Because Fusarium head blight (FHB) intensity is usually highly variable within a plot, the number of spikes rated for FHB index (IND) quantification must be considered when designing experiments. In addition, quantification of sources of IND heterogeneity is crucial for defining sampling protocols. Field experiments were conducted to quantify the variability of IND ("field severity") at different spatial scales and to investigate the effects of sample size on estimated plot-level mean IND and its accuracy. A total of 216 7-row × 6-m-long plots of a moderately resistant and a susceptible cultivar were spray-inoculated with different spore concentrations at anthesis to generate a range of IND levels. A one-stage cluster sampling approach was used to estimate IND, with an average of 32 spikes rated at each of 10 equally spaced points per plot. Plot-level mean IND ranged from 0.9 to 37.9%. Heterogeneity of IND, quantified by fitting unconditional hierarchical linear models, was higher among spikes within clusters than among clusters within plots or among plots. The projected relative error of mean IND increased as mean IND decreased, and as sample size decreased to <100 spikes per plot. Simple random samples were drawn with replacement 50,000 times from the original dataset for each plot and used to estimate the effects of sample sizes on mean IND. Samples of 100 or more spikes resulted in more precise estimates of mean IND than smaller samples. Poor sampling may result in inaccurate estimates of IND and poor interpretation of results.
We examined cardiovascular responses during driving and investigated the effects of different break patterns on these responses. Forty-seven males in their 40s and 50s participated, and the protocol included three driving sets with four break patterns. One driving set consisted of 1 hour of city driving and 1 hour of highway driving.
Division of Occupational Medicine, Department of Environmental Health and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
Background: The most typical cause of thrombocytopenia is immune-mediated thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Thrombocytopenia can cause insufficient clot formation and increase the risk of bleeding. Bone marrow aspiration is commonly used for this purpose.
Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder primarily affecting exocrine glands, leading to symptoms such as dry mouth and dry eyes. While SS can occur as a primary condition, it may overlap with other autoimmune diseases, complicating management. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), a liver disorder characterized by elevated serum globulins and liver-specific autoantibodies, can co-occur with SS, although this overlap is rare.
