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Healthy lifestyle behaviours are key to successful weight management, but have proven to be challenging to attain for adolescents with obesity. The purpose of our scoping review was to (i) describe barriers and enablers that adolescents with obesity encounter for healthy nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep habits and (ii) identify gaps in the literature. We adhered to established methodology for scoping reviews. Six databases were searched (1980-June 2016) for original articles published in English or French that focused on lifestyle behaviours of 13- to 17-year-olds in paediatric weight management. Following screening and data extraction, findings of selected articles were synthesized thematically using a social ecological framework. Stakeholder consultation (n = 20) with adolescents with obesity and health professionals was completed to enhance methodological rigour. Our search yielded 17 articles for inclusion, including 546 unique participants. Barriers to healthy nutrition and physical activity were more consistently related to individual-level and interpersonal-level factors; enablers tended to be linked with interpersonal-level factors. Knowledge gaps identified related to sedentary behaviour and sleep as well as environmental and policy levels of influence. Our review revealed that some barriers and enablers were unique to adolescents with obesity, which were either within or beyond their control. These findings highlight the importance of multilevel interventions to enable healthy lifestyle behaviours for weight management.

Recent evidence indicates that climate change and intensification of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has increased variation in sea level. Although widespread impacts on intertidal ecosystems are anticipated to arise from the sea level seesaw associated with climate change, none have yet been demonstrated. Intertidal ecosystems, including mangrove forests are among those ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to sea level rise, but they may also be vulnerable to sea level variability and extreme low sea level events. During 16 years of monitoring of a mangrove forest in Mangrove Bay in north Western Australia, we documented two forest dieback events, the most recent one being coincident with the large-scale dieback of mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia. Diebacks in Mangrove Bay were coincident with periods of very low sea level, which were associated with increased soil salinization of 20–30% above pre-event levels, leading to canopy loss, reduced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and reduced recruitment. Our study indicates that an intensification of ENSO will have negative effects on some mangrove forests in parts of the Indo-Pacific that will exacerbate other pressures.

We develop a new algorithm for the Brownian dynamics of soft matter systems that evolves time by spatially correlated Monte Carlo moves. The algorithm uses vector wavelets as its basic moves and produces hydrodynamics in the low Reynolds number regime propagated according to the Oseen tensor. When small moves are removed the correlations closely approximate the Rotne-Prager tensor, itself widely used to correct for deficiencies in Oseen. We also include plane wave moves to provide the longest range correlations, which we detail for both infinite and periodic systems. The computational cost of the algorithm scales competitively with the number of particles simulated, $N$, scaling as $N\ln N$ in homogeneous systems and as $N$ in dilute systems. In comparisons to established lattice Boltzmann and Brownian dynamics algorithms the wavelet method was found to be only a factor of order 1 times more expensive than the cheaper lattice Boltzmann algorithm in marginally semi-dilute simulations, while it is significantly faster than both algorithms at large $N$ in dilute simulations. We also validate the algorithm by checking it reproduces the correct dynamics and equilibrium properties of simple single polymer systems, as well as verifying the effect of periodicity on the mobility tensor., 16 pages, 12 figures, submitted to the Journal of Chemical Physics

Background: A previous measurement of the $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ directional coefficient in $^{22}\mathrm{Na}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay was used to extract recoil-order form factors. The data indicate the requirement of a significant induced-tensor matrix element for the decay. This conclusion largely relies on a standard-model-allowed weak magnetism form factor which was determined using an unpublished value of the analog ${2}_{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{3}_{1}^{+}$ $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ branch in $^{22}\mathrm{Na}$, with the further assumption that the transition is dominated by its isovector $M1$ component.Purpose: Our aim is to determine the ${2}_{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{3}_{1}^{+}$ width in $^{22}\mathrm{Na}$ in order to obtain an independent measurement of the weak magnetism form factor for the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay.Methods: A $^{21}\mathrm{Ne}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})$ resonance reaction on an implanted target was used to produce the first ${2}^{+}$ state in $^{22}\mathrm{Na}$ at ${E}_{x}=1952$ keV. Deexcitation $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were registered with two 100% relative efficiency high purity germanium detectors.Results: We obtain for the first time an unambiguous determination of the ${2}_{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{3}_{1}^{+}$ branch in $^{22}\mathrm{Na}$ to be $0.45(8)%$.Conclusions: Using the conserved vector current (CVC) hypothesis, our branch determines the weak magnetism form factor for $^{22}\mathrm{Na}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay to be $|b/A{c}_{1}|=8.9(1.2)$. Together with the $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ angular correlation coefficient, we obtain a large induced-tensor form factor for the decay that continues to disagree with theoretical predictions. Two plausible explanations are suggested.

The 116Sn nucleus contains a collective rotational band originating from proton $\pi$ 2p-2h excitations across the proton $Z=50$ shell gap. Even though this nucleus has been extensively investigated in the past, there was still missing information on the low-energy interband transitions connecting the intruder and normal structures. The low-lying structure of 116Sn was investigated through a high-statistics study of the $\beta^{-}$ decay of 116m1In with the $8\pi$ spectrometer and its ancillary detectors at TRIUMF. These measurements are critical in order to properly characterize the $\pi$ 2p-2h rotational band. Weak $\gamma$ -decay branches are observed utilizing $\gamma$ - $\gamma$ coincidence spectroscopy methods, leading to the first direct observation of the 85 keV $2_{2}^{+}\rightarrow 0_{3}^{+}$ $\gamma$ ray with a transition strength of $B(E2) = 99.7(84)$ W.u. The analysis of these results strongly suggests that the 2027 keV $0_{3}^{+}$ state should replace the previously assigned 1757 keV $0_{2}^{+}$ state as the band-head of the $\pi$ 2p-2h rotational band.

The Gamma-Ray Infrastructure For Fundamental Investigations of Nuclei, GRIFFIN, is a new experimental facility for radioactive decay studies at the TRIUMF-ISAC laboratory. The performance of the 16 high-purity germanium (HPGe) clover detectors that will make up the GRIFFIN spectrometer is reported. The energy resolution, efficiency, timing resolution, crosstalk and preamplifier properties of each crystal were measured using a combination of analog and digital data acquisition techniques. The absolute efficiency and add-back factors are determined for the energy range of 80–3450 keV. The detectors show excellent performance with an average over all 64 crystals of a FWHM energy resolution of 1.89(6) keV and relative efficiency with respect to a 3 in . × 3 in . NaI detector of 41(1)% at 1.3 MeV.

As the use of visual soil evaluation (VSE) methods has spread globally, they have been exposed todifferent climatic and pedological scenarios, resulting in the need to elucidate limitations, encouragerefinements and open up new avenues of research. The main objective of this paper is to outline thepotential of VSE methods to develop novel soil structure research and how this potential could bedeveloped and integrated within existing research. We provide a brief overview of VSE methods in orderto summarize the soil information that is obtained by VSE. More detailed VSE methods could bedeveloped to provide spatial information for soil process models, e.g. compaction models. VSE could becombined with sensing techniques at thefield or landscape scale for better management offields in thecontext of precision farming. Further work should be done to integrate plant vigour, roots and soil faunainto VSE methods to provide general indicators of soil quality and for estimation of environmental riskfactors related to soil C storage, GHG emissions and nutrient leaching, with particular reference totemporal changes. There is a great potential in combining (rather than comparing) VSE withmeasurements of soil structure, i.e. integrating VSE in soil structure and compaction research, as thesemethods provide spatial information that is difficult to obtain with other methods.

AIM: To evaluate major/minor discrepancy rates for provisional (initial) and addendum (supplementary senior review) emergency computed tomography (CT) reports in patients presenting with non-traumatic abdominal pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethical approval for this type of study is not required in the UK. All radiology departments with an approved lead for audit registered with the Royal College of Radiologists were invited to participate in this retrospective audit. The first 50 consecutive patients (25 surgical, 25 non-surgical) who underwent emergency abdominal CT for non-traumatic abdominal pain in 2013 were included. Statistical analyses were performed to identify organisational and report/patient-related variables that might be associated with major discrepancy. RESULTS: One hundred and nine (58%) of 188 departments supplied data to the study with a total of 4,931 patients (2,568 surgical, 2,363 non-surgical). The audit standard for provisional report major discrepancy was achieved for registrars (target

This article reports on the development and experimental results of commercial plasma display panels adapted for their potential use as micropattern gas radiation detectors. The plasma panel sensors (PPS) design an materials include glass substrates, metal electrodes and inert gas mixtures which provide a physically robust, hermetically-sealed device. Plasma display panels used as detectors were tested with cosmic ray muons, beta rays and gamma rays, protons and thermal neutrons. The results demonstrated rise times and time resolution of a few nanoseconds, as well as sub-millimeter spatial resolution compatible with the pixel pitch., Submitted to NIM

Snow cover protects alpine plants from winter frost damage, keeping them under warmer and more stable temperatures than if there were no snow. Future climate scenarios predict less snow cover and earlier snow melt due to warming, causing paradoxically colder winters in a warmer climate. We compared intraspecific variation in cold tolerance between early snow melt (ESM) and late snow melt (LSM) populations of Aciphylla glacialis. Seedlings grown under common conditions were found to differ in cold tolerance consistent with their habitat of origin. ESM seedlings were more frost resistant and had a greater capacity to increase frost resistance in response to low temperatures than LSM seedlings. These results emphasise the relevance of microclimatic heterogeneity in driving physiological differences that might buffer some effects of climate change. Loss of snow cover could increase vulnerability of A. glacialis to lethal freezing in LSM sites whereas plants with greater frost tolerance in adjacent colder habitats (ESM sites) would be protected. Thus, intraspecific differentiation in tolerance of climatic stresses in combination with microclimatic refuges provided by topographic variation could enhance survival of some alpine species as climate warming progresses.

Bundle sheath extensions (BSEs) are key features of leaf structure whose distribution differs among species and ecosystems. The genetic control of BSE development is unknown, so BSE physiological function has not yet been studied through mutant analysis. We screened a population of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-induced mutants in the genetic background of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) model Micro-Tom and found a mutant lacking BSEs. The leaf phenotype of the mutant strongly resembled the tomato mutant obscuravenosa (obv). We confirmed that obv lacks BSEs and that it is not allelic to our induced mutant, which we named obv-2. Leaves lacking BSEs had lower leaf hydraulic conductance and operated with lower stomatal conductance and correspondingly lower assimilation rates than wild-type leaves. This lower level of function occurred despite similarities in vein density, midvein vessel diameter and number, stomatal density, and leaf area between wild-type and mutant leaves, the implication being that the lack of BSEs hindered water dispersal within mutant leaves. Our results comparing near-isogenic lines within a single species confirm the hypothesised role of BSEs in leaf hydraulic function. They further pave the way for a genetic model-based analysis of a common leaf structure with deep ecological consequences.

The SPICE spectrometer is a new in-beam electron spectrometer designed to operate in conjunction with the TIGRESS HPGe Clover array at TRIUMF-ISAC. The spectrometer consists of a large area, annular, segmented lithium-drifted silicon electron detector shielded from the target by a photon shield. A permanent magnetic lens directs electrons around the photon shield to the detector. Experiments will be performed utilising Coulomb excitation, inelastic-scattering, transfer and fusion–evaporation reactions using stable and radioactive ion beams with suitable heavy-ion detection. Good detection efficiency can be achieved in a large energy range up to 3500 keV electron energy using several magnetic lens designs which are quickly interchangeable. COMSOL and Geant4 simulations have been used to maximise the detection efficiency. In addition, the simulations have guided the design of components to minimise the contributions from various sources of backgrounds.

The hypothesis of this study was that the absence of soil tillage in long-term no-tillage (NT) systems can be detrimental to soil aeration. The objective was to assess the aeration condition of an Oxisol (Rhodic Ferrasol), very clayey texture (750 g kg-1 of clay; 200 g kg-1 of sand), after 30 years of cultivation under NT. The physical property soil air permeability (Ka) is sensitive to changes in the soil pore system. Aside from Ka, the air-filled porosity (ε a) and indices of pore continuity (K1 and N), derived from the relationship between Ka and εa, were used as indices of soil aeration. From the soil layers 0.0-0.1 and 0.1-0.2 m, 240 undisturbed samples were collected along a transect perpendicular to the crop rows, at three sampling positions: corn plant row (CR); center of the interrow (INT); and the equidistant point between CR and INT (PE). The properties Ka and εa were determined at soil matric potentials (Ψm) of -2, -4, -6, -10, -30, and -50 kPa. Soil bulk density (BD) was also determined. The results confirmed the hypothesis. In the 0.0-0.1 m layer, Ka, K1, N and Ψa were significantly greater and BD significantly lower in CR than at the other sampling positions. At a Ψm of -10 kPa, the Ka of CR was 6.9 and 8.4 times higher than in PE and INT, respectively, in the 0.0-0.1 m layer. The properties Ka, K1 and N were sensitive enough to detect changes in the pore system and their differences between the sampling positions demonstrated the importance of the spatial location for soil sampling. Tilling the crop rows provides better soil aeration under NT. A hipótese deste estudo foi que a ausência de revolvimento do solo em sistema plantio direto (SPD) pode ser prejudicial à aeração do solo. O objetivo foi quantificar a condição de aeração de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, classe textural muito argiloso (750 g kg-1 de argila; e 200 g kg-1 de areia), cultivado por 30 anos em SPD. A permeabilidade do solo ao ar (Ka) é um atributo físico do solo sensível às alterações no sistema poroso do solo. Ka, porosidade de aeração (εa) e índices de continuidade de poros (K1 e N), obtidos de relações entre Ka e εa, foram utilizados como indicadores da aeração do solo. Para o estudo, 240 amostras com estrutura preservada foram coletadas das camadas de 0,0-0,1 e 0,1-0,2 m de profundidade do solo, ao longo de um transecto estabelecido perpendicularmente às linhas de cultivo, em três posições distintas: linha da cultura do milho (CR); centro da entrelinha (INT); e ponto equidistante entre CR e INT (PE). A Ka e a εa foram determinadas nos potenciais mátricos (Ψm) de -2, -4, -6, -10, -30 e -50 kPa. A densidade do solo também foi definida. Os resultados confirmaram a hipótese estabelecida. Valores de Ka, K1, N e Ψa foram estatisticamente superiores na posição CR, na camada de 0,0-0,1 m. No Ψm de -10 kPa, a Ka da CR foi 6,9 e 8,4 vezes superior que em PE e INT, respectivamente, na camada de 0,0-0,1 m. Ka, K1 e N se apresentaram suficientemente sensíveis para detectar as alterações no sistema poroso, e suas diferenças entre as posições de amostragem comprovaram a importância da variabilidade espacial na obtenção de amostras de solo. A mobilização do solo na linha de semeadura propicia melhores condições de aeração do solo sob SPD.

The TIGRESS Integrated Plunger device is a new experimental tool for nuclear structure investigations via gamma-ray spectroscopy with post-accelerated beams from the ISAC-II facility at TRIUMF. Several ancillary detection systems integral to the device׳s capabilities for charged-particle tagging and light-ion identification following a variety of nuclear reaction mechanisms have been constructed and characterized. In particular, a silicon PIN diode wall, an annular silicon segmented detector, and a CsI(Tl) scintillator wall have together enabled particle-gamma correlations for reaction channel selectivity and precision kinematic reconstruction in recent measurements. We highlight the construction, characteristics, and implementation of the device׳s ancillary detectors as they enable a rich set of electromagnetic transition rate measurements via Doppler-shift lifetime techniques and low-energy Coulomb excitation.

Soil management practices shown to increase carbon sequestration include reduced tillage, amendments of carbon and mixed rotations. As a means to mitigate greenhouse gases, however, the success of these practices will be strongly influenced by nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions that vary with soil wetness. Few seasonal data are available on N 2 O under different soil managements so we measured seasonal N 2 O emission in three field experiments between 2006 and 2009 in eastern Scotland. The experimental treatments at the three sites were (1) tillage: no-tillage, minimum tillage, ploughing to 20 cm with or without compaction and deep ploughing to 40 cm, (2) organic residue amendment: application of municipal green-waste compost or cattle slurry and (3) rotations: stocked and stockless (without manure) organic arable farming rotations. Most seasons were wetter than average with 2009 the wettest, receiving 20–40% more rainfall than average. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured using static closed chambers. There was no statistical evidence, albeit with low statistical power, that reduced tillage affected N 2 O emissions compared to normal depth ploughing. With organic residue amendments, only in the wet season in 2008 were emissions significantly increased by high rates of green-waste compost (4.5 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ) and cattle slurry (5.2 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ) compared to the control (1.9 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ). In the organic rotations, N 2 O emissions were greatest after incorporation of the grass/clover treatments, especially during conversion of a stocked rotation to stockless. Emissions from the organic arable crops (1.9 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2006, 3.0 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2007) generally exceeded those from the organic grass/clover (0.8 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2006, 1.1 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2007) except in 2008 when the wet weather delayed manure applications and increased emissions from the grass/clover (2.8 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ). Nevertheless, organic grassland was the land use providing the most effective overall mitigation. Although the magnitude of fluxes did not relate particularly well to rainfall differences between seasons, greater rainfall received during some growing seasons increased the differences between tillage, organic residue and crop rotation phase treatments, negating any possible mitigation by timing management operations in dry periods. This was partly attributed to applying tillage and manures late and/or in wet conditions. Of benefit would be different sampling strategies including closed chambers or eddy covariance with standardised methodology. Controlled soil management experiments with a wide geographic spread to specify land management for mitigation also important.

The electromagnetic dipole strength in Be 11 between the bound states has been measured using low-energy projectile Coulomb excitation at bombarding energies of 1.73 and 2.09 MeV/nucleon on a Pt 196 target. An electric dipole transition probability B ( E 1 ; 1 / 2 − → 1 / 2 + ) = 0.102 ( 2 ) e 2 fm 2 was determined using the semi-classical code Gosia, and a value of 0.098 ( 4 ) e 2 fm 2 was determined using the Extended Continuum Discretized Coupled Channels method with the quantum mechanical code FRESCO. These extracted B ( E 1 ) values are consistent with the average value determined by a model-dependent analysis of intermediate energy Coulomb excitation measurements and are approximately 14 % lower than that determined by a lifetime measurement. The much-improved precisions of 2% and 4% in the measured B ( E 1 ) values between the bound states deduced using Gosia and the Extended Continuum Discretized Coupled Channels method, respectively, compared to the previous accuracy of ∼ 10 % will help in our understanding of and better improve the realistic inter-nucleon interactions.

The low-energy identification station at SPIRAL (Systeme de Production d'Ions Radioactifs Acceleres en Ligne) has been upgraded for studying the β decays of short-lived radioactive isotopes and to perform high-precision half-life and branching-ratio measurements for superallowed Fermi and isospin T= 1 / 2 mirror β decays. These new capabilities, combined with an existing Paul trap setup for measurements of β–ν angular-correlation coefficients, provide a powerful facility for investigating fundamental properties of the electroweak interaction through nuclear β decays. A detailed description of the design study, construction, and first results obtained from an in-beam commissioning experiment on the β+ decays 14 O and 17F are presented.

As we move into the fourth decade of the HIV epidemic, this illness, once considered nearly always fatal, is now viewed as a chronic disease in most industrialized nations, due to advances in treatment. Patients with HIV are growing older and the number of infected patients over the age of 50 years is growing steadily. With this shift in demographics, the medical field is turning its attention toward the need to both care for older patients whose disease is long-standing, and identify newly infected older patients. It is increasingly apparent that older HIV-infected patients are vulnerable to a variety of non-AIDS-related conditions and the interplay of aging and HIV occurs in multiple ways. Identifying older patients at risk, the importance of getting patients into care and the impact of aging on the course of the infection are discussed as are common comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and neurocognitive decline. Recommendations for the evaluation of an older HIV-infecte...

Soil compaction has been estimated to be responsible for 33 million ha of soil degradation in Europe, reducing crop yields, however there is limited data on grassland silage yields loss. Extended grazing periods, increased size and weight of farm vehicles and more extreme weather have fostered concern over the consequences of grassland management on reduced grass yield and soil quality. This work aimed at studying the effect of increased animal trampling and mechanical (tractor) soil compaction on grassland silage mean dry matter (DM) yields and soil structure over a three year period at two UK sites. These sites were on two established perennial ryegrass fields with contrasting soil textures; an imperfectly drained silty clay loam in SW Scotland and a well drained sandy loam from central England. Results showed trampling and tractor compaction decreased mean DM yields over three years and by the third year DM yield for the trampled area was 11.4% less on the soil with greater clay content soil and 12.0% less on the more sandier soil than the no compaction control. DM yield for the tractor compaction, by the third year, was 14.5% less than no compaction DM yield, on both soil types. Compaction treatments gave the greatest reductions for the first silage cut DM yields annually, for both soil types. The largest reductions (19.0% for trampling and 37.7% for tractor) were on the soil with the greater clay content in the second year, with the coolest start to the growing season. Compaction reduced N uptake, decreased drainage and increased water filled pore spaces (WFPS). Linear regression of visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) scores and bulk densities provided evidence that VESS is an effective tool for detecting grassland compaction and would assist with the management of moderately compacted soils where deteriorate soil conditions may result in yield loss.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209219.].

The observation of a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) at current experimentally accessible levels would provide clear evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model. EDMs violate CP symmetry, making them a possible route to explaining the size of the observed baryon asymmetry in the universe. The Radon EDM Experiment aims to search for an EDM in radon isotopes whose sensitivity to CP-odd interactions is enhanced by octupole-deformed nuclei. A prototype apparatus currently installed in the ISAC hall at TRIUMF includes a gas handling system to move radon from a collection foil to a measurement cell and auxiliary equipment for polarization diagnostics and validation. The features and capabilities of the apparatus are described and an overview of the experimental design for a gamma-ray-anisotropy based EDM measurement is provided.

This study explores the changes in bulk composition/structure and oxygen reduction activity of two alloys, Pt7IrCo7 and PtCo, caused by Co leaching during electrochemical cycles and as a result of ...

Precise measurements of the intensities of superallowed Fermi β decays between 0+ analog states provide a demanding test of the electroweak standard model. At ISAC, nuclear β-decay lifetimes are measured with high-precision (

TRIUMF operates the rare ion beam facility ISAC, which provides intense beams of short lived isotopes in the energy range from 0.15 to 5 A MeV for A < 30 to a full suite of world class experimental apparatus, enabling a forefront research program focused on understanding the evolution of nuclear structure towards the limits of existence, the origin of the chemical elements in the universe, searching for physics beyond the standard model of particle physics, and the characterization of magnetic properties of new materials at surfaces and interfaces.

In woody plants, photosynthetic capacity is closely linked to rates at which the plant hydraulic system can supply water to the leaf surface. Drought-induced embolism can cause sharp declines in xylem hydraulic conductivity that coincide with stomatal closure and reduced photosynthesis. Recovery of photosynthetic capacity after drought is dependent on restored xylem function, although few data exist to elucidate this coordination. We examined the dynamics of leaf gas exchange and xylem function in Eucalyptus pauciflora seed- lings exposed to a cycle of severe water stress and recovery after re-watering. Stomatal closure and leaf turgor loss occurredatwaterpotentialsthatdelayedtheextensivespread ofembolismthroughthestemxylem.Stemhydraulicconduct- ance recovered to control levels within 6 h after re-watering despite a severe drought treatment, suggesting an active mechanism embolism repair.However, stomatal conductance did not recover after 10 d of re-watering, effecting tighter control of transpiration post drought.The dynamics of recov- erysuggestthatacombinationofhydraulicandnon-hydraulic factors influenced stomatal behaviour post drought.

The assessment of areas at risk from various soil threats is a key task within the proposed EU Soil Framework Directive. Such assessment is, however, hampered by the complex nature of the soil threats, which result from the sometimes poorly understood interaction of various soil physical properties, climatic factors and land management practices. Methodologies for risk assessment of soil threats are needed to protect the soil quality for future generations and to target resources to the areas at greatest risk. We present here a generic risk framework for the development of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to estimate the risk from soil threats. The generic BBN structure follows a standard risk assessment approach, where the risk is quantified by combining assessments of vulnerability and exposure. The soil's vulnerability to a given threat is determined from inherent soil and site characteristics as well as from climatic factors influencing soil characteristics, while the exposure estimate is based on an evaluation of the stresses inflicted by land management and climate. The generic framework is demonstrated by taking soil compaction as an example. Soil compaction is a major threat to soil function particularly in highly managed agricultural systems and is known to have many adverse effects on farming systems including decreased crop yield and soil productivity, increased management costs, increased emissions of greenhouse gases, and decreased water infiltration into the soil leading to accelerated run-off and risk of soil erosion. Existing modelling approaches to predict soil compaction risk either require data on soil mechanical behaviour that are difficult and expensive to collect, or are expert-based systems that are highly subjective and sometimes cannot accommodate the myriad of processes underlying compaction risk. Using the generic framework, a detailed BBN for assessing the risk of soil compaction is developed. The BBN allows for combining available data from standard soil surveys and land use databases with qualitative expert knowledge and explicitly accounts for uncertainties in the assessment of the risk. The BBN is applied to identify the distribution of the compaction risk across Scotland using data from the National Soils Inventory of Scotland.

To date, the historiography on women in Canadian psychology has been relatively sparse. This is especially true in relation to the much more extensive literature that documents the history of first and second generation women in American psychology. The aim of this paper is to systematically identify and analyse the personal characteristics, educational experiences, and career trajectories of first generation women psychologists in Canada. We identify this cohort as women who received their PhDs during the period 1922 to 1960. We contextualize their experiences vis-a-vis unique trends in Canadian society, paying particular attention to the common struggles faced by these women within or in reaction to the broader social, cultural, political, and institutional structures they encountered. By locating and distinguishing Canadian women in psychology, we offer an important contribution to the development of a more comprehensive history of Canadian psychology and highlight its gendered dynamics.Keywords: Canadian psychology, history, women, feminism, genderBut if I am concerned about the lack of awareness of Canadian contributions to psychological knowledge, and a general lack of awareness of the history of our discipline, I am even more concerned about the relative invisibility of our herstory. (Stark, 2000, p. 3)Written just over a decade ago, this call for increased awareness of the history of Canadian psychology and the role women have played in it is now being heeded. In this paper, we address concerns about the invisibility of our herstory by presenting the results of our systematic search for women in early Canadian psychology. In doing so, we provide a counterweight to the extensive historiography on women in American psychology that began in the 1970s and has since expanded to encompass many important historical studies (e.g., Bernstein & Russo, 1974; Cameron & Hagen, 2005; Johnson & Johnston, 2010; Johnston & Johnson, 2008; O'Connell & Russo, 1980; Rutherford, VaughnBlount, & Ball, 2010; Scarborough & Furumoto, 1987).'Although much less is known about Canadian psychology's women's history-particularly the earliest generation of women psychologists-our work does build on a small number of valuable studies (e.g., de la Cour, 1987; Keates & Stam, 2009; M. J. Wright, 1992).2 Mary J. Wright (1992) explored the effects of World War II (WWII) and its aftermath on the careers of 10 women who obtained their PhDs between 1936 and 1949 from the University of Toronto. One of the themes she identified was that women did not move into more prestigious administrative and leadership positions as easily as their male counterparts, despite having significantly outperformed them in scholarly productivity and contributions to the discipline. De la Cour (1987) provided a brief overview of the history of women psychologists at the University of Toronto from 1920 to 1945. She argued that the presence of female psychologists in both academic and applied fields in this period was far from marginal. Finally, in their recent paper, Keates and Stam (2009) analysed patterns in the educational experiences of five prominent women who received their PhDs from Canadian institutions prior to 1950: Katharine BanhamBridges (1897-1995), Magda Arnold (1903-2002), Mary NorthPelin way (1909-1987), Mary S. Ainsworth (1913-1999), and Mary J. Wright (b. 1915). The authors compared the experiences of these women to those of the first generation of American women psychologists, noting however that this cohort of Canadian psychologists entered the field later than their American counterparts due to the later institutionalization of psychology in Canada.One of the trends that Keates and Stam (2009) identified was that because of this later entry, the Canadian women psychologists did not appear to encounter the same institutional and educational barriers as the earlier American cohort. They suggested that Canadian women's comparably uncontested entrance into psychology likely resulted from the already accomplished shift in the field's orientation from primarily experimental to largely applied. …

Anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering (ASAXS) is a powerful technique for probing catalyst particle sizes on the nanometer scale making it ideal for monitoring particle size distributions (PSDs) of Pt-based cathode electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Potential cycling experiments were performed on Pt nano-particles in both aqueous and membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) environments. PSDs were resolved through in-situ ASAXS and used to calculate geometric surface areas (GSA) and mass losses. A comparison of the losses in the GSA and mass of Pt along with changes in the evolutions of the PSDs over 900 potential cycles elucidated differences between degradation mechanisms in the two different environments. The MEA environment induced greater GSA and mass losses while maintaining similar growth in the mean particle size as compared to the aqueous environment. Results show changes in PSDs consistent with dominant mechanisms of Pt dissolution/coarsening in the aqueous environment and dissolution in the MEA environment.

Proponents of what has been termed the Gender Similarities Hypothesis (GSH) have typically relied on meta-analyses as well as the generation of nonsignificant tests of mean differences to support their argument that the genders are more similar than they are different. In the present article, we argue that alternative statistical methodologies, such as tests of equivalence, can provide more accurate (yet equally rigorous) tests of these hypotheses and therefore might serve to complement, challenge, and/or extend findings from meta-analyses. To demonstrate and test the usefulness of such procedures, we examined Scholastic Aptitude Test–Math (SAT-M) data to determine the degree of similarity between genders in the historically gender-stereotyped field of mathematics. Consistent with previous findings, our results suggest that men and women performed similarly on the SAT-M for every year that we examined (1996–2009). Importantly, our statistical approach provides a greater opportunity to open a dialogue on theoretical issues surrounding what does and what should constitute a meaningful difference in intelligence and achievement. As we note in the discussion, it remains important to consider whether even very small but consistent gender differences in mean test performance could reflect stereotype threat in the testing environment and/or gender biases in the test itself that would be important to address.

The Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure is a helpful tool for assessing the physical quality of soil, since it allows detailed examination of the soil structure as well as identification of layers modified by soil management. The Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) method (Ball et al., 2007) has been applied in Brazil because it is simple and relatively objective, giving semi quantitative results quickly. It was used to determine the physical quality of soils under systems of no-tillage. In the present study, the potential for utilization of the VESS method was studied in three field experiments under no-tillage: (i) a comparison between mechanical and biological soil loosening, (ii) a study of changes in soybean yield and soil structural quality along a transect with a soil textural gradient, and (iii) a comparison with Visual Soil Assessment (VS) method (Shepherd, 2009) along the same transect. Overall the use of VESS proved to be an efficient semi quantitative methodology for assessing soil physical quality in Brazilian soils under no-tillage.

The sustainability of agricultural systems depends on the evaluation and monitoring of soil use and tillage in order to mitigate soil degradation. The visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) was developed to provide a quick, simple and easily understood test to enable researchers, farmers and consultants to score soil quality. In this paper we test the hypothesis that soil structural quality, as specified by VESS (Sq), is sensitive enough to identify differences in structure, resulting from soil management, in and between layers of topsoil. The Sq score ranges from 1 (good) to 5 (poor soil structure). Improvements have already been made to this method, but we wished to test the validity of Sq results compared with other indicators of soil physical quality. Our aims were (1) to evaluate the usefulness of VESS to compare layering of topsoil structure under different soil management and (2) to identify which soil physical properties Sq most closely relates to. We chose to work on soils of contrasting texture in response to criticism that the test works well only on medium-textured soils. In our first experiment, we assessed Scottish soil from native forest that had never been cropped and from arable soils just after harvest so where there was a visible difference between soil tracked or not tracked during harvesting operations. Soil qualities measured were soil resistance to penetration (SR), bulk density (Bd) and air permeability (Ka). In our second experiment we compared the least limiting water range (LLWR) with VESS in a Brazilian Oxisol under no-tillage. VESS showed the differences between the treatments and layers of topsoil. Sq increased with SR and Bd but decreased with air permeability. Results for LLWR showed that for Sq ≥ 3.5, the LLWR was zero, indicating soil physical condition highly restrictive to plants. Harvest is a time of significant soil compaction and the VESS test detected compaction even where it was not visible at the surface and as such may prove useful in diagnosing and remediating compaction and assessing suitability for minimum tillage.

Few Canadian children are meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines for optimal growth and health. There is little information describing the patterns of PA among Canadian youth, so it is difficult to determine where the deficits occur. The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of youth and windows of time characterized by low PA and high sedentary behaviour. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 626 youth (aged 10–15 years) in 2 Canadian provinces. The primary exposure variables included geographic setting (rural vs. urban), sex, and days of the week (weekend days vs. weekdays). The primary outcome measures were minutes of light PA, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sedentary behavior, assessed with accelerometry. Compared with weekdays, MVPA was ∼30% lower on weekend days (55.8 ± 23.0 min vs. 38.7 ± 26.7 min; p < 0.001), whereas light PA was ∼15% higher. Significantly more youth achieved an average of >60 min of MVPA on weekdays than on weekend days (46% vs. 22%; p < 0.001). Sex-specific differences in MVPA were more pronounced on weekdays than on weekend days (∼13 vs ∼8 min per day; p < 0.01). Youth in rural settings achieved ∼9 fewer minutes of MVPA daily than youth in urban settings (p < 0.001). In youth 10 to 15 years of age, daily MVPA is lower and light PA is higher on weekend days than on weekdays. Girls and students living in rural areas were particularly vulnerable to low levels of MVPA.

Soil structure affects microbial activity and thus influences greenhouse gas production and exchange in soil. Structure is variable and increasingly vulnerable to compaction and erosion damage as agriculture intensifies and climate changes. Few studies have specifically related the impact of structure and its variability to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over a wide range of soils and management treatments. The objective of this study was to draw from research in Scotland, Japan and New Zealand, which examined how soil structures affected by wheel compaction, animal trampling, tillage and land-use change influence GHG emissions in order to help identify key controlling properties. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is the main focus, though carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitric oxide (NO) are included. Gas emissions were measured by using static chambers in the field or incubated intact cores. Poor structure, measured as small relative gas diffusivities and air permeabilities, restricted aeration, resulting in N2O emission or consumption dependent on mineral nitrogen contents. Structural damage (identifiable using the Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure) was especially important near the soil surface where microsites of microbial activity were exposed and aeration was impaired. Moist, well-aerated soils favoured CH4 oxidation and CO2 exchange. N2O emissions were not necessarily increased in anaerobic soils because of possible N2O consumption and microbial adaptation. Soil matric potential, volumetric water content, relative diffusivity, air permeability and water-filled pore space are relevant indicators for N2O and CH4 flux and aeration status. As pore continuity and size are so relevant, pore-scale models are likely to have an increasing role in understanding mechanisms of GHG production, transport and release.

Summary Over the past 20 years, research has focused on the writing processes of college students, however, despite recent support for writing as a tool of reflection in nursing education, little is known about how it is that nursing students go about writing papers and assignments as part of their professional education. In order to determine the writing processes of nursing students, the Inventory of Processes in College Composition, a self-response questionnaire, was administered to 169 nursing students. Results support the independence of the writing approaches that nursing students use and similarity to the writing approaches of a general college student population.

The plasma panel sensor (PPS) is a gaseous micropattern radiation detector under current development. It has many operational and fabrication principles common to plasma display panels. It comprises a dense matrix of small, gas plasma discharge cells within a hermetically sealed panel. As in plasma display panels, it uses nonreactive, intrinsically radiation-hard materials such as glass substrates, refractory metal electrodes, and mostly inert gas mixtures. We are developing these devices primarily as thin, low-mass detectors with gas gaps from a few hundred microns to a few millimeters. The PPS is a high gain, inherently digital device with the potential for fast response times, fine position resolution (

With the rapid growth of online social networking for health, health care systems are experiencing an inescapable increase in complexity. This is not necessarily a drawback; self-organising, adaptive networks could become central to future health care delivery. This paper considers whether social networks composed of patients and their social circles can compete with, or complement, professional networks in assembling health-related information of value for improving health and health care. Using the framework of analysis of a two-sided network – patients and providers – with multiple platforms for interaction, we argue that the structure and dynamics of such a network has implications for future health care. Patients are using social networking to access and contribute health information. Among those living with chronic illness and disability and engaging with social networks, there is considerable expertise in assessing, combining and exploiting information. Social networking is providing a new landscape for patients to assemble health information, relatively free from the constraints of traditional health care. However, health information from social networks currently complements traditional sources rather than substituting for them. Networking among health care provider organisations is enabling greater exploitation of health information for health care planning. The platforms of interaction are also changing. Patient-doctor encounters are now more permeable to influence from social networks and professional networks. Diffuse and temporary platforms of interaction enable discourse between patients and professionals, and include platforms controlled by patients. We argue that social networking has the potential to change patterns of health inequalities and access to health care, alter the stability of health care provision and lead to a reformulation of the role of health professionals. Further research is needed to understand how network structure combined with its dynamics will affect the flow of information and potentially the allocation of health care resources.

Leptin is a circulating protein which regulates dietary intake through binding the leptin receptor. Numerous labs have used known structures and mutagenesis to study this binding process in common animal models (human, mouse and rat). Understanding this binding process in other vertebrate species will allow for a better understanding of leptin and leptin receptor function. The binding site between leptin and leptin receptor is highly conserved in mammals as confirmed through sequence alignments mapped onto structures of both leptin and leptin receptor. More variation in this interaction is found in lizard and frog sequences. Using our models, we show that the avian leptin sequences have far less variation in the binding site than does the leptin receptor. This analysis further suggests that avian leptins are artifactual. In fish, gene duplication events have led to the expression of multiple leptin proteins. These multiple leptin proteins have variation in the regions interacting with leptin receptor. In zebrafish and the Japanese rice fish, we propose that leptin A has a higher binding energy than does B. Differing binding energies are evidence of either divergent functions, different binding confirmations, or other protein partners of leptin B.