Allelopathic effect of landscape mulches on the germination of weed seeds and growth of ornamental plants

Weed seed germination and ornamental plant growth response to selected mulch materials (33 types) were tested in the field and greenhouse at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1987 and 1988. Two field (experiment 1 and 2) and two greenhouse (experiment 3 and 4) studies were set up using morningglory, large crabgrass, and pigweed seeds. Ornamental plants tested in experiment 1 were Lagerstroemia indica L. (common crapemyrtle), Cotoneaster dammeri C.K. Schneid (bearberry cotoneaster), Salix triandra L. \u27Brilliant\u27 (willow), Acer rubrum L. (red maple), Tagetes sp. (marigold), and Helianthus sp. (sunflower). Ornamental plants tested in experiment 2 were Ilex x Meserveae S.Y. Hu. \u27Blue Girl\u27 (holly), Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold. \u27Compactus\u27 (euonymus), Cornus florida L. (flowering dogwood), and Cotoneaster congestus Bak. (pyrenees cotoneaster). In the greenhouse experiments only the three weed seeds were tested. For experiment 3, a layer of mulch was spread over the seeds which were on mined quartz sand in four-inch round pots. For experiment 4, leachate derived from the mulch materials was poured over the weed seeds which were also on sand in pots. Soluble salt and pH levels of the leachate were obtained in experiment 4. The results of all experiments were analyzed with ANOVA and the means separated according to Duncan\u27s multiple range test at the 5% level of probability and significance was compared to the control(s). In experiment 1, the most significant mulches that inhibited germination of the weed seeds were black walnut leaves against morningglory, barley straw against large crabgrass, and rye straw against pigweed. Growth of the red maple test plant species was significantly inhibited by wheat straw. In experiment 2, the most significant mulches that inhibited germination of the weed seeds were eastern hemlock foliage and wheat straw against morningglory, and sugar maple sawdust and black walnut wood shavings against pigweed. Euonymus growth was significantly inhibited by sugar maple sawdust, and holly growth was significantly enhanced by eastern red cedar wood chips. In experiment 3, the most significant mulches that inhibited germination of the weed seeds were alfalfa against morningglory, red maple leaves against large crabgrass, and eastern red cedar wood chips against pigweed. In experiment 4, the most significant mulch leachate that inhibited germination of the weed seeds were red maple leaves against morningglory and pigweed, and eastern hemlock foliage against large crabgrass. The greatest correlation between soluble salt readings and germination occurred with morningglory (r = -.58). The greatest correlation between pH readings and germination occurred with large crabgrass (r = .47). Due to the lack of supporting research in this topic further experiments should be done to provide definite conclusions. This research could provide valuable information and guidelines for additional research

Atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 controls branching morphogenesis in the developing mammary gland

Macrophages are important regulators of branching morphogenesis during development and postnatally in the mammary gland. Regulation of macrophage dynamics during these processes can therefore have a profound impact on development. We demonstrate here that the developing mammary gland expresses high levels of inflammatory CC-chemokines, which are essential in vivo regulators of macrophage migration. We further demonstrate that the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2, which scavenges inflammatory CC-chemokines, is differentially expressed during mammary gland development. We have previously shown that ACKR2 regulates macrophage dynamics during lymphatic vessel development. Here, we extend these observations to reveal a novel role for ACKR2 in regulating the postnatal development of the mammary gland. Specifically, we show that Ackr2−/− mice display precocious mammary gland development. This is associated with increased macrophage recruitment to the developing gland and increased density of the ductal epithelial network. These data demonstrate that ACKR2 is an important regulator of branching morphogenesis in diverse biological contexts and provide the first evidence of a role for chemokines and their receptors in postnatal development processes

Sunday

With Ukulele arrangement. Contains advertisements and/or short musical examples of pieces being sold by publisher.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/7127/thumbnail.jp

Asymptotics of the mean-field Heisenberg model

We consider the mean-field classical Heisenberg model and obtain detailed information about the total spin of the system by studying the model on a complete graph and sending the number of vertices to infinity. In particular, we obtain Cramer- and Sanov-type large deviations principles for the total spin and the empirical spin distribution and demonstrate a second-order phase transition in the Gibbs measures. We also study the asymptotics of the total spin throughout the phase transition using Stein's method, proving central limit theorems in the sub- and supercritical phases and a nonnormal limit theorem at the critical temperature.Comment: 44 page

Duration of elevated heart rate Is an important predictor of exercise-induced troponin elevation

Background The precise mechanisms causing cardiac troponin (cTn) increase after exercise remain to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of heart rate (HR) on exercise‐induced cTn increase by using sports watch data from a large bicycle competition. Methods and Results Participants were recruited from NEEDED (North Sea Race Endurance Exercise Study). All completed a 91‐km recreational mountain bike race (North Sea Race). Clinical status, ECG, blood pressure, and blood samples were obtained 24 hours before and 3 and 24 hours after the race. Participants (n=177) were, on average, 44 years old; 31 (18%) were women. Both cTnI and cTnT increased in all individuals, reaching the highest level (of the 3 time points assessed) at 3 hours after the race (P150 beats per minute was a significant predictor of both cTnI and cTnT, at both 3 and 24 hours after exercise. Neither mean HR nor mean HR in percentage of maximum HR was a significant predictor of the cTn response at 3 and 24 hours after exercise. Conclusions The duration of elevated HR is an important predictor of physiological exercise‐induced cTn elevation.publishedVersio

Exile Vol. IX No. 2

FICTION Robert & Muriel or, If You Think of the Girl You Love Too Much As Someday Being Bald, You Can Always Remain Aloof by Johnathan Reynolds 7-14 Quentin Marsh by Margaret Polishook 15 Used To Be by Susan Smith 17-23 It Was a Chatham Day by Caroline Baird 33-37 Where All the Artists Go by George Estes 41-43 September by Cynthia Winzeler 45-50 ESSAY Carthartes Aura by Richard Boyer 27-29 POETRY To A Mouse by Kay Stein 24-25 Poem by Christine Cooper 26 For Sylvia Plath by Robert Hoyt 26 On Studying Shakespeare by Christine Cooper 29 Song by Judith Pyster 30-31 Prestidigitation by Michael Glaser 37 Poem by Sarah Conway 39 Poem by Barbara Thiele 50 An Old Man\u27s Lament by Robert Hoyt 51 GRAPHICS Pastel by Lynne Wiley 4 Pen Drawing by Elizabeth Surbeck 6 Pen Sketch by Martha Merselis 14 Pen and Ink by Matha Merselis 16 Brush Drawing by Martha Merselis 24 Pen Sketches by Martha Merselis 30 Pencil Drawing by Patterson Bouic 32 Pen and Ink by Katheryn Knapp 38 Brush Drawing by Sara Henry 40 Pen and Ink by Martha Merselis 4

Treatments used for obsessive-compulsive disorder-An international perspective

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterise international trends in the use of psychotropic medication, psychological therapies, and novel therapies used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHODS: Researchers in the field of OCD were invited to contribute summary statistics on the characteristics of their samples. Consistency of summary statistics across countries was evaluated. RESULTS: The study surveyed 19 expert centres from 15 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States) providing a total sample of 7,340 participants. Fluoxetine (n = 972; 13.2%) and fluvoxamine (n = 913; 12.4%) were the most commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications. Risperidone (n = 428; 7.3%) and aripiprazole (n = 415; 7.1%) were the most commonly used antipsychotic agents. Neurostimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, gamma knife surgery, and psychosurgery were used in less than 1% of the sample. There was significant variation in the use and accessibility of exposure and response prevention for OCD. CONCLUSIONS: The variation between countries in treatments used for OCD needs further evaluation. Exposure and response prevention is not used as frequently as guidelines suggest and appears difficult to access in most countries. Updated treatment guidelines are recommended.Peer reviewe

Explore, Scale Up, Move Out: Three Phases to Managing Change under Conditions of Uncertainty

Private sector development is dominated by the use of ‘good practice’ solutions, driven by a desire of the development donors to control the outcome of development initiatives – with limited success. Bottom?up participatory approaches are more appropriate to find solutions for the complex challenge of market and private sector development. Theory?based approaches are used to design and deliver solutions to economic development challenges. We argue that these approaches have limited potential to manage interventions that target systemic change in complex contexts. On the other hand, alternative approaches based on emergence have some essential shortcomings from the perspective of the international development system. Based on our own working experience, we propose a pragmatic way forward that aims to build on the strengths of emergence?based approaches in complex contexts but is designed to work in the current development environment

Cytogerontology since 1881: A reappraisal of August Weismann and a review of modern progress

Cytogerontology, the science of cellular ageing, originated in 1881 with the prediction by August Weismann that the somatic cells of higher animals have limited division potential. Weismann's prediction was derived by considering the role of natural selection in regulating the duration of an organism's life. For various reasons, Weismann's ideas on ageing fell into neglect following his death in 1914, and cytogerontology has only reappeared as a major research area following the demonstration by Hayflick and Moorhead in the early 1960s that diploid human fibroblasts are restricted to a finite number of divisions in vitro. In this review we give a detailed account of Weismann's theory, and we reveal that his ideas were both more extensive in their scope and more pertinent to current research than is generally recognised. We also appraise the progress which has been made over the past hundred years in investigating the causes of ageing, with particular emphasis being given to (i) the evolution of ageing, and (ii) ageing at the cellular level. We critically assess the current state of knowledge in these areas and recommend a series of points as primary targets for future research