Effects of Enhanced UV-B Radiation on Plant Chemistry: Nutritional Consequences for a Specialist and Generalist Lagomorph

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation has been increasing in temperate latitudes in recent decades and is expected to continue rising for some time. Enhanced UV-B radiation can change plant chemistry, yet the effects of these changes on mammalian herbivores are unknown. To examine the influence of enhanced UV-B radiation on nutrition of a specialist and generalist hindgut fermenter, we measured nutritional and chemical constituents of three common North American range plants, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoregneria spicata), and how these changes influenced in vitro dry matter digestibility and in vivo digestibility by pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) and eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus). Forages were irradiated for 3 mo with ambient (1×) or supplemental (1.6×) UV-B radiation representing a 15% ozone depletion for Pullman, WA, USA. Enhanced UV-B radiation had minimal effects on the nutritional content and the tannin-binding capacity of forages. Similarly, the terpene concentration in sagebrush and yarrow was not affected by higher UV-B irradiances. Flavonoid compounds increased in sagebrush but decreased in yarrow. Rabbit preference and intake was not affected by treatment levels for any forage species and no differences were found between treatments for dry matter, fiber, protein digestibility, and apparent digestible energy.     

Horizontal Dip‐Spin Casting of aqueous alumina‐polyvinylpyrrolidone suspensions with chopped fiber

A novel ceramic processing method, called Horizontal Dip Spin Casting (HDSC), enabled fabrication of tubular ceramic parts with an aligned chopped fiber phase. HDSC was demonstrated using highly loaded aqueous alumina suspensions with >50 vol.% solids loading and ≤5 vol.% water‐soluble polymer employed as a rheological modifier. Chopped carbon fibers were added to the suspensions to attain maximum loadings of 30 vol.%. During forming, cylindrical foam molds were dipped into the suspension while being rotated radially about the long axis. Simultaneously, a doctor blade was placed at a specified distance from the foam surface to facilitate the flow of the suspension to align the fiber and control the thickness of the material that accrued on the mold. Rheological study of alumina‐PVP suspensions with and without chopped carbon fiber showed that the suspensions exhibited a yield‐pseudoplastic flow behavior. The degree of alignment of the carbon fiber phase in the green bodies was characterized for various suspension formulations, carbon fiber contents and forming speeds. Stereological characterization of green body specimens confirmed the effectiveness of HDSC to attain the desired tubular geometry with considerable fiber alignment for a suspension composition containing ≤20 vol.% chopped fibers.     

Veteran interest in family involvement in PTSD treatment.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 7(3) of Psychological Services (see record 2010-17074-004). The copyright for the article was listed incorrectly. This article is in the Public Domain. The online version has been corrected.] The present study examined interest in family involvement in treatment and preferences concerning the focus of family oriented treatment for veterans (N = 114) participating in an outpatient Veterans Affairs outpatient posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) program. Most veterans viewed PTSD as a source of family stress (86%) and expressed interest in greater family involvement in their treatment (79%). These results suggest the need to consider increasing family participation in the clinical care of individuals with PTSD and to develop specialized family educational and support services for this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions: Development and evaluation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.

Although several measures of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms exist, most are limited in that they are not consistent with the most recent empirical findings on the nature and dimensional structure of obsessions and compulsions. In the present research, the authors developed and evaluated a measure called the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) to address limitations of existing OC symptom measures. The DOCS is a 20-item measure that assesses the four dimensions of OC symptoms most reliably replicated in previous structural research. Factorial validity of the DOCS was supported by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of 3 samples, including individuals with OC disorder, those with other anxiety disorders, and nonclinical individuals. Scores on the DOCS displayed good performance on indices of reliability and validity, as well as sensitivity to treatment and diagnostic sensitivity, and hold promise as a measure of OC symptoms in clinical and research settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Shelf Life and Sensory Characteristics of Baby Spinach Subjected to Electron Beam Irradiation

Abstract: The use of ionizing radiation for the control of foodborne pathogens and extending the shelf life of fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of electron beam irradiation for controlling foodborne pathogens has been reported. For this experiment, the effectiveness of electron beam irradiation on the microbiological and sensory characteristics of fresh spinach was studied. Total aerobic plate counts were reduced by 2.6 and 3.2 log CFU/g at 0.7 and 1.4 kGy, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria were reduced at both doses of e-beam but grew slowly over the 35 d of the experiment. Yeasts and molds were not reduced in samples exposed to 0.7 kGy whereas 1.4 kGy significantly reduced microbial counts. Gas compositions (O₂ and CO₂) were significantly different than controls. Oxygen levels inside the spinach sample bags decreased over time; however, O₂ levels did not drop below 1% that can induce anaerobic fermentation. CO₂ levels for all treatments increased through day 4; yet 7 d after irradiation, CO₂ level differences were not significant in both control and irradiated samples. Irradiation dose did not affect the basic tastes, aromatics, or mouth feels of fresh spinach, however; hardness attributes decreased as irradiated dose increased and slimy attributes of fresh spinach were higher in control samples compared to irradiated samples.     

Current use pesticides in Arctic media; 2000-2007

This review will summarize the levels of selected current use pesticides (CUPs) that have been identified and reported in Arctic media (i.e. air, water, sediment, and biota) since the year 2000. Almost all of the 10 CUPs (chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, dacthal, diazinon, dicofol, lindane, methoxychlor, pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), pentachlorophenol, and trifluralin) examined in the review currently are, or have been, high production volume chemicals i.e. > 1 M lbs/y in USA or > 1000 t/y globally. Characteristic travel distances for the 10 chemicals range from 55 km (methoxychlor) to 12,100 km (PCNB). Surveys and long-term monitoring studies have demonstrated the presence of 9 of the 10 CUPs included in this review in the Arctic environment. Only dicofol has not been reported. The presence of these chemicals has mainly been reported in high volume air samples and in snow from Arctic ice caps and lake catchments. There are many other CUPs registered for use which have not been determined in Arctic environments. The discovery of the CUPs currently measured in the Arctic has been mainly serendipitous, a result of analyzing some samples using the same suite of analytes as used for studies in mid-latitude locations. A more systematic approach is needed to assess whether other CUPs might be accumulating in the arctic and ultimately to assess whether their presence has any significance biologically or results in risks for human consumers.     

Creativity and domain specificity: The effect of task type on multiple indexes of creative problem-solving.

This study addresses the issue of domain specificity within creativity by understanding the characteristics of creative tasks and how participants react to the task. Participants (N = 187) were given 1 of 3 realistic everyday problems to solve. The problems differed in terms of complexity, involvement, and problem-based efficacy. Problem solutions were evaluated on several measures of creativity. Results indicate that creativity was influenced by the type of problem solved and the measure of creativity used to evaluate the solution. Furthermore, these results were obtained after controlling for the effect of ability. Results imply that not all real-world problems are equivalent and that researchers need to investigate how reactions to different problems and the creativity index used may influence conclusions regarding creative problem solving. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Actor networks and the construction of applicable knowledge: the case of the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool

This article deals with experiences acquired during the process of developing the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool (TBPT). Developing a decision support tool that takes into account the expectations and experiences of its potential users is similar to creating applicable knowledge by the joint action of scientists and heterogeneous actors. Actor network theory is used to explore the construction of this form of applicable knowledge as a process of actor network creation. Following the French sociologist Callon, networks are seen to be initiated and carried out by a group of scientists (tool developers) via four moments of translation, called problematization, interessement, enrolment and mobilization. Each step in the construction of the TBPT—from the initial research question to the final model—can be linked in retrospect to changing configurations of actor networks. Based on the experiences of the tool developers in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Romania, we illustrate how these configurations varied across space and time. This contribution emphasizes the ability to correlate gains in knowledge with the more visible changes in the scope of actor networks in order to highlight achievements but also limitations in acquiring applicable knowledge.