The diel patterns of stem carbon dioxide efflux (Es) were determined for cycads, monocots, and woody eudicot and gymnosperm tree species. Stem Es at a height of 30-40 cm was measured every 2 h throughout 31-h campaigns. Our range of Es was 1.5-4.0 µmol·m-2·s-1 for cycads, 1.0-3.5 µmol·m-2·s-1 for arborescent monocots, and 1.5-4.5 µmol·m-2·s-1 for woody eudicot and gymnosperm trees species. Time of day did not influence Es of cycads or monocots. In contrast, the woody stems of eudicots and gymnosperms exhibited diurnal Es that was 36% to 40% greater than nocturnal Es. The established literature based on Es of woody tree species cannot be used to estimate habitat carbon cycles in habitats which contain cycad or monocot trees. Time of day must be included for accuracy of research on Es of woody tree species. Failures to account for the spatiotemporal differences of Es may explain some of the disparity in outcomes of published stem respiration studies.PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to explore the influences of the neighborhood environment on physical activity (PA) among people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a community with limited resources. METHODS Participants were adults with T2DM and their family members or friends who help in the management of T2DM and who were living in a low-income African American (AA) community. Health care providers working in the neighborhood were also included. Using an emergent design, qualitative data were collected through 7 focus group discussions (N = 63) and 13 in-depth interviews. Verbatim transcriptions were analyzed via thematic coding to explore contextual factors that limit PA and meaning around neighborhood features that promote or discourage PA. RESULTS Levels of PA were strongly limited by neighborhood insecurity and a lack of recreational facilities in the neighborhood. People with T2DM and physical/mobility disabilities were more affected by the neighborhood environment than those without disabilities, particularly due to perceived safety concerns and social stigma. Despite socioeconomic inequalities within neighborhoods, participants showed resilience and made efforts to overcome social-environmental barriers to PA, applied various coping strategies, and received social support. CONCLUSIONS Results suggested that in an underserved neighborhood, individual barriers to physical activity were amplified by neighborhood-level factors such as crime, especially among individuals who have T2DM and disabilities. Socioeconomic inequalities should be addressed further to improve management of T2DM and its complications.The effects of adding biochar rice husk (R), white popinee (WP), bamboo (BB), or coconut (CT) on microbial community in fermentation broths from glucose were investigated. The added biochars acted as biofilm carriers on which Sporolactobacillus spathodeae, Clostridium sensu stricto 11 sp., Clostridium sensu stricto 12 sp., Clostridium sensu stricto 1 sp., and Clostridium sensu stricto 5 sp. were enriched. Fermentation reactions substantially increased the amounts of acid-producers in biofilm. The homoacetogens, Clostridium carboxidivorans and Clostridium drakei, were identified in the biofilm in the first two batches of fermentation with biochars as electron conductors between acid-producers and homoacetogens to assist homoacetogenesis. The heterotrophic bacteria overcompeted the acid-producers in the biofilm in long-term fermentation.Simulating components, precise porous three-dimensional structure and physico-mechanical properties of natural bone have become a vital direction in the development of bone tissue regeneration. This work focused on enhancing mechanical strength of scaffold materials for bone regeneration, a subject of serious attention in its fabrication. Hence, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), possessing favorable biocompatibility and impressive mechanical properties, was selected to reinforce the nanocomposite scaffolds of gelatin/bioactive glass (BG-Gel) system. The porous composite BG-Gel-CNC was simultaneously constructed by in-situ composite method and freeze-drying technique. The results manifested that the scaffolds incorporated with CNC showed a desirable compressive strength compared to the control, better wettability, which is conducive to better adhesion, growth and proliferation of cells. In addition, appropriate porosity, pore connectivity and biocompatibility were also demonstrated. These findings therefore suggested their potential application to function as effective scaffold materials in bone tissue regeneration.Objective Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is a rare complication associated with chronic heavy alcohol use, with case reports documenting a range of cognitive outcomes. Given the variability in MBD presentation and outcomes, milder cases may remain undiagnosed and few studies or case reports have presented a comprehensive neuropsychological profile of these patients. The objective of this case study was to describe the neuropsychological presentation and findings of a case of likely MBD.Method The patient was a 46-year-old, African American female with a complex history of malnutrition and alcohol abuse presenting for outpatient neuropsychological evaluation. She was administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests as part of routine clinical care.Results Neuropsychological data demonstrated severe deficits in executive functions, complex visuoconstruction, and motor dexterity, as well as an amnestic verbal and visual memory pattern.Conclusions Overall, data and the patient's initial presentation of acute behavioral change were consistent with some reports of cognitive and behavioral sequela of MBD. Additionally, the patient's history of chronic poor nutritional intake with exacerbation from chronic heavy alcohol use, and imaging findings of severe cerebral/corpus callosum white matter loss and bilateral frontoparietal atrophy, were highly suggestive of MBD.Background Cannabis use is widely perceived to produce an "amotivational syndrome" characterized by reduced desire to work or compete, passivity, and lower achievement orientation. read more The notion that cannabis diminishes motivation has been perpetuated in popular culture, despite the equivocal results of past research. Moreover, previous literature has largely failed to consider the potentially confounding influences of depression, other substance use, and personality, despite known relationships between these variables and cannabis use.Purpose The purpose of this study was to elucidate the nature of the relationships between specific aspects of motivation and cannabis use/misuse. Moreover, we sought to determine whether depression, alcohol and other substance use, and/or personality could account for these relationships.Method A total of 1,168 participants completed a survey comprising self-report measures of motivation (self-efficacy, apathy, goal orientation, reward-sensitivity, and behavioral inhibition/approach systems) and cannabis use/misuse (cannabis use status, cannabis use frequency, quantity, age of onset of cannabis use, symptoms of cannabis use disorder, problematic cannabis use).