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Shauna Stevenson,1 Haresh Suppiah,1 Joshua Ruddy,2 Sean Murphy,2 Matthew Driller1 1Sport, Performance, and Nutrition Research Group, School of Allied Health, Human Services, and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; 2Essendon Football Club, Melbourne, AustraliaCorrespondence: Shauna Stevenson, School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia, Tel +61 450 782 680, Email s.stevenson@latrobe.edu.auObjective: Light exposure techniques have been recommended to combat sleep issues caused by disruption to circadian regularity in the athletic population, although studies are lacking.Methods: A total of 17 professional male Australian Football athletes (age ± SD: 22 ± 3 years) wore a wrist actigraph to measure sleep parameters, and a wearable light sensor to measure melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance (mEDI, in lux) for 14 days. Participants completed three sleep questionnaires at the end of the data collection period and completed well-being surveys 6 times. The Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) for each player was also calculated from actigraphy data. Light exposure data were organised into three different timeframes: morning (wake time + 2 hours), daytime (end of morning to 6 pm), and evening (2 hours leading up to bedtime) for analysis. Repeated measures correlation was conducted for objective sleep measures and mEDI values per timeframe. Pearson’s correlation was conducted on subjective sleep measures and well-being measures against mEDI values per timeframe.Results: Higher morning light was associated with significantly (p < 0.001) greater total sleep time (r = 0.31). Higher daytime light exposure was associated with higher subjective sleep quality (r = 0.48, p < 0.05). Higher evening light exposure was associated with higher Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) global scores (r = 0.52, p < 0.05). There were no other significant correlations between light exposure and sleep or well-being measures (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Higher morning and daylight exposure levels were associated with various positive objective and subjective sleep measures in professional team sport athletes, supporting the need for education on optimising light exposure to improve circadian function, sleep, and health.Keywords: mEDI, actigraphy, wearable light sensors, lux, circadian rhythms

The transdiagnostic approach to psychopathology has emerged as an alternative to traditional taxonomic approaches. The Multidimensional Emotional Disorders Inventory (MEDI) is a specifically designed self-report to measure the transdiagnostic dimensions proposed by Brown and Barlow (2009). This study aims to analyse the psychometric properties of the MEDI scores in adolescents with subthreshold anxiety and depression. The sample consisted of a total of 476 students. The mean age was 13.77 years (SD = 1.43) (range 10 to 18 years), 73.9 % were females. Several questionnaires assessing positive affect, negative affect, mental health difficulties, and quality of life were used. The original 9-factor structure of the MEDI was confirmed with good fit indices. Satisfactory levels of internal consistency were observed in most of the MEDI scores using McDonald's Omega, ranging from 0.58 to 0.87. The MEDI dimensions were associated with psychopathology, positive affect, negative affect, and quality of life. Reliance on self-reported data, a cross-sectional design limiting temporal assessment, and a 73.9 % female gender imbalance. The MEDI scores showed adequate psychometric properties among adolescents with subclinical emotional symptoms. The results found might have potential clinical implications for conceptualization, assessment, intervention, and prevention of emotional disorders at both clinical and research levels. • Emotional disorders and symptoms constitute one of the major public health challenges among youths. • The transdiagnostic approach to psychopathology has emerged as an alternative to traditional taxonomic approaches. • MEDI scores showed adequate psychometric properties among adolescents with subclinical emotional symptoms. • MEDI is a useful tool for assessing transdiagnostic dimensions of emotional disorders in young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of circadian lighting-induced melatonin suppression on patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders in hospital wards by using an ad-hoc metrology framework and the subsequent metrics formalized by the CIE in 2018. A measurement scheme was conducted in hospital ward rooms in the Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, at Roskilde in Denmark, to evaluate the photometric and colorimetric characteristics of the lighting system, as well as its influence on the circadian rhythm of the occupants. The measurement scheme included point measurements and data logging, using a spectrophotometer mounted on a tripod with adjustable height to assess the newly installed circadian lighting system. The measured spectra were uploaded to the Luox platform to calculate illuminance, CCT, MEDI, etc., in accordance with the CIE S026 standard. Furthermore, the MLIT based on MEDI data logging results was calculated. In addition to CIE S026, we have investigated the usefulness of melatonin suppression models for the assessment of circadian performance regarding measured light. From the results, the lighting conditions in the patient room for both minimal and abundant daylight access were evaluated and compared; we found that access to daylight is essential for both illumination and circadian entrainment. It can be concluded that the measurement scheme, together with the use of the Luox platform and Canva template, is suitable for the accurate and satisfactory measurement of integrative lighting that aligns with CIE requirements and recommendations.

The neuroprotective effects of dietary patterns have been reported in previous studies. This study aimed to examine the association between the dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean diet (MeDi), and the Mediterranean‐DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) with the severity and risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this comparative cross‐sectional study, 120 patients with PD and 50 healthy participants participated. Adherence to DASH, MeDi, and MIND dietary patterns was determined according to the dietary intake data using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The Severity of PD was determined by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The mean score of the DASH was significantly lower in the PD group compared to the healthy group (p =.006), but the mean score of MeDi and MIND did not significantly differ between the two groups (p >.05). Also, the mean score of the DASH was significantly lower in men than in women in the healthy group (p =.018). High adherence to the DASH diet decreased the risk of PD by 15% (OR = 0.856, 95% CI: 0.751, 0.976, p =.020). Participants in quartiles 3 and 4 of the DASH dietary pattern had 86% (p =.003) and 87% (p =.007), respectively, lower risk of PD. MeDi and MIND diets were not significantly associated with the risk of PD. There was no significant association between dietary patterns and the severity of PD. The findings indicate that high adherence to the DASH dietary pattern may protect against PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of circadian lighting-induced melatonin suppression on patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders in hospital wards by using an ad-hoc metrology framework and the subsequent metrics formalized by the CIE in 2018. A measurement scheme was conducted in hospital ward rooms in the Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, at Roskilde in Denmark, to evaluate the photometric and colorimetric characteristics of the lighting system, as well as its influence on the circadian rhythm of the occupants. The measurement scheme included point measurements and data logging, using a spectrophotometer mounted on a tripod with adjustable height to assess the newly installed circadian lighting system. The measured spectra were uploaded to the Luox platform to calculate illuminance, CCT, MEDI, etc., in accordance with the CIE S026 standard. Furthermore, the MLIT based on MEDI data logging results was calculated. In addition to CIE S026, we have investigated the usefulness of melatonin suppression models for the assessment of circadian performance regarding measured light. From the results, the lighting conditions in the patient room for both minimal and abundant daylight access were evaluated and compared; we found that access to daylight is essential for both illumination and circadian entrainment. It can be concluded that the measurement scheme, together with the use of the Luox platform and Canva template, is suitable for the accurate and satisfactory measurement of integrative lighting that aligns with CIE requirements and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of intelligent and integrative lighting, in addition to the need for color quality and brightness, the non-visual effect is essential. This refers to the retinal ganglion cells ( i p R G C s ) and their function, which were first proposed in 1927. The melanopsin action spectrum has been published in CIE S 026/E: 2018 with the corresponding melanopic equivalent daylight (D65) illuminance ( m E D I ), melanopic daylight (D65) efficacy ratio ( m D E R ), and four other parameters. Due to the importance of m E D I and m D E R , this work synthesizes a simple computational model of m D E R as the main research objective, based on a database of 4214 practical spectral power distributions (SPDs) of daylight, conventional, LED, and mixed light sources. In addition to the high correlation coefficient R 2 of 0.96795 and the 97% confidence offset of 0.0067802, the feasibility of the m D E R model in intelligent and integrated lighting applications has been extensively tested and validated. The uncertainty between the m E D I calculated directly from the spectra and that obtained by processing the RGB sensor and applying the m D E R model reached ± 3.3% after matrix transformation and illuminance processing combined with the successful m D E R calculation model. This result opens the potential for low-cost RGB sensors for applications in intelligent and integrative lighting systems to optimize and compensate for the non-visual effective parameter m E D I using daylight and artificial light in indoor spaces. The goal of the research on R G B sensors and the corresponding processing method are also presented and their feasibility is methodically demonstrated. A comprehensive investigation with a huge amount of color sensor sensitivities is necessary in a future work of other research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemplative science has made great strides in the empirical investigation of meditation practices, such as how mindfulness, compassion, and mantra practices impact health and well-being. However, meditation practices from the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition that use mental imagery to transform distressing beliefs and emotions have been little explored. We examined the “Feeding Your Demons” meditation, a secular adaptation of the traditional Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist meditation practice of Chöd (“Severance”) in a pilot, randomized controlled trial in which 61 community adults from the U.S. with prior meditation experience and moderate levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms (70% female)were randomly assigned to one month (15 meditation sessions) of “Feeding Your Demons” practice or a waitlist control group. Written diary entries were collected immediately after each meditation session. We used an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach to examine qualitative responses to two questions which probed (1) how participants made meaning of each meditation session and (2) how they thought it may impact their future thoughts and intentions for action. Five major themes were identified based on 20 codes developed through an inductive review of written responses across all participants. The themes included an enhanced sense of self-worth and confidence, empathy for the “demon” or rejected parts of oneself, increased self-awareness, an active-oriented “fierce” self-compassion, and an acceptance form of self-compassion. Overall, participants expressed an ability to reframe, or transform, their relationship to distressing thoughts, emotions, and experiences as they gained personal insights, self-compassion, and acceptance through the meditation process which in turn shaped their future intentions for action in the world. This research suggests that a secular form of a Vajrayana Buddhist practice may be beneficial for Western meditation practitioners with no prior training in Vajrayana Buddhism. Future research is warranted to understand its longer-term impacts on health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemplative science has made great strides in the empirical investigation of meditation practices, such as how mindfulness, compassion, and mantra practices impact health and well-being. However, meditation practices from the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition that use mental imagery to transform distressing beliefs and emotions have been little explored. We examined the “Feeding Your Demons” meditation, a secular adaptation of the traditional Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist meditation practice of Chöd (“Severance”) in a pilot, randomized controlled trial in which 61 community adults from the U.S. with prior meditation experience and moderate levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms (70% female)were randomly assigned to one month (15 meditation sessions) of “Feeding Your Demons” practice or a waitlist control group. Written diary entries were collected immediately after each meditation session. We used an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach to examine qualitative responses to two questions which probed (1) how participants made meaning of each meditation session and (2) how they thought it may impact their future thoughts and intentions for action. Five major themes were identified based on 20 codes developed through an inductive review of written responses across all participants. The themes included an enhanced sense of self-worth and confidence, empathy for the “demon” or rejected parts of oneself, increased self-awareness, an active-oriented “fierce” self-compassion, and an acceptance form of self-compassion. Overall, participants expressed an ability to reframe, or transform, their relationship to distressing thoughts, emotions, and experiences as they gained personal insights, self-compassion, and acceptance through the meditation process which in turn shaped their future intentions for action in the world. This research suggests that a secular form of a Vajrayana Buddhist practice may be beneficial for Western meditation practitioners with no prior training in Vajrayana Buddhism. Future research is warranted to understand its longer-term impacts on health and well-being.

In the context of intelligent and integrative lighting, in addition to the need for color quality and brightness, the non-visual effect is essential. This refers to the retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) and their function, which were first proposed in 1927. The melanopsin action spectrum has been published in CIE S 026/E: 2018 with the corresponding melanopic equivalent daylight (D65) illuminance (mEDI), melanopic daylight (D65) efficacy ratio (mDER), and four other parameters. Due to the importance of mEDI and mDER, this work synthesizes a simple computational model of mDER as the main research objective, based on a database of 4214 practical spectral power distributions (SPDs) of daylight, conventional, LED, and mixed light sources. In addition to the high correlation coefficient R2 of 0.96795 and the 97% confidence offset of 0.0067802, the feasibility of the mDER model in intelligent and integrated lighting applications has been extensively tested and validated. The uncertainty between the mEDI calculated directly from the spectra and that obtained by processing the RGB sensor and applying the mDER model reached ± 3.3% after matrix transformation and illuminance processing combined with the successful mDER calculation model. This result opens the potential for low-cost RGB sensors for applications in intelligent and integrative lighting systems to optimize and compensate for the non-visual effective parameter mEDI using daylight and artificial light in indoor spaces. The goal of the research on RGB sensors and the corresponding processing method are also presented and their feasibility is methodically demonstrated. A comprehensive investigation with a huge amount of color sensor sensitivities is necessary in a future work of other research.

Sandstorm events are one of the major environmental hazards in the Arabian Peninsula. This study aims to investigate sandstorm events by applying MEDI (Middle East Dust Index) on MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. For this, twenty sandstorm events over Saudi Arabia are selected. The resultant MEDI sandstorm events are verified by the data from ground-based meteorological stations, MSG (Meteosat Second Generation) satellite data, and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) based on dark target-deep blue MODIS Terra product. Accuracy analysis of the method indicates that POFD (Probability Of False positive Detection), POCD (Probability Of Correct positive Detection), and MEDI accuracy for detecting sandstorm event over study area is 29 %, 92 %, and 73 % respectively. The outcomes of the research indicate that MEDI can effectively detect sandstorm events in the study area. It is envisaged that the current endeavor can be very beneficial for the environmentalists, climatologists, and policy makers in order to mitigate sandstorm related issues affecting the society in terms of health and economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To (a) develop a preconditioned water‐fat total field inversion (wfTFI) algorithm that directly estimates the susceptibility map from complex multi‐echo gradient echo data for water‐fat regions and to (b) evaluate the performance of the proposed wfTFI quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) method in comparison with a local field inversion (LFI) method and a linear total field inversion (TFI) method in the spine. Methods: Numerical simulations and in vivo spine multi‐echo gradient echo measurements were performed to compare wfTFI to an algorithm based on disjoint background field removal (BFR) and LFI and to a formerly proposed TFI algorithm. The data from 1 healthy volunteer and 10 patients with metastatic bone disease were included in the analysis. Clinical routine computed tomography (CT) images were used as a reference standard to distinguish osteoblastic from osteolytic changes. The ability of the QSM methods to distinguish osteoblastic from osteolytic changes was evaluated. Results: The proposed wfTFI method was able to decrease the normalized root mean square error compared to the LFI and TFI methods in the simulation. The in vivo wfTFI susceptibility maps showed reduced BFR artifacts, noise amplification, and streaking artifacts compared to the LFI and TFI maps. wfTFI provided a significantly higher diagnostic confidence in differentiating osteolytic and osteoblastic lesions in the spine compared to the LFI method (p =.012). Conclusion: The proposed wfTFI method can minimize BFR artifacts, noise amplification, and streaking artifacts in water‐fat regions and can thus better differentiate between osteoblastic and osteolytic changes in patients with metastatic disease compared to LFI and the original TFI method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to elaborate an integrative review of literature concerning the sociocultural variables and the diet type as risk factors for the development of anorexia and nervous bulimia. A qualitative research method was adopted, which published data from scientific database and manuscripts (e.g. Scielo, LilacsBireme and Pubmed) were selected. Manuscripts containing the following combinations ‘nervous anorexia’ and ‘risk factors’ or ‘nervous bulimia’ and ‘risk factors’, or cultural and psychological variables and diet type as risk factors for the development of ‘anorexia’ and ‘bulimia’. After the adoption of the screening criteria, a total of 12 scientific manuscripts was considered for this review. Data analysis showed that uncontrolled eating attitudes are increasing mainly among young people being mostly female. Most studies have correlated the use of the media with a higher probability of developing eating disorders probably due to the sociocultural pressure (digital influencers, parents, friends, etc.) which spread out an unattainable standard of beauty. The internalization of this ‘ideal beauty’ seems to be the mediating point between sociocultural pressure and the development of body dissatisfaction. In this context, it can be inferred that sociocultural factors and diet types, mainly the most restrictive diets, are preponderant factors in the development of eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel hypocrisy: when the mediatizated hypocrisy is naked. The economic crisis of 2008 and its hypocritical tales. The contemporary communication environment in which we are deep every day is a media environment, that is, permeated by the logics and the dynamics of the media industry. These logics and dynamics contain a physiological dose of hypocrisy, just as with logics and dynamics relating to the political sphere – increasingly hybridized with the media system – which participates in the construction of social reality. The mediatization and hybridization processes have “normalized” the presence of hypocrisy in contemporary society, so much so that it is perceived more and more difficult, particularly in social pacification periods. However – as this paper will try to demonstrate – significant and shocking social phenomena (as the economic and financial crisis of 2008) can blow the mechanisms of “mediatizated hypocrisy”, making visible its presence in the different levels of the media-politics representation

Background. In the Mediterranean Sea, habitat preferences of small benthic fishes of shallow waters have been poorly investigated. Although combtooth blennies are not of interest for fisheries, they are often the dominant fish community on rocky bottoms within the first meter of depth and in tidal pool environments, playing so an important role in the functioning of the coastal ecosystem. This study represents the first detailed investigation concerning habitat preference and depth distribution of combtooth blennies in the Ionian Sea. Materials and methods. Occurrence and abundance of species were investigated by a non-destructive visual census method using snorkelling or SCUBA diving. We investigated 5 habitat types (bathymetric intervals between 0 and 3 m of depth) to find difference in species richness and abundance in each one and between. Studies were conducted from June to October 2014 in the south-eastern coast of Sicily. Statistical method of the electivity index (EI) and principal component analysis (PCA) were utilized for the evaluation of the habitat preference of 11 species of combtooth blennies. Depth distribution for each species was box-plotted. For each habitat and depth, the Shannon–Wiener Index (H’) and the Simpson Index (D) were calculated. Diversity profiles were performed in order to give a better understanding of the correlation between diversity and both habitat types and depth. Results. During a total of 2485 observations of combtooth blennies a total of 11 species were recorded: Aidablennius sphynx (Valenciennes, 1836); Coryphoblennius galerita (Linnaeus, 1758); Lipophrys trigloides (Valenciennes, 1836); Microlipophrys canevae (Vinciguerra, 1880); Parablennius gattorugine (Linnaeus, 1758); Parablennius incognitus (Bath, 1968); Parablennius pilicornis (Cuvier, 1829); Parablennius sanguinolentus (Pallas, 1814); Parablennius zvonimiri (Kolombatović, 1892); Salaria pavo (Risso, 1810); Scartella cristata (Linnaeus, 1758). The maximum Shannon–Wiener Index (H’= 2.335) and Simpson Index (D = 0.898) values were recorded on “rocks with algal cover”; while, concerning the depth, the maximum values of both indices were recorded within the first meter. The diversity indices showed the highest values in the most heterogeneous habitat types. There was a negative correlation between depth and diversity indices. Results showed a clear habitat preference for the following species: A. sphynx, P. gattorugine, P. sanguinolentus, S. pavo and S. cristata. Conclusion. This study highlights the importance of depth and habitat heterogeneity in biological diversity, species richness and population abundances of combtooth blennies in the Mediterranean Sea.

The proposed work aims at analyzing the effects of senses on the grammarian and cultured standard produced in titles of interviews with Evanildo Bechara. Thereby, we question ourselves how the media institution formulates their titles in order to obtain the access of a readership and establish a certain sense (and not others) when that is put into circulation. For this, we took as corpus 10 titles of interviews with the aforementioned Grammarian. We endorsed this paper in the theoretical assumptions of discourse analysis of French line, highlighting the issue of media operation and the notion of discursive formula. For such perspective, subjects and directions are determined historically: are opaque and have a constitutive materiality. In our analysis we were able to see that there is a materialization of senses in the titles that incorporates crystallized formulations regarding the meaning of the subject and grammarian of the standard educated in our society.

ACT The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of marital self efficacy in the relationship between the positive interpersonal style and marital satisfaction among married people. Participants were formed by 175 female and 131 male, a total of 306 married people living in Malatya. Interpersonal Relationships Scale, Marital Self-efficacy Scale and Marital Life Scale were used in this study. Collected data were analyzed by regression techniques. The findings demonstrated that positive interpersonal relationship style predicted marital satisfaction and marital self efficacy, besides, in the relation between positive interpersonal relationship style and marital satisfaction, marital self efficacy acted as a partial media

The neuroprotective effects of dietary patterns have been reported in previous studies. This study aimed to examine the association between the dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean diet (MeDi), and the Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) with the severity and risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this comparative cross-sectional study, 120 patients with PD and 50 healthy participants participated. Adherence to DASH, MeDi, and MIND dietary patterns was determined according to the dietary intake data using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The Severity of PD was determined by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The mean score of the DASH was significantly lower in the PD group compared to the healthy group ( p  = .006), but the mean score of MeDi and MIND did not significantly differ between the two groups ( p  > .05). Also, the mean score of the DASH was significantly lower in men than in women in the healthy group ( p  = .018). High adherence to the DASH diet decreased the risk of PD by 15% (OR = 0.856, 95% CI: 0.751, 0.976, p  = .020). Participants in quartiles 3 and 4 of the DASH dietary pattern had 86% ( p  = .003) and 87% ( p  = .007), respectively, lower risk of PD. MeDi and MIND diets were not significantly associated with the risk of PD. There was no significant association between dietary patterns and the severity of PD. The findings indicate that high adherence to the DASH dietary pattern may protect against PD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is an MRI postprocessing technique that allows quantification of the spatial distribution of tissue magnetic susceptibility in vivo. Contributing sources include iron, blood products, calcium, myelin, and lipid content.Purpose: To evaluate the reproducibility and consistency of QSM across clinical field strengths of 1.5T and 3T and to optimize the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) at 1.5T through bandwidth tuning.Study Type: Prospective.Subjects: Sixteen healthy volunteers (10 men, 6 women; age range 24-37; mean age 27.8 ± 3.2 years).Field Strengths/sequences: 1.5T and 3T systems from the same vendor. Four spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) sequences were designed with different acquisition bandwidths.Assessment: QSM reconstruction was achieved through a nonlinear morphology-enabled dipole inversion (MEDI) algorithm employing L1 regularization. CNR was calculated in seven regions of interest (ROIs), while reproducibility and consistency of QSM measurements were evaluated through voxel-based and region-specific linear correlation analyses and Bland-Altman plots.Statistical Tests: Interclass correlation, Wilcoxon rank sum test, linear regression analysis, Bland-Altman analysis, Welch's t-test.Results: CNR analysis showed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in four out of seven ROIs for the lowest bandwidth employed with respect to the highest (25.18% increase in CNR of caudate nucleus). All sequences reported an excellent correlation across field strength and bandwidth variation (R ≥ 0.96, widest limits of agreement from -18.7 to 25.8 ppb) in the ROI-based analysis, while the correlation was found to be good for the voxel-based analysis of averaged maps (R ≥ 0.90, widest limits of agreement from -9.3 to 9.1 ppb).Data Conclusion: CNR of QSM images reconstructed from 1.5T acquisitions can be enhanced through bandwidth tuning. MEDI-based QSM reconstruction demonstrated to be reproducible and consistent both across field strengths (1.5T and 3T) and bandwidth variation.Level Of Evidence: 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1410-1420. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of the presently reported study, covering the Homa Lagoon, Izmir Bay, Turkey, we collected a total of 2690 fish specimens belonging to 15 families and representing 29 species: Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758); Atherina hepsetus Linnaeus, 1758; Atherina boyeri Risso, 1810; Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761); Blennius ocellaris Linnaeus, 1758; Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792); Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821); Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758); Gobius niger Linnaeus, 1758; Pomatoschistus marmoratus (Risso, 1810); Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas, 1770); Zosterisessor ophiocephalus (Pallas, 1814); Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758); Chelon labrasus (Risso, 1827); Liza aurata (Risso, 1810); Liza ramada (Risso, 1827); Liza saliens (Risso, 1810); Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758; Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758; Mullus surmuletus Linnaeus, 1758; Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758; Syngnathus typhle Linnaeus, 1758; Diplodus annularis (Linnaeus, 1758); Diplodus vulgaris (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817); Lithognathus mormyrus (Linnaeus, 1758); Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758); Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758; Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758); Solea solea (Linnaeus, 1758). The fish were weighed, and measured and their length–weight relations were determined. Samples were collected during 2009–2010 using four different types of fishing gear (beach seine, fyke nets, barrier trap, and trammel nets; mesh size: 25, 28, and 30 mm) that allowed both adult and juvenile specimens to be captured. Significant length–weight relations were found for all species. The exponent b varied between 2.753 for Pomatoschistus marmoratus and 3.650 for Aphanius fasciatus (mean value = 3.115). The length–weight parameters of the same species may be different in the population because of feeding, reproduction activities and fishing etc. Therefore, we need to know length–weight relations of fish, which are captured in a given place in a certain period of time. Length–weight relations for 5 out of the 29 fish species are presented for the first time from Homa Lagoon in the Turkish Aegean Sea.

La presente revisión de los aspectos del libre comercio y las reglas de origen tiene como propósito hacer una evaluación general de los tratados de libre comercio en el ámbito colombiano, algunas de sus consecuencias y los ele- mentos que los componen, especialmente el referente al tema de las Reglas de Origen. El estudio de las Reglas de Origen, como uno de los aspectos fundamentales de las negociaciones de cualquier tratado de libre comercio, es determinante para entender si con ellas se busca proteger algún sector de la industria, o si por el contrario se establecen de manera abierta para facilitar el libre intercambio. Mediante una breve evaluación del Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Colombia y Estados Unidos, la postura asumida durante las negociaciones y los intereses de ambos países previamente a la firma del acuerdo se hace una valoración de lo riguroso que pueden ser las Reglas de Origen en dicho acuerdo.

Sand and dust storm events (SDEs), which result from strong surface winds in arid and semi-arid areas, exhibiting loose dry soil surfaces are detrimental to human health, agricultural land, infrastructure, and transport. The accurate detection of near-surface dust is crucial for quantifying the spatial and temporal occurrence of SDEs globally. The Arabian Peninsula is an important source region for global dust due to the presence of extensive deserts. This paper evaluates the suitability of five different MODIS-based methods for detecting airborne dust over the Arabian Peninsula: (a) Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI); (b) Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) (31⁻32); (c) BTD (20⁻31); (d) Middle East Dust Index (MEDI) and (e) Reflective Solar Band (RSB). We derive detection thresholds for each index by comparing observed values for ‘dust-present’ versus ‘dust-free’ conditions, taking into account various land cover settings and analyzing associated temporal trends. Our results suggest that the BTD (31⁻32) method and the RSB index are the most suitable indices for detecting dust storms over different land-cover types across the Arabian Peninsula. The NDDI and BTD (20⁻31) methods have limitations in identifying dust over multiple land-cover types. Furthermore, the MEDI has been found to be unsuitable for detecting dust in the study area across all land-cover types.

Background. This study was initiated by the first observations of a coastal and benthic Atlantic fish species—Parablennius pilicornis (Cuvier, 1829)on the southern coasts of France.This fish has been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea since 1963, until recently colonizing its entire western part as well as the Adriatic Italian coasts. The aim of this study is to analyse and understand the dynamics of this invasion of P. pilicornisand to report its most recent sightings along theProvencal coast, France. Materials and methods. The data on the geographic distribution of P. pilicornis were either extracted from the relevant literature (majority of records) or contributed by the present authors. For the French coast, particularly the coast of Provence, the latter were data from underwater visual censuses, conducted during various studies or monitoring programs. The data were critically selected, organised, and analysed. Results. Two dispersal pathways seem to have been followed by P. pilicornis. The first follows the coast of Morocco, Algeria, and Italy. The second pathway goes through the Spanish and French coasts. The meeting point of these two ways may be located on the coast of Provance, where we lastly observed this species in 2006. The emergence of P. pilicornis in the Mediterranean Sea corresponds clearly to a marginal dispersal. Colonization of the western Mediterranean took 43 years. Conclusion. Since P. pilicornis is already present on the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea, the colonization of the eastern Mediterranean seems imminent.Global change, including rising temperatures, seem to be a factor promoting the repartition area of this fish with tropical affinities.

Background: Considerable evidence indicates that diet is an important risk-modifying factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Evidence is also mounting that dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are important risk factors for AD. Objective: This study strives to determine whether estimated dietary AGEs estimated from national diets and epidemiological studies are associated with increased AD incidence. Methods: We estimated values of dietary AGEs using values in a published paper. We estimated intake of dietary AGEs from the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) 1992 and 1999 cohort studies, which investigated how the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) affected AD incidence. Further, AD prevalence data came from three ecological studies and included data from 11 countries for 1977-1993, seven developing countries for 1995-2005, and Japan for 1985-2008. The analysis used dietary AGE values from 20 years before the AD prevalence data. Results: Meat was always the food with the largest amount of AGEs. Other foods with significant AGEs included fish, cheese, vegetables, and vegetable oil. High MeDi adherence results in lower meat and dairy intake, which possess high AGE content. By using two different models to extrapolate dietary AGE intake in the WHICAP 1992 and 1999 cohort studies, we showed that reduced dietary AGE significantly correlates with reduced AD incidence. For the ecological studies, estimates of dietary AGEs in the national diets corresponded well with AD prevalence data even though the cooking methods were not well known. Conclusion: Dietary AGEs appear to be important risk factors for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the contribution of the MEDication Indication (MEDI) resource and SemRep for identifying treatment relations in clinical text. Materials and methods We first processed clinical documents with SemRep to extract the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) concepts and the treatment relations between them. Then, we incorporated MEDI into a simple algorithm that identifies treatment relations between two concepts if they match a medication-indication pair in this resource. For a better coverage, we expanded MEDI using ontology relationships from RxNorm and UMLS Metathesaurus. We also developed two ensemble methods, which combined the predictions of SemRep and the MEDI algorithm. We evaluated our selected methods on two datasets, a Vanderbilt corpus of 6864 discharge summaries and the 2010 Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2)/Veteran's Affairs (VA) challenge dataset. Results The Vanderbilt dataset included 958 manually annotated treatment relations. A double annotation was performed on 25% of relations with high agreement (Cohen's Κ = 0.86). The evaluation consisted of comparing the manual annotated relations with the relations identified by SemRep, the MEDI algorithm, and the two ensemble methods. On the first dataset, the best F1 -measure results achieved by the MEDI algorithm and the union of the two resources (78.7 and 80, respectively) were significantly higher than the SemRep results (72.3). On the second dataset, the MEDI algorithm achieved better precision and significantly lower recall values than the best system in the i2b2 challenge. The two systems obtained comparable F1 -measure values on the subset of i2b2 relations with both arguments in MEDI. Conclusions Both SemRep and MEDI can be used to extract treatment relations from clinical text. Knowledge-based extraction with MEDI outperformed use of SemRep alone, but superior performance was achieved by integrating both systems. The integration of knowledge-based resources such as MEDI into information extraction systems such as SemRep and the i2b2 relation extractors may improve treatment relation extraction from clinical text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The interaction of 35ps laser pulses with methyl iodide clusters in the intensity region of 1012–3×1013 W/cm2 is studied at λ =266, 532 and 1064nm by means of time-of-flight mass spectrometry. At λ =532 and 1064nm the multielectron dissociative ionization (MEDI) of clusters results in highly charged atomic fragment (up to I7+) ion production of high kinetic energy. The explosion of the multiple charged cluster ions is found to be isotropic, while an asymmetric charge distribution prior to their fragmentation is observed. Moreover, negative ion formation is observed. The MEDI of clusters exhibits a dependence on laser polarization and the intensity thresholds for the observation of the fragment ions are determined for linear and circular laser polarization. These intensity thresholds are found to be about three orders of magnitude lower than those reported by experiments with 35ps laser pulses on CH3I monomers. For the observed MEDI of (CH3I) n clusters a mechanism is proposed. According to this mechanism, the clusters are initially single ionized by multiphoton absorption and an internal electric field is created within the cluster, which distorts the potential barriers. This distortion increases the probability for electron tunneling even at relatively low laser intensities, giving thus rise to the formation of negatively charged moieties within the clusters, which prevent the cluster elongation and facile further the tunneling process. This procedure results in a higher distortion of the internal barriers and an increased ionization of the clusters, which, due to increased repulsive forces, finally fragment leading to multiple charged high kinetic energy fragment ion production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The multielectron dissociative ionization of sulphur hexafluoride was investigated using 130 fs laser pulses at 810 nm wavelength. The pattern of the observed mass spectrum is explained based on the molecular structure symmetry and atomic ionization potentials. The kinetic energies of the atomic ions F+ and F2+ are consistent with a Coulomb explosion at a single critical internuclear distance. High precision angular distributions of atomic ions are obtained and the geometric alignment is responsible to the observed anisotropic angle distribution of energetic atomic ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sand and dust storm events (SDEs), which result from strong surface winds in arid and semi-arid areas, exhibiting loose dry soil surfaces are detrimental to human health, agricultural land, infrastructure, and transport. The accurate detection of near-surface dust is crucial for quantifying the spatial and temporal occurrence of SDEs globally. The Arabian Peninsula is an important source region for global dust due to the presence of extensive deserts. This paper evaluates the suitability of five different MODIS-based methods for detecting airborne dust over the Arabian Peninsula: (a) Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI); (b) Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) (31–32); (c) BTD (20–31); (d) Middle East Dust Index (MEDI) and (e) Reflective Solar Band (RSB). We derive detection thresholds for each index by comparing observed values for 'dust-present' versus 'dust-free' conditions, taking into account various land cover settings and analyzing associated temporal trends. Our results suggest that the BTD (31–32) method and the RSB index are the most suitable indices for detecting dust storms over different land-cover types across the Arabian Peninsula. The NDDI and BTD (20–31) methods have limitations in identifying dust over multiple land-cover types. Furthermore, the MEDI has been found to be unsuitable for detecting dust in the study area across all land-cover types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]