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Meloidogyne aegracyperi n. sp. is described from roots of purple nutsedge in southern New Mexico, USA. Mature females are small (310–460 µm), pearly white, with their egg masses completely contained inside root galls. The neck is often at a 90 to 130° angle to the protruding posterior end with the perineal pattern. The distance of the dorsal esophageal gland orifice (DGO) to the base of the stylet is relatively long (4.0–6.1 µm), and the excretory pore is level with the base of the stylet. The anterior portion of the rounded lumen lining of the metacorpus contains 3 to 10 small vesicles. The perineal pattern has a rounded dorsal arch with a tail terminal area that is smooth or marked with rope-like striae. Only two males were found. The body twists 90° throughout its length. The DGO to the base of the stylet is long (3.0–3.3) µm. The cephalic framework of the second-stage juvenile is weak, and the stylet is short (10.1–11.8 µm). The DGO to the base of the stylet is long (3–5 µm). The tail is very long (64–89 µm) and the hyaline portion of the tail is very narrow, making the tail finely pointed. Eggs are typical for the genus and vary in length (85.2–99.8 µm) and width (37.1–48.1 µm), having a L/W ratio of (2.1–2.6). Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the different molecular loci (partial 18S rRNA, D2-D3 of 28S rRNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA, cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII)-16S rRNA of mitochondrial DNA gene fragments and partial Hsp90 gene) placed this nematode on an independent branch in between M. graminicola and M. naasi and a cluster of species containing M. chitwoodi. M. fallax, and M. minor. Greenhouse tests showed that yellow and purple nutsedge were the best hosts, but perennial ryegrass, wheat, bentgrass, and barley were also hosts.

Despite various research approaches,there is still conflicting evidence as to the worthiness of injury prediction tools in football. This study was aiming at investigating correlations between injuries of amateur male football players and the results of a Functional Movement Screen (FMS). Using an observational design, ten amateur teams of the fifth and sixth division (Deutscher Fuball-Bund) were examined by means of FMS scores prior to a tenweek off- and main- season observation period (July to September 2013). The assessment included injuries and football exposure times during training and competition. Injury was defined as concerning the lower limb, and as non-contact with time loss of at least three days. After a drop-out of 56% (125 out of 221), 96 players could be analysed. We calculated a total exposure time of 1.770 hours (competition 289 h, training 1,481 h). We observed 10 injury incidents concerning 8 players, occurring exclusively during training. The according incidence was 6.8 injuries per 1.000 training hours. There were no significantdifferences between injured and uninjured players neither for any FMS item nor for the total score except for the hurdle step (Z=-2.059; p=0.040). Only the ratings for the hurdle step task and the injury state were correlated significantly (rpbis=0.209; p=0.041). Even if taking into account some experimental limitations, we conclude that the FMS does not allow a valid injury prediction in the field of amateur male football players.KEY WORDS: Football, Functional Movement Screen, Injury Prediction

This paper intends to give an umbrella overview of both low back pain (LBP) management in the general population focusing on exercise therapy and specific recommendations for LBP in athletes. We have included systematic reviews and international guidelines starting from the year 2000. Among all the varying concepts, advice to stay active was most evidentlybeneficial for chronic LBP patients in general. There was strong evidencethat unspecific exercise therapy was not more effective than cognitive-behavioral concepts, and also that specific back exercises should not be advised for chronic unspecific LBP.Individually tailored and supervised exercise programs were more effective, but in general there were no differences in the efficacy of differing types of specific exercise concepts; and even classification within the pool of heterogeneous LBP syndromes and a consecutively specified exercise management did not lead to conclusive LBP management solutions. It may be proposed that future research should focus more on the problem of chronic pain in general than on unspecific back pain.For athletes,the literature mirrors an understanding of LBP, which is specific according to sports-specific demands on the back rather than on LBP which is chronic and of unknown origin. Evidence-based guideline recommendations for the management of LBP and exercises in athletes are still lacking, or merely suggested. So far, athletes suffering from chronic unspecific LBP are treated like the general population.KEY WORDS: Low Back Pain, Exercise Therapy, General Population, Athletes, Umbrella Review

Undergraduate research is a valuable tool to demonstrate both the dedication and time required to be a successful biologist. One area of research that has intrigued students over the last several years is cytotoxicity. However, at smaller undergraduate institutions, the time, training, and funding available for these research studies may be limited. Direct counting of cells is tedious and leads to mistakes, and although there are now several colorimetric toxicity assays, some have several steps and require near-perfect pipetting skills. To identify the most reproducible and affordable method(s) for undergraduate students to perform cell-based toxicity studies, we compared three colorimetric assays to counting viable cells directly. Using a breast cancer model system, students applied cantharidin to two different breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB231, and performed MTT, resazurin, and crystal violet colorimetric assays or counted viable cells directly. We hypothesized that the MTT assay would be the most reproducible assay. Our results indicate that the crystal violet assay was not as reproducible as direct counting of cells, and therefore, not the best assay to use for toxicity tests. In contrast, the MTT and resazurin assays were highly reproducible and relatively low cost, and thus ideal assays for student research.

While the aurora has attracted attention for millennia, important questions remain unanswered. Foremost is how auroral electrons are accelerated before colliding with the ionosphere and producing auroral light. Powerful Alfvén waves are often found traveling Earthward above auroras with sufficient energy to generate auroras, but there has been no direct measurement of the processes by which Alfvén waves transfer their energy to auroral electrons. Here, we show laboratory measurements of the resonant transfer of energy from Alfvén waves to electrons under conditions relevant to the auroral zone. Experiments are performed by launching Alfvén waves and simultaneously recording the electron velocity distribution. Numerical simulations and analytical theory support that the measured energy transfer process produces accelerated electrons capable of reaching auroral energies. The experiments, theory, and simulations demonstrate a clear causal relationship between Alfvén waves and accelerated electrons that directly cause auroras.

Intimacy is often motivated by love, but sometimes it is merely functional. For example, disrobing and being touched at an airport security check serves the goal of catching a flight, not building a relationship. We propose that this functional intimacy induces discomfort, making people prefer greater social distance from their interaction partner. Supporting this prediction, participants who considered (Experiments 1 and 2) or experienced (Experiment 3) more physically intimate medical procedures preferred a health provider who is less social. Increased psychological intimacy also led people to prefer social distance from cleaning and health providers (Experiments 4-5), a preference revealed by nonverbal behavior (e.g., turning away and looking away, Experiments 6-7). These patterns of distancing are unique to functional (vs. romantic) intimacy (Experiment 7). Although creating social distance may be an effective strategy for coping with functional intimacy, it may have costs for service providers.

To achieve goals, individuals and organizations must understand how to effectively motivate themselves and others. We review three broad strategies that people employ to increase motivation: giving feedback, setting goal targets, and applying incentives. Although each of these strategies can effectively motivate action under certain circumstances and among certain people, they can also result in unintended consequences: not helping or even hurting motivation. For example, employers may give positive feedback that leads employees to relax their effort or negative feedback that undermines employees' commitment, organizations may set goals that are overly ambitious and consequently reduce motivation, and certain incentives might appear attractive before pursuing an action but uncertain incentives better motivate action during goal pursuit. By identifying when and how these common motivational strategies work versus fail, we are able to prescribe a specific set of guidelines that will help people understand how to motivate themselves and others.