and more effective than ST in the treatment of adult femoral shaft fractures in Malawi, and may be an efficient use of limited healthcare resources.publishedVersio

Phosphate minerals in LL chondrites: A record of the action of fluids during metamorphism on ordinary chondrite parent bodies

Ordinary chondrites contain two phosphate minerals, merrillite and chlorapatite, both of which are secondary minerals that developed in response to metamorphism on the chondrite parent bodies. We have studied the phosphate mineralogy of four LL chondrites, of petrologic types 3.9–6, in order to determine the petrogenesis of the two minerals and interpret the conditions under which they formed. Characterization of merrillite and apatite includes textural observations, mineral compositions determined by electron probe microanalysis, and ion microprobe analyses of trace element and volatile anion elemental abundances. Initial formation of phosphate minerals during mild metamorphism, to petrologic type 4 conditions, resulted in oxidation of P that was originally incorporated in metal, and growth of merrillite as inclusions within metal grains. Subsequent development of both phosphate minerals occurred in response to diffusional equilibration, possible precipitation from fluids as well as replacement reactions resulting from interactions with fluids. Porosity and vein-filling textures in both merrillite and chlorapatite, as well as textures indicating replacement of merrillite by chlorapatite, support a model in which fluid played a significant role and suggest an interface-coupled dissolution–reprecipitation mechanism during metasomatism. Some associations of phosphate minerals with chromite-plagioclase assemblages suggest that phosphate minerals could also be related to impact processes, either as precipitation from an impact melt or as a result of interactions with a fluid or vapor derived from an impact melt. Fluid compositions may have been water-bearing initially, at low temperatures of metamorphism, but later evolved to become halogen-rich and very dry. Late-stage halogen-rich fluids that dominated during cooling of LL chondrite material may have been derived from vaporization of partial melts in the interior of the parent body. Overall, the LL chondrite parent body underwent a complex chemical evolution, in which metasomatism played a significant role

The Effectiveness of Passive Physical Modalities for the Management of Soft Tissue Injuries and Neuropathies of the Wrist and Hand: A Systematic Review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of passive physical modalities compared to other interventions, placebo/sham interventions, or no intervention in improving self-rated recovery, functional recovery, clinical outcomes and/or administrative outcomes (eg, time of disability benefits) in adults and/or children with soft tissue injuries and neuropathies of the wrist and hand.MethodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, accessed through Ovid Technologies, Inc, and CINAHL Plus with Full Text, accessed through EBSCO host, from 1990 to 2015. Our search strategies combined controlled vocabulary relevant to each database (eg, MeSH for MEDLINE) and text words relevant to our research question and the inclusion criteria. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies were eligible. Random pairs of independent reviewers screened studies for relevance and critically appraised relevant studies using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria. Studies with low risk of bias were synthesized following best evidence synthesis principles.ResultsWe screened 6618 articles and critically appraised 11 studies. Of those, 7 had low risk of bias: 5 addressed carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and 2 addressed de Quervain disease. We found evidence that various types of night splints lead to similar outcomes for the management of CTS. The evidence suggests that a night wrist splint is less effective than surgery in the short term but not in the long term. Furthermore, a night wrist splint and needle electroacupuncture lead to similar outcomes immediately postintervention. Finally, low-level laser therapy and placebo low-level laser therapy lead to similar outcomes. The evidence suggests that kinesio tape or a thumb spica cast offers short-term benefit for the management of de Quervain disease. Our search did not identify any low risk of bias studies examining the effectiveness of passive physical modalities for the management of other soft tissue injuries or neuropathies of the wrist and hand.ConclusionsDifferent night orthoses provided similar outcomes for CTS. Night orthoses offer similar outcomes to electroacupuncture but are less effective than surgery in the short term. This review suggests that kinesio tape or a thumb spica cast may offer short-term benefit for the management of de Quervain disease

How to recognize brown marmorated stink bug damage in commercial hazelnuts

Publication describes and shows photographs of the different types of damage caused to hazelnuts by brown marmorated stink bugs.Published December 2014. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo