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The article focuses on the book "Ethics for People Who Work in Tech" by M. Steen, delving into its examination of data ethics and AI strategies in the tech industry. Topics include the challenges faced by tech giants in ensuring social responsibility, the need for practical guidance amid ethical dilemmas, and the book's emphasis on creating a common language for ethical discussions.

This study explored the decision‐making processes of soldiers as they evaluated scenarios containing information offering various levels of certainty. Soldiers with different levels of experience read scenarios that presented potential threats and then identified the priority threat, their confidence in this identification, and the cues they used to identify priority threats. Soldiers then searched for additional scenario‐relevant information and modified their reports if their assessments changed. Compared with inexperienced soldiers, experienced soldiers reported a greater number of priority threats and informative cues and were more likely to search additional topics that matched details in their initial assessments. High certainty scenarios yielded more identified threats, more cues, and higher confidence in initial reports. Soldiers' initial assessments rarely changed after additional information searches, but when they did, they were associated with low initial confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many species, dispersal is decisive for survival in a changing climate. Simulation models for population dynamics under climate change thus need to account for this factor. Moreover, large numbers of species inhabiting agricultural landscapes are subject to disturbances induced by human land use. We included dispersal in the HiLEG model that we previously developed to study the interaction between climate change and agricultural land use in single populations. Here, the model was parameterized for the large marsh grasshopper (LMG) in cultivated grasslands of North Germany to analyze (1) the species development and dispersal success depending on the severity of climate change in subregions, (2) the additional effect of grassland cover on dispersal success, and (3) the role of dispersal in compensating for detrimental grassland mowing. Our model simulated population dynamics in 60‐year periods (2020–2079) on a fine temporal (daily) and high spatial (250 × 250 m2) scale in 107 subregions, altogether encompassing a range of different grassland cover, climate change projections, and mowing schedules. We show that climate change alone would allow the LMG to thrive and expand, while grassland cover played a minor role. Some mowing schedules that were harmful to the LMG nevertheless allowed the species to moderately expand its range. Especially under minor climate change, in many subregions dispersal allowed for mowing early in the year, which is economically beneficial for farmers. More severe climate change could facilitate LMG expansion to uninhabited regions but would require suitable mowing schedules along the path. These insights can be transferred to other species, given that the LMG is considered a representative of grassland communities. For more specific predictions on the dynamics of other species affected by climate change and land use, the publicly available HiLEG model can be easily adapted to the characteristics of their life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and anticipating market movements plays a critical role in current capitalist activity. Through the assessment of the present and the engagement in the unknowable future, financial-market participants create financial opportunities. At the heart of this process is the work of experts who claim to provide 'thorough analyses' of economic trends and market movements. In this article, I illustrate how analysts – a powerful guild of economic experts – capitalise on 'feeling', individualised strategies and storytelling to come up with explanatory narratives about possible future market scenarios. In doing so, I build upon the notion of speculation as a practice that is grounded in imagination and show that narrativization of such futured-oriented images is a vital – yet often neglected – process: it allows to treat the unknowable as if it was anticipatable, uncertainty as if it was calculable risk, and thus speculation as if it was 'investment'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Body and food‐related information are thought to activate cognitive biases and contribute to the maintenance of eating disorders (ED). Approach‐avoidance biases may play an important role in the maintenance of dietary restriction and excessive food intake. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine approach‐avoidance biases toward food and body stimuli in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and healthy controls (HC). Methods: The study included 42 individuals with AN, 24 individuals with BN, and 38 HCs. We used two implicit Approach‐Avoidance Tasks (AAT) to assess approach‐avoidance biases: participants completed a Food‐AAT (high‐calorie vs. low‐calorie food) and a Body‐AAT (thin vs. normal weight bodies). Additionally, explicit ratings of food and body stimuli were assessed. Results: There were no significant Group × Stimulus × Direction interactions in the implicit Food‐AAT or implicit Body‐AAT. In explicit ratings, individuals with AN and BN reported less urge to eat and more regret if they ate high‐calorie and low‐calorie food; individuals with AN and BN rated normal weight bodies as less normal weight, less attractive and less desirable than HCs. There were no group differences in explicit ratings of the thin body. Discussion: We did not find evidence for biased approach‐avoidance tendencies toward food or body stimuli in individuals with AN or BN. Future studies are necessary to understand conflicting findings regarding approach‐avoidance biases toward food and body stimuli in individuals with ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative modeling approach for the simulative description of the part quality of rubber materials, including the processing history, is presented in this paper. This modeling approach, the so-called average curing speed (ACS) model, is based on the degree of cure and the average curing speed instead of the conventionally considered temperature approach. Such approach neglects the processing history by calculating only the degree of cure. Thus, the correlation with part quality has to be performed either after the simulation or with the aid of other numerical analysis programs. Instead, by applying the ACS model, the key advantage is that the processing history is already taken into account during the filling and curing simulation, demanding a single calibration step with quality information to be able to calculate the part quality. For this purpose, parts were manufactured at mold temperatures ranging from 140 °C to 170 °C and degrees of cure from 24% to 99% via compression molding and subsequently the permanent deformation, i.e., the compression set (CS), of each part was analyzed. The CS results show that one and the same degree of cure; for example, 80%, which was defined on the basis of reaction isotherms, causes an almost twofold higher CS value for parts manufactured at 170 °C. Consequently, considerable deviations may occur when real part qualities are correlated with degrees of cure from simulations with common state-of-the-art kinetic models. By applying the ACS model, it was demonstrated that this challenge could be solved. Parts manufactured by compression molding exhibited the same quality as those simulated with the ACS model. Finally, this innovative modeling approach (fully implemented in the SIGMASOFT® v 6.0 simulation routine) provides enormous potential for understanding local differences in the quality of rubber parts, being an ideal tool for optimizing rubber parts through simulation routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 100 North Carolina State University (NCSU) students have participated in a unique, highly structured internship course conducted by the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Here, we explore the impact that this course has had on their professional development and career trajectories. As of this writing, the course has been running for 17 years; this paper provides an update on how the course has changed over time, and information concerning participant outcomes. Changes include a reduction in class size to allow for more individualized mentoring, and the addition of experiences outside of the WFO. The course serves as a compelling selling point in student recruiting for the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences (MEAS), and participation also helps to ensure that the curriculum is adequately preparing students for positions in the NWS. The NWS benefits from a pool of potential employees that will require less spin-up time if hired; additionally, some NCSU graduates have participated in similar student volunteer programs at their respective offices once hired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous research suggested that exposure to the thin beauty ideal propagated by the media is associated with body dissatisfaction and the development of disordered eating. Given recent suggestions regarding the role of automatic processes, we aimed to enhance our understanding of automatic, unconscious responses to body pictures and the association with the internalization of the thin ideal and the severity of eating disorder symptoms. Method: An affective priming task with body pictures of different weight as primes and a normal‐weight body picture as target, which had to be evaluated with regard to attractiveness and desirability, was administered to healthy women with either subliminal prime presentation (Experiment 1) or conscious presentation (Experiment 2). Results: Subliminal presentation did not affect the evaluation of the normal‐weight target, although strength of evaluative shifts was significantly associated with internalization of the thin ideal. In contrast, the conscious presentation of the ultra‐thin prime decreased and of the obese prime increased desirability and attractiveness ratings of the target. Discussion: Prevention strategies focusing on the critical evaluation of the thin ideal are important. Future studies are warranted to enhance our understanding of automatic, unconscious processes in women experiencing eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cdc42 is a small RhoGTPase regulating multiple functions in eukaryotic cells. The activity of Cdc42 is significantly elevated in several tissues of aged mice, while the Cdc42 gain‐of‐activity mouse model presents with a premature aging‐like phenotype and with decreased lifespan. These data suggest a causal connection between elevated activity of Cdc42, aging, and reduced lifespan. Here, we demonstrate that systemic treatment of aged (75‐week‐old) female C57BL/6 mice with a Cdc42 activity‐specific inhibitor (CASIN) for 4 consecutive days significantly extends average and maximum lifespan. Moreover, aged CASIN‐treated animals displayed a youthful level of the aging‐associated cytokines IL‐1β, IL‐1α, and INFγ in serum and a significantly younger epigenetic clock as based on DNA methylation levels in blood cells. Overall, our data show that systemic administration of CASIN to reduce Cdc42 activity in aged mice extends murine lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Etiological models of eating disorders (EDs) describe body dissatisfaction (BD)as one of the major influences fostering dysfunctional body‐related behaviour and disordered eating behaviour. BD is influenced by repeated exposure to thin ideals that evoke high self‐ideal discrepancy and result in body‐related cognitive distortions such as thought–shape fusion body (TSF‐B). The aim of this study was to investigate the covariation of daily media exposure and the experience of TSF‐B in a naturalistic setting. It was further analysed whether TSF‐B is associated with self‐ideal discrepancy, dysfunctional body‐related behaviour, and disordered eating behaviour. Moreover, person‐related predictors of TSF‐B were explored. Altogether, 51healthy female students (mean age 21.06years, SD = 1.76) participated in an ecological momentary assessment study with four daily surveys during 10consecutive days. Exposure with thin ideals in contrast to exposure to unspecific media contents went along with the experience of TSF‐B. TSF‐B was associated with higher self‐ideal discrepancy and dysfunctional body‐related behaviour as well as more pronounced disordered eating behaviour, suggesting that TSF‐B is a common phenomenon in young healthy females' everyday life. A main effect of trait measures (e.g., pre‐existing BD) on TSF‐B was observable but has no moderating effect. Thus, a specific vulnerability has not been detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy protection legislation and policy is heavily dependent on the notion of de-identification. Repeated examples of its failure in real-world use have had little impact on the popularity of its usage in policy and legislation. In this paper we will examine some of the misconceptions that have occurred to attempt to explain why, in spite of all the evidence, we continue to rely on a technique that has been shown not to work, and further, which is purported to protect privacy when it clearly does not. With a particular focus on Australia, we shall look at how misconceptions regarding de-identification are perpetuated. We highlight that continuing to discuss the fiction of de-identified data as a form of privacy actively undermines privacy and privacy norms. Further, we note that 'de-identification of data' should not be presented as a form of privacy protection by policy makers, and that greater legislative protections of privacy are urgently needed given the volumes of data being collected, connected and mined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the mechanisms underlying how interviewers establish and monitor baselines of respondent behaviour. This study addresses this knowledge gap by characterising the practice of establishing baselines and measuring the accuracy of interviewer judgements based on assessments of baseline and departure behaviours. Eighteen professional interviewers viewed two videos of naturalistic interviews, reported the cues they perceived as informative for establishing and assessing a baseline, and diagnosed respondents' internal states. Participants reported multiple cue types as informative, but predominantly relied on non‐verbal cues. Overall, participants were sensitive to 27% of respondents' identified internal states but showed improvement over time. They achieved a hit rate of 20% during early interview stages and a hit rate of 33% during late stages. Although non‐verbal cues dominated reports, attending to verbal cues afforded participants greater efficiency in identifying respondent internal states. Implications and recommendations for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses philosophical and ethical questions about xenobots. Topics discussed include features of xenobots, possible benefits and potential ethical issues related to xenobots acknowledged by the biological and computational scientists who created them, and potential risks posed by future biobots.

Organisations conducting research programs often focus the work of their scientists and technologists on challenge problems (CPs). These challenges are designed to ensure that progress is measurable and relevant to the goals of the program sponsor. Generating and selecting pertinent CPs is difficult, as is assessing their value. We describe a method of generating and selecting CPs and its application in a highly collaborative, multi-organisation research program. Thirty-eight biologists, chemists, mathematicians and computer scientists across academic, commercial and government organisations generated and ranked their top choices from among 12 richly described candidate challenge problems. A ranked-choice voting formula was applied. Five CPs were highly scored; the remaining seven were distributed across a lower range of scores. The program sponsor subsequently directed researchers to address six CPs, including the elected five. Analysis of the rationales that participants offered for their CP rankings revealed four domain-independent dimensions of value: capability, speed, impact and synergy. These dimensions of value can help managers of interdisciplinary research programs systematically select a portfolio of CPs that will efficiently apply utilise resources towards program goals and facilitate measurement of scientific progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • No approach bias toward the thin body ideal. • Faster push than pull movements towards thin and normal weight body pictures. • Relation between avoidance bias and perceived pressure to confirm to media ideals. Abstract Recent research suggests that automatic cognitive biases are linked to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior. However, little is known about automatic action tendencies in the field of body image research. The aim of the present study was to examine approach and avoidance biases toward the thin body ideal and normal weight bodies and whether these are pronounced in individuals showing disordered eating behavior. Participants were divided into a group with disordered eating behavior (n = 55) and without disordered eating behavior (n = 45). To assess approach and avoidance tendencies, the Approach-Avoidance Task was used during which the participants were instructed to approach or avoid thin and normal weight body pictures. Our results indicated faster push than pull movements towards thin and normal weight body pictures. However, participants with and without disordered eating behavior did not differ with regard to their reactions. Furthermore, we found positive associations between the avoidance of normal weight body pictures and perceived pressure to confirm to media ideals. Future research is warranted to replicate our findings and to extend our knowledge on approach and avoidance biases toward body pictures in patients suffering from eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation models have a broad potential as decision-support tools for resource management by mechanistically representing and projecting complex ecological processes. In the case of socioeconomically and biologically important coral reef ecosystems, models have been used to address important questions regarding the effects of human impacts on their ecological dynamics and to inform management approaches. However, few of the models integrate benthic and fish dynamics with the influence of external anthropogenic stressors, and virtually none is available as a user-friendly platform for non-scientist managers to easily access. We propose a new ecological model to assess the effects of simultaneous stressors on coral reef ecosystems which includes a dynamic representation of benthic and fish spatial processes, linked by their ecological feedbacks. SEAMANCORE is a two-dimensional model representing the dynamics of local coral reefs which can be used to explore the influence of bleaching, eutrophication, and fishing, including destructive fishing such as bomb and cyanide fishing. The model is coupled with a menu-based interface that allows users with no programming experience to simulate numerous scenarios in specific contexts that can be customized with depth profile maps and initial coral reef conditions of fish and benthos functional group abundance. This study includes SEAMANCORE’s description and shows the model’s sensitivity to its parameters by means of sensitivity analyses. Its utility is exemplified by exploring various scenarios of no stressors, fishing and bleaching regimes in a theoretical coral reef. We expect that linking fish demographics with changing habitat quality will prove insightful for fisheries management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging-associated remodeling of the immune system impairs its functional integrity and contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Aging of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), from which all cells of the adaptive immune system ultimately originate, might play a crucial role in the remodeling of the aged immune system. We recently reported that aging of HSCs is, in part, driven by elevated activity of the small RhoGTPase Cdc42 and that aged HSCs can be rejuvenated in vitro by inhibition of the elevated Cdc42 activity in aged HSCs with the pharmacological compound CASIN. To study the quality of immune systems stemming selectively from young or aged HSCs, we established a HSC transplantation model in T- and B-cell-deficient young RAG1-/- hosts. We report that both phenotypic and functional changes in the immune system on aging are primarily a consequence of changes in the function of HSCs on aging and, to a large extent, independent of the thymus, as young and aged HSCs reconstituted distinct T- and B-cell subsets in RAG1-/- hosts that mirrored young and aged immune systems. Importantly, aged HSCs treated with CASIN reestablished an immune system similar to that of young animals, and thus capable of mounting a strong immune response to vaccination. Our studies further imply that epigenetic signatures already imprinted in aged HSCs determine the transcriptional profile and function of HSC-derived T and B cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The generally held opinion that seeds of Lunaria remain at the replum after detachment of the two valves and then wind causes a shaking or rattling of the replum with its diaphragm, thus launching the seeds, is challenged. In a sparse forest in the Swabian Alb, the first author noticed flying valves of Lunaria rediviva to which the narrow‐winged flat seeds are attached. Investigations with SEM and histology have shown that the valves secrete a glue only at those sites where the seeds rest on the valves before valve tissues die. Further analysis has shown (using the periodic acid‐Schiff reaction) that the glue consists of polysaccharides. After detachment and dispersal of the valves, the adhesive strength continuously decreases. This is the first report for a sticky valve exudate in the Brassicaceae. Because of the adhesion of Lunaria seeds to their valves for some time, the 1st order diaspore is a mericarp, in a broad sense, and can be interpreted as an adaptation to long‐distance dispersal by stronger winds. In this context, the ‘flying carpets’ of Lunaria are more effective and transport more than one seed. Molecular studies assigned Lunaria to the tribe Biscutelleae, which now contains the angustiseptate genera Biscutella and Megadenia as well as the latiseptate genera Lunaria and Ricotia. The valves in Ricotia can easily be detached (studied in herbarium material and a living plant), but, in contrast to Lunaria, the ripe seeds remain at the replum and its diaphragm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing challenge for many secondary special education teachers is preparing students for the writing demands in postsecondary settings. The self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) model of writing instruction, considered an evidence-based practice, is an effective strategy for enhancing the writing skills of students with disabilities, such as learning disabilities or behavioral disorders, at the secondary level. This article discusses the flexibility and practicality of the SRSD model by describing ways in which secondary teachers can effectively use this strategy to enhance the argumentative writing skills of their students in English language arts, science, history, and mathematics and to teach students how to self-advocate through writing. Information about supports, materials, and other resources for teachers to utilize are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to consider potential legal implications of deployment of nanolaser technology in armed conflict. Nanotechnology will undoubtedly enhance the performance of many weapons systems, including autonomous systems, 1 with better energy storage, more rapid computations, and lower power consumption, to name just a few features, but in this article I consider just two types of technology purportedly utilizing nanolasers. Firstly, I will discuss the Laser Weapons System (LaWS), a directed energy weapon already in use.2 LaWS is often wrongly described as nanoenhanced; I will explain why the descriptor is fallacious while also discussing the legal implications, if any, which arise from the deployment of the system (and whether this error has any legal implications). Secondly, I will examine optogenetics, which uses nanolaser light-delivery technology to effectively switch neurons "on" and "off" to alter brain function. This technology is currently at the research stage with mice, and has not yet been used by the military. I plan to identify the key legal implications if such technology were to be used in humans in armed conflict. Two key legal issues arise in relation to both technological developments. One involves the responsibility of States Parties to Additional Protocol I3 of the Geneva Conventions to review and supervise the use of emerging weapons technology to ensure compliance with the law of armed conflict (LOAC) and the second involves identifying what specific and general rules may apply to such technology.4 General legal principles have relevance to all means and methods of warfare and so apply as much to nanolaser weapons systems as to any other category of lethal or nonlethal weapon. Furthermore, the lack of anticipation of nanotechnology by the original drafters does not remove the obligation to review any such technology before its use in armed conflict.5 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Alibis are critical components of innocent suspects' efforts to prove their innocence. However, they can often be inaccurate. Two experiments explored factors influencing innocent alibi generation. Experiment 1 tested the effect of retrieval cue (time vs. location vs. paired time and location) on report accuracy and schema reliance. Experiment 2 tested the effect of the schema consistency of critical whereabouts (consistent vs. inconsistent) on alibi accuracy and schema reliance. Methods Both experiments used the same paradigm: Participants engaged in a critical event (two events in Experiment 2), then participated in an ostensibly unrelated study occurring roughly 1 week later. During this unrelated study (in reality, the alibi generating portion of this study), participants were interviewed about their whereabouts for various times during the previous week (including the times of the critical events). Alibis were scored for accuracy and schema consistency. Results In Experiment 1, a time cue and a paired time and location cue yielded lower rates of accuracy than did a location cue. Cues including a time referent yielded high rates of schema reliance. In Experiment 2, accuracy was lower when whereabouts were schema inconsistent than when they were schema consistent. Confidence was high across conditions, irrespective of accuracy. Conclusion Time cuing appears to elicit schema reliance when generating alibis. Schema retrieval may inflate confidence in accuracy; thus, schema reliance may lead to inaccurate reporting, particularly when critical whereabouts are atypical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging-associated changes in the function of the immune system are referred to as senescent immune remodeling (SIR). Here we review the current understanding on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying SIR. We focus on aging-associated changes in T and B cells, and discuss recent evidence supporting the notion that aging of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment directly contributes to SIR due to aging-associated alterations in stem cell differentiation. We conclude by outlining strategies to attenuate SIR, including approaches to rejuvenate HSCs, which may open new avenues for targeting SIR in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on new studies on style morphology of basal subfamilies and tribes of Asteraceae (Barnadesioideae, Famatinanthoideae, Mutisioideae, Stifftioideae, Wunderlichioideae, Gochnatioideae, Hecastocleidoideae), we establish 15 style types in view of shape, bifurcation and distribution of stylar hairs and stigmatic tissue. From the stylar characters and observing different anthetic stages of the proterandrous flowers, we inferred the mechanisms of secondary pollen presentation. The high diversity of stylar shapes in the basal groups of Asteraceae is remarkable. In the most basal subfamily Barnadesioideae, the stylar surface is smooth or, at most, papillate and secondary pollen presentation is either a deposition/primitive brushing or a pump mechanism. Considering Calyceraceae (deposition mechanism) as sister group, we conclude that presumably a deposition/primitive brushing mechanism is the beginning of all secondary pollen presentations in Asteraceae. Whereas in the higher Asteraceae both the brushing and pump mechanisms function perfectly, in some lower Asteraceae, the mechanisms work less efficiently regarding pollen release. The subfamily Mutisioideae is well-defined by the occurrence of true stylar hairs and the tribe Mutisieae by its stigmatic tissue on the margins of the stylar arms, confluent at their tips. The early step from a continuous stigma covering the whole inner surface of the stylar branches (as in most basal members) to a stigma arrangement in two separate lines (as in most Asteroideae) is realized in two ways: either by adhesion of the median ventral tissues of the stylar branches (e.g. Onoseris , Wunderlichia ) or by receptivity loss of the median tissues (e.g. Mutisia ). Our study supports further DNA-based clades by style morphology (e.g. Famatinanthoideae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. In the course of a detailed comparative study concerning style morphology (including 395 species of 258 genera covering all 44 tribes of the Asteraceae), we found a new microstructural feature, namely, often conspicuous cuticular patterns on the stylar hairs (involved in secondary pollen presentation) and stylar appendages. The observations raised questions as to whether the different striation patterns can be arranged in structural types and whether this new microcharacter could be of value in phylogenetic considerations. Methodology. Styles from liquid-preserved flowers or from herbarium material were studied by using scanning electron microscopy. Pivotal results. Five different patterns of cuticular striation can be discerned: crested pattern, triple pattern, double pattern, longitudinal pattern, and transverse pattern. By plotting the different cuticular patterns onto a generalized phylogenetic tree based on molecular data, it becomes obvious that there is considerable homoplasy in these features. Nevertheless, the cuticular patterns are still useful in characterizing some clades within the family. It is noteworthy that the small monogeneric subfamily Corymbioideae is characterized by a particular triple cuticular pattern on the stylar hairs that is otherwise found only rarely and isolated in some tribes (namely Mutisieae, Helenieae, Coreopsideae, and Heliantheae). The subfamily Mutisioideae is remarkable in the absence of simple patterns. A crested cuticular pattern is found only within the Mutisioideae (in Onoserideae and Mutisieae). Quite diverse in their cuticular patterns are the tribes Helenieae and Heliantheae within the Asteroideae. Conclusions. In comparison with the known influence of cuticular microstructures of petal cells on the wettability, we speculate that the cuticular striations of the stylar hairs increase the repellence of water drops in the flower, which would harm the viability of the pollen grains (due to osmosis, most pollen grains burst in pure water). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different labeling systems that should help consumers make more balanced food decisions have been proposed and are currently in use. In the present study, the effectiveness of three different formats, the nutrition table format, the guideline daily amounts (GDAs) format, and the traffic light (TL) format, was examined. The eye-tracking method was combined with an experimental approach. The participants ( N = 98) were randomly assigned to one of the three formats, and they were asked to evaluate the healthiness of five foods from different food categories. The eye-tracking data suggest that the participants needed more time to process the GDA format in comparison to the traffic light format and the nutrition table format. Moreover, the participants processed the traffic light format more efficiently than the nutrition table. In regard to information processing, the traffic light format was better than the other two formats. The participants were asked how they perceived the healthiness of the food products. The GDA, the TL and the nutrition table formats did not result in substantially different evaluations of the products. From an information processing perspective, the TL format has advantages over the other two formats. The TL format is a consumer-friendly way of communicating nutrition information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments tested mnemonics for enhancing memory for family meeting occurrences and details. Experiment 1 tested a set of seven mnemonics to facilitate recollections of family meeting occurrences. Mnemonics helped respondents report 70% more event occurrences than were reported during unaided free recall. Experiment 2 tested (i) a revised set of mnemonics to facilitate recollections of family meeting occurrences and (ii) a version of the cognitive interview to facilitate recollections of event details. Similar to Experiment 1, the revised set of mnemonics helped respondents recall double the number of events recalled during unaided free recall. For event details, when compared with a control interview, the cognitive interview elicited more than twice as many person, conversation, action, and setting details. The mnemonics used in these experiments are relatively easy to modify and implement in intelligence-gathering interviews with human intelligence sources. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave plasmas at atmospheric pressure are used for surface treatments like for example cleaning, sterilization or decontamination purposes, for a pre-treatment to increase the adhesion of lacquer, paint, or glue, and for the deposition of different kind of layers and coatings. Micro plasma jets can also be applied for biomedical applications and for treatment of small and complex geometries like for example the inside of capillaries. Larger plasma torches which exhibit higher gas temperatures can also be used for chemical syntheses like waste gas decomposition, methane pyrolysis, or carbon dioxide dissociation and for plasma spraying purposes. In the present publication an overview on the development and the investigation of the operating principle of two atmospheric pressure microwave plasma torches at frequencies of 2.45 GHz and 915 MHz will be presented. The plasma sources are based on a cylindrical resonator combined with coaxial structures. To explain how these plasma sources work, simulations of the electric field distribution will be discussed. Furthermore, some physical characteristics of an air and an Ar/H2 atmospheric plasma like gas temperatures, excitation temperatures and densities as well as the heating of the plasma by the microwave will be investigated. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observation that the flowers of Anemone nemorosa offer nectar to pollinating bee-flies ( Bombylius major) prompted this investigation into the site of nectar secretion and nectary tissue. To allow comparison on a broader basis, other nectar-secreting pollen flowers of the Ranunculaceae and Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) were included in the analysis. The contradictory information available on the function of the mouthparts of bee-flies during nectar and pollen feeding motivated us to investigate the proboscis structure in detail by SEM. Our investigations in Anemone nemorosa proved, for the first time, nectar secretion in the genus Anemone s.s. (i.e. other than the Pulsatilla group) and in addition, within the family, a new type of a carpellary nectary. The latter is an epithelial nectary involving the whole epidermis of the ovarian part of the carpel. The nectary of Anemone nemorosa resembles that of Magnolia (e.g. M. stellata), which we re-investigated. In both Anemone nemorosa and Magnolia stellata, nectar production is limited mainly to the female phase of the proterogynous flower. In this way, the attractiveness of the flower is also assured in the non-pollen presenting phase. Especially in Magnolia, with its numerous carpels arranged on a cone-like receptacle, the economic disadvantage of a choricarpous- compared to a coenocarpous-gynoecium is compensated for by nectar secretion by each carpel. When licking up the nectar droplets from the carpel surfaces, contact of the insect's body with each stigma may be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Most past research on detecting deception has relied on the assumption that liars often fabricate a story to account for their whereabouts, whereas truth tellers simply recall an autobiographical memory. However, little research has examined whether liars, when free to choose the topic of their own reports, will actually choose to fabricate information rather than use a different strategy for constructing their lies. We describe two studies that evaluated liars' strategies for selecting the content of their lies when given the freedom to choose whatever content they desired. Method. In Studies 1 ( N= 35) and 2 ( N= 22) participants (a) described a truthful story in order to identify a salient event, then (b) lied about the event, and finally (c) described their strategies for choosing the content of the reported lies. Results. Liars overwhelmingly chose to report a previously experienced event for the time period they were to be deceptive about (67% and 86% in Studies 1 and 2, respectively). The majority of discrete details reported were experienced, occurred relatively frequently, occurred relatively recently, and were typical or routine. Conclusions. These findings have significant implications for the development of cognitive-based interventions for detecting deception. In particular, some methods of deception that rely on content analysis may be ineffective if liars choose to report previous experiences rather than outright fabrications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigated new microwave plasma torch is based on an axially symmetric resonator. Microwaves of a frequency of 2.45 GHz are resonantly fed into this cavity resulting in a sufficiently high electric field to ignite plasma without any additional igniters as well as to maintain stable plasma operation. Optical emission spectroscopy was carried out to characterize a humid air plasma. OH-bands were used to determine the gas rotational temperature T rot while the electron temperature was estimated by a Boltzmann plot of oxygen lines. Maximum temperatures of T rot of about 3600 K and electron temperatures of 5800 K could be measured. The electron density n e was estimated to n e ≈ 3 · 1020m-3 by using Saha's equation. Parametric studies in dependence of the gas flow and the supplied microwave power revealed that the maximum temperatures are independent of these parameters. However, the volume of the plasma increases with increasing microwave power and with a decrease of the gas flow. Considerations using collision frequencies, energy transfer times and power coupling provide an explanation of the observed phenomena: The optimal microwave heating is reached for electron-neutral collision frequencies νen being near to the angular frequency of the wave ω (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present experiment examined the role of cognitive flexibility in the consistency of truth tellers' and liars' reports. We expected liars to be less flexible (less able to report an experience in different ways) and hence less consistent than truth tellers when asked to describe an event in different ways (e.g. verbally and pictorially). In the experiment, truth tellers entered a room and performed several tasks, whereas liars did not enter the room or perform the tasks but attempted to convince an interviewer that they did. Truth tellers and liars were interviewed twice about the room and tasks, and were asked to express their answers either the same way on both interviews (e.g. verbally then again verbally) or in different ways (e.g. verbally then pictorially). In support of the cognitive flexibility hypothesis, liars' reports were less consistent than truth tellers' reports, particularly when reporting in different ways across interviews. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Consistency as a cue to detecting deception was tested in two experiments using sketch drawing and verbal reports in repeated interviews. Liars were expected to be less consistent than truth-tellers. Methods. In Expt 1, 80 undergraduate students reported truthfully or deceptively about an alleged lunch date - they sketched the layout of the restaurant and then answered spatial questions about objects in the restaurant. Ratings were given for the consistency between sketches and verbal reports. In Expt 2, 34 undergraduate students reported truthfully or deceptively about completing a series of unrelated tasks - they answered spatial questions about objects in a room and then sketched the layout of the room. Proportions were calculated for the consistency between verbal reports and sketches. Results. Expt 1. Liars were rated as less consistent than truth-tellers. Up to 80% of truth-tellers and 70% of liars could be correctly classified. Expt 2. Liars were less consistent than truth-tellers on consistency proportions. Up to 100% of truth-tellers and 77% of liars could be correctly classified. Conclusions. Using sketches to induce inconsistency may be a reliable, resource efficient way to help investigators detect deception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 25 January 2011, thousands of Egyptians gathered to raise their voices against their country's long-standing president, Hosni Mubarak. I received the news as I was conducting fieldwork in a research department of an international bank based in Zurich. Here, I document how Egypt's revolution was perceived, discussed and interpreted within this research department. I argue that the process of 'pricing the revolution' that took place may be understood as an ongoing interaction among participants in financial markets and that, given this, it should be understood as a social process, rather than an economic one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral and cognitive improvements in children with ADHD have been consistently reported after neurofeedback-treatment. However, neurofeedback has not been commonly accepted as a treatment for ADHD. This study addresses previous methodological shortcomings while comparing a neurofeedback-training of Theta-Beta frequencies and training of slow cortical potentials (SCPs). The study aimed at answering (a) whether patients were able to demonstrate learning of cortical self-regulation, (b) if treatment leads to an improvement in cognition and behavior and (c) if the two experimental groups differ in cognitive and behavioral outcome variables. SCP participants were trained to produce positive and negative SCP-shifts while the Theta/Beta participants were trained to suppress Theta (4–8 Hz) while increasing Beta (12–20 Hz). Participants were blind to group assignment. Assessment included potentially confounding variables. Each group was comprised of 19 children with ADHD (aged 8–13 years). The treatment procedure consisted of three phases of 10 sessions each. Both groups were able to intentionally regulate cortical activity and improved in attention and IQ. Parents and teachers reported significant behavioral and cognitive improvements. Clinical effects for both groups remained stable six months after treatment. Groups did not differ in behavioural or cognitive outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral ontogenetical data from all four genera of the Didiereaceae (s.str.) are presented for the first time. All Didiereaceae s.str. are dioecious, having unisexual flowers with organ rudiments of the opposite sex. Two median bracts followed by a tetramerous perianth (two alternating dimerous ``whorls''), a slightly complex androecium with 6–12 stamens in a single row (on a common ring primordium), four of which mostly alternating with the perianth members, and one basal ovule connecting three free septa at their very base are flower characters in Didiereaceae, supporting phylogenetic analyses based on nucleotide sequence data. Closest relatives are the (formerly) portulacaceous genera Portulacaria (5 stamens alternating with the perianth), Ceraria (5 stamens alternating with the perianth), and Calyptrotheca (many stamens), all with pentamerous perianths, from which the tetramerous perianth in Didiereaceae can be derived. Applequist and Wallace (2003) included these three genera in an expanded family Didiereaceae (with three subfamilies). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyphia stenopetala is a member of the monogeneric South and tropical African family Cyphiaceae, which is characterized by a pollen-presenting box formed by the five (empty) anthers as walls and the stylar tip as the bottom. Cyphia stenopetala uses the pollen box for self-fertilization. Pollen is shed into the pollen box, where it germinates, and the pollen tubes form a dense felt. We assume that the pollen box in C. stenopetala is an area for an increased pollen tube competition presumably compensating for possible inbreeding depression. Flowers of outbreeding Cyphia species are distinctly proterandrous, but in the selfing C. stenopetala, flowers are proterogynous. A mucilaginous liquid secreted from the enlarged stylar channel at the top of the style may cause pollen germination. Self-fertilization in C. stenopetala appears to be a recent evolutionary event because all flowers investigated produce nectar, and different populations can differ in time and degree of pollen germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is remarkable that families like Apiaceae and Brassicaceae, characterised by uniform floral diagrams (i.e. stable positioning of floral organs relative to one another), show a great variability in initiation sequence of the floral organs. Within the subfamily Saniculoideae of the Apiaceae temporal overlaps in the initiation of the floral whorls (Astrantia), the formation of common stamen-sepal primordia (Astrantia), and segmentation in the formation of petals in pairs (Sanicula) occur. Reduction of the calyx and shortening of the plastochrons toward zero are trends found in the more advanced Apioideae (Foeniculum, Levisticum). Hydrocotyle, with its early sympetaly, resembles the Araliaceae more closely. Of interest is the fact that in Araliaceae the flower orientation is variable. Sometimes one sepal is opposite the subtending bract, a feature which becomes fixed in Cyphiaceae and Lobeliaceae of Campanulales, a sister group of Apiales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In all recent molecular sequence based analyses Apiales come out to be placed within a broadly defined group Asteridae. Within ‘euasterids II’ Apiales (Apiaceae, Araliaceae, Pittosporaceae, Aralidiaceae, as well as some former cornaceous taxa) form a monophyletic group in a position close to Asterales—Campanulales and Dipsacales. Also from a floral developmental point of view the mostly choripetalous Apiales are not out of place among these sympetalous orders: In members of Apiales (Apiaceae: Hydrocotyle; Araliaceae: Aralia, Hedera; Pittosporaceae: Sollya, Pittosporum) the corollas are initiated from a continuous ring primordium corresponding exactly to the development in Campanulales—Asterales and Dipsacales. Only in Pittosporaceae further growth of this primordium results in a weak sympetaly in adult flowers. Molecular data suggest that the subfamily Hydrocotyloideae is polyphyletic, with Hydrocotyle belonging to the lineage not placed within Apiaceae but more closely related to Araliaceae, a position fitting well with the mode of formation of the corolla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the flower of the monogeneric family Cyphiaceae, distributed in tropical and southern Africa, a pollen box is formed by the five connivent anthers and the headlike style tip as bottom. Pollen with abundant pollenkitt is released into this box just before anthesis. The flowers either have a salverform shape or are bilabiate with three petals forming the upper lip; transitions between these flower types can also be observed. On the flower biology, we only can speculate the following: (1) Flowers with the pollen box represent the (perhaps long- lasting) male phase of anthesis. (2) In the female phase, the anthers are spreading and the mouth of the stylar channel opens presumably by disintegration of closing hairs. A mucilaginous secretion coming out of the mouth may receive the pollen from pollinators. (3) Pollinators of the salverform flowers are presumably butterflies, whereas pollinators of bilabiate flowers are bees. (4) Pollen is presumably applied at the proboscis of the butterflies that comes in contact with the pollen mass between the anthers. If pollinators are bees, pollen may be loaded on the ventral side of the insect (sternotribic pollen loading). The insects may press the pollen box down -- with flower orientation more or less horizontal -- so that pollen comes out of the pollen box between the upper two anthers. The less elaborate pollen presentation in Cyphiaceae is in agreement with a basal position of the family within the Campanulales as indicated by recent molecular studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the main threats for biodiversity. As it affects the ecological and economic system, conservation costs and impacts may change in a heterogeneous manner. This implies that cost-effective conservation sites and measures may no longer be so in the future. We investigate spatial flexibility (to adapt the location of conservation sites) and management flexibility (to adapt the conservation measures on those sites) as novel criteria for analysing the cost-effectiveness of policy instruments to conserve biodiversity under climate change. We develop a generic climate-ecological-economic modelling approach that captures the role of spatial and management flexibility to assess the cost-effectiveness of policy instruments. We apply the modelling approach to the conservation of an indicator species in agricultural grasslands in a case study area in Northern Germany, and compare the cost-effectiveness of the policy instruments of land purchase (low spatial flexibility, high management flexibility) and long-term individual conservation contracts (medium spatial and management flexibility) considering a period from 2020 to 2079. We find that both spatial and management flexibility matter in the case study and discuss their broader relevance for conservation in a changing climate. • Climate change is a key threat to biodiversity. • It influences costs and effectiveness of conservation sites and measures. • Policy instruments need spatial and management flexibility. • We develop a generic climate-ecological-economic modelling approach. • We assess two policy instruments and develop some general insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the initiation sequence of floral organs in whorled flowers with a fixed number of organs. Description of the structure of the whorled flowers; Observations made in two species of whorled flowers; Description of the methodology used in the study; Information on the results of the study; Indications of the results.

Presents information on floral development studies. When floral developmental studies came into plant science; Information on the book entitled `Allgemeine Morphologie der Gewachse,' by Wilhelm Hofmeister; Description of the various structures of different plants.

The application of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) represents high evidence in the aging society due to primary and secondary prevention in cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, this presents a challenge for neurosurgeons in terms of preoperative and postoperative management of care. This study aimed to analyze the risk of bleeding by applying ASA before lumbar spinal surgery. Retrospective analysis of medical records of 3051 patients was performed from 2008 to 2018 who underwent lumbar surgery at our institution. The risk of postoperative hemorrhage was compared in patients treated with ASA versus patients without ASA treatment. Additionally, the relationship between discontinuation of ASA preoperatively (≥7 days) or no previous history of ASA versus continuation with ASA (<7 days) on postoperative hemorrhage was analyzed. Postoperative hemorrhagic were observed in 2.1% (n = 63) of all lumbar operations. In 421 patients, the effect of ASA (<7 days) was still persistent at the time of surgery (ASA impact group). Of these, 12 (2.85%) patients had a hemorrhage. No significant differences were found in comparison to the No ASA impact group (p = 0.272). Sex (p = 0.003), hypertension (p = 0.015), recurrent surgery (p = 0.001) and use of hemostatic agents (p = 0.023) had a significant impact on postoperative hemorrhage. The continuation of ASA medication is not associated with increased risk of postoperative hemorrhage after spinal surgery. However, sex, hypertension, recurrent surgery and the use of hemostatic agents under continued ASA treatment were found to be associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage. • Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is indispensable for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. • ASA application presents a challenge for neurosurgeons in terms of pre- and postoperative management. • Postprocedural hemorrhage has been analyzed in patients treated with/without ASA treatment. • The continuation of ASA medication was not associated with increased risk of postoperative hemorrhage after spinal surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Explore spatial viability of terrestrial species given dynamic external drivers. • High-resolution climate data are coupled to a demographic locust population model. • Climate change alone would benefit the locust in Northwest Germany. • Climate and land use interact nontrivially thus timing of mowing gets crucial. • Smart conservation planning should adapt mowing schedule to locally varying climate. Both climate change and land use regimes affect the viability of populations, but they are often studied separately. Moreover, population viability analyses (PVAs) often ignore the effects of large environmental gradients and use temporal resolutions that are too coarse to take into account that different stages of a population's life cycle may be affected differently by climate change. Here, we present the High-resolution Large Environmental Gradient (HiLEG) model and apply it in a PVA with daily resolution based on daily climate projections for Northwest Germany. We used the large marsh grasshopper (LMG) as the target species and investigated (1) the effects of climate change on the viability and spatial distribution of the species, (2) the influence of the timing of grassland mowing on the species and (3) the interaction between the effects of climate change and grassland mowing. The stage- and cohort-based model was run for the spatially differentiated environmental conditions temperature and soil moisture across the whole study region. We implemented three climate change scenarios and analyzed the population dynamics for four consecutive 20-year periods. Climate change alone would lead to an expansion of the regions suitable for the LMG, as warming accelerates development and due to reduced drought stress. However, in combination with land use, the timing of mowing was crucial, as this disturbance causes a high mortality rate in the aboveground life stages. Assuming the same date of mowing throughout the region, the impact on viability varied greatly between regions due to the different climate conditions. The regional negative effects of the mowing date can be divided into five phases: (1) In early spring, the populations were largely unaffected in all the regions; (2) between late spring and early summer, they were severely affected only in warm regions; (3) in summer, all the populations were severely affected so that they could hardly survive; (4) between late summer and early autumn, they were severely affected in cold regions; and (5) in autumn, the populations were equally affected across all regions. The duration and start of each phase differed slightly depending on the climate change scenario and simulation period, but overall, they showed the same pattern. Our model can be used to identify regions of concern and devise management recommendations. The model can be adapted to the life cycle of different target species, climate projections and disturbance regimes. We show with our adaption of the HiLEG model that high-resolution PVAs and applications on large environmental gradients can be reconciled to develop conservation strategies capable of dealing with multiple stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A rare case of a congenital brain tumor was diagnosed by sonography in a fetus at 33 weeks’ gestation. The ultrasound examination showed a large area of both increased echogenicity and echolucency in one hemisphere suggestive of brain tumor or hemorrhage. The neuropathological examination revealed an undifferentiated glial tumor with large areas of necrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]