Two species of invasive shrubs are causing extensive environmental harm across North America. Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) and glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus P. Mill.), originally ...imported from Europe, have become naturalized in many different ecosystems and are causing negative effects on associated ecosystem services. These invasive plants often create dense, monotypic stands that out-compete native plant species for nutrients and light. Current control methods, including manual or mechanical removal, are expensive and are mainly limited to destroying the buckthorn on site. The high cost of removal may be a barrier for restoration. Economic valuation should be carried out in terms of ecosystems services to better understand the cost-benefit of removing buckthorn. A cost-effective solution for removing buckthorn should also be explored. In this review, the state of the knowledge on the effects of buckthorn and its cost associated with major ecosystem services were synthesized. Existing methods to harvest and transport buckthorn and potential new methods were compiled. Finally, a policy review of buckthorn was completed for states where buckthorn is most prevalent. Findings from this review will be important for applying an economic cost to buckthorn and revealing where more work can be done.
Often measurement tasks occur, where specimens consist of multiple layers or topography shall be examined through contaminations. Especially for unknown layer materials, it is important to measure ...the layer's refractive index to compensate for the errors induced on the measurement of underlying surfaces. Chromatic Confocal Coherence Tomography is proposed as a new hybrid single-shot scheme for a simultaneous measurement of thickness and refractive index of semitransparent layers, combining chromatic confocal and interferometric information. As a proof of concept, first measurements are presented along with a short discussion about their uncertainties, where minimal layer thickness and resolution are dominated by the confocal part of the signal, that is mainly influenced by the chosen microscope objective.
Abstract This paper presents a newly established sample of 103 unique galaxies or galaxy groups at 0.4 ≲ z ≲ 0.7 from the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) for studying the warm-hot ...circumgalactic medium (CGM) probed by both O vi and Ne viii absorption. The galaxies and associated neighbors are identified at <1 physical Mpc from the sightlines toward 15 CUBS QSOs at z QSO ≳ 0.8. A total of 30 galaxies or galaxy groups exhibit associated O vi λ λ 1031, 1037 doublet absorption within a line-of-sight velocity interval of ±250 km s −1 , while the rest show no trace of O vi to a detection limit of log N OVI / cm − 2 ≈ 13.7 . Meanwhile, only five galaxies or galaxy groups exhibit the Ne viii λ λ 770, 780 doublet absorption, down to a limiting column density of log N NeVIII / cm − 2 ≈ 14.0 . These O vi - and Ne viii -bearing halos reside in different galaxy environments with stellar masses ranging from log M star / M ⊙ ≈ 8 to ≈11.5. The warm-hot CGM around galaxies of different stellar masses and star formation rates exhibits different spatial profiles and kinematics. In particular, star-forming galaxies with log M star / M ⊙ ≈ 9 – 11 show a significant concentration of metal-enriched warm-hot CGM within the virial radius, while massive quiescent galaxies exhibit flatter radial profiles of both column densities and covering fractions. In addition, the velocity dispersion of O vi absorption is broad with σ υ > 40 km s −1 for galaxies of log M star / M ⊙ > 9 within the virial radius, suggesting a more dynamic warm-hot halo around these galaxies. Finally, the warm-hot CGM probed by O vi and Ne viii is suggested to be the dominant phase in sub- L * galaxies with log M star / M ⊙ ≈ 9 – 10 based on their high ionization fractions in the CGM.
Reliable, real-time heart and respiratory rates are key vital signs used in evaluating the physiological status in many clinical and non-clinical settings. Measuring these vital signs generally ...requires superficial attachment of physically or logistically obtrusive sensors to subjects that may result in skin irritation or adversely influence subject performance. Given the broad acceptance of ingestible electronics, we developed an approach that enables vital sign monitoring internally from the gastrointestinal tract. Here we report initial proof-of-concept large animal (porcine) experiments and a robust processing algorithm that demonstrates the feasibility of this approach. Implementing vital sign monitoring as a stand-alone technology or in conjunction with other ingestible devices has the capacity to significantly aid telemedicine, optimize performance monitoring of athletes, military service members, and first-responders, as well as provide a facile method for rapid clinical evaluation and triage.
We describe a fully GPU-based implementation of the first level trigger for the upgrade of the LHCb detector, due to start data taking in 2021. We demonstrate that our implementation, named Allen, ...can process the 40 Tbit/s data rate of the upgraded LHCb detector and perform a wide variety of pattern recognition tasks. These include finding the trajectories of charged particles, finding proton–proton collision points, identifying particles as hadrons or muons, and finding the displaced decay vertices of long-lived particles. We further demonstrate that Allen can be implemented in around 500 scientific or consumer GPU cards, that it is not I/O bound, and can be operated at the full LHC collision rate of 30 MHz. Allen is the first complete high-throughput GPU trigger proposed for a HEP experiment.
Fluid resuscitation is a cornerstone of the treatment of vasodilation associated with vasoplegic syndrome after cardiopulmonary bypass. Excessive nitric oxide production contributes to capillary leak ...and creates the need for ongoing volume resuscitation. In this report, the authors describe two patients with vasoplegic syndrome after cardiac surgery in which treatment with hydroxocobalamin in the presence or absence of methylene blue reduced volume resuscitation requirements and restored catecholamine responsiveness. The current case series describes the possible efficacy of hydroxocobalamin for reversing positive fluid balance associated with catecholamine-refractory vasoplegic syndrome in cardiac surgery patients.
Transdiagnostic interventions have been developed to address barriers to the dissemination of evidence-based psychological treatments, but only a few preliminary studies have compared these ...approaches with existing evidence-based psychological treatments.
To determine whether the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is at least as efficacious as single-disorder protocols (SDPs) in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
From June 23, 2011, to March 5, 2015, a total of 223 patients at an outpatient treatment center with a principal diagnosis of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or social anxiety disorder were randomly assigned by principal diagnosis to the UP, an SDP, or a waitlist control condition. Patients received up to 16 sessions of the UP or an SDP for 16 to 21 weeks. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. Analysis in this equivalence trial was based on intention to treat.
The UP or SDPs.
Blinded evaluations of principal diagnosis clinical severity rating were used to evaluate an a priori hypothesis of equivalence between the UP and SDPs.
Among the 223 patients (124 women and 99 men; mean SD age, 31.1 11.0 years), 88 were randomized to receive the UP, 91 to receive an SDP, and 44 to the waitlist control condition. Patients were more likely to complete treatment with the UP than with SDPs (odds ratio, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.44-6.74). Both the UP (Cohen d, -0.93; 95% CI, -1.29 to -0.57) and SDPs (Cohen d, -1.08; 95% CI, -1.43 to -0.73) were superior to the waitlist control condition at acute outcome. Reductions in clinical severity rating from baseline to the end of treatment (β, 0.25; 95% CI, -0.26 to 0.75) and from baseline to the 6-month follow-up (β, 0.16; 95% CI, -0.39 to 0.70) indicated statistical equivalence between the UP and SDPs.
The UP produces symptom reduction equivalent to criterion standard evidence-based psychological treatments for anxiety disorders with less attrition. Thus, it may be possible to use 1 protocol instead of multiple SDPs to more efficiently treat the most commonly occurring anxiety and depressive disorders.
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01243606.
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