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This online intervention study examined whether system- and action-related information alone, together with goal setting, or together with goal setting and feedback helps people change their video streaming activities in a pro-environmental way. The participants (N = 92) documented their video streaming activities for one week prior to the intervention (week 1), three weeks after the onset of the intervention (weeks 2–4), and in a follow-up period two weeks later (week 7). A reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with video streaming was observed over the course of the intervention, together with reduced streaming durations and lowered resolution settings across all groups. There were no differences between the groups. It appears that as regards video streaming, information combined with self-monitoring has considerable potential to change individual behaviour and its associated ecological impact.

Objective To investigate (1a) agreement of ultrasonographic, surgical, and histopathologic findings in the diagnosis of a neoplastic etiology underlying primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), (1b) the ability of ultrasonographically determined parathyroid gland size to distinguish between malignant (carcinoma) and non-malignant (hyperplasia, adenoma) pathology, and (2) variables associated with postoperative hypocalcemia in dogs undergoing surgical treatment of PHPT. Study design Ambidirectional cohort study. Animals Forty-seven client owned dogs with PHPT (34 retrospective; 13 prospective). Methods Data were extracted from medical records. Method agreements were explored using Cohen's Kappa statistic. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine a cut-off separating parathyroid pathologies. Univariable and multivariable models assessed associations between postoperative hypocalcemia and potential risk factors. Results Agreement of ultrasound and surgery for number and side of affected glands was 31/47 (65.9%) and 34/47 (72.3%), respectively. In 37/47 (78.7%) cases, parathyroid tissue was correctly assessed as pathologic by the surgeon. An ultrasonographic cut-off of ≥8.0 mm (ROC AUC = 0.82) best distinguished malignant from benign pathologies. Dogs with a preoperative serum ionized calcium (iCa) concentration ≥1.75 mEq/L had 7.5 times greater odds of becoming hypocalcemic postoperatively. Conclusion A fair agreement existed between ultrasonographic and surgical findings in dogs with PHPT. A parathyroid mass ≥8.0 mm on ultrasonographic examination was suggestive of malignancy, while dogs with a preoperative serum iCa concentration ≥1.75 mEq/L were at increased risk for postoperative hypocalcemia in this study. Clinical significance This study supports the use of bilateral cervical surgical exploration to identify abnormal parathyroid glands for the treatment of PHPT.

Documentation in the field of the longitudinal progression of freezing in woody stems during winter has recently become feasible due to development of advanced instrumentation. Similar techniques to detect the radial progression of freezing fronts in the stem have remained challenging and, so far, unresolved. Here we address this problem with a smart sensor, based on an inner fringing dielectric technique, but combined with a new analytical model of radial freezing-thawing-fronts. These fronts, occurring in night and daytime of winter, respectively, are considered as vectors, both moving radially from the outside of the stem inward. We present laboratory calibration data and a field experiment in a 14-year old apple orchard to demonstrate the novel capability of this noninvasive sensor for in situ determination of ice content. We track the diurnal and seasonal variation of ice content, identify the radial location of the freezing/thawing-front, link this to anatomical features of the stem, and characterize hysteresis in freezing and subsequent thawing. We document homeostasis of total tissue water content during winter which allowed quantification of ice and liquid water content over both diurnal and seasonal cycles. Moreover, the progressive, day-to-day, decrease in liquid water during cold acclimation in autumn and increase during de-acclimation in spring are shown, along with the associated transpirational fluxes. These data contribute to fundamental knowledge of the water relations of trees, demonstrate a practical technique to monitor multiple trees in the field, and thus provide insight into the ecophysiological processes involved as trees overwinter.

Adjuvants such as surfactants are commonly incorporated into agrochemical formulations to enhance the biological efficiency of foliar sprays by improving the wetting behavior of the spray and/or the penetration of the active ingredients into the leaf tissues. Penetration accelerating adjuvants are known to increase the cuticular permeability and may alter the cuticular barrier to water loss. However, none or very little emphasis has been given to the impacts of adjuvants on crop water balance or drought tolerance, a very important factor affecting crop performance under water scarcity. Two model crops with strongly varying leaf traits, kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea) and apple (Malus domestica) seedlings were grown in controlled environments. Three adjuvants with varying solubility in the cuticle, i.e. octanol-water partition coefficients (logKow) were selected: rapeseed methyl ester (RME) and the surfactants alkyl polyglycoside (APG) and polyoxyethylated tallow amine (POEA). The higher the logKow of the adjuvant, the stronger was the increase of minimum epidermal conductance (gmin, an essential parameter describing plant drought tolerance). However, such effects depended on the physio-chemical properties of the leaf surface. In comparison to kohlrabi, the adjuvant effects on gmin of apple leaves were relatively weak. The increase of gmin was associated with a decrease in contact angle and with an alteration of the wax microstructure. Furthermore, POEA affected photochemical efficiency of kohlrabi leaves. Some adjuvants could have a temporal influence on transpirational water loss and gmin. At repeated applications, they might alter the effective water use and possibly reduce drought tolerance of some horticultural crops.

Aerosols are an ubiquitous component of the atmospheric environment of plants but their ecophysiological role is largely unknown. Here we address this role by comparing the water relations of plants grown in ventilated greenhouses with ambient air (AA), and filtered air (FA) where particle concentrations had been reduced by more than 99%. Beans and sunflowers were grown in well watered soil or hydroponics. Humidity response curves of gas exchange were recorded along with sap flow, water potentials, and osmotic potentials. Hydroponically grown FA sunflowers and FA beans showed 20–40% lower stomatal conductance and lower transpiration compared to the respective AA plants under identical conditions. In sap flow measurements, the leaf-area related transpiration of soil-grown FA sunflowers was about 20–30% lower than for AA plants, partially due to lower night time values. Midday water potentials as well as osmotic potentials of FA plants were higher compared to the respective AA plants, while pre-dawn water potentials did not differ. Reduced transpiration of FA plants with stable photosynthesis was observed for beans and can be explained by the “hydraulic activation of stomata”, where deposited hygroscopic aerosols form liquid water connections along the stomatal walls, thereby forming a second, liquid-water type of stomatal transpiration. Simultaneously decreased transpiration and photosynthesis were observed for sunflower and point to a smaller stomatal aperture of FA plants. To our knowledge, this is the first study allocating an important functional role to natural aerosol concentrations. It further supports the idea that particulate air pollution may decrease the water use efficiency and the drought tolerance of plants.

Summary In reviewing life cycle assessment (LCA) literature of utility-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) systems, this analysis focuses on reducing variability and clarifying the central tendency of published estimates of life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through a metaanalytical process called harmonization. From 125 references reviewed, 10 produced 36 independent GHG emissions estimates passing screens for quality and relevance: 19 for parabolic trough (trough) technology and 17 for power tower (tower) technology. The interquartile range (IQR) of published estimates for troughs and towers were 83 and 20 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (g CO2-eq/kWh), 1 respectively; median estimates were 26 and 38 g CO2-eq/kWh for trough and tower, respectively. Two levels of harmonization were applied. Light harmonization reduced variability in published estimates by using consistent values for key parameters pertaining to plant design and performance. The IQR and median were reduced by 87% and 17%, respectively, for troughs. For towers, the IQR and median decreased by 33% and 38%, respectively. Next, five trough LCAs reporting detailed life cycle inventories were identified. The variability and central tendency of their estimates are reduced by 91% and 81%, respectively, after light harmonization. By harmonizing these five estimates to consistent values for global warming intensities of materials and expanding system boundaries to consistently include electricity and auxiliary natural gas combustion, variability is reduced by an additional 32% while central tendency increases by 8%. These harmonized values provide useful starting points for policy makers in evaluating life cycle GHG emissions from CSP projects without the requirement to conduct a full LCA for each new project.

Bioremediation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) is more challenging than bioremediation of other chlorinated solvents, such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). TCA transformation often occurs under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions and is mediated by Dehalobacter. The source area at the project site contains moderately permeable medium sand with a low hydraulic gradient and is approximately 0.5 acre. TCA contamination generally extended to 35 feet, with the highest concentrations at approximately 20 feet. The concentrations then decreased with depth; several wells contained 300 to 600 mg/L of TCA prior to bioremediation. The area of treatment also contained 2 to 30 mg/L of TCE from an upgradient source. Initial site groundwater conditions indicated minimal biotic dechlorination and the presence of up to 20 mg/L of nitrate and 90 mg/L of sulfate. Microcosm testing indicated that TCA dechlorination was inhibited by the site's relatively low pH (5 to 5.5) and high TCA concentration. After the pH was adjusted and TCA concentrations were reduced to less than 35 mg/L (by dilution with site water), dechlorination proceeded rapidly using whey (or slower with sodium lactate) as an electron donor. Throughout the remediation program, increased resistance to TCA inhibition (from 35 to 200 mg/L) was observed as the microbes adapted to the elevated TCA concentrations. The article presents the results of a full-scale enhanced anaerobic dechlorination recirculation system and the successful efforts to eliminate TCA- and pH-related inhibition. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Climate change and water scarcity are important issues for today's power sector. To inform capacity expansion decisions, hybrid life cycle assessment is used to evaluate a reference design of a parabolic trough concentrating solar power (CSP) facility located in Daggett, CA, along four sustainability metrics: life cycle (LC) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water consumption, cumulative energy demand (CED), and energy payback time (EPBT). This wet-cooled, 103 MW plant utilizes mined nitrates salts in its two-tank, thermal energy storage (TES) system. Design alternatives of dry-cooling, a thermocline TES, and synthetically derived nitrate salt are evaluated. During its LC, the reference CSP plant is estimated to emit 26 g of CO(2eq) per kWh, consume 4.7 L/kWh of water, and demand 0.40 MJ(eq)/kWh of energy, resulting in an EPBT of approximately 1 year. The dry-cooled alternative is estimated to reduce LC water consumption by 77% but increase LC GHG emissions and CED by 8%. Synthetic nitrate salts may increase LC GHG emissions by 52% compared to mined. Switching from two-tank to thermocline TES configuration reduces LC GHG emissions, most significantly for plants using synthetically derived nitrate salts. CSP can significantly reduce GHG emissions compared to fossil-fueled generation; however, dry-cooling may be required in many locations to minimize water consumption.

INTRODUCTION Recent studies for postoperative pain relief after arthroscopy by intraarticular morphine or bupivacaine showed controversial results. The aim of the study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of intraarticular morphine and ropivacaine. METHODS 135 patients were randomized into 9 groups (n=15) after standardized knee-arthroscopy. They received either 1 mg or 5 mg morphine or 150 mg ropivacaine or a combination of 5 mg morphine and 75 mg ropivacaine. Drains were opened either after 10 or 30 minutes. A control-group received isotonic saline. Pain was assesed 1 h and 4 h after surgery, at 8 pm on the day of the operation and at 8am and 4 pm the following two days by a VAS scale. Tramadol consumption as rescue medication was registred. RESULTS Ropivacaine showed the best pain relief after surgery. After 24 h the pain intensity approximated in all groups and after 48 h there was no difference. Tramadol consumption was highest in the control group and lowest in the ropivacaine group (p

The value of the controlled impedance of various track configurations is usually obtained using algebraic equations. Most of these equations, particularly those for non‐zero track thickness, have been obtained by either theoretical approximations or curve‐fitting the results of numerical solutions of the basic electromagnetic equations. With the advent of modern PCs it is now possible to calculate the impedances directly and quickly, using numerical techniques. This has the advantage of improving the accuracy of the impedance value and increasing the range of validity. Furthermore, a wider range of configurations is now possible. The paper discusses the algebraic equations and numerical solutions in more detail.

Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) is a broad-spectrum microbicide with in vitro activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoans. A 5% solution of PVP-I proved to be highly effective in ophthalmic surgery for the prophylaxis of endophthalmitis. For the antiseptic treatment of eye infections a novel application form of PVP-I has been developed by using a PVP-I liposome complex which demonstrated an excellent antimicrobial efficacy. In this study it could be shown that the novel liposomal formulations containing 2.5 or 5% PVP-I were as active as the aqueous solution against herpes simplex virus type 1, adenovirus type 8, coxsackievirus A9 and Chlamydia trachomatis in cell culture referring to equal PVP-I concentrations. Long-term cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated a moderate cytotoxicity for both formulations with a better tolerability of the liposomal PVP-I formulation compared with the aqueous solution. There is no evidence for a genotoxic activity of these agents.

Although mice are widely used for the study of immune consequences of hemorrhage, the changes of cardiac output (CO) and blood flow (BF) in response to trauma and hemorrhage in this species have not been well defined. To study this, nonheparinized C3H/HeN mice (n = 6 per group) underwent laparotomy (i.e., trauma induced), were bled to a mean arterial pressure of 35 mmHg, and maintained for 90 min by withdrawing more blood or returning Ringer lactate. The animals were then resuscitated with four times the volume of maximal bleedout in the form of Ringer lactate over 60 min. Sham-operated mice underwent the same procedure but were neither bled nor resuscitated. At the end of hemorrhage, 60 min postresuscitation, or corresponding time after sham operation, CO and BF were determined by radioactive microspheres. Results indicate that CO and BF decreased significantly at the end of hemorrhage. Resuscitation, however, restored CO and BF in various organs except the brain and skeletal muscle. Despite this, 9 of 16 mice died within 6 days postresuscitation, whereas none of sham mice died (n = 16 per group in this additional study). Therefore, we have developed a nonheparinized model of trauma-hemorrhage and resuscitation in mice that is associated with late mortality. Furthermore, the microsphere technique provides a reliable method for assessing CO and BF in mice. Thus it may be possible to study the correlation between cardiovascular and immunologic alterations under such conditions.

Although Ringer lactate (RL) is routinely used for resuscitation, it is not known whether the volume of RL that restores cardiac output after severe hemorrhagic shock also restores the depressed effective hepatic blood flow (EHBF). To study this, a 5-cm midline laparotomy was performed in rats (i.e., trauma induced), and the animals were then bled to and maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mmHg until 40% of maximum bleedout volume was returned in the form of RL. Animals were then resuscitated with four or five times the volume of maximum bleedout with RL. EHBF was determined during hemorrhage and at various intervals thereafter by an in vivo indocyanine green (ICG) clearance technique and corrected by the appropriate hepatic extraction ratio for ICG. Cardiac output was determined by ICG dilution, and hepatic microvascular blood flow (HMBF) was measured with laser Doppler flowmetry. In addition, hepatic blood flow was assessed by using radioactive microspheres. Results indicate that resuscitation markedly improved but did not restore the depressed EHBF after trauma and hemorrhagic shock despite the fact that cardiac output was restored. Similar changes in EHBF, HMBF, and hepatic blood flow as determined by microspheres were observed, suggesting that the in vivo ICG clearance is a reliable method to assess effective hepatic perfusion. Thus the lack of restoration of EHBF may be responsible for the subsequent hepatocellular dysfunction after trauma and severe hemorrhage.

This paper examines program considerations for the design of exterior space for Alzheimer's disease patients. It is directed to planners and administrators, architects and landscape architects involved in the initial planning stages of an Alzheimer's disease facility (or nursing home) building project. The focus of the study is the Alzheimer's disease patient who is no longer able to attend to the activities of daily living (middle dementia), and therefore resides in a day care facility, a special unit, or a nursing home. This paper outlines design schemes based on cognitive and behavioral symptoms of the disease. For example, sundowning (patient agitation and hallucination in late afternoon) is a common Alzheimer's diseases symptom. In order to ameliorate sundowning, the designer needs to provide not only familiarity and comfort, but also a way to minimize shadows that could be misinterpreted as frightening spectres. The exterior space should be located on the southeast side of the building in order to ensure only a monolithic building shadow cast into the garden by the afternoon sun. For this purpose, and a number of others discussed in the paper, siting is an important consideration in this design program. Considerations of agitation, frailty, loss of short-term memory, and reduced sensory perception suggest and control all elements of the design. The study presents concepts and suggestions for creating outdoor activity and garden space for Alzheimer's disease patients. The outlined concepts may also be usefully employed in an already established facility. Creating exterior space that is safe and pleasant for Alzheimer's disease patients, as well as acceptable to adninistrators and visitors, is both a challenge and an attainable goal.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of an open-stance cycling protocol (OSCP) with the traditional cycling foot position (TCFP) for preferential vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscle activation, measured by surface electromyography (SEMG), and preferential VMO activation as defined by achieving significantly increased VMO/VL (vastus lateralis muscle) ratio values. Forty subjects of both sexes participated, 18 symptomatic with patellofemoral pain and 22 control subjects; ages ranged from 18 to 60 years (mean = 28.7 +/- 8 years). The OSCP and TCFP were ridden in randomized order while SEMG recordings were taken of the VMO and VL muscles, collecting the mean of peak amplitudes to calculate VMO/VL ratio values. The SEMG readings were taken 4 times per testing session with randomized resistance and a consistent cycling cadence of 85 rpm. The OSCP displayed preferential VMO activation for all subject groups (F = 40.47, p = 0.0001), and this study revealed a protocol that effectively treats patellofemoral pain.

The distribution of dopant in SiO2‐Si during dry thermal oxidation and postoxidation anneal is studied. Analytical expressions for the distribution functions are derived, on the assumptions that the oxide film grows in accordance with the t1/2 law and that before oxidation the dopant is uniformly distributed in the silicon. Cases in which tn≠t1/2 are discussed, with particular attention to the effect of n≳1/2 on the distribution of the dopant in the oxide. Calculations are provided for boron, describing its distribution in the oxide and in the silicon as a function of postoxidation anneal. Some experimental results concerning the distribution of boron in the silicon are provided for various oxide thicknesses, oxidation temperatures, and anneal times. These results were obtained from spreading‐resistance measurements.

EMPP is a problem-oriented language developed to simplify programming of psychological experiments on a minicomputer. An important feature of EMPP is its ability to be modified as the need for more complex hardware or software arises. The basic EMPP language is summarized and exemplified in a typical experiment.

The system described in this paper is a series of programs for a microcomputer that have been designed to aid in the recording, analysis, and reporting of pathology data. This paper describes the design criteria on which the system is based, its operational characteristics, and the hardware required for the system to operate.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the intelligent experimental station controller used in the extensible multiprogramming system for experimental psychology (EMPP) at the University of Washington. The EMPP system is an integrated hardware and software system designed to simplify the development of on-line psychological experiments. An intelligent graphics control system is one of the most important aspects of the system. The controller oversees the operation of eight independent experimental stations, each containing a cathode ray tube (CRT) terminal and a keyboard console. In addition to conventional computer interface functions, the controller contains an extensible hardware character generator which allows dynamic selection of the display character set. This paper describes both the hardware and software features of the system.

The dark color occasionally found in crude solvent-extracted oils from a new high-yield brown striped safflower variety originates from colorless precursors in the kernel and precursors in the hull. The precursors from the hull and the pigments formed upon heating from hull and kernel precursors are only partially removed by refining and bleaching if they are present in substantial amounts. The pigment precursors extracted from the kernels are completely removed by precipitation with water or refining. Although substantially more hull and kernel precursors are found in oil from the brown striped safflower variety, the oil can be produced in a spectrographic quality comparable to that of commercial oil if the crude extracted oil is not heated above 100 C, and if extracted and press oils are jointly refined.

Studies on phosphatides from several safflower varieties show the following five major results. The total phosphatide contents of the various safflower seeds are quite similar (0.48% for a commercial and 0.58% for a brown-striped variety). The same three major and one minor phosphatides were present in all varieties: phosphatidyl choline (PC), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), phosphatidyl inositol (PI) and phosphatidyl serine (PS). The amounts of these lipids present in the crude phosphatide mixture were quite similar in all varieties tested (}36% for PC, }15% for PE, }23% for PI, and less than 2% for PS). The fatty acid composition of the phosphatides of UC-1 high oleic safflower is very different from that of the other varieties, but it reflects the composition of the corresponding oil triglycerides as far as the major acid is concerned. All other safflower seed phosphatides investigated have linoleic acid as the major fatty acid constituent. A simple and very sensitive color test has been found which can differentiate phosphatides of the high linoleic from the high oleic type.

The dark color found in extracted oils from two new thin-hull safflower varieties is formed from a colorless precursor or precursors, which for convenience will be considered a single precursor. This precursor is extracted into the oil from the kernel portion of the seed with hot hexane. It condenses to a dark pigment, if heated for prolonged times in excess of 100C, and was found in varying amounts in hot extracted oils of pigmentless, brown-striped, and commercially grown Gila varieties. The color precursor can be removed from the oil by extraction with water or by alkali-refining. The dark pigment can be removed by treatment with dilute alkaline peroxide. Oil, free of pigment and pigment precursor, can be obtained if the press-cake or whole cracked seeds are extracted with hexane at room temperature.