Emotion, Fact, and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Wildfire and Urbanization after a Brief Intervention.

Understanding attitudes towards anthropogenic disturbances, especially among undergraduates, is important to inform educational practices because of the theoretical link between attitude and behavior. We evaluated the attitudes of undergraduate students in a biology majors course and nonmajors course toward two anthropogenic disturbances: wildfire and urbanization. Student attitudes were assessed via an online Wildfire and Urbanization Attitude survey (WUAS) before and after a video intervention, randomly delivered as either fact- or emotion-based versions. Student beliefs regarding wildfire and urbanization were positively correlated with their general intention to act toward environmental issues on both pre- and postintervention surveys, as suggested by theory. Student belief that urbanization was bad for the environment increased from pre- to postintervention. However, beliefs and intention to act did not statistically differ between majors/nonmajors or intervention video type. This study hints that brief interventions can impact student disturbance beliefs, but more research is needed to guide curriculum development. Despite some research suggesting the value of emotion to inspire climate action, our results suggest that more work needs to be done regarding the value of emotion to increase environmental action toward other anthropogenic disturbances.

A geo-chemo-mechanical study of a highly polluted marine system (Taranto, Italy) for the enhancement of the conceptual site model.

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the geo-chemo-mechanical data gathered through an innovative multidisciplinary investigation campaign in the Mar Piccolo basin, a heavily polluted marine bay aside the town of Taranto (Southern Italy). The basin is part of an area declared at high environmental risk by the Italian government. The cutting-edge approach to the environmental characterization of the site was promoted by the Special Commissioner for urgent measures of reclamation, environmental improvements and redevelopment of Taranto and involved experts from several research fields, who cooperated to gather a new insight into the origin, distribution, mobility and fate of the contaminants within the basin. The investigation campaign was designed to implement advanced research methodologies and testing strategies. Differently from traditional investigation campaigns, aimed solely at the assessment of the contamination state within sediments lying in the top layers, the new campaign provided an interpretation of the geo-chemo-mechanical properties and state of the sediments forming the deposit at the seafloor. The integrated, multidisciplinary and holistic approach, that considered geotechnical engineering, electrical and electronical engineering, geological, sedimentological, mineralogical, hydraulic engineering, hydrological, chemical, geochemical, biological fields, supported a comprehensive understanding of the influence of the contamination on the hydro-mechanical properties of the sediments, which need to be accounted for in the selection and design of the risk mitigation measures. The findings of the research represent the input ingredients of the conceptual model of the site, premise to model the evolutionary contamination scenarios within the basin, of guidance for the environmental risk management. The study testifies the importance of the cooperative approach among researchers of different fields to fulfil the interpretation of complex polluted eco-systems.

Increasing photoperiod stimulates the initiation of spring migratory behaviour and physiology in a facultative migrant, the pine siskin.

The transition to a migratory state involves coordinated changes in physiology and behaviour. In species with regular, predictable (obligate) migrations, increasing day length triggers the expression of a spring migratory state and androgens play an important role in stimulating its development. By contrast, we know little about the environmental cues and endocrine mechanisms that regulate migration in species with less predictable (facultative) migrations. Here, we tested whether photoperiod stimulates a migratory state in a facultative nomadic migrant, the pine siskin (Spinus pinus). We exposed wintering birds to either a naturally increasing or short-day photoperiod and measured physiological and behavioural changes indicative of a migratory state. We also examined changes in circulating hormones that may play a role in the migratory transition. Natural-day, but not short-day, birds displayed physiological preparations for migration, including increases in fat deposition, and showed increased levels of migratory restlessness. We found no evidence for a role of corticosterone in the migratory transition, but testosterone may be important. This study is the first experimental test of the role of photoperiod in regulating facultative migration and demonstrates that the predictive cue used by many obligate migrants to time spring migration is also important in a facultative migrant.

Three out of four disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug-naïve rheumatoid arthritis patients meet 28-joint Disease Activity Score remission at 12 months: results from the FIN-ERA cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To assess what proportion of patients with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) reach 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) remission over 1 year, and remission variability across clinics in Finland. METHOD: Patients with DMARD-naïve newly diagnosed inflammatory arthritis were recruited. The proportion of patients in 28-joint Disease Activity Score with three variables (DAS28-3) remission was compared across sites. Repeated measures were analysed using a mixed models approach with appropriate distribution and link function. RESULTS: In total, 611 patients were recruited at five sites: 67% were female; the mean (sd) age was 57 (16) years; 71% and 68% were positive for rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides, respectively; and 23% had radiographic erosions. A total of 506 (83%) fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism 2010 classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis for further analyses. DAS28-3 remission was met by 68% and 75% at 3 and 12 months, respectively. The clinical site had no effect on remission when adjusted for confounders. At baseline, 68% used methotrexate-based combination therapy, and 31% used triple therapy with methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and sulphasalazine (the Fin-RACo regimen). In multivariate analysis, the only independent predictors of DAS28-3 remission at 12 months were lower baseline DAS28-3 and triple therapy as the initial treatment. CONCLUSION: Three out of four DMARD-naïve ERA patients in Finland are in remission during the first year from the diagnosis. High remission rates were achieved for most patients with the use of conventional synthetic DMARDs in combination. Treatment of DMARD-naïve ERA patients with the FIN-RACo regimen is a predictor of DAS28-3 remission in real-life rheumatology settings.

Absence of orbital currents in superconducting YBa2Cu4O8 using a zeeman-perturbed nuclear-quadrupole-resonance technique.

Zeeman perturbed nuclear quadrupole resonance was applied to evaluate weak magnetic fields in the context of orbital currents in cuprate superconductors. The magnetic environment of the barium atom in c-axis oriented powder samples of YBa(2)Cu(4)O(8) was investigated in the pseudogap phase at 90 K. No evidence for orbital currents was found: any static and dynamic field must be less than 0.07 and 0.7 mT, respectively.

Lack of evidence for orbital-current effects in the high-temperature Y2Ba4Cu7O15-delta superconductor using 89Y nuclear magnetic resonance.

We have performed NMR measurements at the Y site on a c-axis-oriented powder sample of the cuprate superconductor Y2Ba4Cu7O15-delta to search for the possible orbital-current phase. The temperature dependence of the Y linewidth and relaxation behavior in the normal-conducting phase were studied down to 100 K. These measurements give upper limits for a static magnetic field and the amplitude of a fluctuating magnetic field at the Y site of < or approximately 0.15 and < or approximately 0.7 mT, respectively. These values provide significant constraints on possible static or quasistatic orbital currents.

Systemic fungal infections in renal diseases.

Invasive fungal infections are a major challenge in the management of immunocompromised patients and those with renal dysfunction. These challenges are due to the immense morbidity and mortality in such situations. Also the management strategies for invasive mycosis in patients with renal dysfunction have narrow safety profile and involve high-cost. In this review we will discuss the issues involved in the management of invasive mycosis in the patients with renal dysfunction in the form of acute renal failure, chronic kidney disease, dialysis dependency of renal transplant recipients. We also emphasize that the use of Intravenous Liposomal Amphoterecin appears to be an effective alternative to the conventional Amphoterecin B for the treatment of invasive fungal infections in patients with renal dysfunction due to its greatly improved tolerability profile. Commercially two true liposomal preparations (Fungisome and Ambisome) are available. Judgement about the preferred formulation should be made on the basis of disease morbidity, severity of renal dysfunction and the cost involved.

Direct observation of the oxygen isotope effect on the in-plane magnetic field penetration depth in optimally doped YBa2Cu3O7-delta.

We report the first direct observation of the oxygen-isotope ((16)O/(18)O) effect on the in-plane penetration depth lambda(ab) in a nearly optimally doped YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) film using the novel low-energy muon-spin rotation technique. Spin-polarized low-energy muons are implanted in the film at a known depth z beneath the surface and process in the local magnetic field B(z). This feature allows us to measure directly the profile B(z) of the magnetic field inside the superconducting film in the Meissner state and to make a straightforward determination of lambda(ab). A substantial isotope shift Delta lambda(ab)/lambda(ab)=2.8(1.0)% at 4 K is observed, implying that the in-plane effective supercarrier mass m*(ab) is oxygen-isotope dependent with Delta m*(ab)/m*(ab)=5.5(2.0)%. These results are in good agreement with magnetization measurements on powder samples.

Charge degree of freedom and the single-spin fluid model in YBa2Cu4O8

We present a 17O nuclear magnetic resonance study in the stoichiometric superconductor YBa2Cu4O8. A double irradiation method enables us to show that, below around 200 K, the spin-lattice relaxation rate of plane oxygen is not only driven by magnetic fluctuations, but also significantly by quadrupolar fluctuations, i. e., low-frequency charge fluctuations. In the superconducting state, on lowering the temperature, the quadrupolar relaxation diminishes faster than the magnetic one. These findings show that, with the opening of the spin pseudogap, a charge degree of freedom of mainly oxygen character is present in the electronic low-energy excitation spectrum.

Separation of quadrupolar and magnetic contributions to spin-lattice relaxation in the case of a single isotope

We present a NMR pulse double-irradiation method which allows one to separate magnetic from quadrupolar contributions in the spin-lattice relaxation. The pulse sequence fully saturates one transition while another is observed. In the presence of a ||Deltam || = 2 quadrupolar contribution, the intensity of the observed line is altered compared to a standard spin-echo experiment. We calculated analytically this intensity change for spins I = 1, 32, 52, thus providing a quantitative analysis of the experimental results. Since the pulse sequence we used takes care of the absorbed radiofrequency power, no problems due to heating arise. The method is especially suited when only one NMR sensitive isotope is available. Different cross-checks were performed to prove the reliability of the results obtained. The applicability of this method is demonstrated by a study of the plane oxygen (17)O (I = 52) in the high-temperature superconductor YBa(2)Cu(4)O(8): the (17)O spin-lattice relaxation rate consists of magnetic as well as quadrupolar contributions. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Effect of photorefractive keratectomy on the accuracy of pneumatonometer readings in rabbits.

PURPOSE: To determine whether measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) using a pneumatonometer is reliable after myopic 5 or 15 D excimer laser photoablation in rabbits. METHODS: Ten rabbits underwent 5 D myopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) of the left eye. Another seven rabbits underwent 15 D PRK: The right eye served as a control. The diameter of each PRK was 5 mm. Rabbits were examined 2.5 to 3 months later under general anesthesia. Eyes were cannulated, and the IOP was maintained at 5 to 40 mm Hg and measured using an intracameral manometer and a pneumatonometer at each pressure level; approximately 50 pressure points were formed. Readings of the two techniques were compared. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis comparing manometric and pneumatonometric readings revealed the following data in eyes with 5 D corrections (n = 10): correlation coefficient (r) = 0.926, slope = 1.058, and intercept = -3.133. The values of the unoperated control eyes were: r = 0.900, slope = 0.962, and intercept = -1.010. The following results were obtained in eyes with 15 D photoablation (n = 7): r = 0.876, slope 1.133, and intercept -3.147. Values for the control eye were: r = 0.885, slope = 1.175, and intercept = -3.497. When the manometer and pneumatonometer readings of all animals were compared, the adjusted squared correlation coefficient was 79%. When the variabilities associated with the animals and the PRK procedure (pooled 5 and 15 D corrections) were taken into account, adjusted squared correlation coefficient increased from 8% to 87%. CONCLUSIONS: Photorefractive keratectomy as high as 15 D/5 mm had only a minor effect on pneumatonometer readings in rabbits, indicating that the elastic properties of the cornea related to the accuracy of pneumatonometry were not significantly altered. Postoperative IOP monitoring with tonometers, based on flattening of the cornea under pressure, is accurate after PRK.

Suppression of tumor cell growth by syndecan-1 ectodomain.

Syndecans are integral membrane proteoglycans characterized by the similarity of cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains of the core proteins. Syndecans may regulate cell behavior by participating in matrix recognition and growth factor binding. Using syndecan-1 deletion mutants, we show that the extracellular part of the molecule (ectodomain) can suppress malignant growth, stimulate actin polymerization, and induce epithelioid morphology in mouse mammary tumor Shionogi 115 (S115) cells. Free ectodomain isolated from the culture medium of either syndecan-1-transfected S115 cells or normal murine mammary gland (NMuMG) cells can suppress the growth of S115 tumor cells at nanomolar concentrations. The ectodomain of syndecan-1 inhibited also the growth of other carcinoma cell lines, such as CarB and MCF-7, but not such inhibition was observed for contact-inhibited cell lines, including NIH 3T3 cells, NMuMG cells, and human HaCaT keratinocytes. Intact heparan sulfate structure of the ectodomain was required for the suppression because degradation of heparan sulfate chains completely abolished growth inhibition. These results suggest a tumor suppressor activity for the syndecan-1 ectodomain.