PURPOSE The objective of this study was to determine whether adolescent smokers, who varied in their smoking histories and symptoms of nicotine dependence, exhibit any decrease in puff volume and duration similar to that typically seen in dependent adolescent and adult smokers. Moreover, we examined whether puffing trajectories were moderated by individual difference factors, as well as whether...

PURPOSE Four cases of corneal ectasia after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) have been reported. In this review, we provide an overview of the published literature on corneal ectasia after SMILE and risk factors associated with this complication. METHODS Case reports were identified by a search of seven electronic databases for pertinent heading terms between 2011 and July 2017. We...

Biodiversity monitoring is increasingly being bolstered with high resolution data derived from remote sensing such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). We derived a series of topographical variables, including slope, azimuth, ground curvature and flow accumulation from LIDAR images and compared these to captures of female carabids in pitfall traps in Eastern boreal mixedwood forests. We deve...

Real-time positioning on mobile devices using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology paired with radio frequency (RF) transmission (GNSS-RF) may help to improve safety on logging operations by increasing situational awareness. However, GNSS positional accuracy for ground workers in motion may be reduced by multipath error, satellite signal obstruction, or other factors. Radio prop...

Surface wettability and topography are recognized as critical factors influencing cell behavior on biomaterials. So far only few works have reported cell responses on surfaces exhibiting extreme wettability in combination with surface topography. The goal of this work is to study whether cell behavior on superhydrophobic surfaces is influenced by surface topography and polymer type. Biomimetic ...

One of the determinant factors for successful bioengineering is to achieve appropriate nano-topography and three-dimensional substrate. In this research, polycaprolactone (PCL) nano-fibrous mat with different roughness modified with O2 plasma was fabricated via electrospinning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of plasma modification along with surface nano-topography of mats...

Whether or not steady-state topography and denudation are probable states depends on the timescale of system response to tectonic and climatic perturbations relative to the frequency of those perturbations. This paper presents analytical derivations of algebraic relations for the response time of detachment-limited fluvial bedrock channel systems both to tectonic and climatic perturbations. Det...

Satellite images were used to determine rates of deforestation over the past 35 years and to identify current deforestation "hotspots" in the eastern rainforests and in the dry endemic forests of southern Madagascar. The analysis of population trends, topography, and coincident ethnographic research points to a number of different factors influencing deforestation in these regions. Each of thes...