In-Grove Spatiotemporal Spread of Citrus Huanglongbing and Its Psyllid Vector in Relation to Weather.

Reports of spatial patterns of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus'-infected asymptomatic citrus trees and 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-positive Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) are rare, as are published relationships between huanglongbing (HLB), ACP, and weather. Here, spatial patterns of 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-positive asymptomatic and symptomatic trees were determined every half year in a small grove over 2.5 years, and of HLB-symptomatic trees and ('Ca. L. asiaticus'-positive) ACP populations every month in two commercial groves for 1 year. Spread of symptomatic trees followed that of asymptomatic 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-positive trees with <6 months' delay. 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-positive asymptomatic and symptomatic fronts moved at 2.5 to 3.6 m month-1. No spatial relationship was detected between ACP populations and HLB-infected trees. HLB incidence and 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-positive ACP dynamics were tentatively positively correlated with monthly rainfall data and, to a lesser extent, with average minimum temperature.

Determination of the N=16 shell closure at the oxygen drip line.

The neutron unbound ground state of (25)O (Z=8, N=17) was observed for the first time in a proton knockout reaction from a (26)F beam. A single resonance was found in the invariant mass spectrum corresponding to a neutron decay energy of 770_+20(-10) keV with a total width of 172(30) keV. The N=16 shell gap was established to be 4.86(13) MeV by the energy difference between the nu1s(1/2) and nu0d(3/2) orbitals. The neutron separation energies for (25)O agree with the calculations of the universal sd shell model interaction. This interaction incorrectly predicts an (26)O ground state that is bound to two-neutron decay by 1 MeV, leading to a discrepancy between the theoretical calculations and experiment as to the particle stability of (26)O. The observed decay width was found to be on the order of a factor of 2 larger than the calculated single-particle width using a Woods-Saxon potential.

Maximizing the functional status of geriatric patients in an acute community hospital setting.

Patients (n = 103) admitted to an inpatient geriatric care unit focusing on restoration of functional status were compared to similar patients (n = 75) admitted to a control-unit. Study unit patients showed significantly greater improvement in basic functional capabilities from admission to discharge than did control-unit patients. A mixed picture evolved when length of stay and total charges of study and control-unit patient were compared by diagnostic-related groups.

Functional disability in the hospitalized elderly.

Little documentation exists concerning the extent of functional disability in the hospitalized elderly and the impact of this disability on the care of these patients. A physician-led survey was conducted in a 400-bed community hospital of 279 patients aged 70 or more years. Considerable age-correlated disability was documented. Fifty-four percent of the patients aged 85 years or older were moderately or severely disoriented. Thirty-four percent had impaired hearing, 40% had impaired vision, and 25% had speech impairments. More than half of the patients 75 years or older needed assistance with activities of daily living. Modern hospital design and services may interfere with functional recovery. Evaluation of special care units to minimize the hazards of hospitalizing the elderly is recommended.