European Vegetation Archive (EVA): An integrated database of European vegetation plots

© 2016 International Association for Vegetation Science. The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetation- plot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on-going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA, contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for large-scale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/eva-database

Aripiprazole-induced hoarseness: A case report

PubMedID: 30724787Objectives Aripiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is commonly used in children and adolescents. Methods The most common adverse effects of aripiprazole include fatigue, nausea, increased appetite, headache, sedation, and somnolence. Results To our knowledge, there are no data regarding aripiprazole-induced hoarseness in the existing literature. Conclusions We present a case of a preschool boy with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder who displayed hoarseness after aripiprazole therapy. © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved

Reliability and validity of four step square test in older adults

Introduction: The aim of this Cross-sectional descriptive study was to determine the reliability and validity of Four Step Square Test for use to evaluate balance ability in older adults. Materials and Method: Participants were 44 men and 36 women (n=80; Mean age of the participants were 72.69±5.09 years. Participants performed the Four Step Square Test, the Time Up & Go test, the Functional Reach test, the One Leg Standing test and completed the Berg Balance Scale. Results: The Four Step Square Test has good Cronbach’s Alpha (0.96) with the other balance measures. The Four Step Square Test has good correlations with the Time Up & Go test (p<0.001) and in the same way there were a good correlations between the Four Step Square Test and Berg Balance Scale (p<0.001). Conclusion: Four Step Square Test is a reliable and valid tool for measuring the dynamic balance ability in older adults. © 2015, Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved

Does anticoagulant therapy improve adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with history of recurrent pregnancy loss?

Objectives: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a serious problem in the reproductive age women. We aimed to study the role of anticoagulant therapy on pregnancy complications and perinatal outcomes in pregnant patients with histories of RPL. Material and methods: One hundred fifty-three pregnants, with RPL history and thrombophilia positivity, were grouped into two as 89 treated with anticoagulant therapy and 64 non-treated. Treated and untreated groups were compared for pregnancy complications, delivery weeks, abortion rates, fetal birth weights, APGAR scores, live birth rates, and newborn intensive care admission rates. Results: Of the total 153 pregnant patients (63%) 97 developed pregnancy complications; 55 (56.7%) were in the untreated group and 42 (43.3%) were in the treated group, which was statistically significant (p = 0.003). The differences in pregnancy complications were produced by differences in the numbers of IUFDs and anembryonic fetuses among the groups. The average neonatal birth weights of infants whose mothers had taken LMWH + ASA were significantly higher (p=0.011). The prematurely delivered infants were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and the NICU requirements were not statistically different between the groups (p = 0.446). However, live birth rates were significantly higher in the treated group than in the untreated group (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Anticoagulant therapy improves pregnancy complications and live birth rates in patients with RPL and hereditary thrombophilia. © 2016 Via Medica

Manipulation of VOC emissions with methyl jasmonate and carrageenan in the evergreen conifer Pinus sylvestris and evergreen broadleaf Quercus ilex.

Plant defence can be induced by exposing plants to the plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA) or its volatile ester, methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Carrageenans (Carr) - sulphated D-galactans extracted from red algae - can also induce plant defences. In this study, the effects of exogenous MeJA and Carr application (concentration 300 and 12.7 μmol, respectively) on volatile emissions from two widespread evergreen woody species, Pinus sylvestris (nine Turkish and one Finnish provenance) and Quercus ilex (Italian provenance) were investigated. We collected headspace samples from seedlings and analysed the quality and quantity of volatile compounds emitted by treated and control plants. In total, 19 monoterpenes, 10 sesquiterpenes, 10 green leaf volatiles (GLVs) and two aromatic compounds were emitted by P. sylvestris from all the provenances studied. Foliar MeJA application clearly affected the volatile profiles of trees from all the provenances. Effects of Carr were genotype specific. In Q. ilex, emissions of sesquiterpenes, GLVs and the homoterpene (E)-DMNT were all induced by MeJA application. However, emissions of most constitutively emitted monoterpenes were significantly reduced. Carr application also led to a significant reduction in monoterpene emissions, but without corresponding increases in other emissions. Our results indicate that exogenously applied MeJA and Carr can both significantly modify the volatile profiles of P. sylvestris and Q. ilex, but also that there are important provenance- and species-specific differences in the overall degree of elicitation and compositions of elicited compounds

The relationship between age and carotid artery intima-media thickness, hemoglobin A1c in nondiabetic, healthy geriatric population

The aim of the study was to investigate a casual relationship between age and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and hemoglobin Ale (HbA1c) levels and to assess the effects of possible risk factors in healthy nondiabetic elderly. Seventy-two healthy, well-educated, nondiabetic, healthy elderlies (mean age: 71.5 +/- 5.01 years; 43 male, 29 female) were enrolled in the study. Comprehensive assessments including a battery of psychosocial and functional performance tests were performed to all subjects. All of them were also asked about health prevention topics including exercise, dietary habits, smoking, vaccination, cholesterol screening, etc. Carotid artery IMT was measured by ultrasound. Blood samples were obtained for fasting glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol, triglyceride and fibrinogen. The mean carotid artery IMT was 0.94 +/- 0.13 mm and the mean HbA1c level was 5.29 +/- 0.65 mg/dl. There was no significant correlation between age and carotid artery IMT (r(s) = 0.15), HbA1c levels (r(s) = -0.08) and other possible atherosclerosis risk factors. Also there was no correlation between carotid artery IMT and HbA1c levels (r(s) = 0.14). Our data indicated that the carotid artery IMT, HbA1c and age are not associated in a geriatric healthy, well-educated population. Comparative studies done on the elderly who do not benefit from preventive health care programs are needed to establish if preventive health care measures and risk factor modification are important in the elderly age group. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Investigation of Tensile Properties of Aluminum 6082-T6 Alloys Joined by Cold Metal Transfer Method by Using Different Working Time

In this study, Aluminium 6082-T6 plates having 1.0 mm thickness were joined by magnesium-based (AlMg5) wire in cold metal transfer technique. The specimens were prepared in butt joint form. Argon was used as shielding gas and joining operations were done at gas flow speed of 13 l/min. The joining operations were carried out during four different working times of 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 seconds. Tensile properties of joints were determined and macro-structures of joints were investigated in order to evaluate the joinability of Aluminium 6082-T6 alloy by cold metal transfer technique. Finally, the micro-hardness values of specimens were measured

Treatment of ?-pinene-contaminated air using silicone oil-coated perlite biofilter

Two biofilters equal in size were filled with perlite for treatment of ?-pinene-contaminated air. The per-lite used for one of the biofilters was partially coated with silicone oil to make the surface of the particles more hydrophobic. The filters were run at 1.5,2.5, and 5 L/min airflow rate (3.1,1.9, and 0.9-min retention time). The filters were operated for 5.5 months. The results showed that the silicone oil-coated filter performed better at 2.5 L/min with a maximum elimination capacity of 20 g/(m3 h) in comparison with 15 g/(m3 h) for the filter without oil. The efficiency was approximately the same for both filters at 1.5 L/min (40 g/m3 h), whereas it was slightly higher for the without oil filter at 5 L/min [35 g/(m3 h)]. The flow rate was set to 2.5 L/min once more (day 151). The results showed that the elimination capacity had increased to 35 g/(m 3 h) and that the efficiency of both filters was approximately the same. The difference in results between the initial run and the later run at 2.5 L/min is probably depending on that the number of microorganisms had increased during the experiment and that the oil-containing biofilter adsorbed ?-pinene to a higher extent than the biofilter without silicone oil during the start-up period. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers