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Objectives: Marshallese are a Pacific Islander community that experience a disproportionate rate of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of an Adapted-Family Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) intervention among Marshallese adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and their family members when delivered in a clinical setting. Methods: Marshallese patients (primary participants) with type 2 diabetes (n = 10) and their family members (n = 10) enrolled in a pilot study deigned to evaluate an Adapted-Family DSME curriculum conducted by community health workers and a certified diabetes educator in a clinical setting. Primary and family participants’ health information and biometric data (HbA1c, blood pressure, cholesterol, and body mass index) were collected at preintervention and 12 weeks postintervention. Results: All 10 primary participants and 8 of the family members received all 10 hours of the education intervention. Nine of the 10 primary participants and 8 of the 10 family members completed the pre- and postintervention data collection events. Primary participants demonstrated a mean decrease in HbA1c of 0.7%, from pre- to postintervention, as well as improved blood pressure and cholesterol. Family members demonstrated minor improvements in HbA1c and blood pressure. Conclusions: Results suggest preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of the Adapted-Family DSME in a clinic setting and will inform implementation of a fully powered study.

Biomedical engineering is the fastest growing engineering field in the United States, preparing a generation of skilled problem-solvers who, together with healthcare professionals, drive the momentum of novel technologies for prevention, detection, treatment, and monitoring of disease. It is important to the education of biomedical engineers that the dialogue between healthcare professionals and schools of engineering is seamless, constant, and interactive. Lack of sustainable discourse between those who produce technologies and those who use them could reduce the applicability and relevance of the biomedical engineering education1,2. Reciprocally, for healthcare professionals to optimally harness the expertise of their engineering colleagues, a direct interaction is required. The department of Biomedical Engineering (BMEG) is one of the largest departments within the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, with approximately 70 students graduating annually. Established in 2012, as the first and only biomedical engineering program in the state of Arkansas, the department is establishing itself as one of the premier research departments on campus. The department prides itself in its commitment to diversity and has been successful in attracting diverse groups of students to enter the field of science and engineering. In the spring of 2018, the BMEG undergraduate student body had the highest percentage of female and underrepresented minorities within the college of engineering—53% female and 37% minority. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is the only allopathic medical school in the state of Arkansas. In 2007, UAMS established UAMS-Northwest as a regional campus in Fayetteville. UAMS-Northwest extends UAMS’ medical education, research, and clinical mission. UAMS-Northwest has ~250 students in the colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and health professions, as well as 48 family medicine and internal medicine residents. UAMS-Northwest is located more than 200 miles from the main UAMS campus in Little Rock but is only one mile from Arkansas’ land grant university, the University of Arkansas. This proximity of the regional medical campus to the land grant university provides opportunities for collaboration that can benefit the students of both institutions. This article provides an overview of the implementation and preliminary assessment of a novel Clinical Needs Finding course that was recently instituted as a collaboration between the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences– Northwest Campus.

The state-of-the-art microbolometers are mainly based on polycrystalline or amorphous materials, typically Vanadium oxide (VOx) or amorphous-Silicon (a-Si), which only have modest temperature sensitivities and noise characteristics. The properties of single crystalline SiGe/Si multi quantum wells (MQWs) have been proposed as a promising material1. Particularly, SiGe/Si MQWs structure with high Ge concentration is expected to provide very high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) values between 6 to 8% 2. Although SiGe/Si MQWs structure as a thermistor material is extremely promising, difficulty of defect free deposition and high sheet resistance of high Ge concentrated SiGe layers are the two main bottlenecks of this approach. In this work, a very high TCR of -5.5 %/K is achieved for SiGe/Si MQWs including 50% Ge with an acceptable noise value of 2.7 x 10-13 V2/Hz at 10 Hz. The initial pixel resistance of 3 period of SiGe/Si MQWs with 50% Ge concentration is measured as 21 MΩ, which might not be compatible with the ROIC design. By the optimization of insitu Boron (B) doping level in SiGe layers of the MQW stack, 210 kΩ for 25 x 25 μm2 pixel size is achieved. The optimized B doping density of ~1 x 1018 cm-3 in SiGe wells did not cause any significant change in the TCR value whereas the 1/f noise performance is even enhanced due to the in-situ doping process and measured as 2.9 x 10-14 V2/Hz at 10 Hz.

In the last decades the semiconductor technology has been driven by Moore’s law leading to high performance CMOS technologies with feature sizes of less than 10 nm [1]. It has been pointed out that not only scaling but also the integration of novel components and technology modules into CMOS/BiCMOS technologies is becoming more attractive to realize smart and miniaturized systems [2]. Driven by new applications in the area of communication, health and automation, new components and technology modules such as BiCMOS embedded RF-MEMS, high-Q passives, Sibased microfluidics and InP-SiGe BiCMOS heterointegration have been demonstrated [3-6]. In contrast to standard VLSI processes fabricated on front side of the silicon wafer, these new technology modules additionally require to process the backside of the wafer; thus require an accurate alignment between the front and backside of the wafer. In previous work an advanced back to front side alignment technique and implementation into IHP’s 0.25/0.13 µm high performance SiGe:C BiCMOS backside process module has been presented [7]. The developed technique enables a high resolution and accurate lithography on the backside of BiCMOS wafer for additional backside processing. In addition to the aforementioned back side process technologies, new applications like Through-Silicon Vias (TSV) for interposers and advanced substrate technologies for 3D heterogeneous integration demand not only single wafer fabrication but also processing of wafer stacks provided by temporary and permanent wafer bonding [8-9]. In this work, the non-contact infrared alignment system of the Nikon® i-line Stepper NSR-SF150 for both alignment and the overlay determination of bonded wafer stacks with embedded alignment marks are used to achieve an accurate alignment between the different wafer sides. The embedded field image alignment (FIA) marks of the interface and the device wafer top layer are measured in a single measurement job. By taking the offsets between all different FIA’s into account, after correcting the wafer rotation induced FIA position errors, hence an overlay for the stacked wafers can be determined. The developed approach has been validated by a standard front side resist in resist experiment. After the successful validation of the developed technique, special wafer stacks with FIA alignment marks in the bonding interface are fabricated and exposed. Following overlay calculation shows an overlay of less than 200 nm, which enables very accurate process condition for highly scaled TSV integration and advanced substrate integration into IHP’s 0.25/0.13 µm SiGe:C BiCMOS technology. The developed technique also allows using significantly smaller alignment marks (i.e. standard FIA alignment marks). Furthermore, the presented method is used, in case of wafer bow related overlay tool problems, for the overlay evaluation of the last two metal layers from production wafers prepared in IHP’s standard 0.25/0.13 µm SiGe:C BiCMOS technology. In conclusion, the exposure and measurement job can be done with the same tool, minimizing the back to front side/interface top layer misalignment which leads to a significant device performance improvement of backside/TSV integrated components and technologies.

This report highlights key findings from a test (“pilot”) of an interior Alaska forest inventory design. The pilot inventoried the forests of the Tanana Valley State Forest (TVSF) and the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) in the Tanana River Valley of interior Alaska, covering 2.5 million ac. The inventory consisted of a systematic grid of 98 field-measured plots integrated with NASA’s Goddard- LiDAR/Hyperspectral/Thermal (G-LiHT) imaging system. We summarize and interpret basic resource information such as forest area, ownership, volume, carbon stocks in trees, ground layers, dead wood, and soils; and vegetation community structure and composition. The black spruce forest type covered 49 percent of the forested area. Most of the aboveground live tree biomass was found in Alaska birch and black spruce forest types, but white spruce forest types had the highest mean aboveground live tree biomass per acre. Standing dead tree biomass was 8 percent of the amount in the live tree pool, with the greatest amounts in the white spruce forest type. Soil carbon per acre in the measured layers was highest in black spruce forests and lowest in aspen forests. Biomass of ground layers (i.e., moss and lichen mats) was almost twice as high on black spruce forests than on other forest types. Shrub and grass cover were comparable among units, but forb cover was greater on TVSF than on TNWR. The design and protocols tested during this pilot were refined for the implementation of the large-scale inventory of forests of interior Alaska that started in 2016.

This letter represents a prototype of an intrinsic thermistor based on silicon-germanium/silicon (Si1−xGex/Si) multi quantum wells with varying Ge concentration in SiGe wells. Experimental results of the thermistor prototype are provided in terms of temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and noise constant (K1/f). The prototype with 50% Ge in SiGe wells exhibited an outstanding TCR of −5.5 %/K accompanied by a K1/f of $5.8\times 10^{-13}$ for $25~\mu \text{m} \times 25~\mu \text{m}$ and $3.4\times 10^{-15}$ for $200~\mu \text{m} \times 200~\mu \text{m}$ pixel size, showing the concurrent achievement of a very high TCR and a low 1/f noise performance.

This multicenter, open-label, dose-escalating, phase I study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary tumor response of a nanoparticulate formulation of paclitaxel (Nanotax®) administered intraperitoneally for multiple treatment cycles in patients with solid tumors predominantly confined to the peritoneal cavity for whom no other curative systemic therapy treatment options were available.Twenty-one patients with peritoneal malignancies received Nanotax® in a modified dose-escalation approach utilizing an accelerated titration method. All patients enrolled had previously received chemotherapeutics and undergone surgical procedures, including 33 % with optimal debulking. Six doses (50-275 mg/m(2)) of Cremophor-free Nanotax® were administered intraperitoneally for one to six cycles (every 28 days).Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of Nanotax® did not lead to increases in toxicity over that typically associated with intravenous (IV) paclitaxel. No patient reported ≥Grade 2 neutropenia and/or ≥Grade 3 neurologic toxicities. Grade 3 thrombocytopenia unlikely related to study medication occurred in one patient. The peritoneal concentration-time profile of paclitaxel rose during the 2 days after dosing to peritoneal fluid concentrations 450-2900 times greater than peak plasma drug concentrations and remained elevated through the entire dose cycle. Best response assessments were made in 16/21 patients: Four patients were assessed as stable or had no response and twelve patients had increasing disease. Five of 21 patients with advanced cancers survived longer than 400 days after initiation of Nanotax® IP treatment.Compared to IV paclitaxel administration, Cremophor-free IP administration of Nanotax® provides higher and prolonged peritoneal paclitaxel levels with minimal systemic exposure and reduced toxicity.

Many U.S. medical schools have accreditation requirements for interprofessional education and training in cultural competency, yet few programs have developed programs to meet both of these requirements simultaneously. Furthermore, most training programs to address these requirements are broad in nature and do not focus on addressing health disparities. The lack of integration may reduce the students' ability to apply the knowledge learned. Innovative programs that combine these two learning objectives and focus on disenfranchised communities are needed to train the next generation of health professionals.A unique interprofessional education program was developed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest. The program includes experiential learning, cultural exposure, and competence-building activities for interprofessional teams of medicine, nursing, and pharmacy students. The activities include (a) educational seminars, (b) clinical experiential learning in a student-led clinic, and (c) community-based service-learning through health assessments and survey research events.The program focuses on interprofessional collaboration to address the health disparities experienced by the Marshallese community in northwest Arkansas. The Marshallese are Pacific Islanders who suffer from significant health disparities related to chronic and infectious diseases.Comparison tests revealed statistically significant changes in participants' retrospectively reported pre/posttest scores for Subscales 1 and 2 of the Readiness for Interpersonal Learning Scale and for the Caffrey Cultural Competence in Healthcare Scale. However, no significant change was found for Subscale 3 of the Readiness for Interpersonal Learning Scale. Qualitative findings demonstrated a change in students' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward working with other professions and the underserved population.The program had to be flexible enough to meet the educational requirements and class schedules of the different health professions' education programs. The target community spoke limited English, so providing interpretation services using bilingual Marshallese community health workers was integral to the program's success.

Student-led free clinics (SLFC) have become a way to provide care to vulnerable, uninsured populations. SLFCs can offer the opportunity to integrate interprofessional education models emphasizing the roles of different health care disciplines with hands-on learning experiences for students. In 2013, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest established the North Street Clinic, an interprofessional SLFC, in an effort to address the health disparities of the local Marshallese community. This article describes the establishment of the clinic and highlights its core features, such as its unique patient population, interprofessional care teams, use of community health workers, chronic disease management, community partnerships, and use of technology. The North Street Clinic can serve as a model for other SLFCs seeking to integrate IPE into a free care model focused on meeting the chronic disease disparities of an underserved population.

The contribution of understorey vegetation (UVEG) to forest ecosystem biomass and carbon (C) across diverse forest types has, to date, eluded quantification at regional and national scales. Efforts to quantify UVEG C have been limited to field-intensive studies or broad-scalemodelling approaches lacking fieldmeasurements. Although large-scale inventories of UVEG C are not common, species- and community-level inventories of vegetation structure are available and may prove useful in quantifying UVEG C stocks. This analysis developed a general framework for estimating UVEG C stocks by employing per cent cover estimates of UVEG from a region-wide forest inventory coupled with an estimate of maximum UVEG C across the US Lake States (i.e. Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin). Estimates of UVEG C stocks from this approach reasonably align with expected C stocks in the study region, ranging from 0.86±0.06 Mg ha-1 in red pine-dominated to 1.59±0.06 Mg ha-1 for aspen/birch-dominated forest types. Although the data employed here were originally collected to assess broad-scale forest structure and diversity, this study proposes a framework for using UVEG inventories as a foundation for estimating C stocks in an often overlooked, yet important ecosystemC pool.

Die fulminante Pneumokokkensepsis nach Splenektomie („overwhelming post-splenectomy infection syndrome“, OPSI) ist eine fulminant verlaufende Sepsis, die hauptsachlich durch Streptococcus pneumoniae verursacht wird und eine hohe Letalitat besitzt. Patienten, die aufgrund einer hamatologischen Grunderkrankung splenektomiert wurden, tragen ein besonders hohes Risiko. Auch nach Durchfuhrung der geforderten Impfung gegen Streptococcus pneumoniae entwickeln 20–30 % dieser Patienten keine ausreichende Antikorperantwort. Deshalb muss diese Patientengruppe hinsichtlich des Verhaltens bei Fieber besonders geschult werden und bedarf der sofortigen spezifischen Sepsistherapie und Antibiotikagabe.

A fundamental principle of neuroscience is that each species' and individual's sensory systems are tailored to meet the demands placed upon them by their environments and experiences. What has driven the upper limit of the human frequency range of hearing? The traditional view is that sensitivity to the highest frequencies (i.e., beyond 8 kHz) facilitates localization of sounds in the environment. However, this has yet to be demonstrated for naturally occurring non-speech sounds. An alternative view is that, for social species such as humans, the biological relevance of conspecific vocalizations has driven the development and retention of auditory system features. Here, we provide evidence for the latter theory. We evaluated the contribution of extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing to common ecological speech perception tasks. We found that restricting access to EHFs reduced listeners' discrimination of talker head orientation by approximately 34%. Furthermore, access to EHFs significantly improved speech recognition under listening conditions in which the target talker's head was facing the listener while co-located background talkers faced away from the listener. Our findings raise the possibility that sensitivity to the highest audio frequencies fosters communication and socialization of the human species. These findings suggest that loss of sensitivity to the highest frequencies may lead to deficits in speech perception. Such EHF hearing loss typically goes undiagnosed, but is widespread among the middle-aged population.

A multitude of studies have investigated the phenomenon that experience, such as musical training, has an impact on listener performance in challenging auditory environments. Many studies examining speech-in-speech listening (i.e., the cocktail party problem) simulate an unnatural scenario where the target talker and maskers are all facing the listener. We analyzed participants’ performance in a more realistic situation with a target talker facing the listener and co-located maskers with head orientations facing away from the listener (45 or 60 deg relative to the listener). We aimed to determine if musical training provided an advantage to our participants under these ecological conditions. Stimuli were presented over a loudspeaker to listeners in a sound treated booth. Preliminary data indicate that highly trained musicians (N = 6) perform better than nonmusicians (N = 25) in our task. Musical training may improve auditory functioning in challenging ecological listening situations. Data collection for listeners with extensive musical training is ongoing.

SUMMARY 1. Reconstructing the phylogeographic history of a species can aid in defining areas of conservationpriority. For freshwater species, historical river structure plays a significant role in explaining geneticdifferentiation and population structure. However, human-induced translocations can erase thenatural genetic structure, especially for species of commercial interest such as the noble crayfish(Astacus astacus).2. Our aim was to reconstruct the current genetic structure of the endangered noble crayfish incentral Europe to identify refugial areas that are hotspots of genetic diversity. We analysed afragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I, and the 16S rRNA from 540 noblecrayfish specimens from 156 sampling sites distributed around five European sea basins.Additionally, we conducted a microsatellite analysis of 289 individuals from 22 sites.3. Both mitochondrial and nuclear markers revealed genetically relatively homogenous populations incentral Europe that had been influenced by anthropogenic translocations. However, some areas (Eidercatchment in northern Germany and Rhineland-Palatinate in south-western Germany) show a distinctgenetic structure with endemic haplotypes and private alleles indicating (i) that these areas wererefugia for A. astacus in central Europe and (ii) that these populations have not been subject to anthro-pogenic translocations. Further, we found the highest genetic diversity in the Black Sea basin and par-ticularly high differentiation between populations from the western Balkans and the remaining BlackSea populations. The split between Western Balkan and the remaining European populations is esti-mated to have occurred approximately 700 k years before present, whereas remaining differentiationsoccurred within the last 450 k years. Using migration modelling, we detected that the North Sea basinand the Baltic Sea basin were colonised independently via different colonisation paths from the easternBlack Sea basin, while the western Balkans did not contribute to this colonisation.4. Our results suggest the existence of at least two refugial areas in south-eastern Europe. To conservemaximum genetic diversity, conservation priorities for noble crayfish should focus on the south-easternEuropean genetic hotspots and on populations in central Europe that hold an autochthonous geneticstructure (e.g. Langsee in the Eider catchment area). We further propose that each river catchmentshould form a separate management unit to reduce anthropogenic genetic homogenisation.Keywords: human-mediated translocation, microsatellite analysis, migration model, mitochondrial DNA,refugial areas

A new hyperbenthic calanoid copepod species, Ryocalanus brasilianus, collected from abyssal depth in the Brazilian Basin, is described from female and male specimens. The new species is placed in the genus Ryocalanus, family Ryocalanidae, on account of the complex characteristics of the male antennule and segmentation and setation of swimming legs. Ryocalanus brasilianus is distinguished from other species of this genus by its larger size, the shape of rostrum and urosomite segments, the number of robust spines on the coxa of leg 4 in females, and the male P5 and antennule morphology. A new genus, Yrocalanus gen. nov. is established to accomodate four species previously integrated into Ryocalanus that are distinctive in their smaller body size, shape of the rostrum and details of antennule and fifth legs of the male. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The photo-elastic-analysis-method is a powerful method for investigating the overall quality of bonded wafer stacks. It can provide full wafer as well as high-resolution detailed images of stress distributions, which can be well correlated with the bonding quality. Poorly bonded areas, trapped particles, reliability risks due to stress gradients, influences of wafer handling and bonding tools, as well as effects from non-uniform temperature treatment, can be detected. Examples of process control and quality management will be presented for direct-bonded and anodic-bonded stacks. Limitations of the non-contact and non-destructive optical method will also be discussed.

SUMMARY 1. Most European crayfish species are strongly threatened, mainly as a result of the introduced pathogen, Aphanomyces astaci, transmitted by invasive North American crayfish. Long-term coexistence of American and European crayfish species is therefore regarded as almost impossible, even though some coexisting populations have been observed. 2. In this study, crayfish were collected from presently coexisting populations of the introduced spiny-cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus) and the native noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) from nine standing waters in central Europe. Our aim was to resolve whether the coexistence resulted from reduced virulence in local strains of A. astaci, increased immunity in the native crayfish or an absence of the pathogen in these populations. We used highly sensitive A. astaci-specific real-time PCR to evaluate the crayfish latent carrier status, combined with transmission experiments to further validate the molecular results. 3. From the total of 523 crayfish tested (490 spiny-cheek crayfish, 33 noble crayfish), none positive for A. astaci was detected. Transmission experiments confirmed these results: No abnormal mortality or behavioural changes were seen in noble crayfish kept together with American crayfish from the coexisting populations. If we assume a very low prevalence of A. astaci of 10% in a carrier population, there is a 98% probability of disease being absent in five of the nine coexisting populations tested. Hence, a consistent absence, or an extremely low prevalence, of A. astaci seems to allow the coexistence of European and American crayfish in these central European populations. 4. The results are important for native crayfish conservation and management and demonstrate that disease transmission risk may vary substantially between the different populations of spinycheek crayfish in central Europe.

The global bandwidth shortage facing wireless carriers has motivated the exploration of the underutilized millimeter wave (mm-wave) frequency spectrum for future broadband cellular communication networks. There is, however, little knowledge about cellular mm-wave propagation in densely populated indoor and outdoor environments. Obtaining this information is vital for the design and operation of future fifth generation cellular networks that use the mm-wave spectrum. In this paper, we present the motivation for new mm-wave cellular systems, methodology, and hardware for measurements and offer a variety of measurement results that show 28 and 38 GHz frequencies can be used when employing steerable directional antennas at base stations and mobile devices.

Summary Background Treatment guidelines for aphasia recommend intensive speech and language therapy for chronic (≥6 months) aphasia after stroke, but large-scale, class 1 randomised controlled trials on treatment effectiveness are scarce. We aimed to examine whether 3 weeks of intensive speech and language therapy under routine clinical conditions improved verbal communication in daily-life situations in people with chronic aphasia after stroke. Methods In this multicentre, parallel group, superiority, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomised controlled trial, patients aged 70 years or younger with aphasia after stroke lasting for 6 months or more were recruited from 19 inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation centres in Germany. An external biostatistician used a computer-generated permuted block randomisation method, stratified by treatment centre, to randomly assign participants to either 3 weeks or more of intensive speech and language therapy (≥10 h per week) or 3 weeks deferral of intensive speech and language therapy. The primary endpoint was between-group difference in the change in verbal communication effectiveness in everyday life scenarios (Amsterdam–Nijmegen Everyday Language Test A-scale) from baseline to immediately after 3 weeks of treatment or treatment deferral. All analyses were done using the modified intention-to-treat population (those who received 1 day or more of intensive treatment or treatment deferral). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01540383. Findings We randomly assigned 158 patients between April 1, 2012, and May 31, 2014. The modified intention-to-treat population comprised 156 patients (78 per group). Verbal communication was significantly improved from baseline to after intensive speech and language treatment (mean difference 2·61 points [SD 4·94]; 95% CI 1·49 to 3·72), but not from baseline to after treatment deferral (−0·03 points [4·04]; −0·94 to 0·88; between-group difference Cohen's d 0·58; p=0·0004). Eight patients had adverse events during therapy or treatment deferral (one car accident [in the control group], two common cold [one patient per group], three gastrointestinal or cardiac symptoms [all intervention group], two recurrent stroke [one in intervention group before initiation of treatment, and one before group assignment had occurred]); all were unrelated to study participation. Interpretation 3 weeks of intensive speech and language therapy significantly enhanced verbal communication in people aged 70 years or younger with chronic aphasia after stroke, providing an effective evidence-based treatment approach in this population. Future studies should examine the minimum treatment intensity required for meaningful treatment effects, and determine whether treatment effects cumulate over repeated intervention periods. Funding German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Society for Aphasia Research and Treatment.

For understanding water and solute transport processes knowledge about the respective hydraulic properties is necessary. Commonly, hydraulic parameters are estimated via pedo-transfer functions using soil texture data to avoid cost intensive measurements of hydraulic parameters in the laboratory. Therefore, current soil texture information is only available at coarse spatial resolution of 250 m to1000 m. Here, a method is presented to derive high-resolution (15 m) topsoil texture patterns for the meso-scale Attert catchment (Luxembourg, 288 km2) from 28 images of ASTER thermal remote sensing. A principle component analysis of the images reveals the most dominant thermal patterns (principle components, PCs) that are related to 212 fractional soil texture samples. Within a multiple linear regression framework, distributed soil texture information is estimated and related uncertainties are assessed. An overall root mean squared error of 12.7 percentage points (pp) lies well within and even below the range of recent studies on soil texture estimation, while requiring sparser sample setups and a less diverse set of basic spatial input.

The Baltic Sea is a unique environment as the largest body of brackish water in the world. Acidification of the surface oceans due to absorption of anthropogenic CO2 emissions is an additional stressor facing the pelagic community of the already challenging Baltic Sea. To investigate its impact on trace gas biogeochemistry, a large-scale mesocosm experiment was performed off Tvärminne Research Station, Finland in summer 2012. During the second half of the experiment, dimethylsulphide (DMS) concentrations in the highest fCO2 mesocosms (1075–1333 μatm) were 34 % lower than at ambient CO2 (350 μatm). However the net production (as measured by concentration change) of seven halocarbons analysed was not significantly affected by even the highest CO2 levels after 5 weeks exposure. Methyl iodide (CH3I) and diiodomethane (CH2I2) showed 15 % and 57 % increases in mean mesocosm concentration (3.8 ± 0.6 pmol L−1 increasing to 4.3 ± 0.4 pmol L−1 and 87.4 ± 14.9 pmol L−1 increasing to 134.4 ± 24.1 pmol L−1 respectively) during Phase II of the experiment, which were unrelated to CO2 and corresponded to 30 % lower Chl-ɑ concentrations compared to Phase I. No other iodocarbons increased or showed a peak, with mean chloroiodomethane (CH2ClI) concentrations measured at 5.3 (± 0.9) pmol L−1 and iodoethane (C2H5I) at 0.5 (± 0.1) pmol L−1. Of the concentrations of bromoform (CHBr3; mean 88.1 ± 13.2 pmol L−1), dibromomethane (CH2Br2; mean 5.3 ± 0.8 pmol L−1) and dibromochloromethane (CHBr2Cl, mean 3.0 ± 0.5 pmol L−1), only CH2Br2 showed a decrease of 17 % between Phases I and II, with CHBr3 and CHBr2Cl showing similar mean concentrations in both Phases. Outside the mesocosms, an upwelling event was responsible for bringing colder, high CO2, low pH water to the surface starting on day t16 of the experiment; this variable CO2 system with frequent upwelling events implies the community of the Baltic Sea is acclimated to regular significant declines in pH caused by up to 800 μatm fCO2. After this upwelling, DMS concentrations declined, but halocarbon concentrations remained similar or increased compared to measurements prior to the change in conditions. Based on our findings, with future acidification of Baltic Sea waters, biogenic halocarbon emissions are likely to remain at similar values to today, however emissions of biogenic sulphur could significantly decrease from this region.

In der vorliegenden Studie werden die Einsatzmoglichkeiten des Snijders-Oomen-Non-verbalen-Intelligenztests (SON-R6–40) bei Kindern mit einer Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwache (LRS) untersucht. Die Testergebnisse von 55Kindern mit LRS wurden mit den Daten einer nach Alter und Geschlecht parallelisierten Kontrollgruppe verglichen. Zwischen den beiden Gruppen ergaben sich signifikante Unterschiede in 3 der 4Untertests sowie dem Gesamtintelligenzquotienten (Gesamt-IQ) des SON-R6–40 zuungunsten der Kinder mit LRS. Es werden Ergebnisprofile fur die Gruppen aufgezeigt und gruppenspezifische Unterschiede auf Untertest- und Gesamtskalenniveau diskutiert. Wird der Gesamt-IQ des SON-R6–40 in der LRS-Diagnostik als Ankerwert herangezogen, ist zu beachten, dass auch fur die Bearbeitung sprachfreier Intelligenztestaufgaben sprachliche Leistungen erforderlich sind, die fur niedrigere Testwerte von Kindern mit einer LRS verantwortlich sein konnen.

A fabrication process for Si nanopillars (NPs) as template for the Ge nanoheteroepitaxy (NHE) was developed. The NHE concept suggests that by fabricating three-dimensional free standing NP, the NP can be elastically deformed by deposited heteroepitaxial material on the top due to lattice mismatch strain. To enable the elastic deformation, small diameter NPs are required with a specific height. A fabrication process was developed to create Si NPs with 100nm height. The top of Si NPs must be opened for selective Ge growth, while the sidewall and bottom surface must be covered by SiO"2. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to control Si NPs before selective Ge epitaxial overgrowth. The process was optimized based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction investigations. Ge on top of NPs is fully relaxed. The relaxation occurs however not elastically but plastically by misfit dislocation nucleation at the Ge/Si interface due to SiO"2 passivation of the sidewall. The possible approaches to enable elastic deformation of Si NPs are to reduce the SiO"2 thickness of the sidewall and lateral dimension of NPs. The Ge of high crystallinity grown on top of the NPs only is indicating that the developed technology guarantees a clean top Si surfaces and a sufficient SiO"2 protection of the rest of the structure. No threading dislocations are observed by TEM. This shows that the small lateral dimension of the seed area allows the TDs to glided out to the surfaces with high probability.

A fabrication process of ultrathin TiN micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators intended for applications in electrostatic actuator schemes is presented. It includes the preparation of the TiN layer from the back end of line (BEOL) module of a [email protected] bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) technology. Furthermore, the processes of releasing and stiction-free drying of fabricated actuators are demonstrated. Means to solve underlying problems of the fabrication process as well as perspectives for applications are analyzed and discussed in detail.

To determine the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production in Enterobacteriaceae in retail chicken meat in Germany.A total of 399 chicken meat samples from nine supermarket chains, four organic food stores and one butcher's shop in two geographically distinct regions (Berlin and Greifswald) were screened for ESBL production using selective agar. Phenotypic ESBL isolates were tested for bla(TEM), bla(CTX-M) and bla(SHV) genes using PCR and DNA sequencing. Antibiotic coresistances were determined and strain typing was performed using PCR-based phylogenetic grouping and XbaI-PFGE.A total of 185 confirmed ESBL isolates were obtained from 175 samples (43.9%) from all tested sources. The majority of isolates were Escherichia coli producing ESBL types SHV-12 (n = 82), CTX-M-1 (n = 77) and TEM-52 (n = 16). No differences could be observed in the prevalence of ESBL producers between organic and conventional samples. 73.0% of the ESBL producers showed coresistance to tetracycline, 35.7% to co-trimoxazole and 7.6% to ciprofloxacin. Strain typing of selected E. coli isolates from Berlin revealed identical macrorestriction patterns for several isolates from samples taken from the same stores.This is the first comprehensive study from Germany showing a high prevalence of TEM-, CTX-M- and SHV-type ESBLs in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from retail chicken meat. The high rate of coresistance to different classes of antibiotics in the ESBL producers might reflect the common veterinary usage of these and related substances. There is an urgent need to further evaluate the role of poultry in the transmission of highly resistant ESBL-producing bacteria in humans.

Several methods have been applied to calculate genotyping error rates (GER) for non-invasive population size estimations. However, there is a lack of comparability between these methods. Here we focused on the comparison of methods for determination of GER within one study using faeces samples of wild boars (Sus scrofa). Error rates were calculated by (1) comparison of reference tissue samples and rectum faeces samples (2) the number of deviations between replicates and the assumed consensus genotypes, (3) re-analysis of a subsample interpreted by allelic and genotype comparisons, and (4) a blind-test of anonymously subdivided faecal samples. The error rates differed widely between these four methods (0–57.5 %) and underline the need of a consensus approach. The blind-test resulted in a GER of 4.3 %. We recommend conducting such a blind-test for estimating realistic GER when starting a pilot study in wildlife forensics.

A new ryocalanoid copepod, Ryocalanus antarcticus sp. nov., is described from both genders collected during the German expeditions EASIZ-II in 1998 and ANDEEP SYSTCO in 2008 above the seabed in deep waters of the Southern Ocean. The new species is well distinguished from congeners in the shape of the genital double-somite and the posterior corners of prosome, the structure of distal segments of geniculated antennule in male and details of leg 1 and limb armament. Species of Ryocalanus are separated into two groups. Group I contains medium to large sized copepods with a single rostrum, a geniculated moderately modified right antennule in the male, and the distal segments of the male uniramous leg 5 armed with terminal spines. Group II of Ryocalanidae share the small size (

In the context of developing a noninvasive, practicable method for population size estimation in wild boar, we present a stepwise procedure to reduce the number of required microsatellite markers for individual genotyping. Step1: an initial marker set of 12 microsatellite loci was tested for species specificity with nontarget DNA and resulted in an exclusion of two markers. Step 2: a variability test regarding heterozygosity and deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium led to the rejection of two further markers. Step 3: the remaining eight markers were tested for transferability across populations with three separate wild boar sample sets. Step 4: on the basis of probability of identity values, a reduction from eight to five markers was possible. Step 5: a novel test using tissue samples from female wild boars and their embryos provided evidence that four variable microsatellite markers and one sex marker are sufficient for individual identification of close relatives. Step 6: feces samples were finally used to estimate PCR (PS) and genotyping success (GS). In conclusion, we recommend a specific four-marker combination with both PS and GS >50% for a reliable individual identification in noninvasive population size estimation of wild boar.

Different MEMS process techniques have been integrated to 0.25 µm BiCMOS process for embedded system applications. Back-End-Off-Line (BEOL) integration technique was developed using standard metallization layers of BiCMOS process with additional MEMS process steps. As an example, an RF-MEMS capacitive switch was realized using BEOL embedded MEMS module. Back-side substrate etch method was developed as another MEMS integration technique. This technique is demonstrated by several high-Q passive components which can prevent from substrate losses and on-chip antennas/sensors for multi-GHz applications. Lastly, thick copper metallization with low-k BCB dielectric material was developed and processed on top of BiCMOS BEOL. It provides 2 additional thick copper metallization layers and allows realizing high-Q passives and on-chip THz resonators. Several design examples realized by using developed MEMS modules and processing techniques were also analyzed.

Ecosystem restoration by rewetting of degraded fens led to the new formation of large-scale shallow lakes in the catchment of the River Peene in NE Germany. We analyzed the biomass and the nutrient stock of the submersed (Ceratophyllum demersum) and the floating macrophytes (Lemna minor and Spirodela polyrhiza) in order to assess their influence on temporal nutrient storage in water bodies compared to other freshwater systems. Ceratophyllum demersum displayed a significantly higher biomass production (0.86–1.19 t DM = dry matter ha−1) than the Lemnaceae (0.64–0.71 t DM ha−1). The nutrient stock of submersed macrophytes ranged between 28–44 kg N ha−1 and 8–12 kg P ha−1 and that of floating macrophytes between 14–19 kg N ha−1 and 4–5 kg P ha−1 which is in the range of waste water treatment plants. We found the N and P stock in the biomass of aquatic macrophytes being 20–900 times and up to eight times higher compared to the nutrient amount of the open water body in the shallow lakes of rewetted fens (average depth: 0.5 m). Thereafter, submersed and floating macrophytes accumulate substantial amounts of dissolved nutrients released from highly decomposed surface peat layers, moderating the nutrient load of the shallow lakes during the growing season from April to October. In addition, the risk of nutrient loss to adjacent surface waters becomes reduced during this period. The removal of submersed macrophytes in rewetted fens to accelerate the restoration of the low nutrient status is discussed.

A standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process is successfully modified to encompass the preparation of suspended TiN membranes of only 50 nm thickness from one of the metal layer stacks of the back-end flow. The layers’ elastomechanical constants are determined with high precision by laser Doppler vibrometry. Residual stress gradients are compensated and a state of moderate tensile strain is introduced into the membranes. Test systems of TiN beams and bridges operating in a capacitive coupling scheme are optimized for the low voltage range attainable with CMOS devices. TiN actuators are particularly suited for applications in biotechnology like sensing of pressure or viscosity in microfluidic devices due to their high corrosion resistance in liquid electrolyte surroundings. The established inclusion of the process in a CMOS pilot line enables the production of cheap and monolithically integrated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and bio-microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) devices.

Many people visit zoos each year to be entertained, restored, and educated. While the spotlight is usually on animals and habitats, zoos are increasmgly focusing on humans and their role in environmental stewardship. The primate exhibit at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois was designed to address this new focus. The exhibit includes a multi-stage educational experience at its exit that highlights what visitors can do to incorporate conservation behavior into their lives. A feature of such an experience is the short time one spends in it. This article examines the effect of this brief educational exposure. The •Bal.cd in part on a paper presented at the 31st Annual North American Association for Environmental Education Conference, Bol.LOn, Massachusens. © 2011 , Baywood Publishing Co., Inc. doi: 10.21 90/ES.33. 1 .b http ://baywood .com 19 20 I DE YOUNG ET AL. findings indicate that the experience does increase interest among those behaviors that demand a considerable investment of time. While a follow-up survey revealed this interest diminished over time, the exhibit's core messages were resilient. This study provides evidence that even bricny experienced, free-choice educational exhibits can promote concern for environmental stewardship. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association has challenged zoos to serve as conservation centers for their communities and to inspire visitors to adopt conservation behavior (Rabb & Saunders, 2005). Zoos arc meeting this challenge by developing holistic, ecosystem-based approaches that seck to change the public's environmental knowledge, skills, and behavior. Studies show that zoo visitors support these approaches (Andcrcck & Caldwell, 1994; Chicago Zoological Society & Lincoln Park Zoological Society, IW3; Milan & Wourms, 1992; Morgan & Hodgkinson, 1996). Indeed, the visiting public considers environmental education to be a primary role of zoos and aquariums (Dierking, Burtnyk, Buchner, & Falk, 2002; Mazur, 1993; Stoinski, Ogden, Gold, & Maple, 1999) and a vast majority of visitors want to learn more about environmental stewardship, including spcci fie conservation behaviors they can adopt (Dierking ct al., 2002). Learning while visiting a zoo is of particular interest to families with children (Andcrcck & Caldwell, 1994), a group who are frequent zoo visitors (Chicago Zoological Society & Lincoln Park Zoological Society, 1993). Because fami lies with children arc particularly receptive to educational interventions. an opportunity exists for zoos to increase environmental knowledge and encourage conservation behavior. A variety of strategies exist for promoting conservation behavior throughout society (Vining & Ebreo, 2002). These include long-term interventions in formal settings (e.g .• classroom programs) and short-term informal experiences (e.g., visual prompts, public service announcements, educational exhibit) (Zclczny, 1999). In practice, getting people to adopt conservation behavior has proven to be more difficult than originally supposed (De Young, 1993, 2000). It is suggested that to be more effective we should apply interventions repeatedly, at different societal levels (Allen & Ferrand, 1999). Thus, it would seem particularly difficult to affect change using short-term experiences in informal settings. The study reported here is an assessment of just such a short-term intervention in the informal setting of a zoo. Numerous studies suggest that zoos can positively influence visitors' environmental knowledge, attitudes. and behaviors (Dierking ct al., 2002). To test this claim we examined whether a simple, briefly experienced, free-choice exhibit could encourage zoo visitors to become conservation-minded citizens (Saunders & Stuart-Perry, 1997). The outcomes measured included visitors' intentions and behavior at different points in time: while at the zoo and several months later. SOME EFFECTS OF A ZOO EXHIBIT I 21

Introduction: Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor affecting pathways involved in tumor progression and angiogenesis. We conducted a phase II trial of sorafenib in platinum-treated patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer to determine the tumor response rate, toxicity, and overall survival. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed, measurable disease, Zubrod performance status 0 to 1, and no more than 1 prior platinum-based treatment were eligible. Patients were stratified by platinum-sensitivity status: sensitive (progression >90 days after platinum) or refractory (progression during or ≤90 days after platinum). Patients were treated with sorafenib 400 mg orally twice a day continuously on a 28-day cycle. Results: Of 89 patients registered, 82 were evaluable for toxicity assessment, and 83 were evaluable for response. There were four partial responses seen among the 38 patients in the platinum-sensitive stratum, for an estimated response rate of 11% (95% confidence interval: 3–25%), and one partial response among the 45 patients in the platinum-refractory stratum, for an estimated response rate of 2% (95% confidence interval: 0–12%). The median overall survival estimates were 6.7 months (95% confidence interval: 6.1–9.1 months) for the platinum-sensitive stratum and 5.3 months (95% confidence interval: 3.3–7.5 months) in the platinum-refractory stratum. Nineteen patients discontinued treatment because of adverse events or side effects from therapy. Conclusions: Based on the lack of disease control seen in our trial, further investigation of single-agent sorafenib in the small cell lung cancer population is not recommended. Combination trials of sorafenib and chemotherapy are ongoing.

A 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology for millimeter-wave applications is presented. This technology features high-speed HBTs with peak transit frequencies fT of 240 GHz, maximum oscillation frequencies fmax of 330 GHz, and breakdown voltages BVCEO of 1.7 V along with high-voltage HBTs (fT = 50 GHz,fmax = 130 GHz, BVCEO = 3.7 V) integrated in a dual gate oxide RF-CMOS process. Ring oscillator gate delays of 2.9 ps, low-noise amplifiers for 122 GHz, and LC oscillators with fundamental-mode oscillation frequencies above 200 GHz are demonstrated.

Two new genera and species of benthopelagic clausocalanoid copepods are described from collections taken at abyssal depths close to the sea bed in the tropical Atlantic. Procenognatha semisensata gen. et sp. nov. and Ranthaxus vermiformis gen. et sp. nov. both share the presence of sensory setae on maxilla and maxilliped with all other members of bradfordian copepods of Clausocalanoidea, but do not fit the diagnosis of any of these genera. Procenognatha differs from other bradfordians by the swollen basal half of the proximal posterior seta on the maxillule praecoxal arthrite and by having three sclerotized terminal setae on the maxilla endopod. Ranthaxus is distinguished by the presence of worm-like sensory setae on maxillule, maxilla, basis and endopod segment 5 of maxilliped and by welldeveloped, elongated worm-like sensory setae of maxilliped syncoxa.

Reliable estimation of population size remains a major challenge in wildlife ecology and management. Lately, genotyping of non-invasively obtained tissue samples integrated in a modified capture–recapture approach provides new perspectives. Faeces, moulted feathers, or hairs can be easily sampled in the field. However, an important assumption is homogeneity of sampling across the population. In this pilot study, we tested the suitability of baited barbed wire hair sampling stations (‘hair traps’) for homogeneous genetic sampling for population estimation. A video system based on a new network internet protocol was used to observe the behaviour of wild boar visiting baited hair traps for gaining information about potential heterogeneities in the individual sampling probability. Within 92 monitoring nights at two sampling stations, 216 wild boar visits were recorded and 142 hair samples containing 2,124 single hairs were collected. Video analysis revealed distinct differences in the behaviour of wild boar with respect to the sampling station which are most likely to result in heterogeneous individual sampling probabilities. Adult and subadult animals differed in their behaviour dependent on their group status. This result indicates that hair sampling with baited hair traps is not suitable for representative non-invasive sampling of free ranging wild boar populations.

PURPOSE: A brief screening can be a valuable help for general practitioners and company physicians in order to determine the subjective need for rehabilitation and to apply to the pension insurance for medical rehabilitation. At the same time, it is very difficult to predict the approval for medical rehabilitation due to a number of factors. The present paper discusses the psychometric characteristics of a new screening. METHODS: The screening for subjective need for rehabilitation was presented to patients undergoing rehabilitation in one of three indication areas (pneumology, rheumatology, psychosomatic medicine), who were at the beginning of their medical treatment, as well as to patients from doctors’ practices (general and internal medicine, surgery), who hadn’t applied for medical rehabilitation. For determining the validity of content, the FFbH (questionnaire of somatic functioning), the SPE (prognosis of capacity to work), the scale for chronic fatigue, the SCL14 (symptom checklist), the IRES (questionnaire for medical rehabilitation) were included in the questionnaire. RESULTS: The screening was consistent in itself. The analysis of the validity of content showed good to average correlations between the different scales and the screening. The analysis of the validity of criterion showed that there was a significant difference with a strong effect between the rehabilitation group and the comparison group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The Hanover screening of subjective need for rehabilitation proved to be a reliable and valid instrument for practical use to identify the subjective need for rehabilitation. It can be recommended to doctors because it makes it very easy to determine the critical (threshold) value. However, the questionnaire provides that the interviewees are employed.

Aerosol measurements at Barrow, Alaska during the past 30 years have identified the long range transport of pollution associated with Arctic Haze as well as ocean-derived aerosols of more local origin. Here, we focus on measurements of aerosol chemical composition to assess (1) trends in Arctic Haze aerosol and implications for source regions, (2) the interaction between pollution-derived and ocean-derived aerosols and the resulting impacts on the chemistry of the Arctic boundary layer, and (3) the response of aerosols to a changing climate. Aerosol chemical composition measured at Barrow, AK during the Arctic haze season is compared for the years 1976–1977 and 1997–2008. Based on these two data sets, concentrations of non-sea salt (nss) sulfate (SO4=) and non-crustal (nc) vanadium (V) have decreased by about 60% over this 30 year period. Consistency in the ratios of nss SO4=/ncV and nc manganese (Mn)/ncV between the two data sets indicates that, although emissions have decreased in the source regions, the source regions have remained the same over this time period. The measurements from 1997–2008 indicate that, during the haze season, the nss SO4= aerosol at Barrow is becoming less neutralized by ammonium (NH4+) yielding an increasing sea salt aerosol chloride (Cl−) deficit. The expected consequence is an increase in the release of Cl atoms to the atmosphere and a change in the lifetime of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including methane. In addition, summertime concentrations of biogenically-derived methanesulfonate (MSA−) and nss SO4= are increasing at a rate of 12 and 8% per year, respectively. Further research is required to assess the environmental factors behind the increasing concentrations of biogenic aerosol.

Aerosol measurements at Barrow, Alaska during the past 30 years have identified the long range transport of pollution associated with Arctic Haze as well as ocean-derived aerosols of more local origin. Here, we focus on measurements of aerosol chemical composition to assess (1) trends in Arctic Haze aerosol and implications for source regions, (2) the interaction between pollution-derived and ocean-derived aerosols and the resulting impacts on the chemistry of the Arctic boundary layer, and (3) the response of aerosols to a changing climate. Aerosol chemical composition measured at Barrow, AK during the Arctic haze season is compared for the years 1976–1977 and 1997–2008. Based on these two data sets, concentrations of non-sea salt (nss) sulfate (SO4=) and non-crustal (nc) vanadium (V) have decreased by about 60% over this 30 year period. Consistency in the ratios of nss SO4=/ncV and nc manganese (Mn)/ncV between the two data sets indicates that, although emissions have decreased in the source regions, the source regions have remained the same over this time period. The measurements from 1997–2008 indicate that, during the haze season, the nss SO4= aerosol at Barrow is becoming less neutralized by ammonium (NH4+) yielding an increasing sea salt aerosol chloride (Cl−) deficit. The expected consequence is an increase in the release of Cl atoms to the atmosphere and a change in the lifetime of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including methane. In addition, summertime concentrations of biogenically-derived methanesulfonate (MSA−) and nss SO4= are increasing at a rate of 12 and 8% per year, respectively. Further research is required to assess the environmental factors behind the increasing concentrations of biogenic aerosol.