Measuring air layer volumes retained by submerged floating-ferns Salvinia and biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias J. Mayser

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Some plants and animals feature superhydrophobic surfaces capable of retaining a layer of air when submerged under water. Long-term air retaining surfaces (Salvinia-effect are of high interest for biomimetic applications like drag reduction in ship coatings of up to 30%. Here we present a novel method for measuring air volumes and air loss under water. We recorded the buoyancy force of the air layer on leaf surfaces of four different Salvinia species and on one biomimetic surface using a highly sensitive custom made strain gauge force transducer setup. The volume of air held by a surface was quantified by comparing the buoyancy force of the specimen with and then without an air layer. Air volumes retained by the Salvinia-surfaces ranged between 0.15 and 1 L/m2 depending on differences in surface architecture. We verified the precision of the method by comparing the measured air volumes with theoretical volume calculations and could find a good agreement between both values. In this context we present techniques to calculate air volumes on surfaces with complex microstructures. The introduced method also allows to measure decrease or increase of air layers with high accuracy in real-time to understand dynamic processes.

A Rapid Assessment of Macroinvertebrates Associated with Salvinia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Salvinia molesta is an invasive species in the Okavango Delta. The plant forms monotypic covers in places where it occurs and thus affects macroinvertebrates diversity within them. Three habitats with low, moderate and heavy infestation by the weed were selected inside Moremi Game Reserve to study macroinvertebrates ...

Symbiodinium natans sp. nov

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Gert; Daugbjerg, Niels

2009-01-01

from Tenerife is a new species (viz. S. natans). To elucidate further the species diversity of Symbiodinium, particularly those inhabiting coral reefs, we suggest combining morphological features of the thecal plate pattern with gene sequence data. Indeed, future examination of motile stages...

Flavonolignans from Elymus natans L. and Phytotoxic Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Quan; Wu, Chenghui; Peng, Aifeng; Gao, Kun; Chen, Jianjun; Li, Ya; Fu, Hua

2017-02-22

Elymus natans, a perennial gramineous grass, plays an important role in animal husbandry and environmental sustenance in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau as a result of its high forage quality and good adaptability to the local environment. A bioassay showed that the extracts of green grasses of E. natans (GG) exhibited stronger phytotoxic activities than withered grasses (WG) against crops and grasses. In view of the secondary metabolites, which may be responsible for the resistance of the plant, the chemical components of GG were investigated. The flavone tricin, E1, and 10 flavonolignans, E2-E11, including three new flavonolignans, E2, E10, and E11, were isolated and identified. As far as we know, this is the first report on the chemical constitutions of the plant until now. The contents of compounds E1 and E4-E7 in GG were significantly higher than those in WG in high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, and they also showed observably phytotoxic activities against lettuce and Festuca arundinacea.

Ventilatory mechanics and the effects of water depth on breathing pattern in the aquatic caecilian Typhlonectes natans.

Science.gov (United States)

Prabha, K C; Bernard, D G; Gardner, M; Smatresk, N J

2000-01-01

The breathing pattern in the aquatic caecilian Typhlonectes natans was investigated by recording airflow via a pneumotachograph under unrestrained normal physiological conditions. Ventilatory mechanics were assessed using airflow and pressure measurements from the buccal cavity and trachea. The breathing pattern consisted of an expiratory phase followed by a series of 10-15 small buccal pumps to inflate the lung, succeeded by a long non-ventilatory period. T. natans separate the expiratory and inspiratory gases in the buccal cavity and take several inspiratory pumps, distinguishing their breathing pattern from that of sarcopterygians. Hydrostatic pressure assisted exhalation. The tracheal pressure was greater than the water pressure at that depth, suggesting that pleuroperitoneal pressure as well as axial or pulmonary smooth muscles may have contributed to the process of exhalation. The frequency of lung ventilation was 6.33+/-0.84 breaths h(-)(1), and ventilation occurred via the nares. Compared with other amphibians, this low ventilatory frequency suggests that T. natans may have acquired very efficient pulmonary respiration as an adaptation for survival in their seasonally fluctuating natural habitat. Their respiratory pathway is quite unique, with the trachea separated into anterior, central and posterior regions. The anterior region serves as an air channel, the central region is attached to the tracheal lung, and the posterior region consists of a bifurcated air channel leading to the left and right posterior lungs. The lungs are narrow, elongated, profusely vascularized and compartmentalized. The posterior lungs extend to approximately two-thirds of the body length. On the basis of their breathing pattern, it appears that caecilians are phylogenetically derived from two-stroke breathers.

Accumulation of copper by the aquatic macrophyte Salvinia biloba Raddi (Salviniaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Freitas

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Aquatic macrophytes have properties and mechanisms which are useful for the removal of substances in solution, commonly used in phytoremediation processes in aquatic environments. This study evaluated the performance of copper (Cu accumulation by Salvinia biloba Raddi (Salviniaceae in different metal concentrations (1, 3 and 5 µg mL-1, as well as the control treatment, measured at intervals of 0, 7 and 14 days under laboratory conditions, with control as to pH and luminosity. After the experiment, the S. biloba biomass was washed, kiln dried, crushed and subjected to the process of digestion, and subsequently the accumulated copper content was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that S. biloba is apt at accumulating copper, varying significantly between different treatments and days of exposure to the contaminant, as well as its interaction (treatment × days. The highest accumulation values were observed in treatment with 5 µg mL-1, which at 14 days, with 11,861 µg g-1 of copper. We observed symptoms of toxicity and mortality in plants, probably indicating the effect of copper on the species when at high levels. Salvinia biloba is an efficient species in the removal of copper in solution, its recommendation as a remediating agent in aquatic ecosystems being possible.

Effect of. gamma. -radiation of /sup 60/Co on bacteria Sphaerotilus natans in nutrient medium containing calcium and lithium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leonowicz-Babiak, K; Radziwolska, E; Widera, M

1980-01-01

The effect of ..gamma..-radiation of /sup 60/Co on an increase in dry matter of the polysaprobic zone bacteria Sphaerotilus natans was studied. Bacterial growth depended on the radiation dose absorbed. With a rise of the dose, the bacterial dry matter usually decreased. This relationship was not observed at a radiation dose of 72 krad. In the presence of calcium in the medium, the bacterial dry matter increased. An addition of lithium salt to the medium failed to increase the bacterial dry matter.

Répartition et abondance des sargasses Sargassum natans et ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

végétal, originaire du Nord du Brésil, est composé de deux espèces Sargassum natans et Sargassum fluitans qui sont entraînées dans les eaux marines .... trou sans fond d'Abidjan et l'aire marine du large de reproduction des thons. ..... marins impliqués dans le transport des sargasses du Nord du Brésil vers les côtes.

Air Trapping Mechanism in Artificial Salvinia-Like Micro-Hairs Fabricated via Direct Laser Lithography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Tricinci

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Salvinia leaves represent an extraordinary example of how nature found a strategy for the long term retainment of air, and thus oxygen, on a surface, the so-called ‘Salvinia effect’, thanks to the peculiar three-dimensional and hierarchical shape of the hairs covering the leaves. Here, starting from the natural model, we have microfabricated hairs inspired by those present on the Salvinia molesta leaves, by means of direct laser lithography. Artificial hairs, like their natural counterpart, are composed of a stalk and a crown-like head, and have been reproduced in the microscale since this ensures, if using a proper design, an air-retaining behavior even if the bulk structural material is hydrophilic. We have investigated the capability of air retainment inside the heads of the hairs that can last up to 100 h, demonstrating the stability of the phenomenon. For a given dimension of the head, the greater the number of filaments, the greater the amount of air that can be trapped inside the heads since the increase in the number of solid–air interfaces able to pin the liquid phase. For this reason, such type of pattern could be used for the fabrication of surfaces for controlled gas retainment and gas release in liquid phases. The range of applications would be quite large, including industrial, medical, and biological fields.

Laboratory tests for the phytoextraction of heavy metals from polluted harbor sediments using aquatic plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Mânzatu, Carmen; Nagy, Boldizsár; Ceccarini, Alessio; Iannelli, Renato; Giannarelli, Stefania; Majdik, Cornelia

2015-12-30

The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations and pollution levels of heavy metals, organochlorine pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in marine sediments from the Leghorn Harbor (Italy) on the Mediterranean Sea. The phytoextraction capacity of three aquatic plants Salvinia natans, Vallisneria spiralis, and Cabomba aquatica was also tested in the removal of lead and copper, present in high concentration in these sediments. The average detectable concentrations of metals accumulated by the plants in the studied area were as follows: >3.328 ± 0.032 mg/kg dry weight (DW) of Pb and 2.641 ± 0.014 mg/kg DW of Cu for S. natans, >3.107 ± 0.034 g/kg DW for V. spiralis, and >2.400 ± 0.029 mg/kg DW for C. aquatica. The occurrence of pesticides was also analyzed in the sediment sample by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Due to its metal and organic compound accumulation patterns, S. natans is a potential candidate in phytoextraction strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Topramezone and Benzobicyclon for Activity on Giant Salvinia

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-01

inhibitor, topramezone, is a bleaching herbicide that targets a plant-specific enzyme. Topramezone also possesses a low toxicity to mammals, fish , and...Sanders, L. Eisenberg, and K. Whitehead. 2010. Fighting the blob : efforts to control giant salvinia. Louisiana Agriculture 5(1)3:6-9. Komatsubara...U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. McKnight, B. M., E. P. Webster, C. Sandoski, E. A. Bergeron, and J. C. Fish . 2015. Benzobicyclon

ANATOMICAL-HISTOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS CONDUCTED ON AQUATIC FERNS IN THE DANUBE DELTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca SÂRBU

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses aquatic ferns from the genera Azolla Lam., Marsilea L. and Salvinia Séguier, which occur in the Danube Delta, Romania, and comprises a series of anatomical and histological observations of taxonomical, chorological and eco-morphological importance. The research conducted on specimens collected between 2005-2013 from the natural habitats of the Danube Delta, but also from the extra-deltaic artificial habitats have enabled: i a reconsideration of some chorological aspects regarding the species of the genus Azolla in Romania; ii a greater understanding of the adaptive plasticity relative to the factor water for the taxon Marsilea quadrifolia L. collected from natural and artificial habitats; iii the enrichment of the data regarding the structural characteristics of the taxon Salvinia natans (L. All., particularly around the adaptive elements associated with living on the surface of the water.

Trapetum natantis Müller et Görs 1960 in hydromeliorative facilities in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dejana Džigurski

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Trapa natans is one of the very few plants that generate so many contrasting views: it is highly endangered in Europe, invasive in North America and Australia, yet highly valued in India and China due to its nutritional and medical properties. Its endangered status in most of the Europe has prompted significant conservation efforts aimed at retention and expansion of its population. T. natans is currently on the red list of many European countries and is included under “Appendix I” of the “Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats” (Bern Convention and IPA list (IPA criterion A, threatened species. The unusual circumstances, i.e. endangered status of T. natans in the region on one hand and its expansion in Serbia on the other, are the reason behind this research that aims to present the distribution, floristic composition and ecological conditions of ass. Trapetum natantis stands in hydromeliorative facilities (Serbia, comprised of 28 hydrophytes. In the analyzed stands, based on the long-term phytocenological studies, we have singled out four floristic and ecological groups: the stands in which T. natans predominates, the stands with Ceratophyllum demersum, the stands with lemnids plants (Lemna minor, L. gibba, Spirodela polyrrhiza and Salvinia natans and the stands with Hydrocharis morsus-ranae. In the researched localities, the differentiation of ass. Trapetum natantis stands is predetermined by the phosphorus and nitrate content, as well as pH and BOD5 levels.

Response of Vallisneria natans to Increasing Nitrogen Loading Depends on Sediment Nutrient Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiao Gu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available High nitrogen (N loading may contribute to recession of submerged macrophytes in shallow lakes; yet, its influences vary depending on environmental conditions. In August 2013, we conducted a 28-day factorial-designed field mesocosm experiment in Lake Taihu at the Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research (TLLER to examine the effects of high N loading on the growth of Vallisneria natans in systems with contrasting sediment types. We ran the experiments with two levels of nutrient loading—present-day external nutrient loading (average P: 5 μg·L−1·day−1, N: 130 μg·L−1·day−1 and P: 5 μg·L−1·day−1, and with three times higher N loading (N: 390 μg·L−1·day−1 and used sediment with two contrasting nutrient levels. V. natans growth decreased significantly with increasing N loading, the effect being dependent, however, on the nutrient status of the sediment. In low nutrient sediment, relative growth rates, leaf biomass and root biomass decreased by 11.9%, 18.2% and 23.3%, respectively, at high rather than low N loading, while the decline was larger (44.0%, 32.7% and 41.8%, respectively when using high nutrient sediment. The larger effect in the nutrient-rich sediment may reflect an observed higher shading of phytoplankton and excess nutrient accumulation in plant tissue, though potential toxic effects of the high-nutrient sediment may also have contributed. Our study confirms the occurrence of a negative effect of increasing N loading on submerged plant growth in shallow nutrient-enriched lakes and further shows that this effect is augmented when the plants grow in nutrient-rich sediment. External N control may, therefore, help to protect or restore submerged macrophytes, especially when the sediment is enriched with nutrients and organic matter.

Optimization of lipid extraction from Salvinia molesta for biodiesel production using RSM and its FAME analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mubarak, M; Shaija, A; Suchithra, T V

2016-07-01

The higher areal productivity and lipid content of microalgae and aquatic weed makes them the best alternative feedstocks for biodiesel production. Hence, an efficient and economic method of extracting lipid or oil from aquatic weed, Salvinia molesta is an important step towards biodiesel production. Since Salvinia molesta is an unexplored feedstock, its total lipid content was first measured as 16 % using Bligh and Dyer's method which was quite sufficient for further investigation. For extracting more amount of lipid from Salvinia molesta, methanol: chloroform in the ratio 2:1 v/v was identified as the most suitable solvent system using Soxhlet apparatus. Based on the literature and the preliminary experimentations, parameters such as solvent to biomass ratio, temperature, and time were identified as significant for lipid extraction. These parameters were then optimized using response surface methodology with central composite design, where experiments were performed using twenty combinations of these extraction parameters with Minitab-17 software. A lipid yield of 92.4 % from Salvinia molesta was obtained with Soxhlet apparatus using methanol and chloroform (2:1 v/v) as solvent system, at the optimized conditions of temperature (85 °C), solvent to biomass ratio (20:1), and time (137 min), whereas a predicted lipid yield of 93.5 % with regression model. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis of S. molesta lipid using gas chromatograph mass spectroscopy (GCMS) with flame ionization detector showed that fatty acids such as C16:0, C16:1, C18:1, and C18:2 contributed more than 9 % weight of total fatty acids. FAME consisted of 56.32, 28.08, and 15.59 % weight of monounsaturated, saturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. Higher cetane number and superior oxidation stability of S. molesta FAME could be attributed to its higher monounsaturated content and lower polyunsaturated content as compared to biodiesels produced from C. vulgaris, Sunflower

Removal of Metal Nanoparticles Colloidal Solutions by Water Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Olkhovych, Olga; Svietlova, Nataliia; Konotop, Yevheniia; Karaushu, Olena; Hrechishkina, Svitlana

2016-11-01

The ability of seven species of aquatic plants ( Elodea canadensis, Najas guadelupensis, Vallisneria spiralis L., Riccia fluitans L., Limnobium laevigatum, Pistia stratiotes L., and Salvinia natans L.) to absorb metal nanoparticles from colloidal solutions was studied. It was established that investigated aquatic plants have a high capacity for removal of metal nanoparticles from aqueous solution (30-100%) which indicates their high phytoremediation potential. Analysis of the water samples content for elements including the mixture of colloidal solutions of metal nanoparticles (Mn, Cu, Zn, Ag + Ag2O) before and after exposure to plants showed no significant differences when using submerged or free-floating hydrophytes so-called pleuston. However, it was found that the presence of submerged hydrophytes in aqueous medium ( E. canadensis, N. guadelupensis, V. spiralis L., and R. fluitans L.) and significant changes in the content of photosynthetic pigments, unlike free-floating hydrophytes ( L. laevigatum, P. stratiotes L., S. natans L.), had occur. Pleuston possesses higher potential for phytoremediation of contaminated water basins polluted by metal nanoparticles. In terms of removal of nanoparticles among studied free-floating hydrophytes, P. stratiotes L. and S. natans L. deserve on special attention.

Ciprofloxacin vs. temperature: Antibiotic toxicity in the free-floating liverwort Ricciocarpus natans from a climate change perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Marcelo Pedrosa; de Brito, Júlio César Moreira; Bicalho, Elisa Monteze; Silva, Janaína Guernica; de Fátima Gomides, Maria; Garcia, Queila Souza; Figueredo, Cleber Cunha

2018-07-01

The physiological responses of the aquatic liverwort Ricciocarpus natans to ciprofloxacin (Cipro) exposure under different growth temperatures were investigated. Cipro appears to act as an inhibitor of mitochondrial Complex III by blocking the oxidation of quinol, resulting in the formation of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). H 2 O 2 accumulation upon Cipro exposure is responsible for decreased photosynthesis in plants. The amount of H 2 O 2 in plants is kept under control by antioxidant enzymes, whose activities are central to the responses of plants to Cipro yet are influenced by temperature. Increased temperature favored Cipro uptake by plants as well as its deleterious effects on mitochondrial activity; however, it also favored the activity of antioxidant enzymes, thereby preventing the exacerbation of the deleterious effects of Cipro. The uptake of Cipro by plants appears to be largely a passive process, although some uptake must be driven by an energy-consuming process. Ricciocarpus natans should be considered for programs aimed at the reclamation of Cipro since this plant exhibits high Cipro-tolerance, the capacity for accumulation and increased uptake rates of the antibiotic with increasing temperatures (from 20 to 30 °C). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbiological stimulation of phytoremediation process using Salvinia natans to mercury contamined water

OpenAIRE

Filyarovskaya Viktoriya; Sitarska Magdalena; Traczewska Teodora; Wolf Mirela

2017-01-01

An alternative to traditional cleaning methods of heavy metals in the water environment is phytoremediation. They efficiency depends on used technological process conditions as well as plant species. One of the most dangerous metallic elements mercury plays a particular role, which is a trace element and a physiologically foreign in living organisms. Mercury has a high degree of toxicity with strong affinity to thiol groups. This may cause an adverse effect on the enzymatic processes and cons...

Salvinia auriculata: Aquatic bioindicator studied by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira Soares, Daniel Cristian; Figueiredo de Oliveira, Ester [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN), Avenida Antonio Carlos, 6627 Pampulha, CEP 30123-970 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Fatima Silva, Gracia Divina de; Duarte, Lucienir Pains [Departamento de Quimica, ICEx, Nucleo de estudos de Plantas Medicinais (NEPLAM), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antonio Carlos, 6627 Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Pott, Vali Joana [Empresa Brasileira de Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA), BR 262 km 4, Caixa Postal 154, CEP 79002-970 Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil); Vieira Filho, Sidney Augusto [Escola de Farmacia, DEFAR, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Rua Costa Sena, 171, CEP 35400-000 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais (Brazil)], E-mail: bibo@ef.ufop.br

2008-05-15

Through instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) the elemental chemical composition of Salvinia auriculata and Ouro Preto city public water was determined. Elements Ce, Th, Cr, Hf, Sb, Sc, Rb, Fe, Zn, Co, Au, La and Br were quantified. High chromium concentration was determined in this plant. But, chromium was determined only in low concentrations in the water. The results indicate the great capacity of this plant to absorb and accumulate inorganic elements.

Influence of aquaculture effluents on the growth of Salvinia molesta Influência do efluente de aqüicultura sobre o crescimento de Salvinia molesta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Eduarda Trevisan Pistori

2010-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Aquaculture generates social and economic benefits, but also causes impacts on the environment. One of the major impacts is the release of untreated effluents into rivers, reservoirs, and lakes, which can affect aquatic populations and communities. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that effluent from aquaculture favors the growth of the floating aquatic macrophyte Salvinia molesta; METHODS: The study was carried out in a non-impacted reservoir (NIR and in another reservoir (IR that is impacted by discharges of aquaculture effluents, and lasted for nine months. In each of the reservoirs, we installed four experimental units containing 10 ramets of S. molesta. Monthly, we measured limnological variables of the water and the biomass of S. molesta in both reservoirs; RESULTS: The temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, alkalinity, chlorophyll-a, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and total phosphorus were higher in the IR in all the collection months. At the end of the experiment, the concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus in the biomass of S. molesta from the IR were higher than those in plants from the NIR. The estimated support capacity (K for S. molesta in the NIR was 3.0 ± 0.7 g DM.m-2 and in the IR was 37.4 ± 2.4 g DM.m-2; CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the discharge of aquaculture effluent modifies the limnological characteristics of the water of the receiving reservoir, and that the growth of Salvinia molesta is favored by the aquaculture effluent, because of the increases in the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water.OBJETIVO: A aqüicultura gera benefícios sociais e econômicos, mas também causa impactos ao ambiente. Um dos principais impactos é o lançamento de efluentes sem tratamento em ambientes como rios, reservatórios e lagos, o que pode afetar populações e comunidades aquáticas. Neste trabalho foi testada a hipótese de que o efluente de aqüicultura favorece o crescimento da

Macrobenthos of Vembanad estuary in relation to the deposition of degraded water fern Salvinia and other macrophytes

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gopalan, U.K.; Meenakshikunjamma, P.P.; Vengayil, D.T.

Composition and seasonal abundance of macrobenthos in Vembanad estuary (India) seems to be influenced by the density of decaying macrophytes, especially the water fern Salvinia , deposited at the bottom of the estuary at the rate of 356.76 g/m super...

Biomass reduction of Salvinia molesta exposed to copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O)

OpenAIRE

Barros,João Pedro Alves de Azevedo; Henares,Matheus Nicolino Peixoto

2015-01-01

Copper in the aquatic ecosystem may remain adsorbed or be incorporated into the biomass and undergo biomagnification causing unwanted effects to aquatic macrophyte communities. This study evaluated the biomass reduction of Salvinia molesta (Mitchell) exposed to copper sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O) under laboratory conditions. Approximately 20.5 g of fresh mass (FM) of S. molesta (0.74 g dry matter, DM) were placed in glass tanks with different concentrations (n = 3) of CuSO4.5H2O as foll...

Influence of Sulfur on the Arsenic Phytoremediation Using Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guoliang; Feng, Tao; Li, Zhixian; Chen, Zhang; Chen, Yuanqi; Wang, Haihua; Xiang, Yanci

2017-09-01

Influences of sulfur (S) on the accumulation and detoxification of arsenic (As) in Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara, an arsenic hyperaccumulating submerged aquatic plant, were investigated. At low sulfur levels (75%) present in the plant after exposure to As(V). Sulfur plays an important role in the arsenic translocation and detoxification, possibly through stimulating the synthesis of thiols and complexation of arsenite-phytochelatins. This suggests that addition of sulfur to the arsenic-contaminated water may provide a way to promote arsenic bioaccumulation in plants for phytoremediation of arsenic pollution.

Sphaerotilus natans encrusted with nanoball-shaped Fe(III) oxide minerals formed by nitrate-reducing mixotrophic Fe(II) oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sunhwa; Kim, Dong-Hun; Lee, Ji-Hoon; Hur, Hor-Gil

2014-10-01

Ferrous iron has been known to function as an electron source for iron-oxidizing microorganisms in both anoxic and oxic environments. A diversity of bacteria has been known to oxidize both soluble and solid-phase Fe(II) forms coupled to the reduction of nitrate. Here, we show for the first time Fe(II) oxidation by Sphaerotilus natans strain DSM 6575(T) under mixotrophic condition. Sphaerotilus natans has been known to form a sheath structure enclosing long chains of rod-shaped cells, resulting in a thick biofilm formation under oxic conditions. Here, we also demonstrate that strain DSM 6575(T) grows mixotrophically with pyruvate, Fe(II) as electron donors and nitrate as an electron acceptor and single cells of strain DSM 6575(T) are dominant under anoxic conditions. Furthermore, strain DSM 6575(T) forms nanoball-shaped amorphous Fe(III) oxide minerals encrusting on the cell surfaces through the mixotrophic iron oxidation reaction under anoxic conditions. We propose that cell encrustation results from the indirect Fe(II) oxidation by biogenic nitrite during nitrate reduction and that causes the bacterial morphological change to individual rod-shaped single cells from filamentous sheath structures. This study extends the group of existing microorganisms capable of mixotrophic Fe(II) oxidation by a new strain, S. natans strain DSM 6575(T) , and could contribute to biogeochemical cycles of Fe and N in the environment. © 2014 The Authors. FEMS Microbiology Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

Role of glutathione in tolerance to arsenite in Salvinia molesta, an aquatic fern

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adinan Alves da Silva

2017-09-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In many plant species, tolerance to toxic metals is highly dependent on glutathione, an essential metabolite for cellular detoxification. We evaluated the responses of glutathione metabolism to arsenite (AsIII in Salvinia molesta, an aquatic fern that has unexplored phytoremediation potential. Plants were exposed to different AsIII concentrations in nutrient solution for 24 h. AsIII caused cell membrane damage to submerged leaves, indicating oxidative stress. There was an increase in the glutathione content and ϒ-glutamylcysteine synthetase enzyme activity in the submerged and floating leaves. The glutathione peroxidase and glutathione sulfotransferase enzymes also showed increased activity in both plant parts, whereas glutathione reductase only showed increased activity in the submerged leaves. These findings suggest an important role for glutathione in the protection of S. molesta against the toxic effects of AsIII, with more effective tolerance responses in the floating leaves.

Phosphorus-limited photosynthesis and growth of Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans (Phaeophyceae) in the western North Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Lapointe, Brian E.

1986-03-01

Growth enrichment studies utilizing in vitu cage cultures and a shipboard flowing seawater culture system were conducted with whole-plant populations of pelagic Sargassum-S. natans and S. fluitans (Phaeophyceaa)-in the western Sargasso Sea and at Looe Key Marine Sanctuary adjacent to the Straits of Florida. Growth rates of both species ranged from 0.03 to 0.04 doublings d -1 in control cultures receiving no enrichment and in cultures receiving either NO 3- or NH 4+ enrichment; in contrast, growth rates ranged from 0.05 to 0.08 doublings d -1 in cultures receiving PO 43- enrichment. Midday photosynthetic rates of S. natans and S. fluitans were also two-fold higher with PO 43- enrichment, ca. 2.3 mgC g dryw-1 h -1 compared to 1.0 to 1.5 mgC g dry wt -1 h -1 in the NH 4+, NO 3-, and control treatments. These data suggest the pelagic Sargassum may grow faster than previously thought and that phosphorus, rather than nitroge, may be the primary nutrient limiting growth and productivity of these plants.

The Reproductive Morphology and Physiological Age Grading of the Female Salvinia Weevil, Calder and Sands

OpenAIRE

Lee Eisenberg; Seth Johnson; Michael J Grodowitz

2018-01-01

The morphology of the female Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands reproductive system is similar to other weevil species being meroistic and telotrophic. The reproductive system is composed of 2 ovaries each containing 2 ovarioles where the follicles mature. A physiological age grading system was developed where the continuum of ovarium development was divided into 2 nulliparous and 3 parous classes. This was based on the differentiation of the ovarioles, presence, and appearance of follicu...

Antibacterial Chemical Constituent and Antiseptic Herbal Soap from Salvinia auriculata Aubl.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samia Lima

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The bioassay-guided isolation of the active extract of Salvinia auriculata Aubl. led to the separation of three main compounds, characterized as stigmasterone, stigmasterol, and friedelinol. The pure form of diketosteroid presented a potential antibacterial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC value of 0.01 mg mL−1 against Staphylococcus aureus isolated from animals with mastitis infections. The active extract also showed a similar result to that previously obtained with pure diketosteroid when tested with the same isolates. The present study’s results demonstrate the potential of this plant as an excipient for the production of antibacterial soaps aimed at controlling bovine mastitis infections, especially on small farms.

Coleoptera associated with macrophytes of the genus Salvinia in four oxbow lakes in two river basins in southeast Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Paula-Bueno, M C; Fonseca-Gessner, A A

2015-11-01

Macrophytes in oxbow lakes represent an important substrate for the Coleoptera. Two oxbow lakes the Rio Paranapanema were studied and the other two Rio Mogi-Guaçu, in the State de São Paulo, Brasil. In this study, there is greater similarity between the communities of Coleoptera of lakes greater connectivity with the main river channel or the difference in the species of Salvinia collected in the lakes studied interferes Coleoptera fauna that uses as substrate. A total of 9,222 specimens of Coleoptera were collected and identified in 10 families and 40 genera. The analysis MDS for abundance of Coleoptera showed the grouping of the oxbow lakes the Paranapanema River and a distancing the oxbow lakes the Mogi-Guaçu. The PERMANOVA test did not reveal any difference in the fauna between the wet and dry periods. It was concluded that the connectivity between river and lake is not decisive for the richness and abundance of aquatic fauna of Coleoptera. Therefore, the richness and abundance of aquatic Coleoptera associated vary with the species of Salvinia used as substrate.

Performance of Azolla caroliniana Willd. and Salvinia auriculata Aubl. on fish farming effluent.

Science.gov (United States)

Toledo, J J; Penha, J

2011-02-01

The increasing release of untreated fish farming effluents into water courses that flow to the Pantanal wetlands in Mato Grosso (Brazil) may drive this ecosystem to eutrophication. Therefore, the growth of Azolla caroliniana Willd. and Salvinia auriculata Aubl. in fish farming effluent and their effect on its quality were evaluated for 48 days in a greenhouse. The results were compared to those obtained in a nutrient rich solution (Hoagland ½ medium). Azolla caroliniana showed lower relative growth rate in fish farming effluent (0.020 d-1) than in Hoagland ½ medium (0.029 d-1). However, S. auriculata grew slightly better in fish farming effluent (0.030 d-1) than in Hoagland ½ medium (0.025 d-1). The species apparently contributed to reduce nitrate and phosphate concentration in Hoagland ½ medium. However, in fish farming effluent, only electrical conductivity and pH were reduced by plants compared to the control without plants. Thus, A. caroliniana and S. auriculata show low potential for improving effluent quality.

Coleoptera associated with macrophytes of the genus Salvinia in four oxbow lakes in two river basins in southeast Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. C. Paula-Bueno

Full Text Available Abstract Macrophytes in oxbow lakes represent an important substrate for the Coleoptera. Two oxbow lakes the Rio Paranapanema were studied and the other two Rio Mogi-Guaçu, in the State de São Paulo, Brasil. In this study, there is greater similarity between the communities of Coleoptera of lakes greater connectivity with the main river channel or the difference in the species of Salvinia collected in the lakes studied interferes Coleoptera fauna that uses as substrate. A total of 9,222 specimens of Coleoptera were collected and identified in 10 families and 40 genera. The analysis MDS for abundance of Coleoptera showed the grouping of the oxbow lakes the Paranapanema River and a distancing the oxbow lakes the Mogi-Guaçu. The PERMANOVA test did not reveal any difference in the fauna between the wet and dry periods. It was concluded that the connectivity between river and lake is not decisive for the richness and abundance of aquatic fauna of Coleoptera. Therefore, the richness and abundance of aquatic Coleoptera associated vary with the species of Salvinia used as substrate.

Efeitos da toxicidade do zinco em folhas de Salvinia auriculata cultivadas em solução nutritiva Effects of zinc toxicity on leaves of Salvinia auriculata cultivated in nutrient solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Wolff

2009-03-01

Full Text Available A macrófita aquática Salvinia auriculata tem sido utilizada em vários programas de monitoramento em corpos d'água passíveis de eutrofização, sendo considerada uma planta bioindicadora. Contudo, sabe-se que a salvínia também tem um potencial fitorremediador, acumulando em seus tecidos concentrações consideráveis de poluentes. Com isso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial fitorremediador e bioindicador dessa planta, avaliando as características morfológicas da salvínia quando submetida a doses excessivas de zinco (Zn, bem como o teor desse metal acumulado em seus tecidos. Os indivíduos foram coletados em águas livres de contaminação e cultivados sob condições controladas, em vasos com solução nutritiva, em casa de vegetação, e submetidos aos tratamentos com zinco na forma de ZnSO4. 7H2O, nas seguintes concentrações: 0; 2,5; 5,0; 7,5; e 10,0 mg L-1. As alterações morfológicas foram observadas diariamente e, após dez dias de exposição dos vegetais ao zinco, procedeu-se à colheita das plantas. As plantas colhidas foram lavadas, secas, pesadas, moídas e digeridas em solução com ácido nítrico e ácido perclórico, obtendo-se extratos para determinação dos teores de zinco por espectrofotometria de absorção atômica. Os resultados indicaram que S. auriculata apresentou danos morfológicos, com o desenvolvimento de lesões e necroses marginais nas folhas em concentrações de zinco na solução superiores à permitida pela legislação, porém não diferiram no que se refere ao crescimento populacional. Em relação ao acúmulo, a absorção de zinco pelas plantas aumentou proporcionalmente com a concentração do metal em solução. O zinco, quando em concentrações elevadas, tornou-se tóxico às plantas, sendo as alterações morfológicas de plantas de S. auriculata de fácil detecção, podendo ser utilizadas no biomonitoramento de ecossistemas aquáticos contaminados com zinco.The aquatic

The influence of Eucalyptus plantations on the macrofauna associated with Salvinia auriculata in Southeast Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. CALLISTO

Full Text Available The influence of Eucalyptus plantations on the structure and composition of macroinvertebrate communities associated with the aquatic fern Salvinia auriculata Aublet were investigated in a high altitude lake bordered by either secondary Atlantic forest or Eucalyptus plantations. Comparisons of the diversity of Chironomidae (Diptera, Insecta larvae in the littoral zone between these two vegetation types showed higher diversity of larvae in waters bordered by Eucalyptus. The results demonstrated that the predominance of carnivorous taxa among the macroinvertebrate fauna appears to be the major controlling factor for limiting diversity in lake areas bordered by Eucalyptus.

The influence of Eucalyptus plantations on the macrofauna associated with Salvinia auriculata in Southeast Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CALLISTO M.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of Eucalyptus plantations on the structure and composition of macroinvertebrate communities associated with the aquatic fern Salvinia auriculata Aublet were investigated in a high altitude lake bordered by either secondary Atlantic forest or Eucalyptus plantations. Comparisons of the diversity of Chironomidae (Diptera, Insecta larvae in the littoral zone between these two vegetation types showed higher diversity of larvae in waters bordered by Eucalyptus. The results demonstrated that the predominance of carnivorous taxa among the macroinvertebrate fauna appears to be the major controlling factor for limiting diversity in lake areas bordered by Eucalyptus.

Performance of Azolla caroliniana Willd. and Salvinia auriculata Aubl. on fish farming effluent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JJ. Toledo

Full Text Available The increasing release of untreated fish farming effluents into water courses that flow to the Pantanal wetlands in Mato Grosso (Brazil may drive this ecosystem to eutrophication. Therefore, the growth of Azolla caroliniana Willd. and Salvinia auriculata Aubl. in fish farming effluent and their effect on its quality were evaluated for 48 days in a greenhouse. The results were compared to those obtained in a nutrient rich solution (Hoagland ½ medium. Azolla caroliniana showed lower relative growth rate in fish farming effluent (0.020 d-1 than in Hoagland ½ medium (0.029 d-1. However, S. auriculata grew slightly better in fish farming effluent (0.030 d-1 than in Hoagland ½ medium (0.025 d-1. The species apparently contributed to reduce nitrate and phosphate concentration in Hoagland ½ medium. However, in fish farming effluent, only electrical conductivity and pH were reduced by plants compared to the control without plants. Thus, A. caroliniana and S. auriculata show low potential for improving effluent quality.

The use of Salvinia auriculata as a bioindicator in aquatic ecosystems: biomass and structure dependent on the cadmium concentration

OpenAIRE

Wolff,G.; Pereira,GC; Castro,EM; Louzada,J; Coelho,FF

2012-01-01

This study shows, in a multiple-level approach, the responses of Salvinia auriculata to Cd pollution in aquatic ecosystems. S. auriculata ramets were cultivated in nutrient solution and subjected to five treatments with Cd for ten days. At the end of the experiment, the number of new ramets and the dry biomass were determined. For ultrastructural observations, the leaves of S. auriculata were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. At the end of the...

Phytotoxicity of four herbicides on Ceratophyllum demersum, Vallisneria natans and Elodea nuttallii.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Huiyun; Li, Xiaolu; Xu, Xiaohua; Gao, Shixiang

2009-01-01

The physiological effects of 4 herbicides (butachlor, quinclorac, bensulfuron-methyl and atrazine) on 3 submerged macrophytes (Ceratophyllum demersum, Vallisneria natans and Elodea nuttallii) were tested in laboratory. The variables of the relative growth rate and the photosynthetic pigment content showed that all of the tested herbicides affected the growth of the plants obviously, even at the lowest concentration (0.0001 mg/L). Except for the C. demersum treated with quinclorac at 0.005 and 0.01 mg/L, the relative growth rates of the plants were inhibited significantly (p < 0.01). Statistical analysis of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) contents was carried out with both the t-test and one-way ANOVA to determine the difference between the treatment and control. The results showed that Chl-a contents of the plants in all treatment groups were affected by herbicides significantly, except for the C. demersum treated with bensulfuron-methyl at 0.0005 mg/L. The decrease in Chl-a content was positively correlated to the dosage of the herbicides in most treatment groups. It was suggested that herbicides in water bodies might potentially affect the growth of aquatic macrophytes. Since the Chl-a content of submerged macrophytes responded to the stress of herbicides sensitively and directly, it could be used as a biomaker in environmental monitoring or in the ecological risk assessment of herbicide contamination.

Influência da chuva na eficiência de diquat no controle de Salvinia auriculata, Pistia stratiotes e Eichhornia crassipes Influence of rainfall on diquat efficiency in controlling Salvinia auriculata, Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G.S.F Souza

2011-12-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência da ocorrência de chuva em diferentes períodos de tempo após a aplicação do herbicida diquat, em sua eficiência de controle sobre plantas de Salvinia auriculata, Pistia stratiotes e Eichhornia crassipes. Foram estudadas chuvas de 10 mm, aplicadas durante 5min, em diferentes períodos de tempo (0h, 0,25h, 0,5h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 6h, 12h e não simulação de chuva após a aplicação de diquat, na formulação Reward, a 600 g i.a. ha-1 (2,5 L p.c. ha-1. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. As plantas foram avaliadas visualmente aos 3, 5, 7 e 12 dias após a aplicação (DAA, sendo os resultados submetidos à análise de variância pelo teste F, e as médias dos tratamentos, comparadas pelo teste de Tukey (pThe aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of rainfall events at different time periods after application of diquat on the efficiency of this herbicide in controlling Salvinia auriculata, Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes. Simulation of 10 mm rainfall applied during 5 min was studied at different time periods (0h, 0.25h, 0.5h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 6h, 12h and no rain simulation after application of diquat in Reward formulation, 600 g a.i. ha-1 (2.5Lcp ha-1. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications. Plants were evaluated at 3, 5, 7, and 12 days after application (DAA, and the results submitted to analysis of variance by the F test and the treatment means compared by the Tukey test (p < 0.05. Diquat provided excellent control of all the species studied, regardless of the time period for rain occurrence after application, even when immediately after application.

The Reproductive Morphology and Physiological Age Grading of the Female Salvinia Weevil, Calder and Sands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Eisenberg

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The morphology of the female Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands reproductive system is similar to other weevil species being meroistic and telotrophic. The reproductive system is composed of 2 ovaries each containing 2 ovarioles where the follicles mature. A physiological age grading system was developed where the continuum of ovarium development was divided into 2 nulliparous and 3 parous classes. This was based on the differentiation of the ovarioles, presence, and appearance of follicular relics, cuticle hardness/coloration, and fat body quantity/appearance. High correlation occurred between the parous classes and number of eggs produced where the P3 class had over 9-fold higher number of eggs in comparison with the P1 class. Mean number of eggs produced for each parous class was significantly different, however, overlap occurred. Such a system enables a determination of the past, present, and future reproductive status of field populations and mass-rearing colonies.

Pigmentos lipossolúveis e hidrossolúveis em plantas de salvínia sob toxicidade por cromo Liposoluble and hydrosoluble pigments in salvinia under chromium toxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.F. Pereira

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Devido à intensa utilização industrial, o cromo é considerado um importante poluente ambiental. O presente trabalho objetivou determinar os teores de pigmentos hidro e lipossolúveis em plantas de salvínia expostas a concentrações crescentes de Cr, visando estabelecer parâmetros bioquímicos para utilização dessa macrófita em programas de biomonitoramento e/ou fitorremediação da poluição causada por esse poluente metálico em ambientes aquáticos. As plantas foram submetidas a concentrações crescentes de Cr e avaliadas após quatro, seis e dez dias de tratamento. Os resultados dos ensaios permitiram concluir que plantas de salvínia sob condições de estresse por Cr apresentam reduções nas concentrações das clorofilas a, b e total e, em contraste, aumentos nas concentrações de antocianinas totais. Embora a concentração de carotenoides totais não tenha sido alterada em resposta ao Cr, as variações nas concentrações dos demais pigmentos lipossolúveis e dos pigmentos hidrossolúveis observadas nas folhas das plantas de salvínia podem ser utilizadas como parâmetros bioquímicos de biomonitoramento da poluição causada por esse elemento metálico em ambientes aquáticos.Due to widespread industrial use, chromium is considered a serious environmental pollutant. This study aimed to determine the content of hydrosoluble and liposoluble pigments in salvinia plants exposed to increasing concentrations of Cr, to establish biochemical parameters for the use of macrophyta in pollution bio-monitoring programs and/or phyto-remediation in aquatic environments by this pollutant metal. The plants were exposed to increasing concentrations of Cr and evaluated after four, six, and ten days of treatment. The test results showed that salvinia plants under stress conditions for Cr exhibit decreases in the concentrations of chlorophylls a, b, and total, and, in contrast, increases in anthocyanin concentrations. Although the

Effects of inorganic nitrogen forms on growth, morphology, nitrogen uptake capacity and nutrient allocation of four tropical aquatic macrophytes (Salvinia cucullata, Ipomoea aquatica, Cyperus involucratus and Vetiveria zizanioides)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jampeetong, Arunothai; Brix, Hans; Kantawanichkul, Suwasa

2012-01-01

This study assesses the growth and morphological responses, nitrogen uptake and nutrient allocation in four aquatic macrophytes when supplied with different inorganic nitrogen treatments (1) NH4+, (2) NO3−, or (3) both NH4+ and NO3−. Two free-floating species (Salvinia cucullata Roxb. ex Bory...... and Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) and two emergent species (Cyperus involucratus Rottb. and Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash ex Small) were grown with these N treatments at equimolar concentrations (500 M). Overall, the plants responded well to NH4+. Growth as RGR was highest in S. cucullata (0.12±0.003 d−1......) followed by I. aquatica (0.035 ±0.002 d−1), C. involucratus (0.03±0.002 d−1) and V. zizanioides (0.02±0.003 d−1). The NH4+ uptake rate was significantly higher than the NO3− uptake rate. The free-floating species had higher nitrogen uptake rates than the emergent species. The N-uptake rate differed between...

Capacity of the aquatic fern (Salvinia minima Baker) to accumulate high concentrations of nickel in its tissues, and its effect on plant physiological processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuentes, Ignacio I.; Espadas-Gil, Francisco; Talavera-May, Carlos; Fuentes, Gabriela; Santamaría, Jorge M., E-mail: jorgesm@cicy.mx

2014-10-15

Highlights: • We document the capacity of an aquatic fern to hyper-accumulate Ni. • Effects of high Ni concentrations uptake on plant performance is documented. • High concentration of Ni in tissues damage photosynthesis. • Damage is related to carboxylation mechanisms than to electron transfer efficiency. • S. minima is a good candidate for remediation of water bodies contaminated with Ni. - Abstract: An experiment was designed to assess the capacity of Salvinia minima Baker to uptake and accumulate nickel in its tissues and to evaluate whether or not this uptake can affect its physiology. Our results suggest that S. minima plants are able to take up high amounts of nickel in its tissues, particularly in roots. In fact, our results support the idea that S. minima might be considered a hyper-accumulator of nickel, as it is able to accumulate 16.3 mg g{sup −1} (whole plant DW basis). Our results also showed a two-steps uptake pattern of nickel, with a fast uptake of nickel at the first 6 to 12 h of being expose to the metal, followed by a slow take up phase until the end of the experiment at 144 h. S. minima thus, may be considered as a fern useful in the phytoremediation of residual water bodies contaminated with this metal. Also from our results, S. minima can tolerate fair concentrations of the metal; however, at concentrations higher than 80 μM Ni (1.5 mg g{sup −1} internal nickel concentration), its physiological performance can be affected. For instance, the integrity of cell membranes was affected as the metal concentration and exposure time increased. The accumulation of high concentrations of internal nickel did also affect photosynthesis, the efficiency of PSII, and the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, although at a lower extent.

Occurrence of antibiotics in water, sediments, aquatic plants, and animals from Baiyangdian Lake in North China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenhui; Shi, Yali; Gao, Lihong; Liu, Jiemin; Cai, Yaqi

2012-11-01

This study investigated the presence and distribution of 22 antibiotics, including eight quinolones, nine sulfonamides and five macrolides, in the water, sediments, and biota samples from Baiyangdian Lake, China. A total of 132 samples were collected in 2008 and 2010, and laboratory analyses revealed that antibiotics were widely distributed in the lake. Sulfonamides were the dominant antibiotics in the water (0.86-1563 ng L(-1)), while quinolones were prominent in sediments (65.5-1166 μg kg(-1)) and aquatic plants (8.37-6532 μg kg(-1)). Quinolones (17.8-167 μg kg(-1)) and macrolides [from below detection limit (BDL) to 182 μg kg(-1)] were often found in aquatic animals and birds. Salvinia natans exhibited the highest bioaccumulation capability for quinolones among three species of aquatic plants. Geographical differences of antibiotic concentrations were greatly due to anthropogenic activities. Sewage discharged from Baoding City was likely the main source of antibiotics in the lake. Risk assessment of antibiotics on aquatic organisms suggested that algae and aquatic plants might be at risk in surface water, while animals were likely not at risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phyto remediation of Freshwater Environment: Radiocaesium Uptake By Kiambang (Salvinia molesta)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poppy-Intan-Tjahaja; Suhulman; Putu-Sukmabuana; Ruchijat

2006-01-01

Phyto remediation of freshwater environment contaminated with radiocaesium has been conducted. The study was conducted by examining 134 Cs uptake by Kiambang (Salvinia molesta), another water plant i.e eceng gondok (Eichornia crassipes) had been studied before. Simulated freshwater ecosystem i.e. a stainless steel tank filled with 400 L freshwater, was contaminated with 0.2 m L 134 CsCl of 4.84 x 10 9 Bq/m L activity. Kiambang were put onto the tank and grown for about 40 days. As control other Kiambang were also grown on a tank without contaminated water. Every five days the water plant, grown on contaminated water and non contaminated water, were sampled for measurement of 134 Cs uptake. On the same time 25 m L of water medium were also sampled for 134 Cs concentration measurement. The water plant samples were separated into roots and non-roots (leaves with the stem), and then dried using IR lamp. The dried samples were put on the plastic vials and destructed by addition of HCl 5 M until the volume become 100 m L. The water plant and water samples each were counted using multi channel analyser (MCA) with HPGe detector for 180 seconds. From this study it was obtained that the Kiambang can absorb and accumulate radiocaesium from the medium. The ability of this plant to accumulate radiocaesium was expressed as transfer factor, i.e. a ratio of 134 Cs concentration on the plant to that of on the water (the medium). From this study relatively high transfer factor value of 5.9 m L/g was obtained with transfer velocity coefficients of 3,077x10 -7 /days and 1,965x10 -7 /days for 0 < t < 25 and 29 < t < 40 respectively. The Kiambang can be considered to be utilised as a fitoremediator or depollutant of radiocesium on the freshwater environment, although it is not economic. (author)

Biomass reduction of Salvinia molesta exposed to copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Pedro Alves de Azevedo Barros

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Copper in the aquatic ecosystem may remain adsorbed or be incorporated into the biomass and undergo biomagnification causing unwanted effects to aquatic macrophyte communities. This study evaluated the biomass reduction of Salvinia molesta (Mitchell exposed to copper sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O under laboratory conditions. Approximately 20.5 g of fresh mass (FM of S. molesta (0.74 g dry matter, DM were placed in glass tanks with different concentrations (n = 3 of CuSO4.5H2O as follows: 0.0; 2.0; 4.0; 6.0; and 8.0 mg L-1 for 28 days. The dry mass was determined after each seven-day interval over 28 days and submitted to repeated ANOVA measures, followed by a Tukey test (P<0,05. The results show that macrophyte increased until the seventh day of exposure in all treatments. After this period, the biomass of S. molesta decreased; but there was no significant difference between treatments with copper, except for the 8.0 mg L-1 treatment. The copper treatments decreased the S. molesta biomass an average of 43.2% (0.50 g DM after 28 days. At the end of the experiment, copper absorption in the treatments with 6.0 and 8.0 mg L-1 was on average 77.9% higher than in the treatments with 2 and 4 mg L-1 . The treatments with 6.0 and 8.0 mg L-1 reached their maximum bioaccumulation capacity after 14 days. The results show that contamination of the aquatic environment at concentrations above 2 mg L-1 Cu2+ can reduce the S. molesta biomass by approximately 43%.

The use of Salvinia auriculata as a bioindicator in aquatic ecosystems: biomass and structure dependent on the cadmium concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolff, G; Pereira, G C; Castro, E M; Louzada, J; Coelho, F F

2012-02-01

This study shows, in a multiple-level approach, the responses of Salvinia auriculata to Cd pollution in aquatic ecosystems. S. auriculata ramets were cultivated in nutrient solution and subjected to five treatments with Cd for ten days. At the end of the experiment, the number of new ramets and the dry biomass were determined. For ultrastructural observations, the leaves of S. auriculata were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. At the end of the experiment, the plants exposed to Cd showed damage in the leaves including necrosis and chlorosis, stomate deformations and damaged trichomes. We observed a decrease in the number of new ramets and dry biomass of S. auriculata following the increase in Cd concentration in the solution. At the ultrastructural level, leaves exposed to Cd presented chloroplast deformations and deterioration in the cell wall. All the symptoms of toxicity were directly proportionate to the concentration of Cd in the solution. The results suggests that S. auriculata shows good potential for use as a bioindicator and it can be used in the biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems contaminated by Cd.

The use of Salvinia auriculata as a bioindicator in aquatic ecosystems: biomass and structure dependent on the cadmium concentration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Wolff

Full Text Available This study shows, in a multiple-level approach, the responses of Salvinia auriculata to Cd pollution in aquatic ecosystems. S. auriculata ramets were cultivated in nutrient solution and subjected to five treatments with Cd for ten days. At the end of the experiment, the number of new ramets and the dry biomass were determined. For ultrastructural observations, the leaves of S. auriculata were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. At the end of the experiment, the plants exposed to Cd showed damage in the leaves including necrosis and chlorosis, stomate deformations and damaged trichomes. We observed a decrease in the number of new ramets and dry biomass of S. auriculata following the increase in Cd concentration in the solution. At the ultrastructural level, leaves exposed to Cd presented chloroplast deformations and deterioration in the cell wall. All the symptoms of toxicity were directly proportionate to the concentration of Cd in the solution. The results suggests that S. auriculata shows good potential for use as a bioindicator and it can be used in the biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems contaminated by Cd.

Efisiensi penggunaan protein pada puyuh periode produksi yang diberi ransum mengandung tepung daun kayambang

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hesty Rahmawati

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of the experiment was to determine the utilization of kayambang (salvinia molesta leaves meal on protein consumption, protein efficiency ratio, nitrogen retention, and digestibility protein. Experiment used 200 japanese female quails aged 9 weeks with average body weight 114.86 ± 2.69 g (CV 2.34%. The experiment was conducted in battery cages. The study used a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The treatment diets were T0 (control, T1 (2.5% Salvinia molesta leaves meal, T2 (5% Salvinia molesta leaves meal and T3 (7.5% Salvinia molesta leaves meal. The dose of a liquid additive was 5 ml/quail. Observation of crude protein digestibility and the energy was carried for 3 days and protein measurements were analysed using Kjeldahl method. The results showed that administration of salvinia molesta leaf meal up to 7.5% level in the diet decreased the quality of the ration so that the protein utilization was also decreased as indicated by the decline of protein consumption, protein efficiency ratio, nitrogen retention, and digestibility protein. Keywords: quail, kayambang (Salvinia molesta, protein efficiency

安徽省水生植物资源的调查与分析%Investigation and Conservation of Resources of Aquatic Higher Plants in Anhui

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陈明林; 刘玲玲; 张小平

2004-01-01

本文研究了安徽省水生高等植物资源的种类、生境、组成特点、经济价值及植被概况,结果表明本省有水生高等植物44科、72属、138种,其中单子叶植物占优势,分别占科、属、种的40.9%、50.0%、54.4%.各科亲缘关系较远,并且许多科仅有一属的少数种为水生的.其地理成分表明,本地水生种子植物以世界分布属为主,热带成分与温带成分几乎各占一半,基本反映安徽省具有热带和温带的双重性质.水生植被以竹叶眼子菜(Potamogeton malaianus)群落,苦草(Vallisineria spiralis)群落,紫萍(Spirodela polyrrhiza)、浮萍(Lemna minor)群落,满江红(Azolla imbricata)、槐叶苹(Salvinia natans)群落,莲(Nelumbo nucifera)群落为主.

Photo-catalyzed and phyto-mediated rapid green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using herbal extract of Salvinia molesta and its antimicrobial efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Devendra Kumar; Hasan, Syed Hadi; Banik, Rathindra Mohan

2016-02-01

Current study presents an economic, ecofriendly and simple photo-catalytic green route for the swift biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within 20s, devoid of any instrumental support or chemical reductant. Aqueous leaf-extract of an aquatic fern, Salvinia molesta (AES), was used as a bioreductant as well as a stabilizing agent. Rapid change in color of reaction mixture from yellowish green to reddish brown within 20s in direct sun light exposure was considered as the primary visual indication of AgNPs biosynthesis. The biosynthesis of AgNPs was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy through the presence of a characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band for AgNPs at λmax of 425 nm. The process parameters were optimized through one factor at a time approach. Optimal values of different process parameters for the current biosynthetic system were found as; 35 min of reaction time under sun light, 8.0mM AgNO3 concentration and 5.0% (v/v) AES inoculum dose. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that most of AgNPs were spherical in shape with average size distribution of 12.46 nm having face centered cubic (fcc) crystal lattice. IR analysis of AES and synthesized AgNPs indicated the involvement of both hydroxyl and amino groups in the biosynthesis and stabilization of AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs were found to be an effective antibacterial agent against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. On the basis of results and facts, a probable mechanism has also been proposed to explore the possible route of biosynthesis of AgNPs through AES. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PEMANFAATAN LIMBAH DARAH SAPI DAN KIAMBANG SEBAGAI PUPUK RAMAH LINGKUNGAN UNTUK MENDUKUNG PERTANIAN LAHAN GAMBUT YANG BERKELANJUTAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HASTIN ERNAWATI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTA Farming system adopted by farmers in Sub-District Kalampangan is very dependent agricultural systems within organic fertilizer. The use of in organic fertilizers continuously providea considerable impact on the surroundingenvironment. Nutrient the soilare bound by the molecules of chemical fertilizers so the top soi lregenerationprocess can not to be done.One alternativesolutionthat is proposed is the use of fertilizers derived from localresources around, the cow blood waste from slaughter houses and swamp plant sgiant salvinia (Salvinia molesta.Trouble shooting methods in this service activities were 1 education and training composting of cow blood-giantsalvinia 2 demonstration plot to show the prove of greatness of cow blood-giant salvinia compost to the plants3 mentoring and coaching partner farmers. The results showed that cow blood and giant salvinia potentially beusedas contained in an environmentally friendly organic fertilizer fo able crops grownon peat. Thefertilizershouldbe developedso thatfarmerscanbea superior productin order to meetone of thecomponents neededto initiatethechangefromconventional farming systemstoorganic farming systems.Keywords : cow blood waste, giant salvinia, compost, organic fertilizer, organic farming

Risk spreading, habitat selection and division of biomass in a submerged clonal plant: Responses to heterogeneous copper pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Xue; Wang, Haowen; Wang, Qingfeng; Rudstam, Lars G.

2013-01-01

Heterogeneity of contaminant-stress can be an important environmental factor for clonal plants. We focused on Cu transport among the clones, the foraging or fugitive behavior and biomass allocation of submerged plant, Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara, exposed to heterogeneous sediments. This study was carried out in aquatic mesocosms between March and September 2010. Cu accumulated in contaminated ramets was exported horizontally via stolons to other ramets in uncontaminated patches, and then transported both acropetally to leaves and basipetally to belowground structures. There was no indication that V. natans adopted morphological plasticity in response to heterogeneous contaminated habitat. In contrast to predictions, more biomass was allocated to belowground tissues in contaminated patches. We concluded that risk of Cu stress spread among submerged clones, and V. natans did not actively select habitat in contaminated patchy environment. Furthermore, V. natans adopted compensatory investments instead of division of labor to acquire nutrient and survive. -- Highlights: ► Response of submerged clonal plant in heterogeneous Cu soil was studied. ► Cu can spread among V. natans clones in contaminated patches. ► Ramets of V. natans grow randomly instead of habitat selection actively. ► Individual growth in patchy pollution was relative independent rather than DoL. -- Cu can spread among V. natans clones and the clones grow randomly and relative independent in heterogeneous Cu-contaminated sediment

Comparative mitochondrial and chloroplast genomics of a genetically distinct form of Sargassum contributing to recent "Golden Tides" in the Western Atlantic.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaral-Zettler, Linda A; Dragone, Nicholas B; Schell, Jeffrey; Slikas, Beth; Murphy, Leslie G; Morrall, Clare E; Zettler, Erik R

2017-01-01

Over the past 5 years, massive accumulations of holopelagic species of the brown macroalga Sargassum in coastal areas of the Caribbean have created "golden tides" that threaten local biodiversity and trigger economic losses associated with beach deterioration and impact on fisheries and tourism. In 2015, the first report identifying the cause of these extreme events implicated a rare form of the holopelagic species Sargassum natans (form VIII ). However, since the first mention of S. natans VIII in the 1930s, based solely on morphological characters, no molecular data have confirmed this identification. We generated full-length mitogenomes and partial chloroplast genomes of all representative holopelagic Sargassum species, S. fluitans III and S. natans I alongside the putatively rare S. natans VIII , to demonstrate small but consistent differences between S. natans I and VIII (7 bp differences out of the 34,727). Our comparative analyses also revealed that both S. natans I and S. natans VIII share a very close phylogenetic relationship with S. fluitans III (94- and 96-bp differences of 34,727). We designed novel primers that amplified regions of the cox2 and cox3 marker genes with consistent polymorphic sites that enabled differentiation between the two S. natans forms ( I and VIII ) from each other and both from S. fluitans III in over 150 Sargassum samples including those from the 2014 golden tide event. Despite remarkable gene synteny and sequence conservation, the three Sargassum forms differ in morphology, ecology, and distribution patterns, warranting more extensive interrogation of holopelagic Sargassum genomes as a whole.

Phytoremediation Capabilities of Spirodela polyrhiza and Salvinia molesta in Fish Farm Wastewater: A Preliminary Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Y. S.; Samsudin, N. I. S.; Chan, D. J. C.

2017-06-01

Fish farm wastewater needs to be treated as it contains considerably high loading of suspended solids and dissolved nutrients from accumulation of by-products e.g. fish excretions and uneaten feed. In this study, macrophytes, namely Spirodela polyrhiza and Salvinia molesta were examined for their phytoremediation efficiency in treating fish farm wastewater in a raceway pond rig. It was carried out indoor for 14 days under controlled environment. Water samples was collected once every 2 days for analysis of NO3 -- N, PO4 3-, NH3-N, COD, turbidity, MLVSS and pH. The results showed that there was decrement of phosphate in fish farm wastewater using either S. polyrhiza or S. molesta. Interestingly, S. polyrhiza was found to be more efficient in phosphate uptake as it removed 72% phosphate at day 4 and up to 95% in the end of the experiment whereas 72% phosphate removal was only achieved by S. molesta at day 10. Similar ammonia decrement was observed for both plants and most of the ammonia were not detected in the wastewater by day 10 for S. polyrhiza, while by day 8 for S. molesta. Nitrate showed increment for both plants which could be due to nitrification. Both plants achieved highest COD removal on day 12, whereby 68% for S. polyrhiza and 63% for S. molesta. They were able to reduce turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) to very low level and significantly increase clarity of wastewater. S. polyrhiza reduced up to 96% of initial turbidity value and 86% of TSS. 82% reduction of initial turbidity and 79% TSS decrement were observed for S. molesta. pH fluctuations were minimum for both plants, with a range between 7.62 to 7.77. Both plants demonstrated biomass increment for fresh weight in which 84% for S. polyrhiza while 85% for S. molesta. This study proved that the macrophytes were able to treat fish farm wastewater by significantly removing phosphate, ammonia, turbidity and TSS. It aids in minimizing pollutants released to receiving waters and producing biomass

FITOREMEDIASI TUMBUHAN AIR KIAMBANG (Salvinia molesta PURUN TIKUS (Eleocharis dulcis DAN PERUPUK (Phragmites karka SEBAGAI ALTERNATIF PENGOLAHAN LIMBAH CAIR KARET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norhidayah Norhidayah

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study 1 assess the ability of aquatic plants Salvinia molesta, Eleocharis dulcis and Phragmites karka in reducing pollutant effluent, Zinc, DO, temperature, pH, BOD, COD, TSS, Turbidity  and Ammonia (NH3 in the rubber industry wastewater, 2 compare the water potential of plants to absorb pollutants wastewater rubber; 3 assess the status of the marine environment of rubber wastewater ponds to three (3 water treatment plant, the heavy metals zinc (Zn in liquid waste rubber. The results of the study resulted in plant water Purun Rat able to reduce BOD by 64%, COD by 17% and Turbidity by 80%, water kiambang able to lower Zinc by 49% and TSS by 70%, water plant perupuk able to reduce ammonia (NH3 by 23%. Stable temperature and pH value in each pool plant installation, the results of research conducted in this value in the effluent water quality rubber has not met the quality standard of waste according to Government Regulation No. 8 of 2001 concerning Management of Water Quality and Water Pollution Control. The results of the study resulted in plant water Purun Rat able to reduce BOD5 by 64%, COD by 17% and Turbidity by 80%, water kiambang able to lower Zinc by 49% and TSS by 70%, water plant perupuk able to reduce ammonia (NH3 by 23%. Stable temperature and pH value in each pool plant installation, the results of research conducted in this value in the effluent water quality rubber has not met the quality standard of waste according to Government Regulation No. 8 of 2001 concerning Management of Water Quality and Water Pollution Control.

Pomen standardov v geodetski izmeri

OpenAIRE

Janež, Žiga

2016-01-01

Med geodetskim delom se mnogokrat srečamo s takšnimi ali drugačnimi normativnimi dokumenti in pravnimi predpisi. Normativni dokumenti praviloma predpisujejo geodetske protokole za zagotavljanje predpisanih natančnosti. V nalogi so obravnavani normativni dokumenti za dva tipa geodetskih meritev, bolj natančen pri pregradnih objektih ter manj natančen pri detajlni izmeri. Najprej so na splošno predstavljeni normativni dokumenti ter njihove značilnosti. Temu sledi pregled normativnih dokument...

Combination of aquatic species and safeners improves the remediation of copper polluted water.

Science.gov (United States)

Panfili, Ivan; Bartucca, Maria Luce; Ballerini, Eleonora; Del Buono, Daniele

2017-12-01

In the last decades, many anthropogenic activities have resulted in heavy metal contamination of freshwaters and surrounding environments. This poses serious threats to human health. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective technology which is useful for remediating polluted soils and water. Recently, the use of aquatic free-floating plants has been proposed to remediate polluted water. In this context, a study on the capacity of two aquatic plants, Lemna minor (duckweed) and Salvinia auriculata (salvinia), to remediate Cu +2 (Cu) polluted water was carried out. Initially, the species were exposed to different copper concentrations (1, 5, 10, 20 and 50μmolL -1 ) in order to assess Cu +2 toxicity to the plants. In addition, plants were treated with two safeners (benoxacor and dichlormid), with the aim of pointing out any safening effect of these compounds on the aquatic species. Toxicity tests showed that safened plants had a greater Cu resistance, especially at the higher Cu doses. Finally, unsafened and safened plants were tested in the decontamination of water polluted by copper (1.2mgL -1 ). In general, duckweed removed higher amounts of Cu from polluted water than salvinia, and, surprisingly, for both the species the safeners significantly increased the plants' capacity to remove the metal from the polluted waters. Lastly, an HPLC-based method was developed and standardized to monitor the residual amounts of the two safeners in the water. While dichlormid was completely absorbed by duckweed within few days after the treatments, some residual amounts of both safeners were found in salvinia vegetated water after two weeks. In conclusion, the results of this research show that the use of aquatic species in combination with safeners is an attractive and reliable tool to make plants more effective in phytoremediation of water polluted with metals (or other toxic compounds). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of up-regulated genes from the metal-hyperaccumulator aquatic fern Salvinia minima Baker, in response to lead exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Leal-Alvarado, Daniel A; Martínez-Hernández, A; Calderón-Vázquez, C L; Uh-Ramos, D; Fuentes, G; Ramírez-Prado, J H; Sáenz-Carbonell, L; Santamaría, J M

2017-12-01

Lead (Pb) is one of the most serious environmental pollutants. The aquatic fern Salvinia minima Baker is capable to hyper-accumulate Pb in their tissues. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in its Pb accumulation and tolerance capacity are not fully understood. In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms that are activated by S. minima in response to Pb, we constructed a suppression subtractive hybridization library (SSH) in response to an exposure to 40μM of Pb(NO 3 ) 2 for 12h. 365 lead-related differentially expressed sequences tags (ESTs) were isolated and sequenced. Among these ESTs, 143 unique cDNA (97 were registered at the GenBank and 46 ESTs were not registered, because they did not meet the GenBank conditions). Those ESTs were identified and classified into 3 groups according to Blast2GO. In terms of metabolic pathways, they were grouped into 29 KEGG pathways. Among the ESTs, we identified some that might be part of the mechanism that this fern may have to deal with this metal, including abiotic-stress-related transcription factors, some that might be involved in tolerance mechanisms such as ROS scavenging, membrane protection, and those of cell homeostasis recovery. To validate the SSH library, 4 genes were randomly selected from the library and analyzed by qRT-PCR. These 4 genes were transcriptionally up-regulated in response to lead in at least one of the two tested tissues (roots and leaves). The present library is one of the few genomics approaches to study the response to metal stress in an aquatic fern, representing novel molecular information and tools to understand the molecular physiology of its Pb tolerance and hyperaccumulation capacity. Further research is required to elucidate the functions of the lead-induced genes that remain classified as unknown, to perhaps reveal novel molecular mechanisms of Pb tolerance and accumulation capacity in aquatic plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differential photosynthetic and morphological adaptations to low light affect depth distribution of two submersed macrophytes in lakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jianfeng; Cao, Te; Zhang, Xiaolin; Xi, Yilong; Ni, Leyi; Jeppesen, Erik

2016-10-03

To evaluate the relative importance of photosynthetic versus morphological adaptations of submersed macrophytes to low light intensity in lakes, rapid light curves (RLCs), morphological parameters, relative growth rate (RGR), clonal reproduction and abundance of two submersed macrophytes (Potamogeton maackianus and Vallisneria natans) were examined under 2.8%, 7.1%, 17.1% and 39.5% ambient light in a field and outdoor experimental study. The plants increased their initial slope of RLCs (α) and decreased their minimum saturating irradiance (E k ) and maximum relative electron transport rate (ETRm) of RLCs under low light stress, but V. natans was more sensitive in RLCs than P. maackianus. Accordingly, the RGR, plant height and abundance of P. maackianus were higher in the high light regimes (shallow water) but lower in the low light regimes than those of V. natans. At the 2.8% ambient light, V. natans produced ramets and thus fulfilled its population expansion, in contrast to P. maackianus. The results revealed that P. maackianus as a canopy-former mainly elongated its shoot length towards the water surface to compensate for the low light conditions, however, it became limited in severe low light stress conditions. V. natans as a rosette adapted to low light stress mainly through photosynthetic adjustments and superior to severely low light than shoot elongation.

Oxygen uptake from aquatic macrophyte decomposition from Piraju Reservoir (Piraju, SP, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Bianchini Jr.

Full Text Available The kinetics of oxygen consumption related to mineralisation of 18 taxa of aquatic macrophytes (Cyperus sp, Azolla caroliniana, Echinodorus macrophyllus, Eichhornia azurea, Eichhornia crassipes, Eleocharis sp1, Eleocharis sp2, Hetereanthera multiflora, Hydrocotyle raniculoides, Ludwigia sp, Myriophyllum aquaticum, Nymphaea elegans, Oxycaryum cubense, Ricciocarpus natans, Rynchospora corymbosa, Salvinia auriculata, Typha domingensis and Utricularia foliosa from the reservoir of Piraju Hydroelectric Power Plant (São Paulo state, Brazil were described. For each species, two incubations were prepared with ca. 300.0 mg of plant (DW and 1.0 L of reservoir water sample. The incubations were maintained in the dark and at 20 ºC. Periodically the dissolved oxygen (DO concentrations were measured; the accumulated DO values were fitted to 1st order kinetic model and the results showed that: i high oxygen consumption was observed for Ludwigia sp (533 mg g-1 DW, while the lowest was registered for Eleocharis sp1 (205 mg g-1 DW mineralisation; ii the higher deoxygenation rate constants were verified in the mineralisation of A. caroliniana (0.052 day-1, H. raniculoides (0.050 day-1 and U. foliosa (0.049 day-1. The oxygen consumption rate constants of Ludwigia sp and Eleocharis sp2 mineralisation (0.027 day-1 were the lowest. The half-time of oxygen consumption varied from 9 to 26 days. In the short term, the detritus of E. macrophyllus, H. raniculoides, Ludwigia sp, N. elegans and U. foliosa were the critical resources to the reservoir oxygen demand; while in the long term, A. caroliniana, H. multiflora and T. domingensis were the resources that can potentially contribute to the benthic oxygen demand of this reservoir.

Optimum water depth ranges of dominant submersed macrophytes in a natural freshwater lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Bibi; Chu, Zhaosheng; Wu, Aiping; Hou, Zeying; Wang, Shengrui

2018-01-01

Macrophytes show a zonal distribution along the lake littoral zone because of their specific preferred water depths while the optimum growth water depths of dominant submersed macrophytes in natural lakes are not well known. We studied the seasonal biomass and frequency patterns of dominant and companion submersed macrophytes along the water depth gradient in Lake Erhai in 2013. The results showed that the species richness and community biomass showed hump-back shaped patterns along the water depth gradient both in polydominant and monodominant communities. Biomass percentage of Potamogenton maackianus showed a hump-back pattern while biomass percentages of Ceratophyllum demersum and Vallisneria natans appeared U-shaped patterns across the water depth gradient in polydominant communities whereas biomass percentage of V. natans increased with the water depth in monodominant communities. Dominant species demonstrated a broader distribution range of water depth than companion species. Frequency and biomass of companion species declined drastically with the water depth whereas those of dominant species showed non-linear patterns across the water depth gradient. Namely, along the water depth gradient, biomass of P. maackianus and V. natans showed hump-back patterns and biomasses of C. demersum displayed a U-shaped pattern in the polydominant communities but biomass of V. natans demonstrated a hump-back pattern in the monodominant communities; frequency of P. maackianus showed a hump-back pattern and C. demersum and V. natans maintained high frequencies in the two types of communities. We can speculate that in Lake Erhai the optimum growth water depths of P. maackianus and C. demersum in the polydominant communities are 2.5-4.5 m and 1-2 m or 5-6 m, respectively and that of V. natans is 3-5 m in the polydominant communities and 2.5-5 m in the monodominant communities. This is the first report that the optimum water depth ranges in the horizontal direction of three

Effects of snails, submerged plants and their coexistence on eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems

OpenAIRE

Mo Shuqing; Zhang Xiufeng; Tang Yali; Liu Zhengwen; Kettridge Nicholas

2017-01-01

Eutrophication resulting from nutrient loading to freshwater habitats is a severe problem, leading to degradation of ecosystems, including deterioration of water quality, water clarity and loss of biodiversity. Measures enacted to restore degraded freshwater ecosystems often involve the reintroduction of submerged plants and aquatic animals with beneficial ecological functions. In a mesocosm experiment, three treatments (planting with Vallisneria natans, introduction of the snail Bellamya aer...

Absorption and degradation of 14C-2, 4-D by some free-floating aquatic weeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, S.P.

1980-01-01

Plants of Salvinia, Lemna, Azolla and Limnobium, which are free-floating aquatic weeds, were grown separately in glass dishes containing initially 400 ml of nutrient solution and 2 μCi of 14 C-2,4-D under controlled conditions of temperature, light and relative humidity. The total uptake of 2,4-D by these plant species increased with the increasing duration of exposure to herbicide. 2,4-D uptake, calculated on per unit dry weight of weed, was maximum in case of Limnobium, followed by Salvinia, Lemna and Azolla. After 20 days of treatment, the highest radioactivity (24%) was obtained in the organic fraction of the extracts of Limnobium and Azolla; followed by Salvinia (8%) and Lemna (6%). In a separate experiment, root uptake and subsequent translocation of 14 C-2,4-D was also studied. At all the stages of sampling, more than half to 3/4th of the absorbed 14 C-2,4-D was found in the roots, and the remaining was present in the shoot. (author)

The Ability of Kayambang (Salvinia molesta D.S Mitchell and EcEng Gondok (Eichornis crassipies (Mart. Solms to Decrease the Nitrogen Degree of liquid Waste from PTPN XIII Palm Oil factory in Ngabang-West Kalimantan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agus Sri Mulyono

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The wastewater effluent of Ngabang Palm Oil Industry in one of several industrial waste, that contains high organic substances. One of them is nitrogen (N-total. Waste water treatment of palm oil industry used ponding system today, and one of solution to treat that wastewater effluent is using aquatic weeds as biofilter action. Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes (Mart. Solms and water fern (Salvinia molesta D.S.Mitchell known as aquatic weeds that capable to decrease in a large amount the organic and inorganic substances. The aim of this research is to study the capacity of water hyacinth and water fern in decreasing nitrogen compounds (N-total, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, N-organic in wastewater effluent palm oil industry based in variation of treatment and difference of exposure time. This research was carried out in green house and Biology Laboratory of Biology Programme Study, Mathematic and Science Faculty of Tanjungpura University and Testing Laboratory of Institute for Industrial Research And Standardization Pontianak, from July 1st – October 31th, 2006. This experiment was designed in Completely Randomized Factorial Design with three treatments and three replication times. The collected data analized by Annava Test and least Significance Difference (LSD test. The result show that the treatment with combination of water hyacinth and water fern were able to decrease the N-total (92,64%; ammonia (96,47%; and nitrite (90,14%.

DOLOČITEV POVRŠINSKE NAPETOSTI Z METODO KAPILARNEGA DVIGA DVOFAZNIH SISTEMOV

OpenAIRE

Kravanja, Gregor

2014-01-01

Namen magistrske naloge je bil postavitev merilne naprave in razvoj nove metode merjenja površinske napetosti s kapilarnim dvigom dvofaznih sistemov v okolici kritične točke. Za pridobitev natančnih in primerljivih meritev je bilo potrebno poznati natančni notranji premer tankih kapilar. Določili smo ga z metodo laserskega tipanja na nemški koordinatni merilni napravi ZEISS tipa UMC-850 s pomočjo merilne programske opreme CALYPSO 5.1.4. Za merjenje ravnotežne višine smo uporabili računalniški...

Bioenergy potential of eight common aquatic weeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbasi, S.A.; Nipaney, P.C.; Schaumberg, G.D. (Pondicherry (Central) Univ. (IN). Salim Ali School of Ecology)

1990-01-01

Eight common aquatic weeds Salvinia molesta, Hydrilla verticillata, Nymphaea stellata, Azolla pinnata, Ceratopteris sp. Scirpus sp. Cyperus sp, and Utricularia reticulata were digested anaerobically to produce methane. The carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio, carbon to phosphorus (C/P) ratio, and the volatile solids (VS) content of the weeds varied widely. No trend between these factors and the methane yield was discernable; the possible reasons are discussed. The energy potential of the weeds per unit area of the weed crop was worked out. Natural stands of salvinia, such as the one employed in the present investigation, would yield energy (methane) of the order of 10{sup 8} Kcal/ha/yr. (author).

Biological interactions in the co-occurrence of Eichhornia azurea and free-floating macrophytes - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v31i4.5577

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidinei Magela Thomaz

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The dynamic of plant communities is strongly influenced by biological interactions. We studied the effects of Eichhornia azurea on the growth of the free-floating macrophytes Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia minima, Salvinia auriculata and Limnobium laevigatum. The experiments were carried out in three lakes of the upper Paraná river floodplain. We used 0.5 m side squares where these species grew for 11 days (S. auriculata and L. laevigatum and 17 days (E. crassipes and S. minima, in the presence and absence of E. azurea. There were no significant differences between the relative growth rates of macrophytes growing in the absence and presence of E. azurea. The relative interaction index showed the existence of competition between E. azurea and L. laevigatum, and neutrality with the other three species. There was no evidence of facilitation related to the improvement of physico-chemistry characteristics that could enhance macrophytes growth. However, we do not discard a ‘mechanical’ facilitation between E. azurea, which offers protection against wind and waves, and the other species of macrophytes

Oligochaeta (Annelida, Clitellata in the Aquatic Macrophytes in Dam of Ribeirão of Anhumas Screamers (Américo Brasiliense-Sp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathalie Aparecida De Oliveira Sanches

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Macrophytes have different morphological structural complexities, offering to animals the availability of various niches. These plants are also an important substrate for the development of periphyton, which has a high nutritional value and is one of the main foods of aquatic invertebrates, mainly Naididae. This study aimed at examinining the diversity of Oligochaeta community in macrophytes belonging to genus Egeria sp. and Salvinia sp., in lagoons of Ribeirão das Anhumas dam. These macrophytes have distinct three-dimensional characteristics and different habits, being Egeria fixed submerged and Salvinia free floating. The collections of macrophytes were carried out between the months of August 2012 and April 2013. Samples of 100g (wet weight of each genus were taken from plant biomass and the removal of the plants from the environment was made with the aid of a sieve with 0.21 mm mesh. Considering the two macrophytes analyzed, Egeria sp. was the one that presented greater diversity, richness and abundance in relation to Salvinia sp. These results demonstrate that macrophytes are important for the establishment of oligochaetes, mainly providing protection and food, and possibly the morphology and habit of the plants are the most influential factors in the association of oligofauna with these plants.

Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column.

Science.gov (United States)

Peeters, Edwin T H M; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E M; Zuidam, Bastiaan G van

2016-01-01

Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus

Factors affecting palatability of four submerged macrophytes for grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jian; Wang, Long; Ma, Lin; Min, Fenli; Huang, Tao; Zhang, Yi; Wu, Zhenbin; He, Feng

2017-12-01

Grass carp can weaken the growth and reproductive capacity of submerged macrophytes by consuming valuable tissues, but factors affecting palatability of submerged macrophytes for grass carp rarely are considered. In this study, relative consumption rate of grass carp with regard to submerged macrophytes was in the following order: Hydrilla verticillata > Vallisneria natans > Ceratophyllum demersum > Myriophyllum spicatum. Firmness of macrophytes was in the following order: M. spicatum > C. demersum > H. verticillata = V. natans, whereas shear force was M. spicatum > C. demersum > H. verticillata > V. natans. After crude extracts of M. spicatum were combined with H. verticillata, grass carp fed on fewer macrophyte pellets that contained more plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). This indicated that structure and PSMs affected palatability of macrophytes.PSMs do not contribute to reduction in palatability through inhibition of intestinal proteinases activity, but they can cause a decrease in the abundance of Exiguobacterium, Acinetobacter-yielding proteases, lipases, and cellulose activity, which in turn can weaken the metabolic capacity of grass carp and adversely affect their growth. Thus, the disadvantages to the growth and development of grass carp caused by PSMs may drive grass carp to feed on palatable submerged macrophytes with lower PSMs.

Studies of the reproductive biology of deep sea megabenthos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyler, P.A.; Muirhead, A.

1986-06-01

Specimens of six species of aspidochirota from depths between 1245 and 2315m in the N.E. Atlantic have been examined and their reproductive biology determined. Two species Paelopatides grisea and Benthothuria funebris produce the large eggs typical of direct development. Mesothuria lactea and M. verrilli have an intermediate egg size of c. 400μm whilst Bathyplotes natans has an egg size of c. 280μm, which may be indicative of indirect development. The last species Paroriza pallens is an hermaphrodite producing an egg of c. 250μm. With the exception of Bathyplotes natans, which appears to show periodic reproduction if not seasonal, the species show no evidence of reproductive seasonality. (author)

Combined chemical-biological treatment for prevention/rehabilitation of clogged wells by an iron-oxidizing bacterium.

Science.gov (United States)

Gino, Efrat; Starosvetsky, Jeanna; Kurzbaum, Eyal; Armon, Robert

2010-04-15

Groundwater wells containing large concentrations of ferrous iron face serious clogging problems as a result of biotic iron oxidation. Following a short time after their start off, wells get clogged, and their production efficiency drop significantly up to a total obstruction, making cleanup and rehabilitation an economic burden. The present study was undertaken to test an experimental combined treatment (chemical and biological) for future prevention or rehabilitation of clogged wells. Sphaerotilus natans (an iron-oxidizing bacterium) freshly isolated from a deep well was grown to form biofilms on two systems: coupons and sand buried miniature wedge wire screen baskets. A combined chemical-biological treatment, applied at laboratory scale by use of glycolic acid (2%) and isolated bacteriophages against Sphaerotilus natans (SN1 and ER1-a newly isolated phage) at low multiplicity of infection (MOI), showed inhibition of biofilm formation and inactivation of the contaminant bacteria. In addition to complete inactivation of S. natans planktonic bacteria by the respective phages, earlier biofilm treatment with reduced glycolic acid concentration revealed efficient exopolysaccharide (EPS) digestion allowing phages to be increasingly efficient against biofilm matrix bacteria. Utilization of this combined treatment revealed clean surfaces of a model stainless steel wedge wire screen baskets (commonly used in wells) for up to 60 days.

Identification and chemical studies of pelagic masses of Sargassum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The pelagic seaweed found offshore and negatively impacting fishing activity in ... the mixed Sargassum species were analyzed for the proximate composition, ... Keywords: Sargassum natans, Sargassum fluitans, brown algae, proximate ...

Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column

Science.gov (United States)

Peeters, Edwin T. H. M.; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E. M.; van Zuidam, Bastiaan G.

2016-01-01

Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus

Submerged macrophytes modify bacterial community composition in sediments in a large, shallow, freshwater lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Da-Yong; Liu, Peng; Fang, Chao; Sun, Yi-Meng; Zeng, Jin; Wang, Jian-Qun; Ma, Ting; Xiao, Yi-Hong; Wu, Qinglong L

2013-04-01

Submerged aquatic macrophytes are an important part of the lacustrine ecosystem. In this study, the bacterial community compositions in the rhizosphere sediments from three kinds of submerged macrophytes (Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton crispus, and Vallisneria natans) were investigated to determine whether submerged macrophytes could drive the variation of bacterial community in the eutrophic Taihu Lake, China. Molecular techniques, including terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene and clone libraries, were employed to analyze the bacterial community compositions. Remarkable differences of the T-RFLP patterns were observed among the different samples, and the results of LIBSHUFF analysis also confirmed that the bacterial community compositions in the rhizosphere sediments of three kinds of submerged macrophytes were statistically different from that of the unvegetated sediment. Acidobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria were the dominant bacterial groups in the rhizosphere sediments of Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton crispus, and Vallisneria natans, respectively, accounting for 15.38%, 29.03%, and 18.00% of the total bacterial abundances. Our study demonstrated that submerged macrophytes could influence the bacterial community compositions in their rhizosphere sediments, suggesting that macrophytes have an effect on the cycling and transportation of nutrients in the freshwater lake ecosystem.

[Influence of submerged macrophytes on phosphorus transference between sediment and overlying water in the growth period].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li-Zhi; Wang, Guo-Xiang; Yu, Zhen-Fei; Zhou, Bei-Bei; Chen, Qiu-Min; Li, Zhen-Guo

2012-02-01

In order to study the process of phosphorus transfer between sediment and overlying water, Hydrilla verticillata and Vallisneria natans were cultured in spring, Potamogeton crispus was cultured in winter. Changes of environmental factors and phosphorus concentrations in water and sediment were investigated. The results indicated that: submerged macrophytes could reduce all phosphorus fractions in the overlying water. Phosphorus concentrations in overlying water maintained in a relative low level in the growth period of submerged macrophytes. The concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in overlying water of H. verticillata, V. natans and P. crispus were 0.03-0.05, 0.04-0.12, 0.02-0.11 mg x L(-1), respectively. All phosphorus fractions in sediment were reduced. The maximum value between submerged macrophyte and control of H. verticillata, V. natans and P. crispus were 35.34, 60.67 and 25.92 mg x kg(-1), respectively. Dissolved oxygen (DO), redox potential (Eh) and pH in overlying water increased (DO 10.0-14.0 mg x L(-1), Eh 185-240 mV, pH 8.0-11.0) in the submerged macrophytes groups. Submerged macrophytes increased Eh( -140 - -23 mV) and maintained pH(7.2-8.0) in neutral range. The results indicated that submerged macrophytes affected phosphorus transferring between sediment and overlying water through increasing DO, Eh and pH in overlying water, and Eh in sediment.

Investigations into the fast ionic conductors γ-CuBr, Li2S, Na2S, Ba2NH, NaTaN2 and Li3HoCl6 by means of neutron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altorfer, F.

1994-01-01

The main topic of this work was the investigation of ionic diffusion in solids by means of neutron scattering. Experiments were carried out on the antifluorites Li 2 S, Na 2 S and γ-CuBr (zinc-blende type) as well as on Barium-Nitride-Hydride Ba 2 NH, NaTaN 2 and Li 3 HoCl 6 which represent three-and two-dimensional ionic conductors, respectively. In the sulphur based antifluorites Li 2 S and Na 2 S the occupation of the interstitial empty cube site by cations occurs at elevated temperatures. The temperature-dependence of the diffusion process has been investigated by quasielastic, incoherent neutron scattering. The cations hop between their regular lattice sites and the interstitial empty cube site, whereas the sulphur ions vibrate in good approximation harmonically even at high temperatures. The jump vectors define a three-dimensional net of possible cation paths through the crystal. The analysis of quasielastic scattering experiments on a Li 2 S single crystal enabled us to determine the jump vectors and the jump rates 1/τ. The temperature dependence of the anharmonic contributions to the copper structure factor was the main point in our neutron diffraction experiments on γ-CuBr. It could be shown that the copper density function deviates strongly from the isotropic form with increasing temperature. Barium-Nitride-Hydride is one of the few documented H - -ionic conductors. The electronic part of the ds-conductivity is only 1/10000 of the ionic contribution. Since Ba 2 NH is a layer compound, where H - and N 3- layers alternate along the c-axis, the probability of jumps out of the plane is suppressed in favour of in plane jumps. This compound is therefore a model system in which two-dimensional diffusion can be studied and in fact the analysis of the quasielastic data proved that the H-diffusion is caused by jumps between regular H - lattice sites. (author) figs., tabs., refs

Nashemu zdravoohraneniju trebujetsja skoraja pomoshtsh / Boris Tuch

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tuch, Boris, 1946-

2002-01-01

Toimetuse ümarlauas võtavad tervishoiu hetkeprobleemidest sõna psühhiaater, Keskerakonna parlamendisaadik Arvo Haug, Tallinna Läänehaigla hiljutine peaarst Peeter Mardna, professor Natan Elshtein ja farmaatsiafirma Vitale XD direktor Marina Grintshak

Aquatic plants as potential sources of antimicrobial compounds ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Resistance of pathogens to common veterinary antibiotics hampers mastitis treatment and motivates the discovery of new antimicrobials. In this study, extracts from two aquatic plants, Salvinia auriculata and Hydrocleys nymphoides, were assayed against bovine mastitis pathogens. Selected parts of plants were extracted ...

The biological control of aquatic weeds in South Africa: Current status and future challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin P. Hill

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Aquatic ecosystems in South Africa are prone to invasion by several invasive alien aquatic weeds, most notably, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart. Solms-Laub. (Pontederiaceae (water hyacinth; Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae (water lettuce; Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. (Salviniaceae (salvinia; Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell. Conc. Verd. (parrot’s feather; and Azolla filiculoides Lam. (Azollaceae (red water fern. Objective: We review the biological control programme on waterweeds in South Africa. Results: Our review shows significant reductions in the extent of invasions, and a return on biodiversity and socio-economic benefits through the use of this method. These studies provide justification for the control of widespread and emerging freshwater invasive alien aquatic weeds in South Africa. Conclusions: The long-term management of alien aquatic vegetation relies on the correct implementation of biological control for those species already in the country and the prevention of other species entering South Africa.

George W. Bushi "intellektuaalne armuromaan" / Urmas Kiil

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kiil, Urmas

2005-01-01

Paljude poliitikute arvates kinnitab USA presidendi George Bushi vaimustus Natan Sharanski raamatust "The Case of Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror " fakti, et midagi pole tema poliitikas muutunud ka teisel ametiajal

Heavy metal concentrations in Bottom Sediments of Ikpoba River ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MICHAEL HORSFALL

2014-06-23

Jun 23, 2014 ... macrophytes like salvinia sp and water hyacinth. (Eichornia crassipes). This station was the lowest in depth during the dry season. The water level however increased when it was heavily flooded during the rainy season. Activities here include making of sacrifices. Sediment Samples Collection, Preparation ...

Algal genomes reveal evolutionary mosaicism and the fate of nucleomorphs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curtis, Bruce A.; Tanifuji, Goro; Burki, Fabien; Gruber, Ansgar; Irimia, Manuuel; Maruyama, Shinichiro; Arias, Maria C.; Ball, Steven G.; Gile, Gillian H.; Hirakawa, Yoshihisa; Hopkins, Julia F.; Kuo, Alan; Rensing, Stefan A.; Schmutz, Jeremy; Symeonidi, Aikaterini; Elias, Marek; Eveleigh, Robert J. M.; Herman, Emily K.; Klute, Mary J.; Nakayama, Takuro; Obornik, Miroslav; Reyes-Prieto, Adrian; Armbrust, E. Virginia; Aves, Stephen J.; Beiko, Robert G.; Coutinho, Pedro; Dacks, Joel B.; Durnford, Dion G.; Fast, Naomi M.; Green, Beverley R.; Grisdale, Cameron J.; Hempel, Franziska; Henrissat, Bernard; Hoppner, Marc P.; Ishida, Ken-Ichiro; Kim, Eunsoo; Koreny, Ludek; Kroth, Peter G.; Liu, Yuan; Malik, Shehre-Banoo; Maier, Uwe G.; McRose, Darcy; Mock, Thomas; Neilson, Jonathan A. D.; Onodera, Naoko T.; Poole, Anthony M.; Pritham, Ellen J.; Richards, Thomas A.; Rocap, Gabrielle; Roy, Scott W.; Sarai, Chihiro; Schaack, Sarah; Shirato, Shu; Slamovits, Claudio H.; Spencer, Davie F.; Suzuki, Shigekatsu; Worden, Alexandra Z.; Zauner, Stefan; Barry, Kerrie; Bell, Callum; Bharti, Arvind K.; Crow, John A.; Grimwood, Jane; Kramer, Robin; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Salamov, Asaf; McFadden, Geoffrey I.; Lane, Christopher E.; Keeling, Patrick J.; Gray, Michael W.; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Archibald, John M.

2012-08-10

Cryptophyte and chlorarachniophyte algae are transitional forms in the widespread secondary endosymbiotic acquisition of photosynthesis by engulfment of eukaryotic algae. Unlike most secondary plastid-bearing algae, miniaturized versions of the endosymbiont nuclei (nucleomorphs) persist in cryptophytes and chlorarachniophytes. To determine why, and to address other fundamental questions about eukaryote eukaryote endosymbiosis, we sequenced the nuclear genomes of the cryptophyte Guillardia theta and the chlorarachniophyte Bigelowiella natans. Both genomes have 21,000 protein genes and are intron rich, and B. natans exhibits unprecedented alternative splicing for a single-celled organism. Phylogenomic analyses and subcellular targeting predictions reveal extensive genetic and biochemical mosaicism, with both host- and endosymbiont-derived genes servicing the mitochondrion, the host cell cytosol, the plastid and the remnant endosymbiont cytosol of both algae. Mitochondrion-to-nucleus gene transfer still occurs in both organisms but plastid-to-nucleus and nucleomorph-to-nucleus transfers do not, which explains why a small residue of essential genes remains locked in each nucleomorph.

Nieuwe vondsten van zeldzame planten in 2001 en 2002

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holverda, Wout; Moorsel, van René C.M.J.; Slikke , van der Wout

2003-01-01

Two new localities of Luronium natans and a new locality of Apium repens is good news from a European perspective. Potamogeton filiformis is a new indigenous species, which has been recorded from the island of Texel. Valerianella rimosa has been rediscovered. As in previous years, the number of new

Caloric density of aquatic macrophytes in different environments of the Baía river subsystem, upper Paraná river floodplain, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Célia de Almeida Lopes

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to determine the caloric density of leaves, stems and roots of aquatic macrophytes in different environments of the Baía subsystem (Baía river and Fechada and Guaraná lagoons on the Upper Paraná river floodplain, in addition to identify the variability between ecological groups. Samplings of Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia spp, Pistia stratiotes, Eichhornia azurea, Polygonum sp, Cyperaceae and Poaceae were carried out in February 2003. Spatial differences in the caloric densities were not observed for these plants. Caloric density values varied from 1906.9 cal/g dry weight (root to 4675.0 cal/g dry weight (leaf. However, significant differences between the caloric content averages of the vegetative structures were observed only for Polygonum sp and Salvinia spp. In relation to the ecological groups, the highest average value was verified for the emergent macrophytes (3529.7 ± 722.5, which were significantly different from the floating ones (3056.5 ± 571.0. There was no difference between the sites included in the subsystem when the caloric densities were compared.O presente trabalho teve por objetivo determinar a densidade calórica de folhas, caules e raízes de macrófitas aquáticas, em diferentes ambientes do subsistema Baía (Rio Baía e lagoas Fechada e do Guaraná na planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná, além de identificar a variabilidade entre grupos ecológicos. As amostragens foram realizadas em fevereiro de 2003, sendo coletadas amostras de diferentes macrófitas, Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia spp, Pistia stratiotes, Eichhornia azurea, Polygonum sp, Cyperaceae e Poaceae. Diferenças espaciais nas densidades calóricas não foram observadas para as plantas estudadas. Os valores de densidade calórica variaram de 1906,9 cal/g de peso seco (raiz a 4675,0 cal/g de peso seco (folha. Entretanto, diferenças significativas entre as médias dos conteúdos calóricos das estruturas vegetativas foram

Polyunsaturated fatty acids in various macroalgal species from North Atlantic and tropical seas.

Science.gov (United States)

van Ginneken, Vincent J T; Helsper, Johannes P F G; de Visser, Willem; van Keulen, Herman; Brandenburg, Willem A

2011-06-22

In this study the efficacy of using marine macroalgae as a source for polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are associated with the prevention of inflammation, cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders, was investigated. The fatty acid (FA) composition in lipids from seven sea weed species from the North Sea (Ulva lactuca, Chondrus crispus, Laminaria hyperborea, Fucus serratus, Undaria pinnatifida, Palmaria palmata, Ascophyllum nodosum) and two from tropical seas (Caulerpa taxifolia, Sargassum natans) was determined using GCMS. Four independent replicates were taken from each seaweed species. Omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), were in the concentration range of 2-14 mg/g dry matter (DM), while total lipid content ranged from 7-45 mg/g DM. The n-9 FAs of the selected seaweeds accounted for 3%-56% of total FAs, n-6 FAs for 3%-32% and n-3 FAs for 8%-63%. Red and brown seaweeds contain arachidonic (C20:4, n-6) and/or eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA, C20:5, n-3), the latter being an important "fish" FA, as major PUFAs while in green seaweeds these values are low and mainly C16 FAs were found. A unique observation is the presence of another typical "fish" fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3) at ≈ 1 mg/g DM in S. natans. The n-6: n-3 ratio is in the range of 0.05-2.75 and in most cases below 1.0. Environmental effects on lipid-bound FA composition in seaweed species are discussed. Marine macroalgae form a good, durable and virtually inexhaustible source for polyunsaturated fatty acids with an (n-6) FA: (n-3) FA ratio of about 1.0. This ratio is recommended by the World Health Organization to be less than 10 in order to prevent inflammatory, cardiovascular and nervous system disorders. Some marine macroalgal species, like P. palmata, contain high proportions of the "fish fatty acid" eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5, n-3), while in S. natans also docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3) was detected.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids in various macroalgal species from north Atlantic and tropical seas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Keulen Herman

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this study the efficacy of using marine macroalgae as a source for polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are associated with the prevention of inflammation, cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders, was investigated. Methods The fatty acid (FA composition in lipids from seven sea weed species from the North Sea (Ulva lactuca, Chondrus crispus, Laminaria hyperborea, Fucus serratus, Undaria pinnatifida, Palmaria palmata, Ascophyllum nodosum and two from tropical seas (Caulerpa taxifolia, Sargassum natans was determined using GCMS. Four independent replicates were taken from each seaweed species. Results Omega-3 (n-3 and omega-6 (n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, were in the concentration range of 2-14 mg/g dry matter (DM, while total lipid content ranged from 7-45 mg/g DM. The n-9 FAs of the selected seaweeds accounted for 3%-56% of total FAs, n-6 FAs for 3%-32% and n-3 FAs for 8%-63%. Red and brown seaweeds contain arachidonic (C20:4, n-6 and/or eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA, C20:5, n-3, the latter being an important "fish" FA, as major PUFAs while in green seaweeds these values are low and mainly C16 FAs were found. A unique observation is the presence of another typical "fish" fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3 at ≈ 1 mg/g DM in S. natans. The n-6: n-3 ratio is in the range of 0.05-2.75 and in most cases below 1.0. Environmental effects on lipid-bound FA composition in seaweed species are discussed. Conclusion Marine macroalgae form a good, durable and virtually inexhaustible source for polyunsaturated fatty acids with an (n-6 FA: (n-3 FA ratio of about 1.0. This ratio is recommended by the World Health Organization to be less than 10 in order to prevent inflammatory, cardiovascular and nervous system disorders. Some marine macroalgal species, like P. palmata, contain high proportions of the "fish fatty acid" eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5, n-3, while in S. natans also docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C

Isolation of chromium resistant bacteria from a former bauxite mine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Cr (VI) reducing capacity of bacteria has been investigated in many different soils and waters but little or no information is available from soils originating from bauxite mine areas. From soil, mud and rhizospheres of the floating aquatic plant Potamogeton natans L. and the terrestrial plant Carduus acanthoides L., the Cr ...

Effects of snails, submerged plants and their coexistence on eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mo Shuqing

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Eutrophication resulting from nutrient loading to freshwater habitats is a severe problem, leading to degradation of ecosystems, including deterioration of water quality, water clarity and loss of biodiversity. Measures enacted to restore degraded freshwater ecosystems often involve the reintroduction of submerged plants and aquatic animals with beneficial ecological functions. In a mesocosm experiment, three treatments (planting with Vallisneria natans, introduction of the snail Bellamya aeruginosa and a combined treatment with both plants and snails were compared with controls to evaluate their effects on trophic state. The total nitrogen (TN, total phosphorus (TP and chlorophyll a (Chl a concentrations of planktonic and benthic algal samples were determined every two weeks, along with light intensity at the sediment surface. The plant-only treatment significantly reduced the TN levels and planktonic and benthic algal biomass and increased the light intensity at the sediment surface. The snail-only treatment reduced the concentrations of TN and reduced planktonic and benthic algal biomass. The combined treatment decreased the concentrations of TN and TP, reduced planktonic algal biomass and increased the light intensity on the sediment surface. The results indicate that while submerged plants and snails can both improve water quality, the most pronounced effect in aquatic ecosystems is achieved by their presence in combination. A combined reintroduction approach may provide enhanced benefits in restoring the eutrophic ecosystems, following the reduction of external nutrient loading.

Salinity and pH effects on floating and emergent macrophytes in a constructed wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadad, H R; Mufarrege, M M; Di Luca, G A; Maine, M A

2017-04-01

Salvinia herzogii, Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes (floating species) were the dominant macrophytes in a constructed wetland (CW) over the first years of operation. Later, the emergent Typha domingensis displaced the floating species, becoming dominant. The industrial effluent treated at this CW showed high pH and salinity. The aim of this work was to study the tolerance of floating species and T. domingensis exposed to different pH and salinity treatments. Treatments at pH 8, 9, 10 and 11 and salinities of 2,000; 3,000; 4,000; 6,000; and 8,000 mg L -1 were performed. Floating macrophytes were unable to tolerate the studied pH and salinity ranges, while T. domingensis tolerated higher pH and salinity values. Many industrial effluents commonly show high pH and salinity. T. domingensis demonstrated to be a suitable macrophyte to treat this type of effluents.

Central Radar System, Over-the-Horizon Backscatter

Science.gov (United States)

1990-03-09

Magnolia virginiana Switchgrass Panicum virgatum FAC+ Tall mannagrass Glyceria grandis OBL Water fern Salvinia spp. and Marsilea vestita OBL Water...boxelder, (Acer negundo), oaks (Quercus spp.), willows (Salix spp.), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana ), plum (Prunus spp.), and russian olive (Elaeagnus...maintenance of the power lines may be required to trim or prune trees which may interfere with the lines. With the exception of the pole sites, the only

Algal genomes reveal evolutionary mosaicism and the fate of nucleomorphs

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Oborník, Miroslav; Kořený, Luděk

2012-01-01

Roč. 492, č. 7427 (2012), s. 59-65 ISSN 0028-0836 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : GENE-TRANSFER * BIGELOWIELLA-NATANS * EUKARYOTIC GENOMES * GUILLARDIA-THETA * NUCLEUS * CHLORARACHNIOPHYTE * PROTEINS * SEQUENCE * ORIGIN * CRYPTOPHYTES Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 38.597, year: 2012 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v492/n7427/full/nature11681.html

Air–water interface of submerged superhydrophobic surfaces imaged by atomic force microscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Moosmann

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Underwater air retention of superhydrophobic hierarchically structured surfaces is of increasing interest for technical applications. Persistent air layers (the Salvinia effect are known from biological species, for example, the floating fern Salvinia or the backswimmer Notonecta. The use of this concept opens up new possibilities for biomimetic technical applications in the fields of drag reduction, antifouling, anticorrosion and under water sensing. Current knowledge regarding the shape of the air–water interface is insufficient, although it plays a crucial role with regards to stability in terms of diffusion and dynamic conditions. Optical methods for imaging the interface have been limited to the micrometer regime. In this work, we utilized a nondynamic and nondestructive atomic force microscopy (AFM method to image the interface of submerged superhydrophobic structures with nanometer resolution. Up to now, only the interfaces of nanobubbles (acting almost like solids have been characterized by AFM at these dimensions. In this study, we show for the first time that it is possible to image the air–water interface of submerged hierarchically structured (micro-pillars surfaces by AFM in contact mode. By scanning with zero resulting force applied, we were able to determine the shape of the interface and thereby the depth of the water penetrating into the underlying structures. This approach is complemented by a second method: the interface was scanned with different applied force loads and the height for zero force was determined by linear regression. These methods open new possibilities for the investigation of air-retaining surfaces, specifically in terms of measuring contact area and in comparing different coatings, and thus will lead to the development of new applications.

Eficiência de wetland com macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes dispostas em serie para o tratamento do efluente do cultivo de camarão

OpenAIRE

Henares, MNP; Camargo, AFM

2014-01-01

The efficiency of a series of wetland colonized with Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta to treat the effluent of a giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) broodstock pond was evaluated in this study. The experimental design was completely randomized and was performed in 9 rectangular tanks (1.6 m(3)) with three treatments (constructed wetlands) and three replicates. The treatment types included: a wetland colonized with E. crassipes and S. molesta (EcSm) arranged sequentially, a ...

Evolution of the Tetrapyrrole Biosynthetic Pathway in Secondary Algae: Conservation, Redundancy and Replacement

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Cihlář, Jaromír; Füssy, Zoltán; Horák, Aleš; Oborník, Miroslav

2016-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 11 (2016), č. článku e0166338. E-ISSN 1932-6203 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP506/12/1522 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : delta aminolevulinic acid * plastid evolution * Euglena gracilis * gene transfer * diatom endosymbionts * Bigelowiella natans * chloroplast genome * sequence alignment * nuclear genomes * protein import Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.806, year: 2016

Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell (Giant Salvinia) in the United States: A Review of Species Ecology and Approaches to Management

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

McFarland, D

2004-01-01

.... Though innocuous within its native range, elsewhere this species is an aggressive menace that has had devastating ecological and socioeconomic impacts on aquatic systems in parts of Africa, Sri Lanka...

MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF PELAGIC Sargassum ON THE SHORES OF SAN ANDRES ISLAND, SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brigitte GAVIO

2015-01-01

Cantidades masivas de Sargassum pelágicos en las costas de San Andrés Isla, Caribe suroccidental Se reporta la llegada de una biomasa inusual de Sargassum flotante, compuesta por las especies S. fluitans y S. natans, a la costa nororiental de la isla de San Andrés. La época y el tamaño del evento nunca habían sido reportados anteriormente para la isla.

Répartition et abondance des sargasses Sargassum natans et ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ces plantes se retrouvent en abondance en mai et en juin sur toutes les plages du pays et particulièrement sur les plages du secteur littoral centre et oriental et les complexes lagunaires Aby-Tendo-Ehy et Grand-Lahou. Leur expansion en mai dans tous les milieux est favorisée par la salinité, la lumière, la température et ...

Cellulase and xylanase activity during the decomposition of three aquatic macrophytes in a tropical oxbow lagoon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Sciessere

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Due to the connection between enzymatic activity and degradation of different fractions of organic matter, enzyme assays can be used to estimate degradation rates of particulate and dissolved organic carbon in freshwater systems. The aim of this study was to quantify and model the enzymatic degradation involving the decomposition of macrophytes, describing temporal activity of cellulases (EC 3.2.1.4 and EC 3.2.1.91 and xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8 during in situ decomposition of three aquatic macrophytes (Salvinia sp., Eichhornia azurea and Cyperus giganteus on the surface and water-sediment interface (w-s interface of an oxbow lagoon (Óleo lagoon within a natural Brazilian Savanna Reserve. Overall, the enzymatic degradation of aquatic macrophytes in Óleo lagoon occurred during the whole year and was initiated together with leaching. Xylanase production was ca. 5 times higher than cellulase values due to easy access to this compound by cellulolytic microorganisms. Enzymatic production and detritus mass decay were similar on the surface and w-s interface. Salvinia sp. was the most recalcitrant detritus, with low mass decay and enzymatic activity. E. azurea and C. giganteus decomposition rates and enzymatic production were high and similar. Due to the physicochemical homogeneity observed in the Óleo lagoon, the differences between the decay rates of each species are mostly related with detritus chemical quality.

Controlling the reproducibility of Coulomb blockade phenomena for gold nanoparticles on an organic monolayer/silicon system.

Science.gov (United States)

Caillard, L; Sattayaporn, S; Lamic-Humblot, A-F; Casale, S; Campbell, P; Chabal, Y J; Pluchery, O

2015-02-13

Two types of highly ordered organic layers were prepared on silicon modified with an amine termination for binding gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). These two grafted organic monolayers (GOMs), consisting of alkyl chains with seven or 11 carbon atoms, were grafted on oxide-free Si(111) surfaces as tunnel barriers between the silicon electrode and the AuNPs. Three kinds of colloidal AuNPs were prepared by reducing HAuCl4 with three different reactants: citrate (Turkevich synthesis, diameter ∼16 nm), ascorbic acid (diameter ∼9 nm), or NaBH4 (Natan synthesis, diameter ∼7 nm). Scanning tunnel spectroscopy (STS) was performed in a UHV STM at 40 K, and Coulomb blockade behaviour was observed. The reproducibility of the Coulomb behavior was analysed as a function of several chemical and physical parameters: size, crystallinity of the AuNPs, influence of surrounding surfactant molecules, and quality of the GOM/Si interface (degree of oxidation after the full processing). Samples were characterized with scanning tunneling microscope, STS, atomic force microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high resolution transmission electronic microscope. We show that the reproducibility in observing Coulomb behavior can be as high as ∼80% with the Natan synthesis of AuNPs and GOMs with short alkyl chains.

Trace elements concentrations in aquatic biota from the Iron Gates wetlands in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matache M. L.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Concentration of four heavy metals was studied in living organisms from the wetlands ecosystems within the Iron Gates Natural Park in Romania. Samples included aquatic plants (Ceratophyllum ssp., Potamogeton pectinatus, Potamogeton natans, molluscs (Sinanodonta woodiana, Unio tumidus, Unio pictorum and fish (Silurus glanis, Sander lucioperca, Aspius aspius, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius gibelio. Metals organotropism in fish samples (gills, liver, muscle, eggs has been studied (Kojadinovici et al., 2007; Foata et. Al, 2009; Dutton and Fisher, 2011; David et al., 2012. Metal contamination of the wetlandecosystems in the Iron Gates Natural Park has been documented in the past for sediments (Matache et. al, 2002 and soils (Matache et al., 2003. This is a consequence of the mining and quarrying activities performed in the Moldova Noua region between 1960’s and 2000’s. Zinc is the main metal contaminant in all categories of collected samples. For fish muscle tissue (part of the fish mainly consumed by the local inhabitants, comparison with EU standards has been performed. Issues related to human health appear especially for cadmium (EC, 2006. Potamogeton pectinatus is the least accumulating plant species, whilst Potamogeton natans and Ceratophyllum ssp. had shown similar accumulation capacities of the trace elements.

Eine praktische Anwendung von CMC-Flächen in der Bionik

OpenAIRE

Apeltauer, Christian

2011-01-01

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den theoretischen Grundlagen für die Entwicklung von Oberflächen, die unter Wasser möglichst lange eine Luftschicht an sich halten können. Ein natürliches Vorbild für solche Oberflächen ist die Pflanze Salvinia molesta; technisch interessieren solche Oberflächen zur Verringerung des Wasserwiderstandes von Schiffen und als Schutz vor Besiedlung durch Wasserorganismen. Wichtigste Gleichung bei der Entwicklung solcher Oberflächen ist...

TOXICITY PROPENSITIES OF SOME MARINE AND FRESH-WATERALGAE AS THEIR CHEMICAL DEFENSE

OpenAIRE

ORHAN, İlkay; WISESPONGPAND, Puntip; ATICI, Tahir; ŞENER, Bilge

2003-01-01

Five species of the marine brown-algae, namely Halopteris scoparia (L.) Sauvagau, Padina vickersiae Hoyt, Dictyota dichotoma (Huds) Lam., Scinaia furcellata L., and Sargassum natans (L.) J. Meyer, a species of the marine green-alga, Ulva lactuca L., a species of the sea grass, Posidonia oceanica L., six species of fresh-water green-algae, namely Vaucheria sessilis (Vauch.) De Candolle, Zygnema pectinatum (Vauch.) C.A. Agardh, Maugeotia sp. (C.A. Agardh) Wittrock, Cladophora fracta (Dilw.) Kti...

Četrta industrijska revolucija

OpenAIRE

Slekovec, Tadea

2017-01-01

Diplomski projekt obravnava pojem industrijske revolucije, natančneje zadnje, četrte industrijske revolucije. Četrta industrijska revolucija obravnava tako napredek v tehnologiji kot napredek v programskih opremah. Pojem zajema vsa področja našega življenja, tako osebno kot poslovno. V sodobni zgodovini obstaja več industrijskih revolucij, ki so druga na drugo vplivale posredno in tudi neposredno, sem vsako obdobje posebej opredelila časovno, prostorsko ter tehnološko. Poudarek sem dala četrt...

Tržna analiza in razvoj aluminijastih ohišij LED svetil

OpenAIRE

Gorišek, Krešimir

2014-01-01

V magistrskem delu je predstavljena tržna analiza oziroma natančneje analiza zunanjega okolja organizacije. Privlačnost panoge smo ocenjevali s Porterjevim modelom konkurence v panogi in ugotovitve predstavili. Analizo širšega zunanjega okolja oziroma analizo političnih, ekonomskih, socialnih, tehnoloških, okoljskih in pravnih elementov smo izvedli s PESTEL analizo in ugotovitve predstavili. Magistrsko delo obsega tudi razvoj aluminijastih ohišij LED (Light Emitting Diode) svetil. Podrobneje ...

Postopek robotiziranega navarjanja po plasteh in frezanja aluminijeve zlitine AlSi5

OpenAIRE

Mikelj, Andrej

2017-01-01

Aditivne tehnologije omogočajo s slojevito gradnjo fleksibilno izdelavo izdelkov kompleksnih oblik. Obstoječe tehnologije 3D tiska z uporabo prahov so pogosto počasne, drage in omejene na manjše gabarite izdelkov. Dodatno neustrezna hrapavost površin in natančnost izdelave običajno zahtevata naknadno mehansko obdelavo na dragih obdelovalnih centrih. V magistrskem delu je predstavljen razvoj alternativnega sistema kombinirane aditivne izdelave s postopkom robotskega navarjanja MIG in frezanja...

Effects of high nitrogen concentrations on the growth of submersed macrophytes at moderate phosphorus concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Qing; Wang, Hong-Zhu; Li, Yan; Shao, Jian-Chun; Liang, Xiao-Min; Jeppesen, Erik; Wang, Hai-Jun

2015-10-15

Eutrophication of lakes leading to loss of submersed macrophytes and higher turbidity is a worldwide phenomenon, attributed to excessive loading of phosphorus (P). However, recently, the role of nitrogen (N) for macrophyte recession has received increasing attention. Due to the close relationship between N and P loading, disentanglement of the specific effects of these two nutrients is often difficult, and some controversy still exists as to the effects of N. We studied the effects of N on submersed macrophytes represented by Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara in pots positioned at three depths (0.4 m, 0.8 m, and 1.2 m to form a gradient of underwater light conditions) in 10 large ponds having moderate concentrations of P (TP 0.03 ± 0.04 mg L(-1)) and five targeted concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) (0.5, 2, 10, 20, and 100 mg L(-1)), there were two ponds for each treatment. To study the potential shading effects of other primary producers, we also measured the biomass of phytoplankton (ChlaPhyt) and periphyton (ChlaPeri) expressed as chlorophyll a. We found that leaf length, leaf mass, and root length of macrophytes declined with increasing concentrations of TN and ammonium, while shoot number and root mass did not. All the measured growth indices of macrophytes declined significantly with ChlaPhyt, while none were significantly related to ChlaPeri. Neither ChlaPhyt nor ChlaPeri were, however, significantly negatively related to the various N concentrations. Our results indicate that shading by phytoplankton unrelated to the variation in N loading and perhaps toxic stress exerted by high nitrogen were responsible for the decline in macrophyte growth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodigestion of the aquatics plants mixtures and biogas production; Biodigestao de misturas de plantas aquaticas e producao de biogas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, Roberto Guimaraes; Abreu, Fernando Luiz Barbuda de; Fernandes Filho, Jorge; Pereira, Maria Cristina Duarte Eiras [Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica]. E-mail: temrobe@vm.uff.br; Melo, Ricardo Bichara de [Light Servicos de Eletricidade S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Gerencia de Estudos e Gestao de Geracao]. E-mail: rbmelo@light.com.br

2004-07-01

Several systems of generating electricity using water storage reservoirs. One problem that occurs constantly in these reservoirs is the accumulation of aquatic plants, such as Eichhornia crassipes, Eichhornia azurea, Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia that may cause serious problems for the system. Periodically, the biomass must be removed and disposed of appropriate form, so that does not cause contamination of soil, groundwater or allowing the proliferation of vectors. One possible destination is the use of biomass in a process of biodigestion, resulting in biogas. The bench of biodigester used in the experiment of biodigestion of aquatic plants is composed of a reactor containing the biomass, where the biogas is produced and a reservoir for the monitoring the production of biogas. The reactor is located inside a container containing water that can be heated by an electrical resistance, with the aim of maintaining the temperature inside the reactor around 35 deg C. The results of analysis of gas of the reactor was obtained using a gas chromatograph to CG MASTER of double ionization detector with a flame and thermal conductivity. These results show a percentage of 50% of methane in the biogas. Also, were analyzed the biomass in the biodigester for determination of humidity, total organic matter, waste mineral and organic carbon. The process of biodigestion of the mixture of aquatic plants: Eichhornia crassipes, Eichhornia azurea and Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia shows potential for obtaining biogas, with considerable levels of methane, in order to facilitate its recovery.

Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edwin T H M Peeters

Full Text Available Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natansand the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously

The paleolimnological development of the twin lakes Etujärvi and Takajärvi in Askola, southern Finland – implications for lake management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samu E. Valpola

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The twin lakes Etujärvi and Takajärvi in Askola, southern Finland, are closely interconnected mesotrophic headwater lakes with a relatively small catchment area. Both of the lakes have suffered from eutrophication and its consequences. Remediation activities such as oxygenation and biomanipulation have not resolved the problems. In this study a large set of paleolimnological techniques (radiometric AMS dating, spherical carbonaceous particles analysis, sediment lithology, grain-size analysis, phosphorus fractionation, and diatom analysis were applied to put together the development of the basin and its water level fluctuations during the Holocene. The age for observed Trapa natans -horizons was determined, and lake management options were discussed. The studied lakes dried up after isolation from the Ancylus Lake at about 9500 cal. B.P. and remained at very low water level until ca. 8700–8500 cal. B.P. The mid-Holocene risein water level resulted in fluctuating water levels, and led to the most recent rise starting about 2500 cal. B.P. as wet and cool climate conditions prevailed. The pronounced water level fluctuations led to the extensive growth of peat deposits surrounding the lake andprobably also forced T. natans to disappear from lake flora. The unstable, erodable peat rims impact the lakes, causing heavy load of humic substances to the lake and presenting additional deterioration to their recreational value.

Effects of the herbicide metazachlor on macrophytes and ecosystem function in freshwater pond and stream mesocosms.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, S; Berghahn, R; Feibicke, M; Meinecke, S; Ottenströer, T; Schmiedling, I; Schmiediche, R; Schmidt, R

2007-05-01

The chloroacetamide metazachlor is a commonly used pre-emergent herbicide to inhibit growth of plants especially in rape culture. It occurs in surface and ground water due to spray-drift or run-off in concentrations up to 100 microgL(-1). Direct and indirect effects of metazachlor on aquatic macrophytes were investigated at oligo- to mesotrophic nutrient levels employing eight stream and eight pond indoor mesocosms. Five systems of each type were dosed once with 5, 20, 80, 200 and 500 microgL(-1) metazachlor and three ponds and three streams served as controls. Pronounced direct negative effects on macrophyte biomass of Potamogeton natans, Myriophyllum verticillatum and filamentous green algae as well as associated changes in water chemistry were detected in the course of the summer 2003 in both pond and stream mesocosms. Filamentous green algae dominated by Cladophora glomerata were the most sensitive organisms in both pond and stream systems with EC(50) ranging from 3 (streams) to 9 (ponds) microgL(-1) metazachlor. In the contaminated pond mesocosms with high toxicant concentrations (200 and 500 microgL(-1)), a species shift from filamentous green algae to the yellow-green alga Vaucheria spec. was detected. The herbicide effects for the different macrophyte species were partly masked by interspecific competition. No recovery of macrophytes was observed at the highest metazachlor concentrations in both pond and stream mesocosms until the end of the study after 140 and 170 days. Based on the lowest EC(50) value of 4 microgL(-1) for total macrophyte biomass, it is argued that single exposure of aquatic macrophytes to metazachlor to nominal concentrations >5 microgL(-1) is likely to have pronounced long-term effects on aquatic biota and ecosystem function.

KROVNI SKLADI

OpenAIRE

Kisevic, Mitja

2011-01-01

V diplomski nalogi sem pisal o novosti na finančnem trgu v Sloveniji, to je o krovnih skladih. V praktičnem delu naloge sem natančneje analiziral delovanje krovnega sklada Probanke upravljanje d.o.o.. V začetnem delu diplomske naloge sem najprej opredelil vzajemne sklade, opisal vrste vzajemnih skladov, njihove prednosti in slabosti, najpomembnejše dejavnike pri izbiri vzajemnega sklada, njihovo donosnost ter tveganja, povezana z vlaganjem v vzajemne sklade. V nadaljevanju diplomske n...

Report of a Pest Risk Analysis for Hydrocotyle ranunculoides

OpenAIRE

Fried, Guillaume; Hussner, Andreas; Newman, Jonathan; Schrader, Gritta; Triest, Ludwig; van Valkenburg, Johan

2009-01-01

Hydrocotyle ranunculoides originates from the American continent and was introduced into the EPPO region as an ornamental plant for tropical aquaria and garden ponds, where it is still sold under its correct name, sometimes under other names (H. vulgaris, H. leucocephala, and H. natans which is a synonym of H. ranunculoides). The plant was first recorded as naturalised in the south-east of the UK in the 1980s (Newman, 2003). Naturalisation in the Netherlands and in Belgium was recorded in the...

DEJAVNIKI STRESA V RAČUNOVODSKI DEJAVNOSTI ORGANIZACIJ X IN Y

OpenAIRE

Kotolenko, Maša

2009-01-01

V diplomskem delu smo se lotili raziskave o stresorjih na delovnem mestu, natančneje v računovodski dejavnosti. Najprej smo definirali pojem stresor. Sledila je predstavitev mikro in makro stresorjev, prisotnih v delovnem okolju. Pri tej predstavitvi smo se osredotočili na mikro in makro stresorje v računovodski dejavnosti. Predstavili smo po mnenju različnih avtorjev najpogostejše stresorje v računovodski dejavnosti, definicijo posameznega stresorja ter njihove značilnosti. V nadaljevanju je...

SPREMLJANJE SPLETNIH MEDIJEV Z ORODJEM ICLIP

OpenAIRE

Murko, Marko

2011-01-01

V diplomskem delu je predstavljeno spletno orodje iClip, ki se uporablja kot medijsko orodje za pridobivanje svežih spletnih novic. Te se pridobivajo iz vseh bolj razširjenih spletnih medijev, kot so blogi, forumi ter različni portali s spletnimi novicami. Podrobneje je predstavljen tudi pomen besede kliping, predstavljen pa je tudi razvoj klipinga glede na hiter razvoj novih informacijskih vsebin. Natančneje so predstavljene tudi prednosti in uporabnost orodja, njegovo vzdrževanje ter uporab...

Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae from Martín García Island, Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María M Ronderos

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Nearly 230 species of biting midges have been recorded or described from Argentina; 38 of them are known from the Buenos Aires province and only one is cited from Martín García Island. This paper presents the results raised from six collecting trips which took place on the island during spring 2005, summer 2006 and autumn 2009. Diverse sampling sites including permanent and temporary aquatic environments were chosen, most of the ten sampling sites were ponds of diverse origin, some of these environments were covered with floating vegetation as Lemna gibba, Lemna minuscule, Salvinia biloba, Salvinia minima, Azolla filiculoides, Limnobium laevigatum, Pistia stratiotes, Spirodela intermedia, Wolffiella oblonga and Wolffia columbiana. Other sites were placed in urban and suburban areas. Adults were collected with sweep nets at sunrise and sunset and with light traps at intervals of four to five hours at night, depending on electricity availability on the island. Larvae and pupae were collected with different implements depending on characteristics of each surveyed aquatic habitat. In free standing water, they were captured with small sieves or hand pipettes and micropipettes, flotation techniques were utilized for sampling vegetated areas, free and rooted floating hydrophytes were extracted for removing insects among them. Thirteen species of Ceratopogonidae were collected, three of Atrichopogon Kieffer, three of Forcipomyia Meigen, two of Dasyhelea Kieffer, four of Culicoides Latreille, and one of Bezzia Kieffer, all representing new records from the island. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (3: 1183-1194. Epub 2011 September 01.Alrededor de 230 especies de ceratopogónidos han sido registradas o descritas en Argentina, 38 de ellas son conocidas para la provincia de Buenos Aires y sólo una ha sido previamente citada para la Isla Martín García. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos a partir de muestreos realizados en seis viajes a la isla

PLESNO IZRAŽANJE V DRAMSKI UMETNOSTI

OpenAIRE

Poslek, Lucija

2012-01-01

V tem diplomskem delu je predstavljeno, kako se lahko ples izrazi v dramski umetnosti. Podrobneje je predstavljen razvoj plesa v zgodovinskem obdobju s poudarkom na 20. stoletju in kako je bil ples v zgodovini izražen kot oblika umetnosti. Pomemben poudarek je tudi na pomenu plesne vzgoje in na načinih, s katerimi lahko predšolskim otrokom približamo plesno umetnost in pomen plesa. Z namenom lažjega razumevanja pomena plesnega ustvarjanja v dramski umetnosti je slednja tudi natančneje predsta...

MERJENJE DOBREGA POČUTJA ZAPOSLENIH V PCP IMPOL D.O.O.

OpenAIRE

Črešnar, Rok

2014-01-01

Dobro počutje zaposlenih, je ključnega pomena za uspešnost organizacije. Za vsako organizacijo je pomembno, da natančno pozna zadovoljstvo, psihično dobro počutje in raven motivacije svojih zaposlenih, kajti le zaposleni, ki ima zadovoljene temeljne potrebe lahko učinkovito doprinese dodano vrednost podjetju. Teoretični del seminarja je namenjen teoretičnim razlagam motivacijskih, osebnostnih in človeških teorij, ki opisujejo kako različni dejavniki, vplivajo na posameznika in kaj so posledic...

Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae from Martín García Island, Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María M Ronderos

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Nearly 230 species of biting midges have been recorded or described from Argentina; 38 of them are known from the Buenos Aires province and only one is cited from Martín García Island. This paper presents the results raised from six collecting trips which took place on the island during spring 2005, summer 2006 and autumn 2009. Diverse sampling sites including permanent and temporary aquatic environments were chosen, most of the ten sampling sites were ponds of diverse origin, some of these environments were covered with floating vegetation as Lemna gibba, Lemna minuscule, Salvinia biloba, Salvinia minima, Azolla filiculoides, Limnobium laevigatum, Pistia stratiotes, Spirodela intermedia, Wolffiella oblonga and Wolffia columbiana. Other sites were placed in urban and suburban areas. Adults were collected with sweep nets at sunrise and sunset and with light traps at intervals of four to five hours at night, depending on electricity availability on the island. Larvae and pupae were collected with different implements depending on characteristics of each surveyed aquatic habitat. In free standing water, they were captured with small sieves or hand pipettes and micropipettes, flotation techniques were utilized for sampling vegetated areas, free and rooted floating hydrophytes were extracted for removing insects among them. Thirteen species of Ceratopogonidae were collected, three of Atrichopogon Kieffer, three of Forcipomyia Meigen, two of Dasyhelea Kieffer, four of Culicoides Latreille, and one of Bezzia Kieffer, all representing new records from the island. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (3: 1183-1194. Epub 2011 September 01.

REMOVAL AND LEACHING OF NUTRIENTS BY SALVIN1A MOLESTA MITCHEL AND EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES (MART. SOLMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.C. WEE and H.H. YEOH

1989-01-01

Full Text Available Profuse growth of Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta in Singapore reservoirs required their regular manual removal as their prolonged presence can lead to deterioration in the quality of the potable water. Clearing of the reservoir catchments, together with regular removal of the weeds and dumping them away from the catchments, should, in the long term, reduce their presence in the reservoirs. Laboratory experiments showing the removal of chloride, sulphate, phosphorus and nitrate from the growing medium and the release of chloride, phosphorus and nitrate by rotting plants should convince the administrators of the benefit of proper management of the problem.

Uporaba nabora multimedijskih orodij za mednarodno predstavitev mostu "Pašerele" čez reko Sočo na Goriškem

OpenAIRE

POPIT, DIJANA

2017-01-01

V pričujočem delu je predstavljen potek projekta, ki smo ga začeli izvajati v maju 2014 pod mentorstvom dr. Franca Policardija, glavnega distributerja uporabljenega gradiva g. Maria Mute ter g. Petra Gruntarja, ki nam je pomagal pri rekonstrukciji mostu v AvtoCAD-u 2012. Problem našega projekta je bil kako z uporabo standardnih metod in multimedije zabrisati mejo, ki je nastala med Slovenijo in Italijo, bolj natančno med potomci ljudi, ki so nekdaj živeli pod skupno državo Avstro-Ogrsko. O...

FANTAZIJSKI ROMAN IME VETRA V SLOVENSKEM PREVODU

OpenAIRE

Jus, Suzana

2016-01-01

V zadnjih letih postajajo poleg fantazijske literature za otroke vse bolj priljubljeni tudi fantazijski romani za mladino in odrasle. Tako je lani na police knjigarn prišel slovenski prevod Rothfussovega romana Ime vetra. Ta specifični žanr je za prevajalca posebej trd oreh – zaradi dolžine literarnega dela potrebuje poleg izpiljenega znanja jezika, natančnosti in iznajdljivosti tudi dobršno mero potrpljenja, če želi, da je delo prevedeno dobro in dosledno. Pri tem je pomembno, da skuša poleg...

Strategije drevesnega preiskovanja Monte Carlo

OpenAIRE

VODOPIVEC, TOM

2018-01-01

Po preboju pri igri go so metode drevesnega preiskovanja Monte Carlo (ang. Monte Carlo tree search – MCTS) sprožile bliskovit napredek agentov za igranje iger: raziskovalna skupnost je od takrat razvila veliko variant in izboljšav algoritma MCTS ter s tem zagotovila napredek umetne inteligence ne samo pri igrah, ampak tudi v številnih drugih domenah. Čeprav metode MCTS združujejo splošnost naključnega vzorčenja z natančnostjo drevesnega preiskovanja, imajo lahko v praksi težave s počasno konv...

RAZVOJ PASIVNEGA SONČNEGA GRELNIKA ZRAKA

OpenAIRE

Domanjko, Jernej

2012-01-01

Diplomsko delo opisuje razvoj sončnega pasivnega grelnika zraka in primerja različne izvedbe te naprave. Najprej so opisane teoretično možne moči grelnika, natančno je razloženo fizikalno delovanje naprave, navedeni so parametri, ki najbolj vplivajo na njen izkoristek. Nato je opisan potek načrtovanja, izgradnje in testiranja prototipa, na koncu pa je podana ekonomska ocena na podlagi primerjav rezultatov med različicami te naprave ter med različnimi napravami, primernimi za ogrevanje. V dipl...

Razširitev metode kalkuliranja stroškov na podlagi sestavin dejavnosti

OpenAIRE

Bole, Borut

2017-01-01

Zaradi uveljavitve proizvodnje vedno številčnejših serij se v organizacijah pojavlja več posrednih stroškov, katerih upravljanje je zahtevnejše od neposrednih. Kot rešitev tega so se pojavile primernejše metode za celotno obvladovanje organizacije, ki vključujejo tudi metode za natančnejše kalkuliranje posrednih stroškov. Skupaj s tem se je razvila ideja o managementu organizacije, ki temelji na sestavinah dejavnosti in z njo združljiva ideja o kalkuliranju stroškov na podlagi sestavin dejavn...

Effect of Macondo Prospect 252 Oil on Microbiota Associated with Pelagic Sargassum in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Torralba, Manolito G; Franks, James S; Gomez, Andres; Yooseph, Shibu; Nelson, Karen E; Grimes, D Jay

2017-01-01

The environmental impact of major oil spills on marine microorganisms has yet to be thoroughly investigated using molecular biology techniques. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig explosion of 2010 affected an approximately 176,000 km 2 surface area of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) when an estimated 210 million gallons of oil from the Macondo Prospect spilled into the environment. Pelagic Sargassum, a complex of two surface drifting species (Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans) of marine brown macroalgae and a critically important habitat in the GOM ecosystem, was suffused by Macondo Prospect 252 oil released during the DWH event. Using 16S rRNA PCR and Roche 454 pyrosequencing, the effect of the oil on the bacterial population associated with pelagic Sargassum and contiguous waters was examined by comparing sequence data generated from samples collected from oiled and non-oiled locations in the northern GOM. Sequence data showed similar microbial composition in Sargassum regardless of exposure to oil primarily dominated by five phyla; Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and unclassified bacteria. The microbial composition in water samples was significantly less diverse than for Sargassum and consisted primarily of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Due to the evenly distributed abundance of microbial species on oiled and non-oiled pelagic Sargassum, study findings indicate that DWH spilled oil had minimal effect on the composition and diversity of the microbial community associated with Sargassum and contiguous waters. However, higher abundances of Sulfitobacter and one species of Psychrobacter were found in oiled water samples when compared to non-oiled water samples indicating some effect of DHW oil in the microbial composition of seawater. Though there are a number of marine studies using molecular biology approaches, this is the first molecular examination of the impact of the DWH oil spill on bacterial communities

KETAHANAN HIDUP BEBERAPA JENIS TUMBUHAN DI KAWASAN VOID BEKAS TAMBANG BATUBARA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kissinger Kissinger

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The selection of plant species for phytoremediation activities is very important in the conservation of soil, water, plant, and animal life to create a conducive environment within a community or ecosystem. Plant survival is one indication for the selection of phytoremediation plants. This study aims to determine the survival of some plants in void areas of coal mining. Types of plants used are surface water plants species and the edge of void plant species. The plants of surface water area consisting of Kiambang (Salvinia sp., Enceng gondok (Eichornia crassipes, Genjer (Limnocharis flava, and Kangkung (Ipomoea aquatica. The plants which planted on edge of void were purun tikus (Eleocharis dulcis and Bamban (Donax canniformis. Time of observation time was 6 months. Data were analyzed using a tabular matrix that contained the percentage of plant life/period time. The growth of the plant is specifically defined according to the color visibility and the development of plant form. The results of the study found that the highest surface survival species were Kiambang (Salvinia sp. and Kangkung (Ipomoea aquatica. Both of them still survive for 6 months of observation. The growth percentage of these two plants at the end of the observations are 36% and 20% respectively. Enceng gondok (Eichhornia crassipes has a survival for 4 months. Whole water plant growth was depressed by indications of death, tendencies to yellowish-brownish or blackish, and smaller body parts. Purun tikus (Eleocharis dulcis and Bamban (Donax canniformis grown on the edge of voids have a high survival. Both of them showed ≥95% survival at the end of observation time.

Influence of temperature and salinity on heavy metal uptake by submersed plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fritioff, A. [Department of Botany, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)]. E-mail: fritioff@botan.su.se; Kautsky, L. [Department of Botany, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Greger, M. [Department of Botany, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

2005-01-01

Submersed plants can be useful in reducing heavy metal concentrations in stormwater, since they can accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in their shoots. To investigate the effects of water temperature and salinity on the metal uptake of two submersed plant species, Elodea canadensis (Michx.) and Potamogeton natans (L.), these plants were grown in the presence of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb at 5, 11, and 20 deg. C in combination with salinities of 0, 0.5, and 5%o. The metal concentrations in the plant tissue increased with increasing temperature in both species; the exception was the concentration of Pb in Elodea, which increased with decreasing salinity. Metal concentrations at high temperature or low salinity were up to twice those found at low temperature or high salinity. Plant biomass affected the metal uptake, with low biomass plants having higher metal concentrations than did high biomass plants. - Metal concentrations increase with increasing temperature and decreasing salinity in two aquatic plants.

Influence of temperature and salinity on heavy metal uptake by submersed plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritioff, A.; Kautsky, L.; Greger, M.

2005-01-01

Submersed plants can be useful in reducing heavy metal concentrations in stormwater, since they can accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in their shoots. To investigate the effects of water temperature and salinity on the metal uptake of two submersed plant species, Elodea canadensis (Michx.) and Potamogeton natans (L.), these plants were grown in the presence of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb at 5, 11, and 20 deg. C in combination with salinities of 0, 0.5, and 5%o. The metal concentrations in the plant tissue increased with increasing temperature in both species; the exception was the concentration of Pb in Elodea, which increased with decreasing salinity. Metal concentrations at high temperature or low salinity were up to twice those found at low temperature or high salinity. Plant biomass affected the metal uptake, with low biomass plants having higher metal concentrations than did high biomass plants. - Metal concentrations increase with increasing temperature and decreasing salinity in two aquatic plants

Ecological Stoichiometry Characteristics of Aquatic Macrophytes in the Decomposition Process%水生植物分解过程中生态化学计量学特征研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张雷燕; 关保华; 程寒飞; 詹茂华

2017-01-01

Plant matter from three macrophytes from different environments was dried and analyzed over time to in-vestigate macrophyte stoichiometry during decomposition and the effect of environment on macrophyte stoichiometry . A floating plant, Lemna minor, and two submerged plants, Vallisneria natans and Potamogeton malaianus, were prepared and placed in three water environments:Treatment A:beaker with 200 mL tap water +3 cm of sediment in a greenhouse;Treatment B: beaker with 200 mL tap water in a greenhouse; Treatment C: in situ in a pond. Each treatment was run in triplicate with six plants per trial.Each week for five weeks, one plant was randomly se-lected from each treatment for determination of dry weight, TN, TC and TP.The C/N range in the three macro-phytes was 7.43-10.06, much lower than the global level of 22.5, and the C/P range was 43.09-91.77, sig-nificantly higher than the global level of 23.2.The results indicate that, with the same assimilation capacity of C, the utilization efficiency of N is higher than that of P.The N/P range (4.71-9.24) in the three macrophytes was lower than the global level of 14, showing that N was the limiting nutrient for the macrophytes.Furthermore, the submerged plants V.natans, and P.malaianus exhibited similar C/N ratios in the greenhouse and under natural conditions, indicating a consistent release rate of C and N from the submerged macrophytes and implying a small environmental effect.However, the C/N ratio of L.minor varied markedly between treatments, implying a large environmental effect.The C/N ratio in L.minor and V.natans increased rapidly at the beginning, indicating that the release rate of N from both macrophytes was higher than the release rate of C.The C/P and N/P ratio in the three macrophytes increased rapidly in the first week and the ratios varied significantly among the three groups.This indicates that the P release rate from the three macrophytes was higher than the release rates of C and N during the first

水盐环境梯度下野鸭湖湿地植物群落特征及其生态演替模式

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

宫兆宁; 赵文吉; 胡东

2009-01-01

按照水土环境差异及所受干扰情况将野鸭湖湿地自然保护区划分为三个实验区,系统分析了湿地生态系统的生物及其生境因子,三个样区的湿地植物群落呈现明显的分异特征.样区1植被具有典型的成带分布的特点,植物群落形成反映了水深和岸线的带状变化;样区2生境异质性小,建群种占绝对的优势,植物多样性低;样区3退水区域呈旱化趋势,植被呈现出草甸的性质,水盐梯度明显.基于湿地植物群落的分异特征,选择样区3从植物群落在空间维度上的组合这个角度,揭示湿地植物群落演替变化的时间过程,探索野鸭潮湿地植物群落的演替模式和演替机制.野鸭湖湿地常见植物群落随水分、盐分相互作用呈现相应的生态演替模式:水生沉水、浮水、漂浮植物群落(眼子菜+狐尾藻群落Comm.Potamogeton distinctus+Myriophyllum spiea-tum L.,槐叶苹+浮萍群落Comm.Salvinia natans+Lemna minor L.)、水生挺水植物群落(香蒲+芦苇群落Comm.Typha angustifolia+Phragmites australi)、沼生、湿生植物群落(球穗莎草群落Comm.Cyperus glomeratus L.,扁秆蔗草群落Comm.Scirpus planiculmis,绵毛酸模叶蓼群落Comm.Polygonum lapathifolium L.var.salicifolium sibth.)、盐生、中生植物群落(猪毛菜群落Comm.Salsola collina,柽柳群落Comm.Tamarixchinensis)、中旱生植物群落(红皮柳群落Comm.Saliz purpurea L.,牛鞭草群落Hemarthria altissima Stapf et C.E.Hubb).湿地生态演替模式及机制的分析,为湿地附近水域生态条件的改善,以及湿地恢复和植物物种选择提供了可以借鉴的方案.

Variation in coral growth rates with depth at Discovery Bay, Jamaica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huston, M

1985-01-01

Growth rates, determined by X-radiographic measurement of skeletal extension, decreased with depth for four of six species of coral examined at Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Growth of Porites astreoides, Montastrea annularis, Colpophyllia natans, and Siderastrea siderea decreased significantly with depth over a 1- to 30-m depth range. In Montastrea cavernosa, the highest growth rate occurred in the middle of the sampled depth range. Agaricia agaricites had no measurable change in growth rate with depth. A compilation of available growth data for Atlantic and Pacific corals shows a strong pattern of highest growth rates a short distance below the surface and a decrease with depth.

Isolation of non-sulphur photosynthetic bacterial strains efficient in hydrogen production at elevated temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, S.P.; Srivastava, S.C. (Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi (IN). Centre of Advanced Study in Botany)

1991-01-01

Four strains of non-sulphur photosynthetic bacteria were isolated from root zone associations of aquatic plants like Azolla, Salvinia and Eichhornia, as well as the deep-water rice. Based on the gross cell morphology and pigmentation, the isolates resembled Rhodopseudomonas sp. and have been designated as BHU strains 1 to 4, respectively. When subjected to elevated temperature (from 33-45{sup o}C), substantial growth/hydrogen production could be observed only in strains 1 and 4. Strains 2 and 3 on the other hand, showed diminished growth and negligible hydrogen photoproduction. The BHU strains 1 and 4 have been selected as the most active (thermostable) hydrogen producing strains of local origin as far as the Indian tropical climate is concerned. (author).

Food preference and feeding rhythm in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii%克氏原螯虾的食物选择性及其摄食节律

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

徐增洪; 周鑫; 水燕

2012-01-01

Juvenile and adult red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) were reared in tanks (60 cm × 40 cm × 40 cm) at a rate of 20 individuals per tank and fed 5 aquatic plant species (Altemanthera philoxeroides, Eichhornia crassipes, Lesser duckweed Lemna minor, Elodea nultallii, and pondweed ValUsneria natans) to evaluate food I-tems and changes in food filling in stomach and intestines during day and night. In addition, the growth was compared in th crayfish reared in a paddyfield and fed three diets ( crayfish feedstuff with 30% protein, aquatic grasses and trash fish). The food in the intestine of the juvenile crayfish was found to be primarily comprised of zooplankton and phytoplankton. The adult crayfish was shown to have lower food preference, almost all of edible aquatic animals and plants, organic detritus, and artificial feed available in waters being consumed, and aquatic plants constituting their main food due to wide distribution, and easy ingesting. The feeding rhythm was observed during day and night in the crayfish culture pond, the two peaks at 8:00-10:00 and 19:00-22:00. There was significantly better growth in the adult crayfish fed Elodea nuttallii, Lesser duckweed and Vallisneria natans than that in the crayfish fed Altemanthera philoxeroides and Eichharnia crassipes(P0. 05) , even though the crayfish fed Lesser duckweed had slightly better growth than the crayfish fed Elodea nuUallii, and ValUsneria natans did. There was significant difference in daily weight gain rate in the juvenile crayfish fed lesser duckweed, Elodea nuttallii, Vallisneria natans, Altemanthera philoxeroides,Eichhornia crassipes(P<0.05). In the rice field, however, the crayfish fed trash fish was shown to have much better growth than that the crayfish fed pelleted food, and pelleted feedstuff combined with aquatic plants.%对克氏原螫虾Procambarus clarkii幼虾和成虾的胃及肠道内的食物组成和食物充塞度的昼夜变化规律进行了观察；在水族箱(60 cm

Avaliação da sensibilidade de diversas espécies de plantas daninhas aquáticas ao carfentrazone-ethyl, em ambiente controlado Assessment of sensitivity of several aquatic weeds to carfentrazone-ethyl under controlled environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.L. Foloni

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Plantas aquáticas, especialmente macrófitas, tornam-se sério problema em hidrelétricas, afetando a múltipla utilização dos corpos d'água, incluindo produção de peixes e atividades de pesca, perdas d'água por evapotranspiração, esportes aquáticos, canoagem, irrigação e produção de energia nas usinas hidrelétricas. Com o objetivo de analisar o potencial de uso do carfentrazone-ethyl no controle das principais plantas daninhas aquáticas no Brasil, foi instalado um experimento em vasos com água. Utilizaram-se os seguintes tratamentos herbicidas (g i.a. ha-1: carfentrazone-ethyl a 15, 30 e 60; glyphosate a 4.536; 2,4-D a 4.690; imazapyr a 1.250; e uma testemunha sem herbicida. Esses tratamentos foram testados nas seguintes espécies: Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia auriculata, Pistia stratiotes, Myriophyllum aquaticum, Brachiaria arrecta, Hydrocotyle umbellata, Typha sp. e Echinochloa polystachya. As avaliações foram efetuadas aos 7, 14, 21 e 28 dias após os tratamentos. Os resultados mostraram que o carfentrazone-ethyl foi eficiente no controle de E. crassipes (maior dose e P. stratiotes (duas maiores doses, com efeito supressivo sobre S. auriculata. Foi observado que nas outras plantas daninhas estudadas não houve eficiência de controle.Aquatic weeds, especially macrophytes, are a serious problem in hydroelectric plant systems, affecting the multiple use of water, such as fish production and fishing activities, water losses by evapotranspiration, aquatic sports, boating, irrigation and hydroelectric power production. An experiment using boxes filled with water was carried out to analyze the potential use of carfentrazone-ethyl in the control of the main aquatic weeds in Brazil. The following herbicide treatments (g i.a. ha-1 were used: carfentrazone-ethyl at 15, 30 and 60; glyphosate at 4,536; 2,4D at 4,690; imazapyr at 1,250, and no herbicide. These treatments were tested on the species: Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia

Bridging the gap between morphological species and molecular barcodes - Exemplified by loricate choanoflagellates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frank, Nitsche; Thomsen, Helge Abildhauge; Daniel J, Richter

2017-01-01

species match a previously unidentified barcode from Tara Oceans, providing access to the global distribution of species isolated from Danish waters. One species, Calliacantha natans, is the second most globally abundant choanoflagellate present in Tara Oceans. Our project translating new ribosomal DNA......Translating the vast amounts of molecular barcodes from global surveys of microbial eukaryotes into ecological insight depends critically on a well-curated reference database with adequate taxonomic coverage. In this respect, the choanoflagellates resemble other eukaryotic lineages: reasonable...... represent an opportunity to link morphological with molecular data within a lineage of eukaryotes. To match morphospecies to sequences, we sampled the Kattegat and the Isefjord in Denmark in September 2014 and February 2015. We identified 45 morphospecies and sequenced ribosomal DNA of nine previously...

Cumulation of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Mn in Plants of Gardno Lake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trojanowski J.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In the present paper there have been shown the results of research on yhe content of Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn and Pb in chosen plants of Lake Gardno.The biggest concentration of those metals has been observed in Potamogton natans and Elodea canadensis, on average Zn – 34.9, Pb -2.77, Cd – 0.62, Cu – 3.24 and Mn – 257.4 μg g-1. It has been found that the over-ground parts of the plants under analysis cumulate several times less of heavy metals than their roots. The determined enrichment factors enabled the researchers to state that Cu in the examined plants is of natural origin while Mn, Cd and Zn – of anthropogenic origin.

Dispersion of Louisiana crude oil in salt water environment by Corexit 9500A in the presence of natural coastal materials

Science.gov (United States)

Tansel, Berrin; Lee, Mengshan; Berbakov, Jillian; Tansel, Derya Z.; Koklonis, Urpiana

2014-04-01

Effectiveness of Corexit 9500A for dispersing Louisiana crude oil was evaluated in salt water solutions containing natural materials in relation to salinity and dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR). Experimental results showed that both salinity and DOR had significant effects on dispersion of Louisiana crude oil in the presence of different natural materials. The natural materials added to the salt water solutions included sea sand (South Beach, Miami, Florida), red mangrove leaves (Rhizophora mangle), seaweed (Sargassum natans), and sea grass (Halodule wrightii). Dispersant effectiveness (amount of oil dispersed into the water) was reduced significantly with increasing salinity with the minimum effectiveness observed in the salinity range between 30 and 50 ppt in all aqueous samples containing natural materials. When significant amounts of floating oil were present, the partially submerged natural materials enhanced the transfer of oil into the water column, which improved the dispersion effectiveness. However, dispersant effectiveness was significantly reduced when the amount of floating oil was relatively small and could not be released back to the water column. Surface tension may not be an adequate parameter for monitoring the effectiveness of dispersants in salt water environment. When distilled water was used (i.e., zero salinity), surface tension was significantly reduced with increasing dispersant concentration. However, there was no clear trend in the surface tension of the salt water solutions (17-51 ppt) containing crude oil and natural materials with increasing dispersant concentration.

The role of anthropogenic water reservoirs within the landscapes of mining areas – a case study from the western part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaruchiewicz Ewelina

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A few thousand anthropogenic water reservoirs can be found in the area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basis (USCB located in southern Poland. In this paper the role of such anthropogenic lakes in the landscape of the western part of the USCB was presented and illustrated with the example of Knurów, a mining city, and its immediate surrounding area. The study of landscape changes in this area was carried out on the basis of archival and contemporary cartographic materials, historical sources, and interviews with inhabitants and direct field observations. It was found that the origin of the majority of the water reservoirs is related to hard coal, clay and sand mining. They were created primarily as a result of filling subsidence basins and post-mining excavations with water, as well as being the result of the construction of various hydro-technical facilities (settling ponds, fire protection water reservoirs, etc. In the study area the anthropogenic water reservoirs are of different sizes, shapes and durability and play different roles in the environment. Between 1884 and 2001 their number increased 25-fold, while at the same time their total surface area increased more than 8-fold. The role of the newly created water reservoirs in the landscape primarily involves the transformation of the existing terrestrial ecosystems into wetland ecosystems. The agro-forestry landscape of the late 19th century was transformed into a typically anthropogenic landscape with a dominant share of water reservoirs, settlement ponds and mining waste heaps. The most common species of plants around the water reservoirs are Phragmites australis, Typha latifolia, Ceratophyllum demersum, Elodea canadensis, Potamogeton natans, Lemna sp., Acorus calamus, Myriophyllum verticillatum, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Alisma plantago-aquatica and Glyceria aquatica. The most valuable elements of the flora include Trapa natans and Ruppia maritima, species recognized in Poland as threatened

Management of fresh water weeds (macrophytes) by vermicomposting using Eisenia fetida.

Science.gov (United States)

Najar, Ishtiyaq Ahmed; Khan, Anisa B

2013-09-01

In the present study, potential of Eisenia fetida to recycle the different types of fresh water weeds (macrophytes) used as substrate in different reactors (Azolla pinnata reactor, Trapa natans reactor, Ceratophyllum demersum reactor, free-floating macrophytes mixture reactor, and submerged macrophytes mixture reactor) during 2 months experiment is investigated. E. fetida showed significant variation in number and weight among the reactors and during the different fortnights (P macrophytes mixture reactor (number 105 ± 5.77 %; weight 41.07 ± 3.97 % ). ANOVA showed significant variation in cocoon production (F4 = 15.67, P macrophyte affects the growth and reproduction pattern of E. fetida among the different reactors, further the addition of A. pinnata in other macrophytes reactors can improve their recycling by E. fetida.

Aquatic weeds: their implications in Indian nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, T.S.; Anup Kumar, B.; Aruna Jyothi, K.; Satpathy, K.K.

2000-01-01

The aquatic weed infestation of KAPS cooling water system, MAPS open reservoir, and the growth of filamentous algae and bacteria in the feed water unit of HWP (Kota), was investigated. The aquatic weeds identified were: Ceratophyllum, Elodea, Hydrilla verticillata, Najas and Vallisneria species. However, at HWP (Kota) filamentous alga (Nostoc punchiformis) and bacteria (Sphaerotilus natans) were found in plenty. The metabolic products when assayed in the form of total carbohydrate content released by weeds was 3.7 mg gm -1 biomass. The metabolic products adsorb on to the resin matrix and impaired its performance at HWP (K), enhanced bacterial growth on the resin beads and furthered resin deterioration. Besides, the growth of aquatic weeds also influenced the pH of the cooling water, thereby vitiating the water treatment programme. (author)

Communication barriers in the debate between supporters and critics of Israeli Palestinian policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilhelm Kempf

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Based on findings of the Anti-Semitism and the Criticism of Israel (ASCI Survey, this paper examines difficulties hindering constructive dialogue between supporters and opponents of Israeli Palestinian policy. While none of the two sides wants to stand idly by watching injustice being committed before their eyes, hardliners on both sides hold diametrically opposed beliefs that make the slightest deviation from their doctrines be experienced as double standards, delegitimation and demonization. Since Natan Sharanski mistakenly declared these 3 Ds to be unique features of anti-Israeli anti-Semitism, these communication difficulties have increased even more and are not only suited to destroy the ability of Jews to engage with a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, but in the end also to obstruct the struggle against anti-Semitism.

Performance and emission analysis of single cylinder SI engine using bioethanol-gasoline blend produced from Salvinia Molesta

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Priyank; Protim Das, Partha; Mubarak, M.; Shaija, A.

2018-01-01

Rapid depletion of world’s crude oil reserve, rising global energy demand and concerns about greenhouse gases emission have led to the high-level interest in biofuels. The biofuel, bioethanol is found as an alternative fuel for SI engines as it has similar properties those of gasoline. Higher areal productivity with fast growth rate of microalgae and aquatic weeds makes them promising alternative feedstocks for bioethanol production. In this study, bioethanol produced from S.molesta (aquatic weed) using combined pre-treatment and hydrolysis followed by fermentation with yeast was used to make bioethanol-gasoline blend. The quantity of bioethanol produced from S.molesta was 99.12% pure. The physical properties such as density and heating value of bioethanol were 792.2 kg/m3 and 26.12 MJ/kg, respectively. In this work, the effects of bioethanol-gasoline (E5) fuel blends on the performance and combustion characteristics of a spark ignition (SI) engine were investigated. In the experiments, a single-cylinder, four-stroke SI engine was used. The tests were performed using electric dynamometer while running the engine at the speed (3200 rpm), and seven different load (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 kW). The results obtained from the use of bioethanol-gasoline fuel blends were compared to those of gasoline fuel. The test results showed an increase of 0.3% in brake thermal efficiency for E5. From the emission analysis, reduced emissions of 39 ppm unburned hydrocarbon, 1.55% carbon monoxide and 2% smoke opacity, respectively was observed with E5 at full load. An increase in CO2 by 0.17% and NOx by 86.7 ppm was observed for E5 at full load.

Monitoramento de problemas com plantas aquáticas e caracterização da qualidade de água e sedimento na UHE Mogi-Guaçu Monitoring problems with aquatic plants and characterization of water and sediment quality at UHE Mogi-Guaçu

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.L. Cavenaghi

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho foi realizado na UHE Mogi-Guaçu, pertencente à AES Tietê S.A. Levantamento de plantas aquáticas e amostragem de água e sedimento foram realizados em julho de 2001 (estação seca, novembro de 2001 (início da estação chuvosa e março de 2002 (final da estação chuvosa. Foram feitas 846 análises de água e 516 de sedimento, avaliando-se 47 características da água e 41 do sedimento. Espécies marginais e flutuantes foram as principais infestantes do reservatório, merecendo destaque as espécies Brachiaria subquadripara, Eichornia crassipes, Polygonum lapathifolium, Panicum rivulare, Salvinia auriculata e Pistia stratiotes. A turbidez e conseqüente baixa transmissão de luz pela coluna d'água impossibilitaram o desenvolvimento de plantas submersas. Teores de fósforo e nitrogênio encontrados tanto na água quanto no sedimento mostraram-se suficientes para suportar o crescimento de plantas aquáticas. A ocorrência de plantas marginais e flutuantes estava associada ao intenso processo de sedimentação observado no reservatório.This research was carried out at the Mogi Guaçu reservoir owned by AES Tiete. Assessment of aquatic plants and water and sediment sampling were carried out in July 2001 (dry season, November 2001 (start of rainy season and March 2002 (end of rainy season. A total of 846 water and 516 sediment analyses were performed, with 47 water and 41 sediment characteristics being evaluated. Marginal and floating species were the main weeds in the reservoir, the most outstanding being Brachiaria subquadripara, Eichornia crassipes, Polygonum lapathifolium, Panicum rivulare, Salvinia auriculata and Pistia stratiotes. Turbidity and low light transmission by water column made the growth of the submerged plants impossible. Phosphorus and nitrogen concentration both in the water and sediment was adequate to support aquatic plant growth. The occurrence of marginal and floating plants was associated with the intense

Valerius Maximus: Memorable Deeds and Sayings (review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Gril

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Očitno je bilo zadnjih nekaj let namenjenih prav antiki, saj je izšlo kar nekaj samostojnih del, prevodov in publikacij. Pod okriljem mariborske študentske založbe Litera, natančneje v zbirki Iz antičnega sveta, sta luč sveta ugledala prevoda dveh del: filozofski spis Marka Tulija Cicerona z naslovom Lelij - o prijateljstvu, ki ga je prevedla Barbara Zlobec Del Vecchio in naposled tudi delo Valerija Maksima: Spomina vredna dejanja in besede, delo, ki bo popestrilo pouk latinščine tudi na slovenskih šolah, da se bodo naši dijaki ob zgledih, ki so jih občudovali že Stari, lahko učili, kaj je prav in kaj ne, kaj se sme in kaj ne, kako se je treba obnašati do starejših, ipd.

PEMANFAATAN TANAMAN GULMA KAYAMBANG (Salvinia Molesta) SEBAGAI BAHAN PAKAN AYAM BURAS MELALUI ENERGI METABOLISMENYA

OpenAIRE

Akhadiarto, Sindu

2018-01-01

Kayambang is water seed from Indonesia which can be used for animal feed. In village it is usually used for duck and village fowl (kampong chicken). Kayambang grows very much on water surface and have hight nutrition include energy and protein. Animal feed are used for growth requirement and to support sintetics reactionsform its body. Energy from the feed is not used for animal infull. In each ingredient at least has 4 kind of energy : Gross Energy, Digestible energy, Metobalic energy and ne...

Superhydrophobic hierarchically structured surfaces in biology: evolution, structural principles and biomimetic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Barthlott, W; Mail, M; Neinhuis, C

2016-08-06

A comprehensive survey of the construction principles and occurrences of superhydrophobic surfaces in plants, animals and other organisms is provided and is based on our own scanning electron microscopic examinations of almost 20 000 different species and the existing literature. Properties such as self-cleaning (lotus effect), fluid drag reduction (Salvinia effect) and the introduction of new functions (air layers as sensory systems) are described and biomimetic applications are discussed: self-cleaning is established, drag reduction becomes increasingly important, and novel air-retaining grid technology is introduced. Surprisingly, no evidence for lasting superhydrophobicity in non-biological surfaces exists (except technical materials). Phylogenetic trees indicate that superhydrophobicity evolved as a consequence of the conquest of land about 450 million years ago and may be a key innovation in the evolution of terrestrial life. The approximate 10 million extant species exhibit a stunning diversity of materials and structures, many of which are formed by self-assembly, and are solely based on a limited number of molecules. A short historical survey shows that bionics (today often called biomimetics) dates back more than 100 years. Statistical data illustrate that the interest in biomimetic surfaces is much younger still. Superhydrophobicity caught the attention of scientists only after the extreme superhydrophobicity of lotus leaves was published in 1997. Regrettably, parabionic products play an increasing role in marketing.This article is part of the themed issue 'Bioinspired hierarchically structured surfaces for green science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Superhydrophobic hierarchically structured surfaces in biology: evolution, structural principles and biomimetic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Mail, M.; Neinhuis, C.

2016-01-01

A comprehensive survey of the construction principles and occurrences of superhydrophobic surfaces in plants, animals and other organisms is provided and is based on our own scanning electron microscopic examinations of almost 20 000 different species and the existing literature. Properties such as self-cleaning (lotus effect), fluid drag reduction (Salvinia effect) and the introduction of new functions (air layers as sensory systems) are described and biomimetic applications are discussed: self-cleaning is established, drag reduction becomes increasingly important, and novel air-retaining grid technology is introduced. Surprisingly, no evidence for lasting superhydrophobicity in non-biological surfaces exists (except technical materials). Phylogenetic trees indicate that superhydrophobicity evolved as a consequence of the conquest of land about 450 million years ago and may be a key innovation in the evolution of terrestrial life. The approximate 10 million extant species exhibit a stunning diversity of materials and structures, many of which are formed by self-assembly, and are solely based on a limited number of molecules. A short historical survey shows that bionics (today often called biomimetics) dates back more than 100 years. Statistical data illustrate that the interest in biomimetic surfaces is much younger still. Superhydrophobicity caught the attention of scientists only after the extreme superhydrophobicity of lotus leaves was published in 1997. Regrettably, parabionic products play an increasing role in marketing. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Bioinspired hierarchically structured surfaces for green science’. PMID:27354736

A preliminary study of variation of Trapa in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Kadono, Yasuro; Rybicki, Nancy B.; Lai, Vincent

2018-05-31

SummaryFrequent occurrence of intermediate forms and poor knowledge on the variability of characters have caused some difficulties in the taxonomy of Trapa in Japan. Thus I made a preliminary analysis on the variation of nuts collected from 21 populations in Southwestern Japan. Attention was paid to some morphometrical characters of the nut and development of lower spines or “pseudohorns.” Each population usually contained different forms of nuts. Among them, however, several entities could be recognized based on the shape of nut as follows. 1) Two-spined form: This included nuts of middle size (width 30–50 mm) and ones of big size (width over 45 mm). In case of the former ones, the nuts with pseudohorns of varying degree of development usually occurred together within one population and even on a single plant. I propose to treat them as one taxon, Trapa japonica, sensu OHWI (1965), without inventing varieties. But at the same time, it was remarkable that the tendency of development of pseudohorns was apparently different from population to population. The bigger ones included two types, that is, one without pseudohorns and the other with pseudohorns. The former one may be identified as T. bispinosa ROXB., but the latter one has not been described in literature. 2) Four-spined form: The nuts of small size (width of about 20 mm) were well definable and thought to be T. incisa SIEB. et ZUCC. The nuts of bigger size showed some variations with respect to their size and/or stoutness of lower spines. The big ones (width over 45 mm) may be treated as one taxon, T. natans or its variety. The nuts of middle size have been named T. natans var. pumila NAKANO. But so far as present materials were concerned, its entity seemed dubious. They might be immature nuts of bigger ones. The different patterns of variation among populations were ascribed to genetic differentiation. Predominance of self-pollination and isolation of habitats were thought to promote genetic isolation

CONTRIBUTION TO DETERMINING THE BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE WATER CHESTNUT TRAPA NATANS L. LAKE OUBEIRA EL-KALA AND DEVELOPMENT OF NUTRIENT AGAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MOHAMED SAHLI

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This work is aims to determining the biochemical composition of the flour water chestnut seeds and the development of a nutrient agar for bacteria and fungi in the presence and absence of oxytetracycline. The culture medium consists of the filtrate recovered after dispersion of the flour of the seeds in distilled water and the agar. The results show in the absence of oxytetracycline, bacterial and fungal strains develop. In the presence of the antibiotic to 0.25 mg·mL-1 and 0.5 mg·mL-1 bacteria are completely inhibited whereas fungi evolve. Statistical analysis reveals the existence of a very highly significant difference (P ≤ 0.001 between the effects of different concentrations of the bactericide deploying Pyrenophora tritici and Septoria nodorum. There is no influence of antibacterial concentrations on the growth of Fusarium sp.

A Taste of Algal Genomes from the Joint Genome Institute

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuo, Alan; Grigoriev, Igor

2012-06-17

Algae play profound roles in aquatic food chains and the carbon cycle, can impose health and economic costs through toxic blooms, provide models for the study of symbiosis, photosynthesis, and eukaryotic evolution, and are candidate sources for bio-fuels; all of these research areas are part of the mission of DOE's Joint Genome Institute (JGI). To date JGI has sequenced, assembled, annotated, and released to the public the genomes of 18 species and strains of algae, sampling almost all of the major clades of photosynthetic eukaryotes. With more algal genomes currently undergoing analysis, JGI continues its commitment to driving forward basic and applied algal science. Among these ongoing projects are the pan-genome of the dominant coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi, the interrelationships between the 4 genomes in the nucleomorph-containing Bigelowiella natans and Guillardia theta, and the search for symbiosis genes of lichens.

Kinetics of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) removal from water by two floating macrophytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maine, M A; Hadad, H R; Sánchez, G; Caffaratti, S; Pedro, M C

2016-01-01

The aim of this work was to compare Cr(III) and Cr(VI) removal kinetics from water by Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia herzogii. The accumulation in plant tissues and the effects of both Cr forms on plant growth were also evaluated. Plants were exposed to 2 and 6 mg L(-1) of Cr(III) or Cr(VI) during 30 days. At the end of the experiment, Cr(VI) removal percentages were significantly lower than those obtained for Cr(III) for both macrophytes. Cr(III) removal kinetics involved a fast and a slow component. The fast component was primarily responsible for Cr(III) removal while Cr(VI) removal kinetics involved only a slow process. Cr accumulated principally in the roots. In the Cr(VI) treatments a higher translocation from roots to aerial parts than in Cr(III) treatments was observed. Both macrophytes demonstrated a high ability to remove Cr(III) but not Cr(VI). Cr(III) inhibited the growth at the highest studied concentration of both macrophytes while Cr(VI) caused senescence. These results have important implications in the use of constructed wetlands for secondary industrial wastewater treatment. Common primary treatments of effluents containing Cr(VI) consists in its reduction to Cr(III). Cr(III) concentrations in these effluents are normally below the highest studied concentrations in this work.

Mass coral bleaching in 2010 in the southern Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Alemu I, Jahson Berhane; Clement, Ysharda

2014-01-01

Ocean temperatures are increasing globally and the Caribbean is no exception. An extreme ocean warming event in 2010 placed Tobago's coral reefs under severe stress resulting in widespread coral bleaching and threatening the livelihoods that rely on them. The bleaching response of four reef building taxa was monitored over a six month period across three major reefs systems in Tobago. By identifying taxa resilient to bleaching we propose to assist local coral reef managers in the decision making process to cope with mass bleaching events. The bleaching signal (length of exposure to high ocean temperatures) varied widely between the Atlantic and Caribbean reefs, but regardless of this variation most taxa bleached. Colpophyllia natans, Montastraea faveolata and Siderastrea siderea were considered the most bleaching vulnerable taxa. Interestingly, reefs with the highest coral cover showed the greatest decline reef building taxa, and conversely, reefs with the lowest coral cover showed the most bleaching but lowest change in coral cover with little algal overgrowth post-bleaching.

Mass Coral Bleaching in 2010 in the Southern Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Alemu I, Jahson Berhane; Clement, Ysharda

2014-01-01

Ocean temperatures are increasing globally and the Caribbean is no exception. An extreme ocean warming event in 2010 placed Tobago's coral reefs under severe stress resulting in widespread coral bleaching and threatening the livelihoods that rely on them. The bleaching response of four reef building taxa was monitored over a six month period across three major reefs systems in Tobago. By identifying taxa resilient to bleaching we propose to assist local coral reef managers in the decision making process to cope with mass bleaching events. The bleaching signal (length of exposure to high ocean temperatures) varied widely between the Atlantic and Caribbean reefs, but regardless of this variation most taxa bleached. Colpophyllia natans, Montastraea faveolata and Siderastrea siderea were considered the most bleaching vulnerable taxa. Interestingly, reefs with the highest coral cover showed the greatest decline reef building taxa, and conversely, reefs with the lowest coral cover showed the most bleaching but lowest change in coral cover with little algal overgrowth post-bleaching. PMID:24400078

Limnologic-geologic excursion in the territory of the lower Erft River

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friedrich, G.; Thome, K.N.

1976-01-01

The geography and hydrology of the area of the excursion are described. There is much damage due to brown coal strip mining operations. Ground water was drained through a canal leading to the Erft River. The water in nearby springs is rich in Fe which repels plant life. The canal contains only a few blue algae (Oscillatoria splendida) and filamentous green algae (Ulothrix tenerrima) which tolerate high Fe concentrations. The Erft shore plant population includes Sparganium erectum, Potamogeton natans, P. pectinatus and Ranunculus fluitans. On flowering plants and stones, diatoms, various green algae (Cladophora glomerata, Stigeoclonium tenue, Oedogonium capillare) and the tropical red alga Compsopogon hookeri were found. The macrozoobenthos is composed mainly of snails (Bithynia tenaculata, Lumnaea ovata, Physa fontinalis, P. acuta and worms of North American origin (Dugesia tifrina, Dendrocoelum lacteum and Planaria lugubris). The Isopoda included Asellus coxalis and A. aquaticus. Leeches (Herpobdella octoculata) and insect larvae (Chironomids, Limnephilids) were also found.

Mitochondrial genome sequence of the potato powdery scab pathogen Spongospora subterranea.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez, Pablo; Bulman, Simon; Alzate, Juan; Ortíz, Mary Carmen; Marín, Mauricio

2016-01-01

Spongospora subterranea is a soil-borne obligate parasite responsible for potato powdery scab disease. S. subterranea is a member of the order Plasmodiophorida, a protist taxa that is related to Cercozoa and Foraminifera but the fine details of these relationships remain unresolved. Currently there is only one available complete mtDNA sequence of a cercozoan, Bigelowiella natans. In this work, the mitochondrial sequence of a S. subterranea isolate infecting an Andean variety of S. tuberosum ssp. andigena (Diacol-Capiro) is presented. The mtDNA codes for 16 proteins of the respiratory chain, 11 ribosomal proteins, 3 ribosomal RNAs, 24 tRNAs, a RNA processing RNaseP, a RNA-directed polymerase, and two proteins of unknown function. This is the first report of a mtDNA genome sequence from a plasmodiophorid and will be useful in clarifying the phylogenetic relationship of this group to other members in the supergroup Rhizaria once more mtDNA sequences are available.

Potential of macrophytes for removing atrazine from aqueous solution Potencial de macrófitas para remoção de atrazine de solução aquosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.P Guimarães

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The potential of three macrophytes, Azolla caroliniana, Salvinia minima, and Lemna gibba was assessed in this study to select plants for use in environmental remediation contaminated with atrazine. Experiments were carried out in a greenhouse over six days in pots containing Hoagland 0.25 strength nutritive solution at the following atrazine concentrations: 0; 0.01; 0.1; 1.0; 10.0 mg L-1. Decrease in biomass accumulation was observed in the three macrophytes, as well as toxic effects evidenced by the symptomatology developed by the plants which caused their deaths. The chlorosis and necrosis allowed to observe in the plants the high sensitivity of the three species to the herbicide. Plants presented low potential for removal of atrazine in solution when exposed to low concentrations of the herbicide. However, at the 10.0 mg L-1 atrazine concentration, L. gibba and A. caroliniana showed potential to remove the herbicide from the solution (0.016 and 0.018 mg atrazine per fresh mass gram, respectively. This fact likely resulted from the processes of atrazine adsorption by the dead material. The percentage of atrazine removed from the solution by the plants decreased when the plants were exposed to high concentrations of the pollutant. Azolla caroliniana, S. minima, and L. gibba were not effective in removing the herbicide from solution. The use of these species to remedy aquatic environments was shown to be limited.Avaliou-se, neste estudo, o potencial de três macrófitas - Azolla caroliniana, Salvinia minima e Lemna gibba - com vistas à seleção de plantas para remediação de ambientes contaminados por atrazine. Foram realizados experimentos em casa de vegetação durante seis dias, em vasos contendo solução nutritiva Hoagland (0,25 de força iônica, nas seguintes concentrações de atrazine: 0; 0,01; 0,1; 1,0; e 10,0 mg L-1. A redução da biomassa acumulada pelas macrófitas foi observada, bem como os efeitos de toxidez evidenciados pela

Cadmium and chromium removal kinetics from solution by two aquatic macrophytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sune, N.; Sanchez, G.; Caffaratti, S.; Maine, M.A.

2007-01-01

The aim of this work was to determine chromium and cadmium bioaccumulation processes of two free-floating macrophytes commonly used in wetlands for water treatment: Salvinia herzogii and Pistia stratiotes. Metal removal from the solution involves two stages: a fast one and a slow one. The fast stage of the Cd uptake is significantly different for each species, while it is not significantly different in Cr uptake. The most important processes of Cd uptake are biological ones in S. herzogii and adsorption, chelation and ionic exchange are in P. stratiotes. The main processes of Cr uptake in both macrophytes are adsorption, chelation and ion exchange. The slow stage is different for each species and metal. Cr precipitation induced by roots occurs in P. stratiotes. Cr uptake through leaves is probably the main cause of the increase of Cr in the aerial parts of S. herzogii. - Cd uptake processes are biological processes in S. herzogii and adsorption, chelation and ionic exchange are in P. stratiotes, whereas Cr uptake processes in both macrophytes are adsorption, chelation and ion exchange

rbcL gene sequences provide evidence for the evolutionary lineages of leptosporangiate ferns.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasebe, M; Omori, T; Nakazawa, M; Sano, T; Kato, M; Iwatsuki, K

1994-06-07

Pteriodophytes have a longer evolutionary history than any other vascular land plant and, therefore, have endured greater loss of phylogenetically informative information. This factor has resulted in substantial disagreements in evaluating characters and, thus, controversy in establishing a stable classification. To compare competing classifications, we obtained DNA sequences of a chloroplast gene. The sequence of 1206 nt of the large subunit of the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcL) was determined from 58 species, representing almost all families of leptosporangiate ferns. Phlogenetic trees were inferred by the neighbor-joining and the parsimony methods. The two methods produced almost identical phylogenetic trees that provided insights concerning major general evolutionary trends in the leptosporangiate ferns. Interesting findings were as follows: (i) two morphologically distinct heterosporous water ferns, Marsilea and Salvinia, are sister genera; (ii) the tree ferns (Cyatheaceae, Dicksoniaceae, and Metaxyaceae) are monophyletic; and (iii) polypodioids are distantly related to the gleichenioids in spite of the similarity of their exindusiate soral morphology and are close to the higher indusiate ferns. In addition, the affinities of several "problematic genera" were assessed.

Levantamento de plantas aquáticas no reservatório de Salto Grande, Americana-SP Aquatic plant survey in Salto Grande reservoir in Americana-SP, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Martins

2011-03-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a frequência relativa e o nível de infestação de cada espécie da flora aquática presente no reservatório de Salto Grande, Americana-SP. O levantamento e a identificação das plantas aquáticas foram realizados percorrendo-se as margens do reservatório em uma embarcação. Ao longo dele foram estabelecidos 20 pontos de avaliação, sendo todos eles fotografados e georreferenciados. Foram atribuídos valores de 0 a 100% tanto para as espécies presentes como para os espaços livres de macrófitas aquáticas que eventualmente pudessem ocorrer dentro dos pontos amostrados. Com os dados referentes ao número de indivíduos e pontos avaliados, foi determinada a frequência relativa de cada espécie. Foram identificadas 13 espécies em todo o reservatório, sendo 12 vasculares e uma de alga-verde (Chlorella spp.. Entre as espécies vasculares, nove eram plantas emersas flutuantes, as quais poderiam estar ou não ancoradas no leito do reservatório: Alternanthera philoxeroides, Brachiaria subquadripara, Cyperus difformis, Echinochloa polystachia var. spectabilis, Eichhornia crassipes, Panicum rivulare, Pistia stratiotes, Salvinia auriculata e Typha angustifolia. Outras três espécies foram encontradas somente em solo firme alagado: Aeschynomene sensitiva, Hedychium coronarium e Mimosa pigra.The objectives of this work were to determine the relative frequency and infestation level of each species present in the Salto Grande Reservoir in Americana-SP. The survey and identification of the aquatic plants were carried out in the Salto Grande reservoir on a boat. Twenty evaluation sites were established along the reservoir, photographed and geo-referenced. Values from 0 to 100% were assigned for both the species present and for the aquatic plants that could possibly occur within the sampled sites. Based on the number of individuals and points evaluated, the relative frequency of each species was determined

Mercury net methylation in five tropical flood plain regions of Brazil: high in the root zone of floating macrophyte mats but low in surface sediments and flooded soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Guimarães, J R; Meili, M; Hylander, L D; de Castro e Silva, E; Roulet, M; Mauro, J B; de Lemos, R

2000-10-16

In aquatic systems, bottom sediments have often been considered as the main methylmercury (MeHg) production site. In tropical floodplain areas, however, floating meadows and flooded forests extend over large areas and can be important Hg methylating sites. We present here a cross-system comparison of the Hg net methylation capacity in surface sediments, flooded soils and roots of floating aquatic macrophytes, assayed by in situ incubation with 203Hg and extraction of formed Me203 Hg by acid leaching and toluene. The presence of mono-MeHg was confirmed by thin layer chromatography and other techniques. Study areas included floodplain lakes in the Amazon basin (Tapajós, Negro and Amazon rivers), the Pantanal floodplain (Paraguay river basin), freshwater coastal lagoons in Rio de Janeiro and oxbow lakes in the Mogi-Guaçú river, São Paulo state. Different Hg levels were added in assays performed in 1994-1998, but great care was taken to standardise all other test parameters, to allow data comparisons. Net MeHg production was one order of magnitude higher (mean 13.8%, range 0.28-35) in the living or decomposing roots of floating or rooted macrophyte mats (Eichhornia azurea, E. crassipes, Paspalum sp., Eleocharis sellowiana, Salvinia sp., S. rotundifolia and Scirpus cubensis) than in the surface layer of underlying lake sediments (mean 0.6%, range 0.022-2.5). Methylation in flooded soils presented a wide range and was in some cases similar to the one found in macrophyte roots but usually much lower. In a Tapajós floodplain lake, natural concentrations of MeHg in soil and sediment cores taken along a lake-forest transect agreed well with data on net methylation potentials in the same samples. E. azurea, E. crassipes and Salvinia presented the highest methylation potentials, up to 113 times higher than in sediments. Methylation in E. azurea from six lakes of the Paraguay and Cuiabá rivers, high Pantanal, was determined in the 1998 dry and wet seasons and ranged from

Caracterização da qualidade de água e sedimento na UHE Americana relacionados à ocorrência de plantas aquáticas Characterization of water and sediment quality at the Americana reservoir related to the occurrence of aquatic plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.D. Velini

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho foi realizado na UHE Americana, pertencente à Companhia Paulista de Força e Luz, e faz parte de um projeto de pesquisa e desenvolvimento realizado em conjunto com a Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (UNESP de Botucatu. Foram realizadas amostragens de água e sedimento nos meses de outubro e dezembro de 2003 e fevereiro, abril e junho de 2004. Selecionaram-se seis pontos de coleta no reservatório, sendo cinco a montante da barragem e um a jusante. Levantamentos de flora foram realizados nos meses de dezembro de 2003 e abril e julho de 2004, sendo constatados elevados teores de nitrogênio e fósforo nas amostras de água, com valores médios de 3,867 mg L-1 para nitrato, 0,706 mg L-1 para amônia, 1,372 mg L-1 para nitrito e 151,979 µg L-1 para fosfato dissolvido na água. O sedimento apresentou elevado nível de fertilidade, com médias de 32,18 g kg-1 para matéria orgânica, 68,87 mg dm-3 para P, 36,96 mmol dm-3 para Ca e 11,88 mmol dm-3 para Mg. Espécies marginais e flutuantes foram as principais infestantes do reservatório, destacando-se Brachiaria subquadripara, Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes e Salvinia auriculata.This work was carried out at the Americana Reservoir, owned by Companhia Paulista de Força e Luz, and was part of a joint R & D project with Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - Botucatu - São Paulo - Brazil. Water and sediment samplings were collected in October and December 2003 and February, April and June 2004. Six sampling points were selected, being five upstream the barrage and one downstream. Flora assessment was carried out in December 2003, April and July 2004. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus were observed in the water samples with average values of 3.867 mg L-1 for nitrate, 0.706 mg L-1 for ammonia, 1.372 mg L-1 for nitrite and 151.979 µg L-1 for phosphate dissolved in water. Sediment presented a high level of fertility with mean values of 31.18 g kg-1 for organic matter, 68

PENGENDALIAN KROMIUM (CR YANG TERDAPAT DI LIMBAH BATIK DENGAN METODE FITOREMEDIASI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andik Setiyono

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Motif dan warna batik dihasilkan dengan pewarna yang mengandung logam berat kromium (Cr. Industri batik secara umum tergolong usaha kecil dan menengah sehingga sebagian besar tidak mengolah limbah batik yang mengandung logam berat Cr. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah memberikan alternatif solusi dari dampak pencemaran Cr dengan memanfaatkan berbagai tumbuhan untuk menyerap Cr pada limbah batik. Penelitian ini adalah kuasi eksperimen dengan rancangan desain pre and post test. Tanaman air yang dipilih adalah enceng gondok (Eichornia crassipes, kayu apu (Pistia stratiotes, dan kayambang (Salvinia cucullata yang ditanam pada wadah yang berisi air limbah selama 5 hari. Konsentrasi Cr pada air limbah kelompok 1 menurun dari 0,0546 mg/l menjadi 0,0378 mg/l setelah diberi perlakuan dengan enceng gondok. Konsentrasi Cr pada air limbah kelompok 2 menurun dari 0,0488 mg/l menjadi 0,0315 mg/l setelah diberi perlakuan dengan kayambang. Konsentrasi Cr pada air limbah kelompok 1 menurun dari 0,0464 mg/l menjadi 0,0240 mg/l setelah diberi perlakuan dengan kayu apu. Hasil uji statistik dengan uji Kruskal Wallis menunjukkan nilai p= 0,280 sehingga disimpulkan tidak ada perbedaan penyerapan Cr yang terdapat pada limbah batik pada jenis tanaman enceng gondok, kayu apu, dan kayambang.   Kata Kunci : Cr, Limbah batik, Fitoremediasi   Abstract Batik motifs and colors are produced with dyes containing heavy metal chromium (Cr. Batik industries is generally classified as small and medium enterprises, so most of them do not process batik waste containing heavy metal Cr. The purpose of this research was to provide alternative solution from Cr pollution impact by utilizing various plants to absorb Cr in batik waste. This research was a quasi experiment with pre and post test design. The selected aquatic plants were water hyacinth or “enceng gondok” (Eichornia crassipes, “kayu apu” (Pistia stratiotes, and “kayambang” (Salvinia cucullata. They were grown in

Réflexions sur les rotifères en tant qu'indicateurs biologiques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

POURRIOT R.

1976-01-01

Full Text Available Quelques espèces de Rotifères fournissent un bon exemple d'indicateurs écologiques pour un facteur limitant : Synchaeta lakowitziana, Conochitoides natans, Notholca spp (température, Brachionus plicatilis (salinité. Le système d'indexation des espèces à la qualité des eaux est discuté. Les espèces strictement édaphiques (non aquatiques, les espèces rares appartenant à des genres où la variabilité est grande et les espèces euryoecques, peu caractéristiques, devraient être exclues des listes d'indicateurs établies par SLADECEK (1973, car elles ne facilitent pas l'application de ce système. Il s'avère nécessaire d'améliorer le poids indicatif et la valeur de saprobité des espèces, de ne conserver que les plus caractéristiques par leur constance et leur fidélité. Il serait, de plus, intéressant de se référer à des index plus dynamiques que statiques.

Eficiência de fluridone no controle de plantas aquáticas submersas no reservatório de Jupiá Fluridone efficacy for control of submersed aquatic weeds in the Jupiá reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.A.S. Marcondes

2003-01-01

treated zones in the lakes received an initial fluridone application to achieve the concentration of 20 ppb. The fluridone amount used in all the other applications was calculated to restore the 20 ppb concentration. The applications were performed with a bar with three injection nozzles submersed at three different depths (0.2; 0.6 and 1.2 meter. The application volume was 54 l/ha in each operation. Visual evaluations of phytotoxicity symptoms on the three species studied and biomass evaluations were carried out. Under the conditions of this work, fluridone controlled the submersed aquatic plants Egeria najas and Egeria densa; Egeria densa and Egeria najas reinfested the area as the effect of fluridone ended; Ceratophyllum demersum and non-target plants, such as Salvinia auriculata, Ipomoea spp., Merremia sp., Typha latifolia, Cyperus spp., were not controlled.

Water quality and communities associated with macrophytes in a shallow water-supply reservoir on an aquaculture farm.

Science.gov (United States)

Sipaúba-Tavares, L H; Dias, S G

2014-05-01

Plankton communities and macrofauna associated to aquatic macrophyte stands in a shallow water-supply reservoir (21°14'09″S; 48°18'38″W) on an aquaculture farm were compared to evaluate the relationship between organism densities and some abiotic features of the reservoir. Water and communities associated were sampled at two sites, one in an area with the predominance of Eichhornia azurea (Sw.) Kunth and the other with the predominance of Salvinia auriculata Aublet. Communities associated with macrophytes were sampled with floating quadrants (0.5 m2); the macrophytes were washed and plankton and macrofauna were fixated with 4% formalin and 1% lugol iodine; the specimens were then identified and counted. Plankton and macrofauna communities associated with S. auriculata and E. azurea had a similar diversity of species but different (pmacrophytes presence in the shallow reservoir is a strong predictor of favourable conditions to maintain great diversity plankton community and macrofauna associated with plants. The role of macrophytes is important for not only stabilising the clear-water state and maintaining high diversity of organisms associated, but also it seems to be a good alternative to maintaining desirable water-supply quality for aquaculture farms.

Clinical and epidemiological analysis of patients with HIV/AIDS admitted to a reference hospital in the northeast region of Brazil Análise clínica e epidemiológica dos pacientes com HIV/AIDS internados em um Hospital de Referência na Região Nordeste do Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vítor Yamashiro Rocha Soares

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The AIDS epidemic has become a worldwide phenomenon of enormous magnitude and extension, deeply transforming medical practices and public health initiatives. This retrospective survey aimed to analyze clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with HIV/AIDS admitted to the Institute of Tropical Diseases Natan Portella, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, from January, 2001 through December, 2004. Of the 828 patients, 43% were from other states and 71.3% were men. Average patient age was 35.4 ± 11.5 years-old and 85.5% were illiterate or had primary education. The main form of exposure to HIV was heterosexual behavior (54.1%, while injectable drug use was confirmed by only 2.7% of registered cases. The most frequent infectious complications were candidiasis (42.4% and pneumocystosis (22.2%. Sixty-eight cases (8.2% of visceral leishmaniasis were registered. Using multivariate analysis, individuals aged over 40 years-old, patients with active tuberculosis, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and central nervous system cryptococcosis showed increased risk of death. In this study, young male adults with low educational levels predominated and the most frequent opportunistic infections were candidiasis and pneumocystosis.A epidemia de AIDS tornou-se um fenômeno mundial de grande magnitude e extensão, transformando profundamente a prática médica e as iniciativas em saúde pública. O estudo retrospectivo analisou as características clínicas e epidemiológicas dos pacientes com HIV/AIDS internados no Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil, de janeiro de 2001 a dezembro de 2004 . Dos 828 pacientes, 43% eram provenientes de outros estados e 71,3% eram do sexo masculino. A idade média foi 35,4 ± 11,5 anos. Eram analfabetos ou cursaram até o ensino fundamental 85,5%. A principal via de exposição ao HIV foi o comportamento heterossexual (54,1%, enquanto o uso de drogas injetáveis foi observado em apenas 2,7% dos

Concentrations of heavy metals and plant nutrients in water, sediments and aquatic macrophytes of anthropogenic lakes (former open cut brown coal mines) differing in stage of acidification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samecka-Cymerman, A. [Department of Ecology and Nature Protection, Wroclaw University, ul. Kanonia 6/8, 50-328 Wroclaw (Poland); Kempers, A.J. [Department of Biogeology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525 ED Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2001-12-17

Concentration of heavy metals (Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn) as well as macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S) were measured in water, bottom sediments and plants from anthropogenic lakes in West Poland. The collected plants were: Phragmites australis, Potamogeton natans, Iris pseudoacorus, Juncus effusus, Drepanocladus aduncus, Juncus bulbosus, Phalaris arundinacea, Carex remota and Calamagrostis epigeios. Two reference lakes were sampled for Nymphaea alba, Phragmites australis, Schoenoplectus lacustris, Typha angustifolia and Polygonum hydropiper. These plants contained elevated levels of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu and Mn, and part of the plants contained in addition elevated levels of Mn, Fe, Pb, Ni and Zn. Analyses of water indicated pollution with sulfates, Cd, Co, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cu, and bottom sediments indicated that some of the examined lakes were polluted with Cd, Co and Cr. Strong positive correlations were found between concentrations of Co in water and in plants and between Zn in sediments and plants, indicating the potential of plants for pollution monitoring for this metal. Heavy metal accumulation seemed to be directly associated with the exclusion of Ca and Mg.

Xylanase and cellulase activities during anaerobic decomposition of three aquatic macrophytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nunes, Maíra F; da Cunha-Santino, Marcela B; Bianchini, Irineu

2011-01-01

Enzymatic activity during decomposition is extremely important to hydrolyze molecules that are assimilated by microorganisms. During aquatic macrophytes decomposition, enzymes act mainly in the breakdown of lignocellulolytic matrix fibers (i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) that encompass the refractory fraction from organic matter. Considering the importance of enzymatic activities role in decomposition processes, this study aimed to describe the temporal changes of xylanase and cellulose activities during anaerobic decomposition of Ricciocarpus natans (freely-floating), Oxycaryum cubense (emergent) and Cabomba furcata (submersed). The aquatic macrophytes were collected in Óleo Lagoon, Luiz Antonio, São Paulo, Brazil and bioassays were accomplished.  Decomposition chambers from each species (n = 10) were set up with dried macrophyte fragments and filtered Óleo Lagoon water. The chambers were incubated at 22.5°C, in the dark and under anaerobic conditions. Enzymatic activities and remaining organic matter were measured periodically during 90 days. The temporal variation of enzymes showed that C. furcata presented the highest decay and the highest maximum enzyme production. Xylanase production was higher than cellulase production for the decomposition of the three aquatic macrophytes species.

Quality of the relationship between origin of childhood perception of attachment and outcome of attachment associated with diagnosis of PTSD in adult Finnish war children and Finnish combat veterans from World War II (1939-1945) - DSM-IV applications of the attachment theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Pentti Kalevi

2015-06-01

Using diagnoses exclusively, comparable evaluations of the empirical evidence relevant to the content can be made. The term holocaust survivor syndrome according to the DSM-IV classification encompasses people with diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorders and psychopathological symptoms exposed to the Nazi genocide from 1933-1945 identified by Natan Kellermann, AMCHA, Israel (1999). The relationships between disorders of affectionate parenting and the development of dysfunctional models on one hand, and various psychopathological disorders on the other hand were investigated. Multi-axial assessment based on PTSD diagnosis (APA, 2000) with DSM-IV classification criteria of holocaust survivor syndrome and child survivor syndrome earlier found in holocaust survivors was used as criteria for comparison among Finnish sub-populations. Symptoms similar to those previously described in association with holocaust survivor syndrome and child survivor syndrome were found in the population of Finnish people who had been displaced as children between 1939-1945. Complex PTSD syndrome is found among survivors of prolonged or repeated trauma who have coping strategies intended to assist their mental survival. Surviving Finnish child evacuees had symptoms at similar level to those reported among holocaust survivors, though Finnish combat veterans exhibited good mental adjustment with secure attachment.

The Sargassum Frogfish (Histrio histrio Linnaeus) observed in mangroves in St. John, US Virgin Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, C.S.; Pietsch, T.W.; Randall, J.E.; Arnold, R.J.

2010-01-01

The Sargassum Frogfish (Histrio histrio), the only pelagic member of the frogfish family Antennariidae, is considered an obligate associate of floating mats of the brown algae Sargassum natans and S. fluitans (Adams 1960; Dooley 1972; Pietsch and Grobecker 1987). Between February and April 2010, 20 of these fish were observed in three mangrove-fringed bays in Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, St. John, US Virgin Islands. All of them were clinging to clumps of the red alga Acanthophora spicifera growing on the submerged prop roots of red mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle) distributed along an estimated total of 2,160 mof shoreline (Fig. 1). All of the fish were at a depth of less than 0.5 meters. Two individuals were seen on one prop root, but the other 18 were solitary. Their estimated standard lengths ranged from about 20 to 100 mm. Littler and Littler (2000, p. 295) published a photograph of one individual in blades of the green alga Ulva lactuca growing on a prop root in Belize. This is the first report of the Sargassum Frogfish living in association with attached algae.

Prospective elemental analysis of algal biomass accumulated at the dominican republic Shores during 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernández, Fernando; Boluda, Carlos José; Olivera, Jesús; Gómez, Luis Alberto Guillermo Bolivar; Gómez, Enmanuel Echavarría Aris Mendis

2017-01-01

The massive accumulation and decomposition of the Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans brown seaweeds on the Antillean shores has become a major problem in Central America and the Caribbean, seriously affecting tourism. However, the value of the algal biomass should not be underestimated, since it contains bioactive compounds with industrial application or in a more traditional use as fertilizers. On the other hand, seaweeds have the ability to bioaccumulate toxic metals such as Hg, Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr, among others. In order to ensure the safety of this biological material in its possible applications, it has been carried out a prospective study of the content in different transition metals and rare earths. Slightly elevated mercury levels were detected, which could limit the use of biomass. The content in Sc (scandium), Y (yttrium) and 14 lanthanides (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu), collectively known as rare earths, was also determined, being higher than in the ocean levels. This is consistent with the hypothesis that places the origin of these algae to more southern latitudes, where they proliferate in the shelter of the mouth of large rivers. (author)

PROSPECTIVE ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ALGAL BIOMASS ACUMULATED AT THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SHORES DURING 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Fernández

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The massive accumulation and decomposition of the Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans brown seaweeds on the Antillean shores has become a major problem in Central America and the Caribbean, seriously affecting tourism. However, the value of the algal biomass should not be underestimated, since it contains bioactive compounds with industrial application or in a more traditional use as fertilizers. On the other hand, seaweeds have the ability to bioaccumulate toxic metals such as Hg, Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr, among others. In order to ensure the safety of this biological material in its possible applications, it has been carried out a prospective study of the content in different transition metals and rare earths. Slightly elevated mercury levels were detected, which could limit the use of biomass. The content in Sc (scandium, Y (yttrium and 14 lanthanides (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, collectively known as rare earths, was also determined, being higher than in the ocean levels. This is consistent with the hypothesis that places the origin of these algae to more southern latitudes, where they proliferate in the shelter of the mouth of large rivers.

Donava in Sava pri Strabonu in v napisih

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjeta Šašel Kos

2010-12-01

Full Text Available V članku so zbrana in komentirana tista mesta v Strabonovi 7. knjigi, kjer piše o Donavi in Savi. Že Herodot je Donavo opredelil kot najpomembnejšo njemu znano reko; pri grških piscih se je zanjo uveljavilo tračansko ime Istros, ki se je tudi pozneje uporabljalo za spodnji tok Donave. Zgornji tok se je imenoval Danuvius/Danubius, ime je verjetno keltsko. Kot božanstvu so Danuviju postavljali oltarje; blizu sotočja Drave in Donave so skupaj z njim počastili tudi boga Drava. Savo je poosebljal bog Savus, ki so ga častili ob zgornjem, nevarnejšem toku reke do Siscije. Skupaj z Adsaluto sta imela svetišče nad brzicami pri Podkraju nasproti Hrastnika, blizu območja nevarnih slapov. Strabon poleg drugih rek dvakrat omenja sicer neznani Noar, ki so ga enačili s celo vrsto rek, med drugim tudi z Odro, vendar je natančna analiza Strabonovega besedila pokazala, da gre lahko le za spodnji tok Save. Izviri Save Dolinke v Zelencih pri Podkorenu so bili sveti kraj, kjer so častili Saverkno.

Water table and species identity outweigh carbon and nitrogen availability in a softwater plant community

Science.gov (United States)

Vanderhaeghe, Floris; Smolders, Alfons J. P.; Roelofs, Jan G. M.; Hoffmann, Maurice

2013-02-01

Performance of aquatic macrophytes is driven by many environmental factors, and a major challenge is to understand how aquatic macrophyte communities are structured in various environments. In softwater lakes in Western Europe, hydrological state (submersed/emersed), carbon dioxide and ammonium levels and species interactions are considered as driving forces in structuring amphibious plant communities. In this study we aimed at evaluating the relative importance of these factors for four species in a competitive neighbourhood. Softwater lake habitat was simulated during one growing season in laboratory conditions, mimicking water level fluctuation, photoperiod and temperature. Artificial communities consisted of small populations of four softwater macrophyte species: Luronium natans, Baldellia ranunculoides ssp. repens, Eleocharis multicaulis and Hydrocotyle vulgaris. These communities were subjected to two levels of carbon dioxide and ammonium. Additionally, monocultures of Baldellia and Eleocharis were grown at a higher nutrient level combination in order to measure their competitive response in a community. Time (hydrological state) and species identity turned out to be the only consistently significant factors determining community composition. Plant performance was clearly species-dependent, while carbon dioxide and ammonium did not have major effects. The competitive response was significant in both Eleocharis and Baldellia. Competition intensity was highest in the emersed state. Carbon dioxide had a supplementary effect on the within-species performance in Luronium, Baldellia and Eleocharis, with high carbon dioxide level mainly resulting in more flowers and more stolons. Community outcomes and competitive responses in aquatic macrophytes appear difficult to predict, because of mixed life strategies and morphological and functional plasticity. We conclude that hydrological state was the only important environmental factor. The identity of the species that

Limnological and botanical characterization of larval habitats for two primary malarial vectors, Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles pseudopunctipennis, in coastal areas of Chiapas State, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, H M; Rejmankova, E; Arredondo-Jim'enez, J I; Roberts, D R; Rodr'iguez, M H

1990-12-01

Field surveys of mosquito breeding sites on the Pacific coastal plain and foothill regions of southern Chiapas, Mexico, were carried out in the dry and wet seasons of 1988. At each site, selected environmental variables were measured or estimated, presence and percent cover of aquatic plants recorded, a water sample collected for subsequent analyses, and 10-30 dips made for mosquito larvae. Logistic regression and discriminant analyses revealed that the occurrence of Anopheles albimanus larvae in both the wet and dry seasons was positively associated with planktonic algae and negatively associated with altitude. In the dry season, An. albimanus larvae were largely restricted to the margins of permanent water bodies and were associated with the presence of floating plants, particularly Eichhornia crassipes. During the wet season An. albimanus larvae were positively associated with emergent plants, particularly seasonally flooded Cyperaceae, and phosphorus (PO4) concentrations, and were negatively associated with abundant filamentous algae, high levels of total suspended solids (TSS) and Salvinia. In the dry season, An. pseudopunctipennis larvae were positively associated with filamentous algae, altitude and the presence of Heteranthera if encountered in a riverine setting, and were negatively associated with water depth. During the wet season, flooding eliminated typical flood plain An. pseudopunctipennis habitats, and larvae were rarely encountered.

Efficiency of aquatic macrophytes to treat Nile tilapia pond effluents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry-Silva Gustavo Gonzaga

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The effluents from fish farming can increase the quantity of suspended solids and promote the enrichment of nitrogen and phosphorus in aquatic ecosystems. In this context, the aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of three species of floating aquatic macrophytes (Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia molesta to treat effluents from Nile tilapia culture ponds. The effluent originated from a 1,000-m² pond stocked with 2,000 male Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. The treatment systems consisted of 12 experimental tanks, three tanks for each macrophyte species, and three control tanks (without plants. Water samples were collected from the: (i fish pond source water, (ii effluent from fish pond and (iii effluents from the treatment tanks. The following water variables were evaluated: turbidity, total and dissolved nitrogen, ammoniacal-N, nitrate-N, nitrite-N, total phosphorus and dissolved phosphorus. E. crassipes and P. stratiotes were more efficient in total phosphorus removal (82.0% and 83.3%, respectively and total nitrogen removal (46.1% and 43.9%, respectively than the S. molesta (72.1% total phosphorus and 42.7% total nitrogen and the control (50.3% total phosphorus and 22.8% total nitrogen, indicating that the treated effluents may be reused in the aquaculture activity.

Use of biomass sorbents for oil removal from gas station runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Eakalak; Virojnagud, Wanpen; Ratpukdi, Thunyalux

2004-11-01

The use of biomass sorbents, which are less expensive and more biodegradable than synthetic sorbents, for oil removal from gas station runoff was investigated. A bench-scale flume experiment was conducted to evaluate the oil removal and retention capabilities of the biomass sorbents which included kapok fiber, cattail fiber, Salvinia sp., wood chip, rice husk, coconut husk, and bagasse. Polyester fiber, a commercial synthetic sorbent, was also experimented for comparison purpose. Oil sorption and desorption tests were performed at a water flow rate of 20 lmin-1. In the oil sorption tests, a 50 mgl(-1) of used engine oil-water mixture was synthesized to simulate the gas station runoff. The mass of oil sorbed for all sorbents, except coconut husk and bagasse, was greater than 70%. Cattail fiber and polyester fiber were the sorbents that provided the least average effluent oil concentrations. Oil selectivity (hydrophobic properties) and physical characteristics of the sorbents are the two main factors that influence the oil sorption capability. The used sorbents from the sorption tests were employed in the desorption tests. Results indicated that oil leached out of all the sorbents tested. Polyester fiber released the highest amount of oil, approximately 4% (mass basis) of the oil sorbed. copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Physico-chemical, morphological and pasting properties of starches extracted from water Chestnuts (Trapa natans from three Lakes of Kashmir, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adil Gani

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Studies on physicochemical, morphology and pasting properties of starches extracted from water chestnuts of three Lakes of Kashmir valley (Wular, Anchar and Dal Lakes were conducted to determine their application in different food products. The water chestnut starch from Dal Lake had more oval shaped granules than water chestnut starches from the Wular and the Anchar Lakes.The unique feature of the water chestnut starches were shape of starch granules which looked like horn(s protruding from the surface which did not appear in other starches already studied. Proximate analysis of water chestnut starches showed that average protein content were 0.4%, amylose 29.5 % and ash 0.007 on dry weight basis. Increase in water binding capacity, swelling power and solubility was found over a temperature range of 50-90ºC. Water chestnut starches showed an increase in syneresis during freeze thaw cycles and decline in paste clarity upon storage. Starch extracted from the water chestnuts of the Dal Lake showed higher water binding capacity, swelling, solubility, past clarity, freeze thaw stability, peak viscosity, final viscosity and lower protein content, amylose content, pasting temperature and gel firmness than starches extracted from water chestnuts of the Wular and the Anchar Lakes.

Occurrence of nutrients and plant hormones (cytokinins and IAA) in the water fern Salvinia molesta during growth and composting

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Arthur, G. D.; Stirk, W. A.; Novák, Ondřej; Hekera, P.; van Staden, J.

2007-01-01

Roč. 61, č. 2 (2007), s. 137-144 ISSN 0098-8472 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06034; GA ČR GA206/05/0894 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Source of funding: V - iné verejné zdroje ; V - iné verejné zdroje Keywords : auxins * culture medium * cytokinins Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 1.810, year: 2007

»Ko bom velik, bom umetnik.«　Eksperimentalni peskovnik japonske avantgarde

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klara HRVATIN

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Umetniški center Sōgetsu, ki je eden od pomembnejših avantgardnih središč 60. let 20. stoletja, bi lahko opredelili kot umetniški »eksperimentalni peskovnik«. Japonski umetniki, ki so na svojih področjih danes že mednarodno priznani, so se prav v tem »peskovniku« imeli možnost preizkusiti v krogu interdisciplinarnih umetnikov in najti svoj umetniški slog. Dober primer takšnih ustvarjalcev so: filmski režiser Hiroshi Teshigahara (1927–2001, novelist Kōbō Abe (1924–1993 in glasbenik Tōru Takemitsu (1930–1996. V članku bomo orisali natančen pregled vseh umetniških združenj in njihovih dogodkov, ki so jih oblikovali umetniki v času delovanja Centra, od septembra 1958 (13. septembra je potekalo odprtje Centra do marca 1971, ko je Center prenehal delovati. V ospredje bodo postavljena glavna združenja oziroma aktivnosti, predvsem s področij jazzovske glasbe, sodobne glasbe, eksperimentalnih filmov in animacije. Poiskali bomo skupen imenovalec vseh aktivnosti v tem »peskovniku« ter poudarili novosti, ki so jih glavni akterji gibanja z deli, ki so nastala v Centru, vnesli na področji glasbe in filma.

Analytical method for heavy metal determination in algae and turtle eggs from Guanahacabibes Protected Sea Park

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abel I. Balbín Tamayo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A standard digestion method coupled to electrochemical detection for the monitoring of heavy metals in biological samples has been used for the simultaneous analysis of the target analytes. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV coupled to disposable screen-printed electrodes (SPEs was employed as a fast and sensitive electroanalytical method for the detection of heavy metals. The aim of our study was to determine Cd, Pb and Cu by SWASV in brown algae (Sargasum natan and green turtle eggs (Chelonia mydas using screen-printed electrodes. The method proved useful for the simultaneous analysis of these metals by comparison between two different procedures for preparing the samples. Two different approaches in digestion protocols were assessed. The study was focused on Guanahacabibes brown algae and green turtle eggs because the metal concentrations recorded in this area may be used for intraspecific comparison within the Guanahacabibes Protected Sea Park area, a body of water for which information is still very scarce. The best results were obtained by digesting biological samples with the EPA 3050B method. This treatment allowed the fast and quantitative extraction from brown algae and green turtle eggs of the target analytes, with high sensitivity and avoiding organic residues, eventually affecting electrochemical measurements.

Using linoleic acid embedded cellulose acetate membranes to in situ monitor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in lakes and predict their bioavailability to submerged macrophytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Yuqiang; Xue, Bin; Yao, Shuchun

2015-05-19

To date no passive sampler has been used to predict bioavailability of contaminants to macrophytes. Here a novel passive sampler, linoleic acid embedded cellulose acetate membrane (LAECAM), was developed and used to in situ measure the freely dissolved concentrations of ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediment porewaters and the water columns of two lakes in both winter and summer and predict their bioavailability to the shoots of resident submerged macrophytes (Potamogeton malainus, Myriophyllum spicata, Najas minor All., and Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara). PAH sampling by LAECAMs could reach equilibrium within 21 days. The influence of temperature on LAECAM-water partition coefficients was 0.0008-0.0116 log units/°C. The method of LAECAM was comparable with the active sampling methods of liquid-liquid extraction combined with fDOC adjustment, centrifugation/solid-phase extraction (SPE), and filtration/SPE but had several advantages. After lipid normalization, concentrations of the PAHs in LAECAMs were not significantly different from those in the macrophytes. In contrast, concentrations of the PAHs in the triolein containing passive sampler (TECAM) deployed simultaneously with LAECAM were much higher. The results suggest that linoleic acid is more suitable than triolein as the model lipid for passive samplers to predict bioavailability of PAHs to submerged macrophytes.

ECOLOGICAL CONTROL EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY OF UNDERWATER VEGETATION DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. TITINSCHNEIDER

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The excess of aquatic submerse vegetation development carries to the reduction of the real rearing area for the piscicultural material from the production farms and allow nestling of the ichthyophages bird species that decrease the fish production. Aquatic submerse vegetation stumble the utilization of aquatic zones for recreation and also wright function of basins utilized for the electric energy production, of micro electricity works through obstruction of the dams grid. The control of the aquatic submerse vegetation development, for Myriophyllum verticillatum, Ceratophyllum submersum, Urticularia vulgaris, Potamogeton natans, Nimphoides peltata species it is accomplish through the removing of some parts of these, preferably with all the stump system. Usually, these its accomplish with the floating equipments fit up with the thermic engines and the propulsion and governating elements who have harm over the fish and some others aquatic organisms through the noise, the displacing a large quality of water caused of propulsion systems and through the noxes elimination (flue, carburant trails, etc.. These technologies reside from the evacuation of the aquatic submerse vegetation and the stump systems of these with the help of an adjustable rake, hang up from the coast by a rope, wrapped to a drummer, who is trained by a motto-propeller group with a small installed power.

Poststreptococcal keratouveitis associated with group C streptococcus pharyngitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataneli N

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Nathaniel Nataneli1, Zenia P Aguilera1, Pearl S Rosenbaum1, Tamar Goldstein1,2, Martin Mayers11Department of Ophthalmology, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; 2Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelPurpose: To report the first case of poststreptococcal syndrome uveitis (PSU in association with group C streptococcus (GCS.Patients and methods: Chart review of a 24-year-old man who presented with bilateral ocular redness, pain, and photophobia for 5 days and "white rings" around his eyes for a duration of 3 days. The patient further reported fever and sore throat in the preceding week. Slit-lamp examination showed bilateral keratouveitis. A thorough uveitis workup, antistreptolysin O (ASLO titer, and throat culture were obtained. The patient was treated with frequent topical steroids and systemic doxycycline. The uveitis and keratitis subsided over the next few weeks, leaving extensive peripheral keratolysis.Results: The results of laboratory diagnostic testing revealed an elevated ASLO, C-reactive protein, as well as HLA-B27 positivity. Throat cultures grew beta-hemolytic GCS; group A streptococcus was culture negative.Conclusion: GCS pharyngitis may be a causative organism of PSU.Keywords: pharyngitis, keratolysis, keratouveitis

Kaj je guoxue? – vzorci organizacije znanja na primeru dveh »slovarjev« (2009 in 2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raoul David Findeisen

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Prispevek obravnava novejše razvoje ali, bolje rečeno, preporod koncepta guoxue, ki je nastal pred dobrim stoletjem. Gre za reaktiviran, če ne celo reakcionaren koncept, ki ga v indoevropske jezike večinoma prevajajo kot »kitajsko znanje«, »avtohtono znanje«, »nacionalni nauki« ipd. V njem lahko vidimo neke vrste obrambno reakcijo v smislu paradigmatskega preobrata, ki je pogojen z naraščajočo prevlado (Zahodne znanosti in tehnologije, ki se je pričela v poznem 19. stoletju in je ponovno vse bolj opazna v sodobni Kitajski. Guoxue je pravzaprav poskus legitimacije vsega, kar lahko povzamemo s frazo »tradicionalnih« naukov in znanj, ki so večinoma dojeti kot nekaj »drugačnega« in nekaj, kar je v nasprotju z vseobsežno dominacijo superiornosti znanosti in tehnologije. A vendar ni nikjer mogoče najti natančnih definicij tega pojma. Spiski in zbirke vseh mogočih diskurzov, ki naj bi predstavljali del guoxue, ponudijo kvečjemu implicitne definicije, ki jih je posledično mogoče samo naknadno obdelati. Izjema so samo tisti primerki guoxue, pri katerih se lahko Kitajska pohvali z nedvoumno in očitno prednostjo pred Zahodom.

Eco-distribution Mapping of Invasive Weed Limnocharis flava (L. Buchenau Using Geographical Information System: Implications for Containment and Integrated Weed Management for Ecosystem Conservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. C. Abhilash

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Exotic weed invasion has been identified as one of the serious environmental problem impacting the structure, composition and function of biological diversity. They are aggressive colonizers, which have flexible habitat requirement and ability to outcompete native species. The present paper describes the distribution and autecology of an exotic weed Limnocharis flava (L. Buchenau (an emergent aquatic weed of ‘Limnocharitaceae’ in Kumarakom Grama Panchayat, one of the well known tourist spot of South India famous for its vast stretches of paddy fields, wetlands and backwaters. The mapping of L. flava in the entire study area has been done using Geographical Information System (Arc-info 8.3 version. The growth and distribution pattern of L. flava were studied quantitatively. Data on distribution, abundance, biomass, ecological associations and root zone nutrient quality of water and sediment samples were collected from different sampling points of Kumarakom. The study reflected that nutrients, water depth and land use patterns were the major factors responsible for the growth and proliferation of this exotic weed. The strategies for controlling L. flava invasion are discussed in detail. If early steps are not taken to eradicate this weed, it will become a problematic weed in the same way as other noxious aquatic weeds like Salvinia molesta D. Mitch and Eichhornia crassipes (C. Martius Solms-Laub.

Decontamination of coal mine effluent generated at the Rajrappa coal mine using phytoremediation technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakra, Kalpana C; Lal, B; Banerjee, T K

2017-06-03

Toxicity of the effluent generated at the Rajrappa coal mine complex under the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited) in Jharkhand, India was investigated. The concentrations (mg L -1 ) of all the toxic metals (Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Cd) in the coal mine effluent were above the safe limit suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 2003). Among these, Fe showed the highest concentration (18.21 ± 3.865), while Cr had the lowest effluent concentration (0.15 ± 0.014). Efforts were also made to detoxify the effluent using two species of aquatic macrophytes namely "'Salvinia molesta and Pistia stratiotes." After 10 days of phytoremediation, S. molesta removed Pb (96.96%) > Ni (97.01%) > Cu (96.77%) > Zn (96.38%) > Mn (96.22%) > Fe (94.12%) > Cr (92.85%) > Cd (80.99%), and P. stratiotes removed Pb (96.21%) > Fe (94.34%) > Ni (92.53%) > Mn (85.24%) > Zn (79.51%) > Cr (78.57%) > Cu (74.19%) > Cd (72.72%). The impact of coal mine exposure on chlorophyll content showed a significant decrease of 42.49% and 24.54% from control values in S. molesta and P. stratiotes, respectively, perhaps due to the damage inflicted by the toxic metals, leading to the decay of plant tissues.

Bioinspired Superhydrophobic Highly Transmissive Films for Optical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Vüllers, Felix; Gomard, Guillaume; Preinfalk, Jan B; Klampaftis, Efthymios; Worgull, Matthias; Richards, Bryce; Hölscher, Hendrik; Kavalenka, Maryna N

2016-11-01

Inspired by the transparent hair layer on water plants Salvinia and Pistia, superhydrophobic flexible thin films, applicable as transparent coatings for optoelectronic devices, are introduced. Thin polymeric nanofur films are fabricated using a highly scalable hot pulling technique, in which heated sandblasted steel plates are used to create a dense layer of nano- and microhairs surrounding microcavities on a polymer surface. The superhydrophobic nanofur surface exhibits water contact angles of 166 ± 6°, sliding angles below 6°, and is self-cleaning against various contaminants. Additionally, subjecting thin nanofur to argon plasma reverses its surface wettability to hydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic. Thin nanofur films are transparent and demonstrate reflection values of less than 4% for wavelengths ranging from 300 to 800 nm when attached to a polymer substrate. Moreover, used as translucent self-standing film, the nanofur exhibits transmission values above 85% and high forward scattering. The potential of thin nanofur films for extracting substrate modes from organic light emitting diodes is tested and a relative increase of the luminous efficacy of above 10% is observed. Finally, thin nanofur is optically coupled to a multicrystalline silicon solar cell, resulting in a relative gain of 5.8% in photogenerated current compared to a bare photovoltaic device. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

White plague disease outbreak in a coral reef at Los Roques National Park, Venezuela.

Science.gov (United States)

Croquer, Aldo; Pauls, Sheila M; Zubillaga, Ainhoa L

2003-06-01

Coral diseases have been reported as a major problem affecting Caribbean coral reefs. During August 2000, a coral mortality event of White Plague Disease-II (WPD-II) was observed at Madrizqui Reef in Los Roques National Park, Venezuela. This disease was identified as the major cause of coral mortality, affecting 24% of all colonies surveyed (n = 1 439). Other diseases such as Black Band Disease (BBD), Yellow Blotch Disease (YBD), Dark Spots Disease (DSD) and White Band Disease (WBD) were also recorded, but showed a lower incidence (0.14-0.97%). Two depth intervals, D1 (5.5-6.5 m) and D2 (9-9.5 m) were surveyed with two sets of three band transects 50 x 2 m long, placed parallel to the long axis of the reef. All healthy and injured corals, along each band transect, were counted and identified to species level. Additionally, all diseases and recent mortality that were still identifiable on each colony also were recorded. The incidence of colonies affected by WPD-II ranged from 12.8 to 33% among transects, where thirteen species of scleractinian corals showed several degrees of mortality. The species most affected were Montastraea annularis (39.13%), M. faveolata (26.67%), M. franksi (9.86%), Stephanocoenia intersepta (7.25%), Colpophyllia natans (6.96%), Diploria labyrinthiformis (2.99%), Mycetophyllia aliciae (2.03%), M. cavernosa (1.74%), and D. strigosa (1.45%). WPD-II was more common in the deeper strata (9-9.5 m), where 63% of the surveyed colonies were affected, although the disease was present along the entire reef. Presently, it is imperative to determine how fast the disease is spreading across the reef, how the disease spreads across the affected colonies and what the long-term effects on the reef will be.

Water quality assessment and flora study of desert thar and nagarparkar district tharparkar, sindh Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leghari, S.M.; Mahar, M.A.; Khuhawar, M.Y.; Jahangir, T.M.

2007-01-01

A number of water samples (24) were collected from wells, water pumps, natural and artificial depressions from Naukot, Vajuto, Mithi, Islamkot, Virawah and Nagarparkar area and analyzed on the site and at the laboratories for 18 different parameters. There was a wide variation in water quality; conductivity 157 to 41400 micro S/m and total dissolved solids 100 to 26500 mg/L. The highest values were observed at Virawah area and lowest at an artificial depression of rainwater within Nagarparkar town. The higher vegetation of Thar region consists mainly of thorny or prickly shrubs and perennial herbs capable of drought resistance as Calligonum polygonoides, Aerva javanica, Salvadora oleoides, Acacia senegal, Capparis decidua, Tamarix aphylla, Prosopis spicigera, Leptadenia pyrotechnica and Zizyphus nummularia. During rainy season when dunes are covered with grasses and other herbs Salvadora oleoides, Capparis decidua, and Tamarix aphylla were found scattered in Thar area. Acacia leucophloea, Acacia senegal, Salvadora oleoides, Commiphora mukul, Barleria prionitis, Blepharis sindica, Euphorbia caudicifolia were found on dry and rocky area. Rainwater pools contain total 83 algal sp; 37 sp belonging to Cyanophyta; 23 sp Volocothyta; 10 sp Chlorophyta; 3 sp Charophyta; 10 sp Bacillarophyta; some algal species found epiphytic on aquatic plants such as Chaetophora pisiformis, Stigeoclonium subsecundum, Oedogonium sp. Spirogyra rhizobrachialis, S. fluviatilis and Gloeotrichia natans attached to Najas minor, Nymphaea stellata, and Typha domingensis. (author)

Two new species of Neoentobdella (Monogenea: Capsalidae: Entobdellinae) from the skin of Australian stingrays (Dasyatidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Whittington, Ian D; Kearn, Graham C

2009-03-01

Two new species of entobdelline (capsalid) monogeneans are described from the skin of Australian dasyatid stingrays, namely Neoentobdella cribbi sp. n., a small parasite from the estuarine stingray, Dasyatis fluviorum Ogilby (Elasmobranchii: Dasyatidae) and Neoentobdella baggioi sp. n., a relatively large parasite from the porcupine ray, Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch et Schneider) (Elasmobranchii: Dasyatidae). A striking feature of both of these new parasite species is a pad, possibly located within the genital atrium, armed with rows of closely spaced, rod-shaped microsclerites. Both species also possess a muscular papilla in the genital tract and a club-shaped structure near the common genital opening on the left lateral margin of the body. In N. cribbi, the latter feature is large and located anterior to the genital pad and in N. baggioi, it is small and located in a more posterior position. Similar embellishments in the genital area occur in N. natans Kearn et Whittington, 2005 and in N. parvitesticulata Kearn et Whittington, 2005, while other species (e.g. N. garneri Whittington et Kearn, 2009 and N. taiwanensis Whittington et Kearn, 2009) lack these features and differ also in functional aspects of the male copulatory apparatus and the haptor. Separate generic status for these two groupings is indicated, but must await a comparative and comprehensive review of all Neoentobdella spp.

Treatment efficiency of effluent prawn culture by wetland with floating aquatic macrophytes arranged in series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MNP Henares

Full Text Available The efficiency of a series of wetland colonized with Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta to treat the effluent of a giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii broodstock pond was evaluated in this study. The experimental design was completely randomized and was performed in 9 rectangular tanks (1.6 m3 with three treatments (constructed wetlands and three replicates. The treatment types included: a wetland colonized with E. crassipes and S. molesta (EcSm arranged sequentially, a wetland with E. crassipes only (Ec and a wetland with S. molesta only (Sm. The means of suspended particulate material (SPM, total inorganic nitrogen (TIN, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN, P-orthophosphate (PO4-P and total phosphorus (TP of the treated effluents were compared using ANOVA followed by Tukey's test (P<0.05. The effluent treated in Ec and EcSm wetlands exhibited lower SPM concentrations. The Ec wetland reduced TIN, TKN, PO4-P and TP by 46.0, 43.7, 44.4 and 43.6%, respectively. In the EcSm wetland, the reduction of TIN (23.0%, TKN (33.7% and PO4-P (26.7% was similar to the Sm wetland (19.8% TIN, 30.9% TKN and 23.8% PO4-P. The Ec wetland was more efficient in treating pond effluent due likely to the higher root surface of E. crassipes, which forms an extensive area favorable to retention and adsorption of debris and absorption of nutrients.

Colonization of leaf litter of two aquatic macrophytes, Mayaca fluviatilis Aublet and Salvinia auriculata Aublet by aquatic macroinvertebrates in a tropical reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcia Cristina de Paula

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Decomposition and colonization of S. auriculata and M. fluviatilis by macroinvertebrates were analyzed during 40 days to determine whether differences existed on colonization by aquatic macroinvertebrates of two macrophytes with distinct habits (submerged versus fluctuant. Leaf litter of S. auriculata and M. fluviatilis were incubated in 24 litter bags (12 of each species, in a small reservoir surrounded by a cerrado fragment with low level of anthropic impact. After 10, 20, 30 and 40 days, the litter bags were removed and aquatic macroinvertebrates community was analyzed. Two hundred twenty macroinvertebrates were associated with S. auriculata and 261 were associated with M. fluviatilis, identified in 24 taxa. Both macrophyte species were colonized mainly by macroinvertebrate predators. Ablabesmyia with predator and collector food mechanisms was present in all sampling. The data showed an expressive increase of abundance during the process of decomposition and a decrease at the end of the experiment, in both macrophytes. Cluster analysis permitted inference that the colonization of the leaf liter by macroinvertebrates was determinated by incubation time of leaf litter not by the habit of macrophytes (submerged or fluctuant.

Taxonomy and Physiology of un-wanted bacterial flora in activated sludge process. Study in a pilot plant; Taxonomia y fisiologia de la flora bacteriana indeseable en el proceso de fangos activados. Estudio de una plant piloto

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berrocal Escobar, M.; Lopez Fernandez, C. L.; Arias Fernandez, M. E.; Perez Leblic, M. I.; Zapatero Martin, I.; Leton Garcia, P.; Garcia Calvo, E. [Universidad de Alcala de Henares. Madrid (Spain); Aznar Munoz, R.; Rodriguez Medina, P. [Departamento Tecnico y de Calidad de Seragua, S.A. Madrid (Spain)

1998-12-31

The activated sludge used in the wastewater depuration in treatment plants could be considered as an artificial microbial ecosystem in balance. In this community which is constituted by free and flocculated bacteria, protozoa, rotifers, nematodes and a few other invertebrates, the stability of the system is maintained by the continuous food competition. The breakdown of this stability due to a high proliferation of filametous bacteria drive to the phenomenon called bulking. Nowadays, to avoid bulking is one of the main objectives in research because is the main cause of the malfunction of wastewater depuration interfering with compaction, settling, thickening and, concentration of activated sludge. In the present work, a taxonomical and physiological study of the microbial community which carries out the cleaning of wastewater in an activated sludge system has been performed by using an airlift bioreactor working in continuous. Activated sludge coming from a conventional wastewater plant was used as inoculum (starter culture). The nutritional conditions and bioreactor system parameters in which the filamentous bacteria grow in excess have been established. Several of filamentous bacteria responsible for bulking have been identified: Sphaerotilus natans, type 021N, Nocardia spp., Microthrix parvicella, Thiotrix I, Thiotrix II, type 0803, type 0581, Nostocoida limicola I and III and, type 1863. In addition, protozoa of groups involved in the depuration process (free-swimming ciliates, attached ciliates, crawling ciliates, carnivorous ciliates, flagellates and amoebae) were observed as well as rotifer and nematode populations. (Author) 13 refs.

Myxozoan infections of caecilians demonstrate broad host specificity and indicate a link with human activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartigan, Ashlie; Wilkinson, Mark; Gower, David J; Streicher, Jeffrey W; Holzer, Astrid S; Okamura, Beth

2016-05-01

Myxozoans are parasitic cnidarians that infect a wide variety of hosts. Vertebrates typically serve as intermediate hosts whereas definitive hosts are invertebrates, including annelids and bryozoans. Myxozoans are known to exploit species in two of the three extant amphibian orders (Anura: frogs and toads; Caudata: newts and salamanders). Here we use museum collections to determine, to our knowledge for the first time, whether myxozoans also exploit the third amphibian order (Gymnophiona: caecilians). Caecilians are a poorly known group of limbless amphibians, the ecologies of which range from aquatic to fully terrestrial. We examined 12 caecilian species in seven families (148 individuals total) characterised by a diversity of ecologies and life histories. Using morphological and molecular surveys, we discovered the presence of the myxozoan Cystodiscus axonis in two South American species (one of seven examined families) of aquatic caecilians - Typhlonectes natans and Typhlonectes compressicauda. All infected caecilians had been maintained in captivity in the United Kingdom prior to their preservation. Cystodiscus axonis is known from several Australian frog species and its presence in caecilians indicates a capacity for infecting highly divergent amphibian hosts. This first known report of myxozoan infections in caecilians provides evidence of a broad geographic and host range. However, the source of these infections remains unknown and could be related to exposure in South America, the U.K. or to conditions in captivity. Copyright © 2016 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. All rights reserved.

青萍、紫萍、槐叶萍生产力研究%On Productivity of Lemna Minor, Spirodela Polyrhiza and Saluinia Natans

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

申保忠; 姚志刚; 谷奉天

2002-01-01

在长势好、能构成天然群落的湖水区,进行增施人粪尿增产试验,青萍、紫萍、槐叶萍年鲜产量较天然水面分别增产67%,44%,17.2%;增施磷酸二铵,则分别增产44%,42%,8.8%.选用霍格伦德(Hoagland)和斯纳德(Snvder)液在试验桶内进行露天全生育期试验,全年共捞收25次,取得青萍年鲜产量290 t/hm2,紫萍196 t/hm2的高产.并对青萍、紫萍、槐叶萍的饲用价值进行了研究.

Desarrollo de una metodología in vitro para estimar la tasa de fermentación de los forrajes en el intestino grueso del cerdo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leterme Pascal

2005-12-01

Full Text Available La metodología para estimar la tasa de fermentación de los forrajes se desarrolló en dos etapas. La primera, de digestibilidad enzimática, simula la digestión ocurrida en el estómago e intestino delgado, mediante el empleo de pepsina y pancreatina; en esta se determina la digestibilidad de la materia seca. La segunda etapa de fermentación simula la fermentación que ocurre en el intestino grueso utilizando como inóculo heces de cerdo; en esta se determina la cantidad de gas producido durante la fermentación de los forrajes y la degradación de la fibra detergente neutra (FDN. Las dos etapas presentaron buena repetibilidad en el tiempo. Abstract Develop of an in vitro methodology to determine the forages fermentation in to the large intestine. The methodology was developing in two phases. The first phase (enzymatic digestibility simulates the digestion occurred in the stomach and small intestine, by means of the employment of pepsin and pancreatin; and the digestibility of the dry matter is determined. The second phase (in vitro fermentation simulates the fermentation that occurs in the large intestine utilizing pig faeces; the quantity of gas produced during the fermentation of the feedstuff is determined and determine the degradation of neutral detergent fiber (NDF. All the phases show a good repeatability throw the time. Key words: digestibility in vitro, pigs, fermentación, forages (Azolla filiculoides, Xanthosoma saggitifolium, Morus alba, Trichanthera gigantea y Salvinia molesta.

Coral disease following massive bleaching in 2005 causes 60% decline in coral cover on reefs in the US Virgin Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J.; Muller, E.; Rogers, C.; Waara, R.; Atkinson, A.; Whelan, K.R.T.; Patterson, M.; Witcher, B.

2009-01-01

In the northeast Caribbean, doldrum-like conditions combined with elevated water temperatures in the summer/fall 2005 created the most severe coral bleaching event ever documented within this region. Video monitoring of 100 randomly chosen, permanent transects at five study sites in the US Virgin Islands revealed over 90% of the scleractinian coral cover showed signs of thermal stress by paling or becoming completely white. Lower water temperatures in October allowed some re-coloring of corals; however, a subsequent unprecedented regional outbreak of coral disease affected all sites. Five known diseases or syndromes were recorded; however, most lesions showed signs similar to white plague. Nineteen scleractinian species were affected by disease, with >90% of the disease-induced lesions occurring on the genus Montastraea. The disease outbreak peaked several months after the onset of bleaching at all sites but did not occur at the same time. The mean number of disease-induced lesions increased 51-fold and the mean area of disease-associated mortality increased 13-fold when compared with pre-bleaching disease levels. In the 12 months following the onset of bleaching, coral cover declined at all sites (average loss: 51.5%, range: 42.4-61.8%) reducing the five-site average from 21.4% before bleaching to 10.3% with most mortality caused by white plague disease, not bleaching. Continued losses through October 2007 reduced the average coral cover of the five sites to 8.3% (average 2-year loss: 61.1%, range: 53.0-79.3%). Mean cover by M. annularis (complex) decreased 51%, Colpophyllia natans 78% and Agaricia agaricites 87%. Isolated disease outbreaks have been documented before in the Virgin Islands, but never as widespread or devastating as the one that occurred after the 2005 Caribbean coral-bleaching event. This study provides insight into the effects of continued seawater warming and subsequent coral bleaching events in the Caribbean and highlights the need to

Biology and preliminary host range of Hydrotimetes natans Kolbe (Coleoptera:Curculionidae)a natural enemy candidate for biological control of Cabomba caroliniana Gray (Cabombaceae) in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Cabomba caroliniana Gray (Cabombaceae), otherwise known as cabomba or water fanwort, is a submerged, rooted macrophyte with heavily dissected leaves that produces flowers that extend above the water’s surface. It has been disseminated around the world through the aquarium trade and has become a nox...

Long-term changes in the flora and vegetation of Lake Mikołajskie (Poland as a result of its eutrophication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Solińska-Górnicka

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Changes in littoral flora as well as aquatic and swamp vegetation were analysed with increasing eutrophication of the mesotrophic Lake Mikołajskie. Over 30 years the habitat conditions of the lake deteriorated and the phy-tolittoral was reduced from a zone 6 metres wide to one of only 2 metres. In addition, the number of submerged macrophyte species decreased by 50% and the frequency of most of the remaining species declined severalfold. No new species were encountered. Species retreating from the lake littoral included all Chara species, Potamogeton obtusifolius, P. natans and Hydrocharis morsus-ranae. A significant lowering of the phytosociological diversity and species richness of aquatic and swamp communities was observed. By 1994, six of the 12 associations identified in 1964 and representing the submerged and floating-leaved vegetation (e.g. Nitellopsidetum ubtusae, Charetum asperae and Potamogetonetum compressi were no longer present. In turn, 6 swamp communities from among the original 14 identified in the lake were lacking (e.g. Typhetum angustifoliae, Sugittario-Sparganietum emersi and Eleocharitetum palustris. At the same time, two new aquatic and swamp communities appeared (Ranunculetum circinuti, Myriophylletum spicati, Caricetum acutiformis and Caricetum distichae. In contrast there was an increase in the species richness of reedswamp communities due to an influx of marshland species. While the 1990s witnessed a distinct decrease in concentrations of nutrients in Lake Mikołajskie, the consequent increase in water transparency was not associated with an increase in the area of submerged macrophytes, or the species richness of aquatic vegetation.

El reclamo del cuerpo de la mujer como objeto sexual en publicidad gráfica. Estudio comparativo de dos marcas de joyería

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel MONTES-VOZMEDIANO

2018-01-01

Full Text Available La tendencia alcista en las denuncias por publicidad sexista registrada por el Observatorio para la Imagen de las Mujeres demuestra la vigencia de la utilización del cuerpo de la mujer como recurso promocional. El fenómeno de la globalización propicia que las repercusiones negativas de estas campañas trasciendan de un ámbito puramente local. En primer lugar, este trabajo de investigación analiza el material icónico de una campaña publicitaria de la compañía I love Ugly denunciada por emplear el cuerpo de la mujer como reclamo sexual. Las imágenes se lanzan en una red social, lo que supone una exposición mundial pero permite la interacción con los usuarios. El estudio del material gráfico, mediante el empleo de la metodología del análisis de contenido, permite registrar los códigos visuales que otorgan el cariz discriminatorio, vejatorio y de dominio del hombre sobre la mujer, que queda relegada a mero objeto o reclamo sexual. Se realiza una comparación con otra campaña, también etiquetada como sexista, perteneciente al mismo sector de la joyería, lanzada por la compañía brasileña Natan Jewelry. Aunque se encuentran similitudes en el código visual empleado, se concluye el uso de estrategias comunicativas distintas, si bien las dos campañas publicitarias exponen un mensaje denigrante para las mujeres.

The capillary adhesion technique: a versatile method for determining the liquid adhesion force and sample stiffness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Gandyra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We report a novel, practical technique for the concerted, simultaneous determination of both the adhesion force of a small structure or structural unit (e.g., an individual filament, hair, micromechanical component or microsensor to a liquid and its elastic properties. The method involves the creation and development of a liquid meniscus upon touching a liquid surface with the structure, and the subsequent disruption of this liquid meniscus upon removal. The evaluation of the meniscus shape immediately before snap-off of the meniscus allows the quantitative determination of the liquid adhesion force. Concurrently, by measuring and evaluating the deformation of the structure under investigation, its elastic properties can be determined. The sensitivity of the method is remarkably high, practically limited by the resolution of the camera capturing the process. Adhesion forces down to 10 µN and spring constants up to 2 N/m were measured. Three exemplary applications of this method are demonstrated: (1 determination of the water adhesion force and the elasticity of individual hairs (trichomes of the floating fern Salvinia molesta. (2 The investigation of human head hairs both with and without functional surface coatings (a topic of high relevance in the field of hair cosmetics was performed. The method also resulted in the measurement of an elastic modulus (Young’s modulus for individual hairs of 3.0 × 105 N/cm2, which is within the typical range known for human hair. (3 Finally, the accuracy and validity of the capillary adhesion technique was proven by examining calibrated atomic force microscopy cantilevers, reproducing the spring constants calibrated using other methods.

Role of prediabetes in stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mijajlović MD

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Milija D Mijajlović,1,* Vuk M Aleksić,2,* Nadežda M Šternić,1 Mihailo M Mirković,3 Natan M Bornstein4,5 1Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, School of Medicine University of Belgrade, 2Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, Belgrade, 3Department of Neurology, General Hospital Valjevo, Valjevo, Serbia; 4Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 5Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and probably the greatest cause of adult disability worldwide. Diabetes mellitus (DM is a state of accelerated aging of blood vessels. Patients with diabetes have increased risk of stroke. Hyperglycemia represents a risk factor for poor outcome following stroke, and probably is just a marker of poor outcome rather than a cause. Lowering of blood glucose levels has not been shown to improve prognosis. Also, prevention of stroke risk among patients with DM is not improved with therapy for reduction of glucose levels. On the other hand, prediabetes, a metabolic state between normal glucose metabolism and diabetes, is a risk factor for the development of DM type 2 and subsequently for stroke. Several methods are known to identify prediabetes patients, including fasting plasma glucose levels, 2-hour post load glucose levels, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. In this text, we tried to summarize known data about diagnosis, epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, and prevention of prediabetes in relation to DM and stroke. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, insulin, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, risk factors, stroke

Menedžment projektov in finančna dodana vrednost

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Brcar

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Raziskovalno vprašanje (RV: Ali obstajajo statistično značilne povezave med dejavniki planiranja, organiziranja, vodenja in kontroliranja in finančno dodano vrednostjo gradbenih projektov. Namen: Namen raziskave je bil opraviti empirično raziskavo o vplivu dejavnikov menedžment projektov na finančno dodano vrednost v izbranih slovenskih gradbenih podjetjih ter podati predloge za izboljšanje stanja. Metoda: V kvantitativni raziskavi je sodelovalo 77 anketirancev iz slovenskih gradbenih podjetij, med katerimi je bila večina menedžerjev projektov. Rezultati: Na podlagi raziskave je razvidno, da imajo natančneje planirani gradbeni projekti statistično značilen vpliv na finančno dodano vrednost projektov, pri čemer imata največji vpliv ustrezno planiranje in preverjanje ciljev ter obvladovanje sprememb na projektu. Organizacija: Izidi raziskave bodo lahko v praktično pomoč vsem tistim, ki se ukvarjajo s področjem gradbenih projektov in njihovo uspešnostjo. Empirične ugotovitve iz raziskave naj bi spodbudile podjetja in druge organizacije, da bodo več časa namenila planiranju projekta. Originalnost: Prispevek raziskave k menedžerski znanosti in stroki je opravljena empirična raziskava in analiza vpliva dejavnikov menedžmenta na finančno dodano vrednost projekta, saj v zadnjih desetih letih v gradbeništvu ni bilo podobne raziskave. Omejitve: V raziskavi smo se omejili le na finančno dodano vrednost projektov, nismo se osredotočali na ostale dejavnike učinkovitosti projektov, na primer kakovost proizvoda ali procesa, zadovoljstvo uporabnika, zadovoljstvo odjemalcev in podobno.

Filamentary superhydrophobic Teflon surfaces: Moderate apparent contact angle but superior air-retaining properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Mundo, Rosa; Bottiglione, Francesco; Palumbo, Fabio; Notarnicola, Michele; Carbone, Giuseppe

2016-11-15

Micro-scale textured Teflon surfaces, resulting from plasma etching modification, show extremely high water contact angle values and fairly good resistance to water penetration when hit by water drops at medium-high speed. This behavior is more pronounced when these surfaces present denser and smaller micrometric reliefs. Tailoring the top of these reliefs with a structure which further stabilizes the air may further increase resistance to wetting (water penetration) under static and dynamic conditions. Conditions of the oxygen fed plasma were tuned in order to explore the possibility of obtaining differently topped structures on the surface of the polymer. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to explore topography and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to assess chemical similarity of the modified surfaces. Beside the usual advancing and receding water contact angle (WCA) measurements, surfaces were subjected to high speed impacting drops and immersion in water. At milder, i.e. shorter time and lower input power, plasma conditions formation of peculiar filaments is observed on the top of the sculpted reliefs. Filamentary topped surfaces result in a lower WCA than the spherical ones, appearing in this sense less superhydrophobic. However, these surfaces give rise to the formation of a more pronounced air layer when placed underwater. Further, when hit by water drops falling at medium/high speed, they show a higher resistance to water penetration and a sensitively lower surface-liquid contact time. The contact time is as low as previously observed only on heated solids. This behavior may be ascribed to the cavities formed beneath the filaments which, similarly with the salvinia leaf structures, require a surplus of pressure to be filled by water. Also, it suggests a different concept of superhydrophobicity, which cannot be expected on the basis of the conventional water contact angle characterization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mercury contents in aquatic macrophytes from two reservoirs in the Paraíba do Sul: Guandú river system, SE Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Molisani

Full Text Available This paper reports on a study to determine the Hg content in the five most abundant aquatic macrophyte species (Elodea densa, Sagittaria montevidensis, Salvinia auriculata, Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes in two artificial reservoirs flooded by water diverted from the Paraíba do Sul river, SE Brazil. The potential of these species for Hg accumulation and their role in Hg transport along the river system due to macrophyte management were evaluated. Mercury concentrations were higher in free-floating than in rooted species. Roots were also richer in Hg than were leaves. Dry weight Hg concentrations in leaves and roots from all species varied from 46-246 ng.g-1 to 37-314 ng.g-1, respectively. These values are higher than those reported for uncontaminated lakes in Brazil and in other tropical areas and similar to those reported for moderately contaminated sites. Mercury concentrations can be attributed to fluvial transport from the heavily industrialized Paraíba do Sul river basin. Intensive sampling of Pistia stratiotes from two sites in the Vigário reservoir was performed to evaluate the capacity of Hg incorporation in short periods of time. The results showed a significant negative correlation between Hg content and size class of individual plants, demonstrating the importance of juveniles, fast growing plants in absorbing Hg. The foremost impact related to Hg contents in the studied area concerns the periodic removal of macrophytes for reservoir management, followed by disposal in nearby areas. This results in the mobilization of 0.52 to 1.3 Kg of Hg per year, a significant fraction of the Hg burden present in reservoir waters. Disposal of such material may result in Hg leaching to river systems, affecting the Hg transfer throughout the basin.

The prioritisation of a short list of alien plants for risk analysis within the framework of the Regulation (EU No. 1143/2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rob Tanner

2017-06-01

, Lespedeza cuneata, Lygodium japonicum, Pennisetum setaceum, Prosopis juliflora, Sapium sebiferum, Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia molesta.

Variación espacio-temporal de plantas vasculares acuáticas en el complejo cenagoso del bajo Sinú, Córdoba, Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nabi Del Socorro Pérez-Vásquez

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Se determinó la variación espacio temporal de las plantas vasculares acuáticas en las ciénagas de María Arriba, San Sebastián, Purísima y Momil del complejo cenagoso del bajo Sinú (CCBS, en el departamento de Córdoba (Colombia, abarcando los periodos hidrológicos ocurridos durante el año 2011. El área de estudio se dividió en cuatro sectores y mediante el método de intercepción en línea se determinó la abundancia y frecuencia de las hidrófitas. En cada sector se extendió una línea de 200 m perpendicular al litoral y sobre ella se ubicaron cuadrantes de 1 m2 cada 50 m, en los que, se determinó la cobertura y frecuencia de las diferentes especies  Se registraron 39659 individuos distribuidos en 24 familias, 30 géneros y 35 especies. La mayor abundancia de especies se presentó en Momil con 18582 individuos, siendo la familia Lemnaceae la más representativa. El análisis de varianza (ANOVA indica que no existen diferencias estadísticas significativas en la abundancia de la especies de plantas acuáticas de los  meses de muestreo (F=1,04; GL=11; p = 0,083, sin embargo, se evidenció la incidencia del período hidrológico sobre la dinámica de crecimiento de las plantas, algunas especies desaparecen en época seca, otras sobreviven un periodo corto de tiempo, mientras que otras como Lemna minor L y Salvinia auriculata Aubl aumentan en época de lluvia.

Massive bleaching of coral reefs induced by the 2010 ENSO, Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.

Science.gov (United States)

del Mónaco, Carlos; Haiek, Gerard; Narciso, Samuel; Galindo, Miguel

2012-06-01

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has generated global coral massive bleaching. The aim of this work was to evaluate the massive bleaching of coral reefs in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela derived from ENSO 2010. We evaluated the bleaching of reefs at five localities both at three and five meter depth. The coral cover and densities of colonies were estimated. We recorded living coral cover, number and diameter of bleached and non-bleached colonies of each coral species. The colonies were classified according to the proportion of bleached area. Satellite images (Modis Scar) were analyzed for chlorophyll-a concentration and temperature in August, September, October and November from 2008-2010. Precipitation, wind speed and air temperature information was evaluated in meteorological data for 2009 and 2010. A total of 58.3% of colonies, belonging to 11 hexacoral species, were affected and the greatest responses were observed in Colpophyllia natans, Montastraea annularis and Montastraeafaveolata. The most affected localities were closer to the mainland and had a bleached proportion up to 62.73+/-36.55%, with the highest proportion of affected colonies, whereas the farthest locality showed 20.25+/-14.00% bleached and the smallest proportion. The salinity in situ varied between 30 and 33ppm and high levels of turbidity were observed. According to the satellite images, in 2010 the surface water temperature reached 31 degree C in August, September and October, and resulted higher than those registered in 2008 and 2009. Regionally, chlorophyll values were higher in 2010 than in 2008 and 2009. The meteorological data indicated that precipitation in November 2010 was three times higher than in November 2009. Massive coral bleaching occurred due to a three month period of high temperatures followed by one month of intense ENSO-associated precipitation. However, this latter factor was likely the trigger because of the bleaching gradient observed.

Phylogeny of caecilian amphibians (Gymnophiona) based on complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear RAG1.

Science.gov (United States)

San Mauro, Diego; Gower, David J; Oommen, Oommen V; Wilkinson, Mark; Zardoya, Rafael

2004-11-01

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) genome of five individual caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) representing five of the six recognized families: Rhinatrema bivittatum (Rhinatrematidae), Ichthyophis glutinosus (Ichthyophiidae), Uraeotyphlus cf. oxyurus (Uraeotyphlidae), Scolecomorphus vittatus (Scolecomorphidae), and Gegeneophis ramaswamii (Caeciliidae). The organization and size of these newly determined mitogenomes are similar to those previously reported for the caecilian Typhlonectes natans (Typhlonectidae), and for other vertebrates. Nucleotide sequences of the nuclear RAG1 gene were also determined for these six species of caecilians, and the salamander Mertensiella luschani atifi. RAG1 (both at the amino acid and nucleotide level) shows slower rates of evolution than almost all mt protein-coding genes (at the amino acid level). The new mt and nuclear sequences were compared with data for other amphibians and subjected to separate and combined phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Parsimony, Minimum Evolution, Maximum Likelihood, and Bayesian Inference). All analyses strongly support the monophyly of the three amphibian Orders. The Batrachia hypothesis (Gymnophiona, (Anura, Caudata) receives moderate or good support depending on the method of analysis. Within Gymnophiona, the optimal tree (Rhinatrema, (Ichthyophis, Uraeotyphlus), (Scolecomorphus, (Gegeneophis Typhlonectes) agrees with the most recent morphological and molecular studies. The sister group relationship between Rhinatrematidae and all other caecilians, that between Ichthyophiidae and Uraeotyphlidae, and the monophyly of the higher caecilians Scolecomorphidae+Caeciliidae+Typhlonectidae, are strongly supported, whereas the relationships among the higher caecilians are less unambiguously resolved. Analysis of RAG1 is affected by a spurious local rooting problem and associated low support that is ameliorated when outgroups are excluded. Comparisons of trees using the

Topography and spatial arrangement of reef-building corals on the fringing reefs of North Jamaica may influence their response to disturbance from bleaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Crabbe, M J C

2010-04-01

Knowledge of factors that are important in reef resilience helps us understand how reefs react following major environmental disturbances such as hurricanes and bleaching. Here we test factors that might have influenced Jamaican reef resilience to, and subsequent recovery from, the 2005 bleaching event, and which might help inform management policy for reefs in the future: reef rugosity and contact of corals with macroalgae. In addition, we test in the field, on Dairy Bull reef, whether aggregated Porites astreoides colonies exhibit enhanced growth when exposed to superior competition from Acopora palmata, as has been found by experiment with the Indo-Pacific corals Porites lobata and the superior competitor Porites rus [Idjadi, J.A., Karlson, R.H., 2007. Spatial arrangement of competitors influences coexistence of reef-building corals. Ecology 88, 2449-2454]. There were significant linear relationships between rugosity and the increase in smallest size classes for Sidastrea siderea, Colpophyllia natans, P. astreoides and Agaricia species, and between rugosity and cover of the branching coral Acropora cervicornis. Linear extension rates of A. cervicornis and radial growth rates of P. astreoides were significantly lower (p6) when in contact with macroalgae. Aggregated colonies of P. astreoides in contact with one another, one of which was in contact with the faster growing competitor A. palmata showed significantly greater growth rates than with just two aggregated P. astreoides colonies alone. These findings suggest that three dimensional topography and complexity is important for reef resilience and viability in the face of environmental stressors such as bleaching. Our findings also support the idea that aggregated spatial arrangements of corals can influence the outcome of interspecific competition and promote species coexistence, important in times of reef recovery after disturbance. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Snake assemblages of Marajó Island, Pará state, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerson Moreira Rodrigues

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT We describe the diversity, natural history and structure of snake assemblages from Marajó Island, state of Pará, Brazil, after analyzing 439 specimens deposited in herpetological collections. We tested the hypothesis that snake assemblages from forest and open areas of Marajó Island are distinct with regard to their structure, composition and functional groups. To compare the snake composition of the forest and open areas of Marajó with other comparable assemblages in Brazil, Principal Coordinate Analysis and Clustering tests were performed. A total of 61 species of snakes was recorded for Marajó, with ten species cited for the first time for the study area (Atractus natans Hoogmoed & Prudente, 2003, A. schach (Boie, 1827, Dendrophidion dendrophis (Schlegel, 1837, Helicops hagmanni Roux, 1910, Hydrops martii (Wagler in Spix, 1824, Lygophis meridionalis (Schenkel, 1901, Erythrolamprus typhlus (Linnaeus, 1758, Philodryas argentea (Daudin, 1803, Siphlophis cervinus (Laurenti, 1768, and Thamnodynastes sp.. The composition and structure of snake assemblages between forested and open were different, with five functional groups of snakes in forest areas, and three groups in open areas, based on habit and habitat. In all, 19 species were exclusive to forest areas, 10 were exclusive to open areas and 26 species were recorded in both areas. Our results revealed greater richness for forested areas, probably due to greater habitat heterogeneity. The species composition for forested area in Marajó was similar to that found in other Amazonian assemblages, while that for open areas was more similar to the Pantanal region than other open area assemblages. The general structure of the snake assemblage of Marajó was dominated by anurophagous, terrestrial and diurnal species. Terrestrial, arboreal and semi-arboreal snakes showed a seasonal offspring production pattern, while the pattern for aquatic and semi-aquatic species was aseasonal. The

Fish predation by semi-aquatic spiders: a global pattern.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Nyffeler

Full Text Available More than 80 incidences of fish predation by semi-aquatic spiders--observed at the fringes of shallow freshwater streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, and fens--are reviewed. We provide evidence that fish predation by semi-aquatic spiders is geographically widespread, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. Fish predation by spiders appears to be more common in warmer areas between 40° S and 40° N. The fish captured by spiders, usually ranging from 2-6 cm in length, are among the most common fish taxa occurring in their respective geographic area (e.g., mosquitofish [Gambusia spp.] in the southeastern USA, fish of the order Characiformes in the Neotropics, killifish [Aphyosemion spp.] in Central and West Africa, as well as Australian native fish of the genera Galaxias, Melanotaenia, and Pseudomugil. Naturally occurring fish predation has been witnessed in more than a dozen spider species from the superfamily Lycosoidea (families Pisauridae, Trechaleidae, and Lycosidae, in two species of the superfamily Ctenoidea (family Ctenidae, and in one species of the superfamily Corinnoidea (family Liocranidae. The majority of reports on fish predation by spiders referred to pisaurid spiders of the genera Dolomedes and Nilus (>75% of observed incidences. There is laboratory evidence that spiders from several more families (e.g., the water spider Argyroneta aquatica [Cybaeidae], the intertidal spider Desis marina [Desidae], and the 'swimming' huntsman spider Heteropoda natans [Sparassidae] predate fish as well. Our finding of such a large diversity of spider families being engaged in fish predation is novel. Semi-aquatic spiders captured fish whose body length exceeded the spiders' body length (the captured fish being, on average, 2.2 times as long as the spiders. Evidence suggests that fish prey might be an occasional prey item of substantial nutritional importance.

Mapping Prevalence and Incidence of Coral Disease in reef-building corals at two Natural Reserves of the Southwest Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez Viruet, I.; Irizarry-Soto, E.; Ruiz-Valentín, I.

2016-02-01

Coral diseases seems to be the main cause of coral reef decline in the Caribbean. Before the bleaching event of 2005, coral reefs in Puerto Rico were dominated by the reef-building taxa: Orbicella annularis, Porites astreoides, Montastrea cavernosa, Agaricia agaracites and Colpophyllia natans. After the event, live-coral cover significantly declined and more than 90% of the scleractinian corals in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico showed signals of thermal stressors. The prevalence of coral diseases in five reef-building coral (Orbicella annularis, Orbicella franksi, Orbicella faveolata, Porites porites and Pseudiploria strigosa) species was assessed by tagging, photographing, and mapping all diseased and healthy colonies within 10 permanent 40m2 band transects at each inshore and mid-shelf reefs of Belvedere and Punta Guaniquilla Natural Reserves using a random stratified sampling method. Maximum and perpendicular diameter was used to assess coral size using Coral Point Count with Excel Extension. Corals were classified into three size class populations (class I: 0-50cm, class II: 50-100cm and class III: >100 cm). Data was used to develop a GIS-based map containing coral species, size and disease presence. Preliminary results of the inshore area showed a higher disease prevalence in Belvedere natural reserve and for P. strigosa (17.1%) and O. annularis (9.3%). Frequency distribution analysis showed a dominance of O. faveolata at Punta Guaniquilla and Belvedere (127 and 88 individuals respectively). Size class I dominates the distribution of each species within the natural reserves with a higher disease prevalence. Future work include continue prevalence surveys of the outer reef shelf on both natural reserves, monitoring and GIS-based mapping of incidence and resilience through time. This study will help in the assessment of the status of the coral reef of the southwest insular platform.

Fish predation by semi-aquatic spiders: a global pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyffeler, Martin; Pusey, Bradley J

2014-01-01

More than 80 incidences of fish predation by semi-aquatic spiders--observed at the fringes of shallow freshwater streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, and fens--are reviewed. We provide evidence that fish predation by semi-aquatic spiders is geographically widespread, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. Fish predation by spiders appears to be more common in warmer areas between 40° S and 40° N. The fish captured by spiders, usually ranging from 2-6 cm in length, are among the most common fish taxa occurring in their respective geographic area (e.g., mosquitofish [Gambusia spp.] in the southeastern USA, fish of the order Characiformes in the Neotropics, killifish [Aphyosemion spp.] in Central and West Africa, as well as Australian native fish of the genera Galaxias, Melanotaenia, and Pseudomugil). Naturally occurring fish predation has been witnessed in more than a dozen spider species from the superfamily Lycosoidea (families Pisauridae, Trechaleidae, and Lycosidae), in two species of the superfamily Ctenoidea (family Ctenidae), and in one species of the superfamily Corinnoidea (family Liocranidae). The majority of reports on fish predation by spiders referred to pisaurid spiders of the genera Dolomedes and Nilus (>75% of observed incidences). There is laboratory evidence that spiders from several more families (e.g., the water spider Argyroneta aquatica [Cybaeidae], the intertidal spider Desis marina [Desidae], and the 'swimming' huntsman spider Heteropoda natans [Sparassidae]) predate fish as well. Our finding of such a large diversity of spider families being engaged in fish predation is novel. Semi-aquatic spiders captured fish whose body length exceeded the spiders' body length (the captured fish being, on average, 2.2 times as long as the spiders). Evidence suggests that fish prey might be an occasional prey item of substantial nutritional importance.

Paracoccidioidomycosis in the state of Maranhão, Brazil: geographical and clinical aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilma Batista de Matos

2012-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The study aimed to show the situation of paracoccidioidomycosis in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. METHODS: This study is a descriptive case series developed in two stages. First, a survey of cases originating from the state of Maranhão at the Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portela, Piauí (IDTNP from 1997 to 2007, and second, the clinical description of 29 cases diagnosed in the Centro de Referências em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Maranhão (CREDIP from 2004 to 2010. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixteen cases have been cataloged at the IDTNP. West, east, and central regions of the state of Maranhão recorded 90.3% of cases proving to be important areas for study. The western region, with a prevalence of 10.8/100,000 inhabitants, has a significantly higher proportion of cases than the northern, southern, and eastern regions (p < 0.05. The occurrence was higher in men with 89.3% of cases, and the male-to-female ratio was 8.4:1. The majority of patients were older than 20 years, lived in rural areas, and had farming or soil management as main occupation (73.8%. At CREDIP, 29 cases were diagnosed, of which 26 (89.6% had multifocal manifestations. Mucous tissues were involved more (75.8% frequently, followed by lymph nodes, skin, and lungs with 65.5%, 39% and 37.9 %, respectively. The diagnosis was made by combining direct examination, culture, and histopathology. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows the geographical distribution and the epidemiological and clinical aspects of paracoccidioidomycosis, revealing the significance of the disease to the state of Maranhão.

Potential of macrophyte for removing arsenic from aqueous solution Potencial de remoção de arsênio de solução aquosa por macrofita

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.P. Guimaraes

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The potential of three aquatic macrophytes, Azoll caroliniana, Salvinia minima and Lemna gibba, was evaluated in this work aimed at selection of plants to be used in remediation of environments contaminated by arsenic (As. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse during six days in pots containing Hoagland solution (¼ ionic strength at As concentrations of 0.5; 2.5 and 5.0 mg L-1. The three species showed greater As accumulation as the concentration of the metalloid in solution increased. However, a reduction was detected in fresh and dry mass gain when the plants were exposed to high As concentrations. The macrophytes showed differences in efficiency of removal of As in solution. A. caroliniana, S. minima and L. gibba accumulated, on average, 0.130; 0.200; and 1.397 mg mDM-1, respectively, when exposed to 5.0 mg L-1 of As. The macrophytes absorbed a greater quantity of As in solution with low phosphate content. The greater As concentration in L. gibba tissues lowered the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents as shown by the high chlorosis incidence. Lemna gibba also exhibited a decrease in leaf size, with the total chlorophyll and carotenoid synthesis not being affected by As in A. caroliniana. This species exhibited purplish leaves with high concentration of anthocyanin, whose presence suggested association to phosphate deficiency. Marginal necrosis occurred on S. minima floating leaves, with the released daughter-plants not showing any visual symptoms during the treatment. The percentage of As removed from the solution decreased when the plants were exposed to high concentrations of the pollutant. Among the three species studied, only L. gibba could be considered an As hyper-accumulator. The use of this plant species for remediation of aquatic environments was shown to be limited and requires further investigation.O potencial de três macrófitas aquáticas - Azolla caroliniana, Salvinia mínima e Lemna gibba - foi avaliado neste

Richness and distribution of aquatic macrophytes in Brazilian semi-arid aquatic ecosystems Riqueza e distribuição de macrófitas aquáticas em ecossistemas aquáticos do semi-árido brasileiro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo Gonzaga Henry-Silva

2010-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the richness and distribution of the aquatic macrophytes in the basin of the Apodi/Mossoró River, in the semi-arid region (caatinga of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; METHODS: A survey of the floristic composition of the aquatic macrophytes was made at 20 sampling stations in the basin at four seasons (August/2007, November/2007, February/2008, May/2008. Specimens of each species were collected and deposited in the Dárdano de Andrade Lima Herbarium of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido; RESULTS: We found 40 species of aquatic macrophytes, in 33 genera and 22 families. The families with the most species were Poaceae and Cyperaceae, and the most species-rich genera were Cyperus and Eleocharis. The most common plant form was amphibian (42.5%, followed by emergent (27.5%, free-floating (12.5%, rooted-submersed (10.0%, and floating-leaved (7.5%. The lowest richness was observed at the estuarine region (3 species, and the highest richness in the upper basin (17 species. The rooted-submersed Hydrothrix gardneri Hooker f. and Ceratophyllum demersum L. were observed in great abundance and frequency in the Santa Cruz Reservoir of Apodi, especially in areas close to cage farms of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758. The most common free-floating species were Eichhornia crassipes (Mart. Solms., Pistia stratiotes L., and Salvinia auriculata Aubl., predominantly in stretches that run through urban centers; CONCLUSION: The species richness of aquatic macrophytes in aquatic environments of the caatinga is similar to that observed in other basins of Brazil. Because of the many dams and reservoirs in the semi-arid Northeast, inventory and monitoring of aquatic macrophytes have become essential, especially in basins that will receive water from the diversion of the São Francisco River.OBJETIVO: Nós objetivamos avaliar a riqueza e a distribuição das macrófitas aquáticas nos ambientes aqu

Phylogeny of Marsileaceous Ferns and Relationships of the Fossil Hydropteris pinnata Reconsidered.

Science.gov (United States)

Pryer

1999-09-01

Recent phylogenetic studies have provided compelling evidence that confirms the once disputed hypothesis of monophyly for heterosporous leptosporangiate ferns (Marsileaceae and Salviniaceae). Hypotheses for relationships among the three genera of Marsileaceae (Marsilea, Regnellidium, and Pilularia), however, have continued to be in conflict. The phylogeny of Marsileaceae is investigated here using information from morphology and rbcL sequence data. In addition, relationships among all heterosporous ferns, including the whole-plant fossil Hydropteris pinnata are reconsidered. Data sets of 71 morphological and 1239 rbcL characters for 23 leptosporangiate ferns, including eight heterosporous ingroup taxa and 15 homosporous outgroup taxa, were subjected to maximum parsimony analysis. Morphological analyses were carried out both with and without the fossil Hydropteris, and it was excluded from all analyses with rbcL data. An annotated list of the 71 morphological characters is provided in the appendix. For comparative purposes, the Rothwell and Stockey (1994) data set was also reanalyzed here. The best estimate of phylogenetic relationships for Marsileaceae in all analyses is that Pilularia and Regnellidium are sister taxa and Marsilea is sister to that clade. Morphological synapomorphies for various nodes are discussed. Analyses that included Hydropteris resulted in two most-parsimonious trees that differ only in the placement of the fossil. One topology is identical to the relationship found by Rothwell and Stockey (1994), placing the fossil sister to the Azolla plus Salvinia clade. The alternative topology places Hydropteris as the most basal member of the heterosporous fern clade. Equivocal interpretations for character evolution in heterosporous ferns are discussed in the context of these two most-parsimonious trees. Because of the observed degree of character ambiguity, the phylogenetic placement of Hydropteris is best viewed as unresolved, and recognition of the

Morphometry and retention time as forcing functions to establishment and maintenance of aquatic macrophytes in a tropical reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. B. Cunha-Santino

Full Text Available Abstract Macrophytes may constitute an important resource for several chemical, physical and biological processes within aquatic ecosystems. This study considers that in tropical reservoirs with low retention time and with low values of shoreline development (DL, the expansion and persistence of aquatic macrophytes are mainly reported to local conditions (e.g., hydrodynamic and wind exposure rather than trophic status and depth of the euphotic zone. In this context, this study aimed at describing and comparing the incidence of aquatic macrophytes in a throughflowing, non-dendritic tropical reservoir. During February 2006 to November 2007, eight limnological surveys were performed quarterly within the Ourinhos Reservoir, and in the mouth areas of its tributaries. At the six sampling stations 30 variables were measured. The number of sites with plants varied between 21 and 38 and at the end of the 1st year the total richness was found. The sampling survey outcome the recognition of 18 species of aquatic macrophytes; Cyperaceae (2 genera and 1 species, Pontederiaceae (3 species and Onarograceae (3 genera were the families with higher diversity. Seven species (Typha domingensis Pers., Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell. Verdec, Salvinia auriculata Aubl., Eichhornia azurea (Sw. Kunth, Eleocharis sp1, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart. Solms, Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. & Kunth Lye always were present and were more frequent in the sites. The occurrence of emergent species predominated (45.9%, followed by submersed rooted (24.5%, free floating (19.5%, floating rooted (9.7% and free submersed (0.3%. Although limnological variables and the distribution of macrophytes have discriminated the same sampling points, the stepwise multiple linear regressions did not pointed out strong correspondences (or coherence among the most constant and distributed macrophyte species and the selected limnological variables, as well the trophic statuses. Seeing the low relationship among

Morphometry and retention time as forcing functions to establishment and maintenance of aquatic macrophytes in a tropical reservoir.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha-Santino, M B; Fushita, A T; Peret, A C; Bianchini-Junior, I

2016-05-03

Macrophytes may constitute an important resource for several chemical, physical and biological processes within aquatic ecosystems. This study considers that in tropical reservoirs with low retention time and with low values of shoreline development (DL), the expansion and persistence of aquatic macrophytes are mainly reported to local conditions (e.g., hydrodynamic and wind exposure) rather than trophic status and depth of the euphotic zone. In this context, this study aimed at describing and comparing the incidence of aquatic macrophytes in a throughflowing, non-dendritic tropical reservoir. During February 2006 to November 2007, eight limnological surveys were performed quarterly within the Ourinhos Reservoir, and in the mouth areas of its tributaries. At the six sampling stations 30 variables were measured. The number of sites with plants varied between 21 and 38 and at the end of the 1st year the total richness was found. The sampling survey outcome the recognition of 18 species of aquatic macrophytes; Cyperaceae (2 genera and 1 species), Pontederiaceae (3 species) and Onarograceae (3 genera) were the families with higher diversity. Seven species (Typha domingensis Pers., Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdec, Salvinia auriculata Aubl., Eichhornia azurea (Sw.) Kunth, Eleocharis sp1, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. & Kunth) Lye) always were present and were more frequent in the sites. The occurrence of emergent species predominated (45.9%), followed by submersed rooted (24.5%), free floating (19.5%), floating rooted (9.7%) and free submersed (0.3%). Although limnological variables and the distribution of macrophytes have discriminated the same sampling points, the stepwise multiple linear regressions did not pointed out strong correspondences (or coherence) among the most constant and distributed macrophyte species and the selected limnological variables, as well the trophic statuses. Seeing the low relationship among limnological

Are Effective Properties Effective?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Ru; Ingber, Marc S.; Hsiao, S.-C.

2008-01-01

The effective moduli (effective Young's modulus, effective Poisson's ratio, effective shear modulus, and effective bulk modulus) of dispersed-phase-reinforced composite materials are determined at the mesoscopic level using three-dimensional parallel boundary element simulations. By comparing the mesoscopic BEM results and the macroscopic results based on effective properties, limitations in the effective property approach have been examined

Estimating the willingness to pay for a quality-adjusted life year in Thailand: does the context of health gain matter?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thavorncharoensap M

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Montarat Thavorncharoensap,1,2 Yot Teerawattananon,2 Sirin Natanant,2 Wantanee Kulpeng,2 Jomkwan Yothasamut,2 Pitsaphun Werayingyong21Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Thailand; 2Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP, Ministry of Public Health, ThailandBackground: This study aims to elicit the value of the willingness to pay (WTP for a quality-adjusted life year (QALY and to examine the factors associated with the WTP for a QALY (WTP/QALY value under the Thai health care setting.Methods: A community-based survey was conducted among 1191 randomly selected respondents. Each respondent was interviewed face-to-face to elicit his/her health state preference in each of three pairs of health conditions: (1 unilateral and bilateral blindness, (2 paraplegia and quadriplegia, and (3 mild and moderate allergies. A visual analog scale (VAS and time trade off (TTO were used as the eliciting methods. Subsequently, the respondents were asked about their WTP for the treatment and prevention of each pair of health conditions by using a bidding-game technique.Results: With regards to treatment, the mean WTP for a QALY value (WTP/QALYtreatment estimated by the TTO method ranged from 59,000 to 285,000 baht (16.49 baht = US$1 purchasing power parity [PPP]. In contrast, the mean WTP for a QALY value in terms of prevention (WTP/QALYprevention was significantly lower, ranging from 26,000 to 137,000 baht. Gender, household income, and hypothetical scenarios were also significant factors associated with the WTP/QALY values.Conclusion: The WTP/QALY values elicited in this study were approximately 0.4 to 2 times Thailand's 2008 GDP per capita. These values were in line with previous studies conducted in several different settings. This study's findings clearly support the opinion that a single ceiling threshold should not be used for the resource allocation of all types of interventions.Keywords: ceiling threshold

Evidence of Last Interglacial sea-level oscillations and recent tectonism in the Late Pleistocene Falmouth Formation of Jamaica

Science.gov (United States)

Skrivanek, A.; Dutton, A.; Stemann, T.

2015-12-01

The timing and rates of sea-level change during Marine Isotope Stage 5e (MIS 5e) are poorly constrained. Across the Caribbean, many MIS 5e reefs are exposed above modern sea level, and have been studied extensively to understand sea level and ice sheet dynamics during an interglacial climate. This study investigates potential evidence for sub-orbital sea-level oscillations in the limestone Falmouth Formation from the northern and southwestern coastlines of Jamaica, a tectonically active island on the northern boundary of the Caribbean Plate. Vertical exposures of MIS 5e reefs contain multiple facies transitions that are sometimes associated with sharp unconformities. Outcrops at East Rio Bueno contain a distinct change in coral taxonomy from an assemblage of in situ Montastraea spp., Siderastrea and Diploria sp. encrusted by coralline algae, next to a repeated succession of Porites furcata, Acropora cervicornis, coralline algae and Porites astreoides, to in situ P. furcata. This is overlain by a fining-upwards sequence of coral rubble, a laterally persistent layer of small in situ Siderastrea and a ~1-m thick caprock. Near Oracabessa, a unit dominated by Acropora palmata clearly transitions into in situ Montastraea spp., Siderastrea, Colpophyllia natans, and Diploria sp. overlain by A. cervicornis. An abrupt vertical displacement of the sequence, indicating faulting, was observed at Oracabessa. Along the south coast, transitions in coral assemblages were also noted upsection. Common facies observed include in situ A. palmata and/or rubble, with a trend of reduction in algal encrustation upsection, capped by head corals and a regressive beach unit. The structure and composition of reefs preserved in the Falmouth Formation provide detailed information about sea-level behavior during MIS 5e, that will be used to test the hypothesis that sub-orbital sea-level oscillations occurred during the MIS 5e highstand. Evidence of tectonic activity along portions of the northern

The Evolutionary History of MAPL (Mitochondria-Associated Protein Ligase and Other Eukaryotic BAM/GIDE Domain Proteins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy G Wideman

Full Text Available MAPL (mitochondria-associated protein ligase, also called MULAN/GIDE/MUL1 is a multifunctional mitochondrial outer membrane protein found in human cells that contains a unique BAM (beside a membrane domain and a C-terminal RING-finger domain. MAPL has been implicated in several processes that occur in animal cells such as NF-kB activation, innate immunity and antiviral signaling, suppression of PINK1/parkin defects, mitophagy in skeletal muscle, and caspase-dependent apoptosis. Previous studies demonstrated that the BAM domain is present in diverse organisms in which most of these processes do not occur, including plants, archaea, and bacteria. Thus the conserved function of MAPL and its BAM domain remains an open question. In order to gain insight into its conserved function, we investigated the evolutionary origins of MAPL by searching for homologues in predicted proteomes of diverse eukaryotes. We show that MAPL proteins with a conserved BAM-RING architecture are present in most animals, protists closely related to animals, a single species of fungus, and several multicellular plants and related green algae. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that eukaryotic MAPL proteins originate from a common ancestor and not from independent horizontal gene transfers from bacteria. We also determined that two independent duplications of MAPL occurred, one at the base of multicellular plants and another at the base of vertebrates. Although no other eukaryote genome examined contained a verifiable MAPL orthologue, BAM domain-containing proteins were identified in the protists Bigelowiella natans and Ectocarpus siliculosis. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that these proteins are more closely related to prokaryotic BAM proteins and therefore likely arose from independent horizontal gene transfers from bacteria. We conclude that MAPL proteins with BAM-RING architectures have been present in the holozoan and viridiplantae lineages since their very beginnings

Trapa bispinosa Roxb.: A Review on Nutritional and Pharmacological Aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Adkar, Prafulla; Dongare, Amita; Ambavade, Shirishkumar; Bhaskar, V H

2014-01-01

Trapa bispinosa Roxb. which belongs to the family Trapaceae is a small herb well known for its medicinal properties and is widely used worldwide. Trapa bispinosa or Trapa natans is an important plant of Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine which is used in the problems of stomach, genitourinary system, liver, kidney, and spleen. It is bitter, astringent, stomachic, diuretic, febrifuge, and antiseptic. The whole plant is used in gonorrhea, menorrhagia, and other genital affections. It is useful in diarrhea, dysentery, ophthalmopathy, ulcers, and wounds. These are used in the validated conditions in pitta, burning sensation, dipsia, dyspepsia, hemorrhage, hemoptysis, diarrhea, dysentery, strangely, intermittent fever, leprosy, fatigue, inflammation, urethrorrhea, fractures, erysipelas, lumbago, pharyngitis, bronchitis and general debility, and suppressing stomach and heart burning. Maybe it is due to photochemical content of Trapa bispinosa having high quantity of minerals, ions, namely, Ca, K, Na, Zn, and vitamins; saponins, phenols, alkaloids, H-donation, flavonoids are reported in the plants. Nutritional and biochemical analyses of fruits of Trapa bispinosa in 100 g showed 22.30 and 71.55% carbohydrate, protein contents were 4.40% and 10.80%, a percentage of moisture, fiber, ash, and fat contents were 70.35 and 7.30, 2.05 and 6.35, 2.30 and 8.50, and 0.65 and 1.85, mineral contents of the seeds were 32 mg and 102.85 mg calcium, 1.4 and 3.8 mg Iron, and 121 and 325 mg phosphorus in 100 g, and seeds of Trapa bispinosa produced 115.52 and 354.85 Kcal of energy, in fresh and dry fruits, respectively. Chemical analysis of the fruit and fresh nuts having considerable water content citric acid and fresh fruit which substantiates its importance as dietary food also reported low crude lipid, and major mineral present with confirming good amount of minerals as an iron and manganese potassium were contained in the fruit. Crude fiber, total protein content of the

Trapa bispinosa Roxb.: A Review on Nutritional and Pharmacological Aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prafulla Adkar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Trapa bispinosa Roxb. which belongs to the family Trapaceae is a small herb well known for its medicinal properties and is widely used worldwide. Trapa bispinosa or Trapa natans is an important plant of Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine which is used in the problems of stomach, genitourinary system, liver, kidney, and spleen. It is bitter, astringent, stomachic, diuretic, febrifuge, and antiseptic. The whole plant is used in gonorrhea, menorrhagia, and other genital affections. It is useful in diarrhea, dysentery, ophthalmopathy, ulcers, and wounds. These are used in the validated conditions in pitta, burning sensation, dipsia, dyspepsia, hemorrhage, hemoptysis, diarrhea, dysentery, strangely, intermittent fever, leprosy, fatigue, inflammation, urethrorrhea, fractures, erysipelas, lumbago, pharyngitis, bronchitis and general debility, and suppressing stomach and heart burning. Maybe it is due to photochemical content of Trapa bispinosa having high quantity of minerals, ions, namely, Ca, K, Na, Zn, and vitamins; saponins, phenols, alkaloids, H-donation, flavonoids are reported in the plants. Nutritional and biochemical analyses of fruits of Trapa bispinosa in 100 g showed 22.30 and 71.55% carbohydrate, protein contents were 4.40% and 10.80%, a percentage of moisture, fiber, ash, and fat contents were 70.35 and 7.30, 2.05 and 6.35, 2.30 and 8.50, and 0.65 and 1.85, mineral contents of the seeds were 32 mg and 102.85 mg calcium, 1.4 and 3.8 mg Iron, and 121 and 325 mg phosphorus in 100 g, and seeds of Trapa bispinosa produced 115.52 and 354.85 Kcal of energy, in fresh and dry fruits, respectively. Chemical analysis of the fruit and fresh nuts having considerable water content citric acid and fresh fruit which substantiates its importance as dietary food also reported low crude lipid, and major mineral present with confirming good amount of minerals as an iron and manganese potassium were contained in the fruit. Crude fiber, total

Haloplanus salinarum sp. nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon isolated from a solar saltern.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Han-Bit; Kim, Ye-Eun; Koh, Hyeon-Woo; Song, Hye Seon; Roh, Seong Woon; Kim, So-Jeong; Nam, Seung Won; Park, Soo-Je

2017-11-01

An extremely halophilic archaeal strain SP28 T was isolated from the Gomso solar saltern, Republic of Korea. Cells of the new strain SP28 T were pleomorphic and Gram stain negative, and produced red-pigmented colonies. These grew in medium with 2.5-4.5 M NaCl (optimum 3.1 M) and 0.05-0.5 M MgCl2 (optimum 0.1 M), at 25-50 °C (optimum 37 °C) and at a pH of 6.5-8.5 (optimum pH 8.0). Mg 2+ was required for growth. A concentration of at least 2 M NaCl was required to prevent cell lysis. Polar lipids included phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulfate and one glycolipid chromatographically identical to sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether. 16S rRNA and rpoB' gene sequence analyses showed that strain SP28 T is closely related to Haloplanus ruber R35 T (97.3 and 94.1 %, 16S rRNA and rpoB' gene sequence similarity, respectively), Haloplanus litoreus GX21 T (97.0 and 92.1 %), Haloplanus salinus YGH66 T (96.0 and 91.9 %), Haloplanus vescus RO5-8 T (95.9 and 90.9 %), Haloplanus aerogenes TBN37 T (95.6 and 90.3 %) and Haloplanus natans RE-101 T (95.3 and 89.8 %). The DNA G+C content of the novel strain SP28 T was 66.2 mol%, which is slightly higher than that of Hpn.litoreus GX21 T (65.8 mol%) and Hpn.ruber R35 T (66.0 mol%). DNA-DNA hybridization values betweenHpn.ruber R35 T and strain SP28 T and between Hpn.litoreus GX21 T and strain SP28 T were about 24.8 and 20.7 %, respectively. We conclude that strain SP28 T represents a novel species of the genus Haloplanus and propose the name Haloplanus salinarum sp. nov. The type strain is SP28 T (=JCM 31424 T =KCCM 43210 T ).

Cs-137 in aquatic organisms in the southern Lake Keurusselkae (Finland)[Radioecology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ilus, E.; Klemola, S.; Vartti, V.P.; Mattila, J.; Ikaeheimonen, T.K. [STUK - Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Helsinki (Finland)

2006-04-15

The results of a study carried out in Lake Keurusselkae, in the Finnish Lake District, are reported. The aim of the study was to collect biota samples for the INDOFERN Project from an area that was rather highly contaminated (70 kBq m{sup -2} of {sup 137}Cs in 1986) with the Chernobyl fallout in Finland. The samples were taken from a relatively small area surrounding the island of Iso Riihisaari in the southern part of the Keurusselkae water course. In total 15 samples of aquatic plants, 6 samples of aquatic animals, 1 water sample and 2 sediment cores were taken. In August 2003, the activity concentration of {sup 137}Cs in the surface water of the southern Lake Keurusselkae was 49 Bq m{sup -3}, whereas it was 310 Bq m{sup -3} in 1988, two year after the Chernobyl accident. In the relatively shallow area surrounding the island of Iso Riihisaari, the total amount of {sup 137}Cs in sediments was 32-37 kBq m{sup -2} in 2003, but in a deeper basin close to this area the total amount of {sup 137}Cs was 130 kBq m{sup -2} in 1990. The clearly highest activity concentration and concentration factor of {sup 137}Cs was found in one sample of Water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile), 1 430 Bq kg{sup -1} dry wt; CF 29 200, whereas in another sample of the same species the concentration was only 174 Bq kg{sup -1} dry wt. In addition, the Water lily (Nymphaea candida), Spiked water millfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), Broad-leaved pondweed (Potamogeton natans) and Yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea) seemed to be good indicators for {sup 137}Cs. The tall freshwater clam (Anodonta sp.) seemed to be a modest accumulator of {sup 137}Cs. Contrary to our results from the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, many aquatic plants demonstrated in fresh water similar accumulation capacity of {sup 137}Cs as fish (perch and roach), while in the sea the uptake of {sup 137}Cs in fish seemed to be more efficient than in aquatic plants. (LN)

Dissociating action-effect activation and effect-based response selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, Katharina A; Pfister, Roland; Wirth, Robert; Kunde, Wilfried

2018-05-25

Anticipated action effects have been shown to govern action selection and initiation, as described in ideomotor theory, and they have also been demonstrated to determine crosstalk between different tasks in multitasking studies. Such effect-based crosstalk was observed not only in a forward manner (with a first task influencing performance in a following second task) but also in a backward manner (the second task influencing the preceding first task), suggesting that action effect codes can become activated prior to a capacity-limited processing stage often denoted as response selection. The process of effect-based response production, by contrast, has been proposed to be capacity-limited. These observations jointly suggest that effect code activation can occur independently of effect-based response production, though this theoretical implication has not been tested directly at present. We tested this hypothesis by employing a dual-task set-up in which we manipulated the ease of effect-based response production (via response-effect compatibility) in an experimental design that allows for observing forward and backward crosstalk. We observed robust crosstalk effects and response-effect compatibility effects alike, but no interaction between both effects. These results indicate that effect activation can occur in parallel for several tasks, independently of effect-based response production, which is confined to one task at a time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Colossal magnetodielectric effect caused by magnetoelectric effect ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The colossal magnetodielectric effect is reported in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3/Terfenol-D laminate composite under low magnetic field. When the composite is placed in an external a.c. magnetic field, magnetoelectric effect is produced, as a result, the dielectric properties of the Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 is changed, i.e. magnetodielectric effect. Both the ...

Interface effects on effective elastic moduli of nanocrystalline materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Gangfeng; Feng Xiqiao; Yu Shouwen; Nan Cewen

2003-01-01

Interfaces often play a significant role in many physical properties and phenomena of nanocrystalline materials (NcMs). In the present paper, the interface effects on the effective elastic property of NcMs are investigated. First, an atomic potential method is suggested for estimating the effective elastic modulus of an interface phase. Then, the Mori-Tanaka effective field method is employed to determine the overall effective elastic moduli of a nanocrystalline material, which is regarded as a binary composite consisting of a crystal or inclusion phase with regular lattice connected by an amorphous-like interface or matrix phase. Finally, the stiffening effects of strain gradients are examined on the effective elastic property by using the strain gradient theory to analyze a representative unit cell. Our analysis shows two physical mechanisms of interfaces that influence the effective stiffness and other mechanical properties of materials. One is the softening effect due to the distorted atomic structures and the increased atomic spacings in interface regions, and another is the baffling effect due to the existence of boundary layers between the interface phase and the crystalline phase

Dispersant effectiveness: Studies into the causes of effectiveness variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fingas, M.F.; Kyle, D.; Tennyson, E.

1995-01-01

Effectiveness, a key issue of using dispersants, is affected by many interrelated factors. The principal factors involved are the oil composition, dispersant formulation, sea surface turbulence and dispersant quantity. Oil composition is a very strong determinant. Current dispersant formulation effectiveness correlates strongly with the amount of saturate component in the oil. The other components of the oil, the asphaltenes, resins or polars and aromatic fractions show a negative correlation with the dispersant effectiveness. Viscosity is also a predictor of dispersant effectiveness and may have an effect because it is in turn determined by oil composition. Dispersant composition is significant and interacts with oil composition. Dispersants show high effectiveness at HLB values near 10. Sea turbulence strongly affects dispersant effectiveness.Effectiveness rises with increasing turbulence to a maximum value. Effectiveness for current commercial dispersants is gaussian around a peak salinity value. Peak effectiveness is achieved at very high dispersant quantities--at a ratio of 1:5, dispersant-to-oil volume. Dispersant effectiveness for those oils tested and under the conditions measured, is approximately logarithmic with dispersant quantity and will reach about 50% of its peak value at a dispersant to oil ratio of about 1:20 and near zero at a ratio of about 1:50

Revision of species of Minerisporites, Azolla and associated plant microfossils from deposits of the Upper Palaeocene and Palaeocene/Eocene transition in the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Batten, D J.; Collinson, M E.

2001-05-01

Species of the megaspore genus Minerisporites Potonié, megaspore apparatuses of species of the water fern Azolla Lamarck, and some associated organic-walled microfossils recovered from deposits of the Upper Palaeocene and Palaeocene/Eocene transition in the southern part of the Netherlands and neighbouring Belgium are redescribed on the basis of an examination of specimens under scanning and transmission electron microscopes. Originally studied about 40 years ago by S.J. Dijkstra, the re-examination has enabled emended diagnoses to be produced for six taxa: Minerisporites glossoferus (Dijkstra) Tschudy, M. mirabilis (Miner) Potonié, M. mirabilissimus (Dijkstra) Potonié, Azolla schopfii Dijkstra, A. teschiana Florschütz, and A. velus (Dijkstra) Jain and Hall. In addition, a revised description is provided for massulae of Salvinia Séguier that were originally thought to be megaspores and, hence, named by Dijkstra as Triletes? exiguus. The gross morphology and construction of the exospore of the species of Minerisporites are similar, but nevertheless sufficiently distinct for them to be maintained as separate taxa. Monolete microspores are preserved in hollows in the reticulate surface of some of the specimens of M. mirabilissimus. This is consistent with the presumed isoetalean affinity of Minerisporites. An apparent stratigraphic morphocline from M. glossoferus to M. mirabilis, suggested previously, is confirmed following our reassessment of their characteristics. The species of Azolla are all multi-floated, but they differ from each other in several ways, in particular with respect to the ultrastructure of the megaspore wall. They are also distinct from all other species that have been considered in sufficient detail for satisfactory comparisons to be made. The massulae of A. teschiana are described for the first time. The floats in A. velus are attached to the proximal part of the megaspore only by suprafilosal hairs. There are no maniculae. It is argued that

Effects of Small Oscillations on the Effective Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotroneo, V.; Conconi, P.; Pareschi, G.; Spiga, D.; Tagliaferri, G.; Cusumano, G.

2009-01-01

We analyze the effective area of the Simbol-X mirrors as a function of the off-axis angle for small oscillations. A reduction is expected due to: 1) geometrical effects, because some of the photons miss the secondary mirror surface; 2) reflectivity effects, caused by the variation of the coating reflectivity with the incidence angle. The former are related to the length of the two mirror surfaces, and can be reduced by making the secondary mirror longer. The second ones are energy-dependent, and strongly related to the characteristics of the reflecting coating. These effects are analyzed by means of ray-tracing simulations in order to optimize the mirror and coating design, aiming to improve the effective area stability.

Effects of Small Oscillations on the Effective Area

Science.gov (United States)

Cotroneo, V.; Conconi, P.; Cusumano, G.; Pareschi, G.; Spiga, D.; Tagliaferri, G.

2009-05-01

We analyze the effective area of the Simbol-X mirrors as a function of the off-axis angle for small oscillations. A reduction is expected due to: 1) geometrical effects, because some of the photons miss the secondary mirror surface; 2) reflectivity effects, caused by the variation of the coating reflectivity with the incidence angle. The former are related to the length of the two mirror surfaces, and can be reduced by making the secondary mirror longer. The second ones are energy-dependent, and strongly related to the characteristics of the reflecting coating. These effects are analyzed by means of ray-tracing simulations in order to optimize the mirror and coating design, aiming to improve the effective area stability.

Separating Gender Composition Effects from Peer Effects in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Jahanshahi, Babak

2017-01-01

This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of controlling for endogenous peer effects in estimating the influence of gender peer effects on educational outcomes. Using Manski's linear-in-means model, this paper illustrates that the estimation of gender peer effects is potentially biased in the presence of endogenous peer effect in education.…

Principles of resource-effectiveness and regulatory-effectiveness for risk-informed applications: Reducing burdens by improving effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vesely, W.E.

1999-01-01

Principles of resource-effectiveness and regulatory-effectiveness are presented which systematically compare the resources expended on a requirement or activity versus its risk importance. To evaluate resource-effectiveness and regulatory-effectiveness, cost-benefit analysis principles are generalized to resource versus risk importance principles. It is shown that by applying resource-importance analyses, current requirements and activities can be systematically evaluated for their resource-effectiveness and their risk-consistency. Strategies can then be developed to maximize both resource-effectiveness and risk-consistency which reduces unnecessary burdens while maintaining risk or reducing risk. The principles, approaches, and implementation schemes which are presented provide a systematic process for evaluating and optimizing resource-effectiveness and regulatory-effectiveness. The illustrations that are presented show that current NRC and industry actions are not resource-effective. By improving their resource-effectiveness and risk-consistency, significant burden reductions are achievable while risk, e.g. core damage frequency, is maintained or is reduced. The illustrations show that by optimizing industry resources and NRC resources with regard to their risk-effectiveness, significant burden reductions are achievable for both the industry and NRC. Algorithms and software exist for broad-scale implementations. Because of the burden reductions which are identified and the improvements in risk-consistency which result, resource-importance analysis should be the first step in risk-informed applications. Resource-importance analysis is so important and can provide such large benefits that it needs to be carried out on all current requirements that are addressed by risk-informed applications

Reversing the similarity effect: The effect of presentation format.

Science.gov (United States)

Cataldo, Andrea M; Cohen, Andrew L

2018-06-01

A context effect is a change in preference that occurs when alternatives are added to a choice set. Models of preferential choice that account for context effects largely assume a within-dimension comparison process. It has been shown, however, that the format in which a choice set is presented can influence comparison strategies. That is, a by-alternative or by-dimension grouping of the dimension values encourage within-alternative or within-dimension comparisons, respectively. For example, one classic context effect, the compromise effect, is strengthened by a by-dimension presentation format. Extrapolation from this result suggests that a second context effect, the similarity effect, will actually reverse when stimuli are presented in a by-dimension format. In the current study, we presented participants with a series of apartment choice sets designed to elicit the similarity effect, with either a by-alternative or by-dimension presentation format. Participants in the by-alternative condition demonstrated a standard similarity effect; however, participants in the by-dimension condition demonstrated a strong reverse similarity effect. The present data can be accounted for by Multialternative Decision Field Theory (MDFT) and the Multiattribute Linear Ballistic Accumulator (MLBA), but not Elimination by Aspects (EBA). Indeed, when some weak assumptions of within-dimension processes are met, MDFT and the MLBA predict the reverse similarity effect. These modeling results suggest that the similarity effect is governed by either forgetting and inhibition (MDFT), or attention to positive or negative differences (MLBA). These results demonstrate that flexibility in the comparison process needs to be incorporated into theories of preferential choice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Side Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Side effects are problems that occur when cancer treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Learn about side effects caused by cancer treatment. Know what signs and symptoms to call your doctor about. Learn about treatments for side effects.

Anticipation of delayed action-effects: learning when an effect occurs, without knowing what this effect will be.

Science.gov (United States)

Dignath, David; Janczyk, Markus

2017-09-01

According to the ideomotor principle, behavior is controlled via a retrieval of the sensory consequences that will follow from the respective movement ("action-effects"). These consequences include not only what will happen, but also when something will happen. In fact, recollecting the temporal duration between response and effect takes time and prolongs the initiation of the response. We investigated the associative structure of action-effect learning with delayed effects and asked whether participants acquire integrated action-time-effect episodes that comprise a compound of all three elements or whether they acquire separate traces that connect actions to the time until an effect occurs and actions to the effects that follow them. In three experiments, results showed that participants retrieve temporal intervals that follow from their actions even when the identity of the effect could not be learned. Furthermore, retrieval of temporal intervals in isolation was not inferior to retrieval of temporal intervals that were consistently followed by predictable action-effects. More specifically, when tested under extinction, retrieval of action-time and action-identity associations seems to compete against each other, similar to overshadowing effects reported for stimulus-response conditioning. Together, these results suggest that people anticipate when the consequences of their action will occur, independently from what the consequences will be.

Quark and pion effective couplings from polarization effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braghin, Fabio L. [Federal University of Goias, Instituto de Fisica, Goiania, GO (Brazil)

2016-05-15

A flavor SU(2) effective model for pions and quarks is derived by considering polarization effects departing from the usual quark-quark effective interaction induced by dressed gluon exchange, i.e. a global color model for QCD. For that, the quark field is decomposed into a component that yields light mesons and the quark-antiquark condensate, being integrated out by means of the auxiliary field method, and another component which yields constituent quarks, which is basically a background quark field. Within a long-wavelength and weak quark field expansion (or large quark effective mass expansion) of a quark determinant, the leading terms are found up to the second order in a zero-order derivative expansion, by neglecting vector mesons that are considerably heavier than the pion. Pions are considered in the structureless limit and, besides the chiral invariant terms that reproduce previously derived expressions, symmetry breaking terms are also presented. The leading chiral quark-quark effective couplings are also found corresponding to a NJL and a vector-NJL couplings. All the resulting effective coupling constants and parameters are expressed in terms of the current and constituent quark masses and of the coupling g. (orig.)

"Further Effects"

Science.gov (United States)

Kinigstein, Steven Michael

In writing Further Effects, I intended to illustrate the benefits that are to be had from the use of effects - processing, when applied at the compositional level, rather than as a post-compositional afterthought. When effects are used creatively in the compositional stage, they will influence the very nature of a piece. They are capable of expressing rhythmic and metric ideas. They can alter the natural timbre of an instrument. This can be done on levels of abstraction ranging from discreet subtlety to disguise beyond recognition. There is one effect (known as "pitch shift.") that allows an instrument to play pitches that are well outside of its range. In Further Effects, I direct the performers to use a volume pedal (which I view as a tool, rather than an effect) for the broadened creative use of dynamics that it so efficiently grants. The use of an effects processor and volume pedal creates a need for ancillary equipment. An amplifier, cables, and an electric hook-up (a microphone or a pickup) will be required for each instrument. While an amplifier serves to project the processed sound, there must also be a device or method to suppress unprocessed sound. A great deal of thought and work goes into the use of effects; yet I feel it is wasteful to use this musical resource merely as post-compositional decoration.

Phosphorene nanoribbons: Passivation effect on bandgap and effective mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Li-Chun; Song, Xian-Jiang; Yang, Zhi; Cao, Ling; Liu, Rui-Ping; Li, Xiu-Yan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hydrogenation and fluorination can passivate the metallic edge states of zPNRs. • The bandgap of each type of zPNRs decreases as the ribbon's width increases duo to the quantum confinement effect. • Two local configurations of passivated atoms can coexist in nanoribbons and affect the bandgap of narrow nanoribbons. • New passivation configuration can effectively reduce the effective mass of electrons. - Abstract: The edge passivation effect of phosphorene nanoribbons is systematically investigated using density functional theory. Hydrogen and fluorine atoms passivate the metallic edge states of nanoribbons and can open a bandgap up to 2.25 eV. The two configurations of passivated atoms can exist at two edges and affect the bandgap of narrow nanoribbons. The bandgap of each type of zPNRs decreases as the ribbon's width increases, which can be attributed to the quantum confinement effect. The new configuration, named C b , can effectively reduce the effective mass of electrons, which benefits the future design of phosphorene-based electronic devices

Phosphorene nanoribbons: Passivation effect on bandgap and effective mass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Li-Chun, E-mail: xulichun@tyut.edu.cn; Song, Xian-Jiang; Yang, Zhi; Cao, Ling; Liu, Rui-Ping; Li, Xiu-Yan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hydrogenation and fluorination can passivate the metallic edge states of zPNRs. • The bandgap of each type of zPNRs decreases as the ribbon's width increases duo to the quantum confinement effect. • Two local configurations of passivated atoms can coexist in nanoribbons and affect the bandgap of narrow nanoribbons. • New passivation configuration can effectively reduce the effective mass of electrons. - Abstract: The edge passivation effect of phosphorene nanoribbons is systematically investigated using density functional theory. Hydrogen and fluorine atoms passivate the metallic edge states of nanoribbons and can open a bandgap up to 2.25 eV. The two configurations of passivated atoms can exist at two edges and affect the bandgap of narrow nanoribbons. The bandgap of each type of zPNRs decreases as the ribbon's width increases, which can be attributed to the quantum confinement effect. The new configuration, named C{sub b}, can effectively reduce the effective mass of electrons, which benefits the future design of phosphorene-based electronic devices.

Effect of ethical leadership and climate on effectiveness

OpenAIRE

Amos S. Engelbrecht; Janneke Wolmarans; Bright Mahembe

2017-01-01

Orientation: The increasing prevalence of theft, sabotage and other deviant behaviours in the workplace has disastrous effects for organisations, such as lowered effectiveness, escalated costs and the organisation’s declining reputation. Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to design and investigate the relationships among perceived leader effectiveness, ethical climate and ethical leadership. A further objective of the investigation was to validate a conceptual model clarify...

Colossal magnetodielectric effect caused by magnetoelectric effect ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

-D laminate composite under low magnetic field. When the composite is placed in an external a.c. magnetic field, magnetoelectric effect is produced, as a result, the dielectric properties of the Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 is changed, i.e. magnetodielectric effect ...

Effects of the Educational Leadership of Nursing Unit Managers on Team Effectiveness: Mediating Effects of Organizational Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Eun Ha; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Kim, Pil Bong

2018-03-31

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF NURSING UNIT MANAGERS ON TEAM EFFECTIVENESS: Mediating Effects of Organizational Communication Satisfaction. This study identifies the effects of the educational leadership of nursing unit managers on team effectiveness and the mediating effects of organizational communication satisfaction; it highlights the importance of educational leadership and organizational communication and provides the data needed to enhance the education capacity of managers. The participants were 216 nursing unit managers of staff nurses at a tertiary hospital located in C Region, South Korea, and nurses who had worked for more than six months at the same hospital. This study was conducted using questionnaires on educational leadership, team effectiveness, and organizational communication satisfaction. Data analysis was performed with a t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and simple and multiple regression analyses using SPSS version 23.0. Mediation analysis was tested using Baron and Kenny's regression analysis and a Sobel test. The mean score for the educational leadership of nursing unit managers was 3.74(±0.68); for organizational communication satisfaction, 3.14(±0.51); and for team effectiveness, 3.52(±0.49). Educational leadership was significantly positively correlated with team effectiveness and organizational communication satisfaction. Organizational communication satisfaction demonstrated a complete mediating effect on the relationship between educational leadership and team effectiveness (β=.61, pcommunication satisfaction among nurses; this supports the idea that educational leadership can contribute to team effectiveness. This suggests that the educational leadership and communication capacity of nursing unit managers must be improved to enhance the performance of nursing organizations. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Spiritual Values and Spiritual Practices: Interactive Effects on Leadership Effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zakiyulfikri Ali

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The relationship between spirituality and leadership effectiveness has been discussed over decades. These relations have been separated in two big perspective—first, an esoteric realm of intangible ideas and emotions; and second, a practical area and scientific inquiry. This research tries to integrate these two different perspectives. Specifically, this research examines the effects of spiritual values and spiritual practices on leadership effectiveness. The findings indicate that spiritual values and spiritual practices have positive effects on leadership effectiveness. This research also shows that spiritual values and spiritual practices have interactive effects on leadership effectiveness. This result implies that organizations should enhance the spiritual values and practices. Discussion, practical, and theoretical implications for further researches are offered. DOI: 10.15408/etk.v17i1.6497

Effects and side effects of inspections and accountability in education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Wolff, I.; Janssens, F.

2005-01-01

This paper presents an overview of studies into effects and side effects of control mechanisms in education. We focus on effects and side effects of inspection visits and public performance indicators. A first conclusion is that the studies do not provide us with a clear answer to the question of

The MSW Effect and Matter Effects in Neutrino Oscillations

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnov, A. Yu.

2006-03-01

The MSW (Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein) effect is the adiabatic or partially adiabatic neutrino flavor conversion in media with varying density. The main notions related to the effect, its dynamics and physical picture are reviewed. The large mixing MSW effect is realized inside the Sun providing a solution of the solar neutrino problem. The small mixing MSW effect driven by the 1-3 mixing can be realized for the supernova (SN) neutrinos. Inside collapsing stars new elements of the MSW dynamics may show up: non-oscillatory transition, non-adiabatic conversion, time dependent adiabaticity violation induced by shock waves. Effects of the resonance enhancement and the parametric enhancement of oscillations can be realized for atmospheric and accelerator neutrinos in the Earth. Precise results for neutrino oscillations in low density media with arbitrary density profile are presented and the attenuation effect is described. The area of applications is the solar and SN neutrinos inside the Earth, and the results are crucial for the neutrino oscillation tomography.

Effects of Anesthesia

Science.gov (United States)

... About Policymakers Media ASA Member Toolkit Anesthesia 101 Effects of Anesthesia Explore this page: Effects of Anesthesia ... the types of anesthesia and their side effects? Effects of Anesthesia If you’re having surgery, you ...

Foreknowledge, Caring, and the Side-Effect Effect in Young Children

Science.gov (United States)

Pellizzoni, Sandra; Siegal, Michael; Surian, Luca

2009-01-01

Children and adults often judge that the side effects of the actions of an uncaring story agent have been intentional if the effects are harmful but not if these are beneficial, creating an asymmetrical "side-effect" effect. The authors report 3 experiments involving 4- and 5-year-olds (N = 188) designed to clarify the role of foreknowledge and…

Possible oxidative effects of isotretinoin and modulatory effects of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... in the treatment of nodular cystic acne and as an inhibitor of proliferation of neoplastic cells, by exerting a regulatory effect on the cell differentiation. This study aimed at investigating the possible oxidative effects of ITN and modulatory effects of vitamins A and C in mutant and non-mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

Effect of ethical leadership and climate on effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amos S. Engelbrecht

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Orientation: The increasing prevalence of theft, sabotage and other deviant behaviours in the workplace has disastrous effects for organisations, such as lowered effectiveness, escalated costs and the organisation’s declining reputation. Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to design and investigate the relationships among perceived leader effectiveness, ethical climate and ethical leadership. A further objective of the investigation was to validate a conceptual model clarifying the structural associations among the latent constructs in the South African corporate domain. Motivation for the study: A successful leader is both an ethical and an effective leader. An organisation’s leadership is seen as the most critical element in establishing and maintaining an ethical climate in organisations. Research design, approach and method: A convenient and multi-cultural sample comprised of 224 employees from various organisations in South Africa. The structure and content of the variables were analysed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, beside item analysis. Main findings: Satisfactory reliability was found for all the measurement scales. The results of CFA demonstrated acceptable fit with the data for the refined measurement and structural models. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM indicated positive relationships among ethical leadership, ethical climate and leader effectiveness. Practical implications: Organisational leaders should take full responsibility for cultivating ethics through ethical leader behaviour and an ethical climate. By reinforcing these aspects, perceived leader effectiveness can be advanced, which will ultimately decrease corruption and other forms of counterproductive behaviour in South African organisations. Contribution: The study provides further theoretical and empirical evidence that leadership effectiveness can be realised through instilling an ethical organisational climate in which

Spread effects - methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Diffusion of technology, environmental effects and rebound effects are the principal effects from the funding of renewable energy and energy economising. It is difficult to estimate the impact of the spread effects both prior to the measures are implemented and after the measures are carried out. Statistical methods can be used to estimate the spread effects, but they are insecure and always need to be complemented with qualitative and subjective evaluations. It is more adequate to evaluate potential spread effects from market and market data surveillance for a selection of technologies and parties. Based on this information qualitative indicators for spread effects can be constructed and used both ex ante and ex post (ml)

Effect of hole imperfection on adiabatic film cooling effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovanovic, M.B.; Lange, H.C.; Steenhoven, A.A. van

2008-01-01

The influence of a discrete imperfection on film cooling is studied by means of thermochromic liquid crystals measurements of the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness. As a benchmark, the effect of a jet ejected through a perfect hole is used. The film cooling effectiveness achieved with an imperfect hole is compared to the benchmark. A half torus plays the role of the discrete imperfection. The influence of the presence of the imperfection, its position and the turbulence intensity of the free stream are analyzed. The measurement data are depicted as two-dimensional plots but also as integral values. It is found that the imperfection, placed one diameter from the hole leading edge, deteriorates the effectiveness at moderate velocity ratios. Under the same conditions, the same imperfection fixed at the hole exit improves the effectiveness. At the velocity ratio of 1.50, the exit imperfection improves the integral effectiveness relatively for more than two times. The turbulence intensity and imperfections placed deeper in the hole do not have a significant influence

Representation of states on effect-tribes and effect algebras by integrals

Science.gov (United States)

Dvurečenskij, Anatolij

2011-02-01

We describe σ-additive states on effect-tribes by integrals. Effect-tribes are monotone σ-complete effect algebras of functions where operations are defined pointwise. Then we show that every state on an effect algebra is an integral through a Borel regular probability measure. Finally, we show that every σ-convex combination of extremal states on a monotone σ-complete effect algebra is a Jauch-Piron state.

[Effective delegation].

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Li; Hung, Chich-Hsiu

2008-12-01

Ninety-seven percent of middle level managers feel they face work overload. The source of this problem may lie in a failure to delegate tasks effectively. If a manager does not effectively delegate, he/she is more likely to report fatigue, stress and depression. Conversely, effectively delegating tasks will improve overall job quality, professional growth in subordinates and cooperation within the team. While it is necessary for managers to delegate tasks effectively, few can be considered to be good natural 'delegators'. Learning and training is necessary for managers to develop the necessary confidence and maturity. This article describes the definitions, purpose and benefits of delegation; factors related to effective delegation; strategies related to successful delegation and skills related to performing cross-cultural delegations. Such issues have seldom been addressed in previous articles. Moreover, nursing implications and suggested applications in nursing practice, education, management and research are mentioned. This article is intended to provide directions to nursing managers and subordinates to promote delegation knowledge and skills.

Systems effectiveness

CERN Document Server

Habayeb, A R

1987-01-01

Highlights three principal applications of system effectiveness: hardware system evaluation, organizational development and evaluation, and conflict analysis. The text emphasizes the commonality of the system effectiveness discipline. The first part of the work presents a framework for system effectiveness, partitioning and hierarchy of hardware systems. The second part covers the structure, hierarchy, states, functions and activities of organizations. Contains an extended Appendix on mathematical concepts and also several project suggestions.

The effective action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeWitt, B.

1987-01-01

The concept of the effective action in quantum field theory was introduced into physics by Julian Schwinger in 1954. The effective action summarizes, in a single functional, all the quantum properties of the fields under consideration. The functional derivative of the effective action yields the effective field equations, which replace the classical field equations as descriptors of the dynamical behavior of quantized fields. Solutions of these equations are 'in-out' matrix elements of the field operators and, when substituted back into the effective action itself, yield logarithms of the corresponding 'in-out' amplitudes. The classical field equations are gauge covariant, a fact that derives from the gauge invariance of the classical action. One has learned how to construct effective actions that are similarly gauge invariant (in each order of perturbation theory) and that yield effective field equations having the covariance properties of their classical analogs. Despite this advance, problems remain, stemming from the fact that there is not one but an infinite number of gauge invariant effective actions, one for every background-covariant choice of supplementary conditions and ghost fields. Vilkovisky (1984) has argued persuasively that by requiring additionally that the effective action be invariant under local invertible changes in the choice of basic field variables, one can construct a natural unique gauge invariant effective action. This lecture will examine Vilkovisky's ideas. 3 refs

Competencies and leadership effectiveness: Which skills predict effective leadership?

OpenAIRE

Vaculík Martin; Procházka Jakub; Smutný Petr

2014-01-01

This study explores the relationship between leadership effectiveness and generic and stable competencies. Task- related, people-related and self-related competencies were examined as predictors of leadership effectiveness as measured by four different criteria: group performance, leader effectiveness, leadership emergence and leadership self–efficacy. 134 top managers were evaluated by 2,482 subordinates after a four-month management simulation game. Task-related competencies were shown to b...

Het effect van herhaalde versus nieuwe vragen in het testing-effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dirkx, Kim; Kester, Liesbeth; Kirschner, Paul A.

2012-01-01

Dirkx, K. J. H., Kester, L., & Kirschner, P. A. (2012, 22 June). Het effect van herhaalde versus nieuwe vragen in het testing-effect. [The effects of repeated versus new questions in the testing-effect]. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Onderwijs Research Dagen [Educational Research

Genetic Allee effects and their interaction with ecological Allee effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittmann, Meike J; Stuis, Hanna; Metzler, Dirk

2018-01-01

It is now widely accepted that genetic processes such as inbreeding depression and loss of genetic variation can increase the extinction risk of small populations. However, it is generally unclear whether extinction risk from genetic causes gradually increases with decreasing population size or whether there is a sharp transition around a specific threshold population size. In the ecological literature, such threshold phenomena are called 'strong Allee effects' and they can arise for example from mate limitation in small populations. In this study, we aim to (i) develop a meaningful notion of a 'strong genetic Allee effect', (ii) explore whether and under what conditions such an effect can arise from inbreeding depression due to recessive deleterious mutations, and (iii) quantify the interaction of potential genetic Allee effects with the well-known mate-finding Allee effect. We define a strong genetic Allee effect as a genetic process that causes a population's survival probability to be a sigmoid function of its initial size. The inflection point of this function defines the critical population size. To characterize survival-probability curves, we develop and analyse simple stochastic models for the ecology and genetics of small populations. Our results indicate that inbreeding depression can indeed cause a strong genetic Allee effect, but only if individuals carry sufficiently many deleterious mutations (lethal equivalents). Populations suffering from a genetic Allee effect often first grow, then decline as inbreeding depression sets in and then potentially recover as deleterious mutations are purged. Critical population sizes of ecological and genetic Allee effects appear to be often additive, but even superadditive interactions are possible. Many published estimates for the number of lethal equivalents in birds and mammals fall in the parameter range where strong genetic Allee effects are expected. Unfortunately, extinction risk due to genetic Allee effects

Nucleon effective mass effects on the Pauli-blocking function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pina, S.R. de; Mesa, J.; Deppman, A.; Arruda-Neto, J.D.T.; Duarte, S.B.; Oliveira, E.C. de; Tavares, O.A.P.; Medeiros, E.L.; Goncalves, M.; Paiva, E. de

2002-01-01

The effects of nucleon effective mass on the Pauli-blocking function are worked out. We have shown that such effects on the quasi-deuteron mechanism of photonuclear absorption are rather relevant. The Pauli-blocking function has been evaluated by applying a Monte Carlo calculation particularly suitable for simulation of intranuclear cascade processes of intermediate-energy nuclear reactions. The nucleon binding in the photonuclear absorption mechanism is taken into account accordingly. (author)

Nucleon effective mass effects on the Pauli-blocking function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pina, S.R. de; Mesa, J.; Deppman, A.; Arruda-Neto, J.D.T.; Goncalves, M.; Paiva, E. de

2002-05-01

The effects of nucleon effective mass on the Pauli-blocking function are worked out. We have shown that such effects on the quasi-deuteron mechanism of photonuclear absorption are rather relevant. The pauli-blocking function has been evaluated by applying a Monte Carlo calculation particularly suitable for simulation of intranuclear cascade process of intermediate-energy nuclear reactions. The nucleon binding in the photonuclear absorption mechanism is accordingly taken into account. (author)

Similarities between the irrelevant sound effect and the suffix effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanley, J Richard; Bourgaize, Jake

2018-03-29

Although articulatory suppression abolishes the effect of irrelevant sound (ISE) on serial recall when sequences are presented visually, the effect persists with auditory presentation of list items. Two experiments were designed to test the claim that, when articulation is suppressed, the effect of irrelevant sound on the retention of auditory lists resembles a suffix effect. A suffix is a spoken word that immediately follows the final item in a list. Even though participants are told to ignore it, the suffix impairs serial recall of auditory lists. In Experiment 1, the irrelevant sound consisted of instrumental music. The music generated a significant ISE that was abolished by articulatory suppression. It therefore appears that, when articulation is suppressed, irrelevant sound must contain speech for it to have any effect on recall. This is consistent with what is known about the suffix effect. In Experiment 2, the effect of irrelevant sound under articulatory suppression was greater when the irrelevant sound was spoken by the same voice that presented the list items. This outcome is again consistent with the known characteristics of the suffix effect. It therefore appears that, when rehearsal is suppressed, irrelevant sound disrupts the acoustic-perceptual encoding of auditorily presented list items. There is no evidence that the persistence of the ISE under suppression is a result of interference to the representation of list items in a postcategorical phonological store.

Mitigating cyanobacterial blooms: how effective are 'effective microorganisms'?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lürling, M.F.L.L.W.; Tolman, Y.; Euwe, M.

2009-01-01

This study examined the effects of 'Effective Microorganisms (EM)' on the growth of cyanobacteria, and their ability to terminate cyanobacterial blooms. The EM was tested in the form of 'mudballs' or 'Bokashi-balls', and as a suspension (EM-A) in laboratory experiments. No growth inhibition was

Effective 1.0: An Analytic Effective Action Analysis Library

OpenAIRE

Hetherington, James P. J.; Stephens, Philip

2006-01-01

Effective is a C++ library which provides the user a toolbox to study the effective action of an arbitrary field theory. From the field content, gauge groups and representations an appropriate action is generated symbolically. The effective potential, mass spectrum, field couplings and vacuum expectation values are then obtained automatically; tree level results are obtained analytically while many tools, both numeric and analytic, provide a variety of approaches to deal with the one-loop cor...

The joint flanker effect and the joint Simon effect: On the comparability of processes underlying joint compatibility effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Dittrich, Kerstin; Bossert, Marie-Luise; Rothe-Wulf, Annelie; Klauer, Karl Christoph

2017-09-01

Previous studies observed compatibility effects in different interference paradigms such as the Simon and flanker task even when the task was distributed across two co-actors. In both Simon and flanker tasks, performance is improved in compatible trials relative to incompatible trials if one actor works on the task alone as well as if two co-actors share the task. These findings have been taken to indicate that actors automatically co-represent their co-actor's task. However, recent research on the joint Simon and joint flanker effect suggests alternative non-social interpretations. To which degree both joint effects are driven by the same underlying processes is the question of the present study, and it was scrutinized by manipulating the visibility of the co-actor. While the joint Simon effect was not affected by the visibility of the co-actor, the joint flanker effect was reduced when participants did not see their co-actors but knew where the co-actors were seated. These findings provide further evidence for a spatial interpretation of the joint Simon effect. In contrast to recent claims, however, we propose a new explanation of the joint flanker effect that attributes the effect to an impairment in the focusing of spatial attention contingent on the visibility of the co-actor.

Biological radiation effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomes, R.A.

1976-01-01

The stages of processes leading to radiation damage are studied, as well as, the direct and indirect mechanics of its production. The radiation effects on nucleic acid and protein macro moleculas are treated. The physical and chemical factors that modify radiosensibility are analysed, in particular the oxygen effects, the sensibilization by analogues of nitrogen bases, post-effects, chemical protection and inherent cell factors. Consideration is given to restoration processes by excision of injured fragments, the bloching of the excision restoration processes, the restoration of lesions caused by ionizing radiations and to the restoration by genetic recombination. Referring to somatic effects of radiation, the early ones and the acute syndrome of radiation are discussed. The difference of radiosensibility observed in mammalian cells and main observable alterations in tissues and organs are commented. Referring to delayed radiation effects, carcinogeneses, alterations of life span, effects on growth and development, as well as localized effects, are also discussed [pt

Placebo Effect

Science.gov (United States)

... C. Spencer, MD Steven Karceski, MD The placebo effect Joseph H. Friedman, MD Richard Dubinsky, MD WHAT ... placebo: a “dummy” medication that should have no effect on the condition. Placebos are not only drugs. ...

Effect of effective microorganisms on broiler chicken performance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was conducted between January and March 2001 to assess the effects of Effective Microorganisms (EM) as feed additive in broiler chicken production on growth performance. The experiment involved 210 day-old broiler chicks which were randomly allocated to 14 pens of 15 birds each. There were seven ...

Biological radiation effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiefer, J.

1989-01-01

The book covers all aspects of biological radiation effects. The physical basis is dealt with in some detail, and the effects at the subcellular and the cellular level are discussed, taking into account modern developments and techniques. The effects on the human organism are reviewed, both from the point of view of applications in medicine as well as with regard to radiation hazards (teratogenic, gonadal and carcinogenic effects)

Biological effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trott, K.R.

1973-01-01

Following an introduction into the field of cellular radiation effect considering the most important experimental results, the biological significance of the colony formation ability is brought out. The inactivation concept of stem cells does not only prove to be good, according to the present results, in the interpretation of the pathogenesis of acute radiation effects on moult tissue, it also enables chronicle radiation injuries to be interpreted through changes in the fibrous part of the organs. Radiation therapy of tumours can also be explained to a large extent by the radiation effect on the unlimited reproductiveness of tumour cells. The more or less similar dose effect curves for healthy and tumour tissue in practice lead to intermittent irradiation. The dependence of the intermittent doses and intervals on factors such as Elkind recovery, synchronisation, redistribution, reoxygenation, repopulation and regeneration are reviewed. (ORU/LH) [de

Modeling quantization effects in field effect transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troger, C.

2001-06-01

Numerical simulation in the field of semiconductor device development advanced to a valuable, cost-effective and flexible facility. The most widely used simulators are based on classical models, as they need to satisfy time and memory constraints. To improve the performance of field effect transistors such as MOSFETs and HEMTs these devices are continuously scaled down in their dimensions. Consequently the characteristics of such devices are getting more and more determined by quantum mechanical effects arising from strong transversal fields in the channel. In this work an approach based on a two-dimensional electron gas is used to describe the confinement of the carriers. Quantization is considered in one direction only. For the derivation of a one-dimensional Schroedinger equation in the effective mass framework a non-parabolic correction for the energy dispersion due to Kane is included. For each subband a non-parabolic dispersion relation characterized by subband masses and subband non-parabolicity coefficients is introduced and the parameters are calculated via perturbation theory. The method described in this work has been implemented in a software tool that performs a self-consistent solution of Schroedinger- and Poisson-equation for a one-dimensional cut through a MOS structure or heterostructure. The calculation of the carrier densities is performed assuming Fermi-Dirac statistics. In the case of a MOS structure a metal or a polysilicon gate is considered and an arbitrary gate bulk voltage can be applied. This allows investigating quantum mechanical effects in capacity calculations, to compare the simulated data with measured CV curves and to evaluate the results obtained with a quantum mechanical correction for the classical electron density. The behavior of the defined subband parameters is compared to the value of the mass and the non-parabolicity coefficient from the model due to Kane. Finally the presented characterization of the subbands is applied

The electromagnetic wave energy effect(s) in microwave-assisted organic syntheses (MAOS).

Science.gov (United States)

Horikoshi, Satoshi; Watanabe, Tomoki; Narita, Atsushi; Suzuki, Yumiko; Serpone, Nick

2018-03-26

Organic reactions driven by microwaves have been subjected for several years to some enigmatic phenomenon referred to as the microwave effect, an effect often mentioned in microwave chemistry but seldom understood. We identify this microwave effect as an electromagnetic wave effect that influences many chemical reactions. In this article, we demonstrate its existence using three different types of microwave generators with dissimilar oscillation characteristics. We show that this effect is operative in photocatalyzed TiO 2 reactions; it negatively influences electro-conductive catalyzed reactions, and yet has but a negligible effect on organic syntheses. The relationship between this electromagnetic wave effect and chemical reactions is elucidated from such energetic considerations as the photon energy and the reactions' activation energies.

Intervals in Generalized Effect Algebras and their Sub-generalized Effect Algebras

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdenka Riečanová

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We consider subsets G of a generalized effect algebra E with 0∈G and such that every interval [0, q]G = [0, q]E ∩ G of G (q ∈ G , q ≠ 0 is a sub-effect algebra of the effect algebra [0, q]E. We give a condition on E and G under which every such G is a sub-generalized effect algebra of E.

The effect of dipolar interaction on the magnetic isotope effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mojaza, Matin; Pedersen, Jørgen Boiden; Lukzen, Nikita

2010-01-01

A multi-channel kinetic description is used to study the magnetic isotope effect (MIE) in zero magnetic field. The maximal isotope effect is equal to the number of channels, two for the hyperfine interaction but four for the electron spin dipole–dipole interaction of the intermediate radical pair....... Quantum mechanical calculations agree with these conclusion and show that large MIE may be obtained even in the presence of a strong exchange interaction. The observed magnesium isotope effect on the rate of enzymatic synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is approximately 3 implying that the dipolar...... interaction is responsible for the effect. Our calculations provide support for the proposed mechanism....

[Achromatic watercolor effect: about requirement of formation of sumi painting effect].

Science.gov (United States)

Takashima, Midori

2008-10-01

The watercolor effect (Pinna, Brelstaff, & Spillmann, 2001) is a new color spreading phenomenon. Pinna et al. (2001) proposed that the watercolor effect is a new Gestalt factor because it determines figure-ground organization more strongly than classical Gestalt factors. We used achroriatic watercolor patterns and varied the lightness of the background and two border lines to study the relationship between the color spreading effect and figure-ground organization. The results demonstrated (a)a bidirectional color spreading phenomenon when the background lightness was between the two border-lines' lightness, and that (b) some patterns elicit only a color spreading effect without organization of figure-ground, while others elicit only figure-ground organization without a color spreading effect.

Context Effects in Western Herbal Medicine: Fundamental to Effectiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, James

2016-01-01

Western herbal medicine (WHM) is a complex healthcare system that uses traditional plant-based medicines in patient care. Typical preparations are individualized polyherbal formulae that, unlike herbal pills, retain the odor and taste of whole herbs. Qualitative studies in WHM show patient-practitioner relationships to be collaborative. Health narratives are co-constructed, leading to assessments, and treatments with personal significance for participants. It is hypothesized that the distinct characteristics of traditional herbal preparations and patient-herbalist interactions, in conjunction with the WHM physical healthcare environment, evoke context (placebo) effects that are fundamental to the overall effectiveness of herbal treatment. These context effects may need to be minimized to demonstrate pharmacological efficacy of herbal formulae in randomized, placebo-controlled trials, optimized to demonstrate effectiveness of WHM in pragmatic trials, and consciously harnessed to enhance outcomes in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The greenhouse effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, A.

1991-01-01

The greenhouse effect on earth can be defined as the long wave energy trapped in the atmosphere. Climate forcing and climate system response within which climate feedback mechanisms are contained are determined. Quantitative examples illustrate what could happen if the greenhouse effect is perturbed by human activities, in particular if CO2 atmospheric concentration would double in the future. Recent satellite measurements of the greenhouse effect are given. The net cooling effect of clouds and whether or not there will be less cooling by clouds as the planet warms are also discussed

Effective field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, G.; Kalkreuter, T.; Palma, G.; Speh, M.

1992-05-01

Effective field theories encode the predictions of a quantum field theory at low energy. The effective theory has a fairly low utraviolet cutoff. As a result, loop corrections are small, at least if the effective action contains a term which is quadratic in the fields, and physical predictions can be read straight from the effective Lagrangean. Methods will be discussed how to compute an effective low energy action from a given fundamental action, either analytically or numerically, or by a combination of both methods. Basically, the idea is to integrate out the high frequency components of fields. This requires the choice of a 'blockspin', i.e. the specification af a low frequency field as a function of the fundamental fields. These blockspins will be fields of the effective field theory. The blockspin need not be a field of the same type as one of the fundamental fields, and it may be composite. Special features of blockspin in nonabelian gauge theories will be discussed in some detail. In analytical work and in multigrid updating schemes one needs interpolation kernels A from coarse to fine grid in addition to the averaging kernels C which determines the blockspin. A neural net strategy for finding optimal kernels is presented. Numerical methods are applicable to obtain actions of effective theories on lattices of finite volume. The special case of a 'lattice' with a single site (the constraint effective potential) is of particular interest. In a higgs model, the effective action reduces in this case to the free energy, considered as a function of a gauge covariant magnetization. Its shape determines the phase structure of the theory. Its loop expansion with and without gauge fields can be used to determine finite size corrections to numerical data. (orig.)

Effects of gamma irradiation on physiological effectiveness of Korean medicinal herbs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Myung-Woo; Yook, Hong-Sun; Kim, Kyong-Su; Chung, Cha-Kwon

1999-01-01

Effects of gamma irradiation on the physiological effectiveness of Korean medicinal herbs were investigated. The physiological effectiveness including antioxidant and anticomplement function, nitrite scavenging and electron donating ability of Korean medicinal herbs by gamma irradiation at 10 kGy did not differ from that of the nonirradiated control

Spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of Curcuma aromatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Meiqiong; Wu, Youjiao; Huang, Shushi; Liu, Huagang; Feng, Jie

2018-02-23

Curcuma aromatica is used as a traditional Chinese medicine, and it is mainly distributed in Guangxi, China. In this study, 10 batches of C. aromatica were collected from different origins in Guangxi. The fingerprints were established by HPLC technique to investigate the quality stability of C. aromatica. The spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica was assessed by similarity analysis, gray relational analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. From the results, the similarity values between each batch of C. aromatica and reference fingerprint were >0.880, indicating the good quality stability of the 10 batches of C. aromatica. Twenty common peaks were selected as the fingerprints to evaluate the quality and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica. The results of spectrum-effect relationship showed that peaks 10, 18, 13, 15 and 17 in the fingerprints were closely related to hypolipidemic effect. This study successfully established the spectrum-effect relationship between HPLC fingerprints and hypolipidemic effect of C. aromatica, which provided methods for quality control and more effectively studies on bioactive compounds of C. aromatica. It could also provide a new simple and effective method for utilizing the fingerprints to optimize the Chinese prescription and develop traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DAFX Digital Audio Effects

CERN Document Server

Zö

2011-01-01

The rapid development in various fields of Digital Audio Effects, or DAFX, has led to new algorithms and this second edition of the popular book, DAFX: Digital Audio Effects has been updated throughout to reflect progress in the field. It maintains a unique approach to DAFX with a lecture-style introduction into the basics of effect processing. Each effect description begins with the presentation of the physical and acoustical phenomena, an explanation of the signal processing techniques to achieve the effect, followed by a discussion of musical applications and the control of effect parameter

The effectiveness of communication skills and effective dialogue on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this study is analyzing the effectiveness of communication skills and effective dialogue on marital satisfaction and commitment of young couples. The research plan was the trueexperiment pre-test, post-test experimental and control groups. The statistical population was consisted of all couples (married less ...

Molecular mechanism of bystander effects and related abscopal/cohort effects in cancer therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei; Zuo, Li

2018-01-01

Cancer cells subjected to ionizing radiation may release signals which can influence nearby non-irradiated cells, termed bystander effects. The transmission of bystander effects among cancer cells involves the activation of inflammatory cytokines, death ligands, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. In addition to bystander effects, two other forms of non-target effects (NTEs) have been identified in radiotherapy, as one is called cohort effects and the other is called abscopal effects. Cohort effects represent the phenomenon where irradiated cells can produce signals that reduce the survival of neighboring cells within an irradiated volume. The effects suggest the importance of cellular communication under irradiation with non-uniform dose distribution. In contrast, abscopal effects describe the NTEs that typically occur in non-irradiated cells distant from an irradiated target. These effects can be mediated primarily by immune cells such as T cells. Clinical trials have shown that application of radiation along with immunotherapy may enhance abscopal effects and improve therapeutic efficacy on non-target lesions outside an irradiated field. According to NTEs, cell viability is reduced not only by direct irradiation effects, but also due to signals emitted from nearby irradiated cells. A clinical consideration of NTEs could have a revolutionary impact on current radiotherapy via the establishment of more efficient and less toxic radiobiological models for treatment planning compared to conventional models. Thus, we will review the most updated findings about these effects and outline their mechanisms and potential applications in cancer treatment with a special focus on the brain, lung, and breast cancers. PMID:29719632

Molecular mechanism of bystander effects and related abscopal/cohort effects in cancer therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rong; Zhou, Tingyang; Liu, Wei; Zuo, Li

2018-04-06

Cancer cells subjected to ionizing radiation may release signals which can influence nearby non-irradiated cells, termed bystander effects. The transmission of bystander effects among cancer cells involves the activation of inflammatory cytokines, death ligands, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. In addition to bystander effects, two other forms of non-target effects (NTEs) have been identified in radiotherapy, as one is called cohort effects and the other is called abscopal effects. Cohort effects represent the phenomenon where irradiated cells can produce signals that reduce the survival of neighboring cells within an irradiated volume. The effects suggest the importance of cellular communication under irradiation with non-uniform dose distribution. In contrast, abscopal effects describe the NTEs that typically occur in non-irradiated cells distant from an irradiated target. These effects can be mediated primarily by immune cells such as T cells. Clinical trials have shown that application of radiation along with immunotherapy may enhance abscopal effects and improve therapeutic efficacy on non-target lesions outside an irradiated field. According to NTEs, cell viability is reduced not only by direct irradiation effects, but also due to signals emitted from nearby irradiated cells. A clinical consideration of NTEs could have a revolutionary impact on current radiotherapy via the establishment of more efficient and less toxic radiobiological models for treatment planning compared to conventional models. Thus, we will review the most updated findings about these effects and outline their mechanisms and potential applications in cancer treatment with a special focus on the brain, lung, and breast cancers.

Casualties and threshold effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mays, C.W.; National Cancer Inst., Bethesda

1988-01-01

Radiation effects like cancer are denoted as casualties. Other radiation effects occur almost in everyone when the radiation dose is sufficiently high. One then speaks of radiation effects with a threshold dose. In this article the author puts his doubt about this classification of radiation effects. He argues that some effects of exposure to radiation do not fit in this classification. (H.W.). 19 refs.; 2 figs.; 1 tab

Experiences with effects specifications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Jesper; Hertzum, Morten; Barlach, Anders

2011-01-01

We describe the effects-specification process from a project that was conducted during the fall 2010 and spring of 2011 in this chapter. The project configured and implemented an electronic patient record system at a maternity ward at a hospital located in a European region. The process comprised...... workshops with effects specification with management and end-users and an agile development process including prototypes configured from the effects specifications. We describe the project and the effects-specification process through which effects were related to the system design and instruments...... for measuring effects were designed. The project is analyzed and lessons learned are discussed....

Biological effects of hyperthermia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okumura, Hiroshi

1980-01-01

Biological effects of hyperthermia and application of hyperthermia to cancer therapy were outlined. As to independent effects of hyperthermia, heat sensitivity of cancer cells, targets of hyperthermia, thermal tolerance of cancer cells, effects of pH on hyperthermic cell survival, effects of hyperthermia on normal tissues, and possibility of clinical application of hyperthermia were described. Combined effect of hyperthermia and x-irradiation to enhance radiosensitivity of cancer cells, its mechanism, effects of oxygen on cancer cells treated with hyperthermia and irradiation, and therapeutic ratio of combined hyperthermia and irradiation were also described. Finally, sensitizers were mentioned. (Tsunoda, M.)

Biological effects of radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This fourth chapter presents: cell structure and metabolism; radiation interaction with biological tissues; steps of the production of biological effect of radiation; radiosensitivity of tissues; classification of biological effects; reversibility, transmissivity and influence factors; pre-natal biological effects; biological effects in therapy and syndrome of acute irradiation

Isotope effects on nuclear shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, P.E.

1983-01-01

This review concentrates upon empirical trends and practical uses of mostly secondary isotope effects, both of the intrinsic and equilibrium types. The text and the tables are arranged in the following fashion. The most 'popular' isotope effect is treated first, deuterium isotope effects on 13 C nuclear shielding, followed by deuterium on 1 H nuclear shieldings, etc. Focus is thus on the isotopes producing the effect rather than on the nuclei suffering the effect. After a brief treatment of each type of isotope effect, general trends are dealt with. Basic trends of intrinsic isotope effects such as additivity, solvent effects, temperature effects, steric effects, substituent effects and hyperconjugation are discussed. Uses of isotope effects for assignment purposes, in stereochemical studies, in hydrogen bonding and in isotopic tracer studies are dealt with. Kinetic studies, especially of phosphates, are frequently performed by utilizing isotope effects. In addition, equilibrium isotope effects are treated in great detail as these are felt to be new and very important and may lead to new uses of isotope effects. Techniques used to obtain isotope effects are briefly surveyed at the end of the chapter. (author)

Spin Hall effects

Science.gov (United States)

Sinova, Jairo; Valenzuela, Sergio O.; Wunderlich, J.; Back, C. H.; Jungwirth, T.

2015-10-01

Spin Hall effects are a collection of relativistic spin-orbit coupling phenomena in which electrical currents can generate transverse spin currents and vice versa. Despite being observed only a decade ago, these effects are already ubiquitous within spintronics, as standard spin-current generators and detectors. Here the theoretical and experimental results that have established this subfield of spintronics are reviewed. The focus is on the results that have converged to give us the current understanding of the phenomena, which has evolved from a qualitative to a more quantitative measurement of spin currents and their associated spin accumulation. Within the experimental framework, optical-, transport-, and magnetization-dynamics-based measurements are reviewed and linked to both phenomenological and microscopic theories of the effect. Within the theoretical framework, the basic mechanisms in both the extrinsic and intrinsic regimes are reviewed, which are linked to the mechanisms present in their closely related phenomenon in ferromagnets, the anomalous Hall effect. Also reviewed is the connection to the phenomenological treatment based on spin-diffusion equations applicable to certain regimes, as well as the spin-pumping theory of spin generation used in many measurements of the spin Hall angle. A further connection to the spin-current-generating spin Hall effect to the inverse spin galvanic effect is given, in which an electrical current induces a nonequilibrium spin polarization. This effect often accompanies the spin Hall effect since they share common microscopic origins. Both can exhibit the same symmetries when present in structures comprising ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic layers through their induced current-driven spin torques or induced voltages. Although a short chronological overview of the evolution of the spin Hall effect field and the resolution of some early controversies is given, the main body of this review is structured from a pedagogical

Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in WMAP and its effect on cosmological parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huffenberger, Kevin M.; Seljak, Uros; Makarov, Alexey

2004-01-01

We use multifrequency information in first year Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe (WMAP) data to search for the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect. WMAP has sufficiently broad frequency coverage to constrain the SZ effect without the addition of higher frequency data: the SZ power spectrum amplitude is expected to increase 50% from W to Q frequency band. This, in combination with the low noise in WMAP, allows us to strongly constrain the SZ contribution. We derive an optimal frequency combination of WMAP cross-spectra to extract the SZ effect in the presence of noise, cosmic microwave background (CMB), and radio point sources, which are marginalized over. We find that the SZ contribution is less than 2% (95% C.L.) at the first acoustic peak in W band. Under the assumption that the removed radio point sources are not correlated with the SZ effect this limit implies σ 8 <1.07 at 95% C.L. We investigate the effect on the cosmological parameters of allowing an SZ component. We run Monte Carlo Markov chains with and without an SZ component and find that the addition of the SZ effect does not affect any of the cosmological conclusions. We conclude that the SZ effect does not contaminate the WMAP CMB or change cosmological parameters, refuting the recent claims that they may be corrupted

Second law comparison of single effect and double effect vapour absorption refrigeration systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomri, Rabah

2009-01-01

In this paper a comparative study between single effect and double effect absorption refrigeration systems with identical cold output is carried out. Simulation results were used to study the influence of the various operating parameters on the performance coefficient, the thermal loads of the components, exergetic efficiency (rational efficiency) and the total change in exergy of the two systems. It is concluded that the COP of double effect system is approximately twice the COP of single effect system but the exergetic efficiency of double effect system increase slightly compared to the exergetic efficiency of single effect system. It is found that for each condenser and evaporator temperature, there is an optimum generator temperature where the total change in exergy of the single effect and double effect absorption refrigeration systems is minimum. At this point the COP and exergetic efficiency of the systems become maximum. In this study and when the evaporation temperature is varied from 4 deg. C to 10 deg. C, condenser and absorber temperatures are varied from 33 deg. C to 39 deg. C and generator (HPG) temperature is varied from 60 deg. C to 190 deg. C the maximum COP values of the single effect refrigeration systems are in the range of 0.73-0.79 and for double effect refrigeration systems are in the range of 1.22-1.42. The maximum exergetic efficiency values of the single effect refrigeration systems are in the range of 12.5-23.2% and for double effect refrigeration systems are in the range of 14.3-25.1%.

Long-term and short-term action-effect links and their impact on effect monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Wirth, Robert; Steinhauser, Robert; Janczyk, Markus; Steinhauser, Marco; Kunde, Wilfried

2018-04-23

People aim to produce effects in the environment, and according to ideomotor theory, actions are selected and executed via anticipations of their effects. Further, to ensure that an action has been successful and an effect has been realized, we must be able to monitor the consequences of our actions. However, action-effect links might vary between situations, some might apply for a majority of situations, while others might only apply to special occasions. With a combination of behavioral and electrophysiological markers, we show that monitoring of self-produced action effects interferes with other tasks, and that the length of effect monitoring is determined by both, long-term action-effect links that hold for most situations, and short-term action-effect links that emerge from a current setting. Effect monitoring is fast and frugal when these action-effect links allow for valid anticipation of action effects, but otherwise effect monitoring takes longer and delays a subsequent task. Specific influences of long-term and short-term links on the P1/N1 and P3a further allow to dissect the temporal dynamics of when these links interact for the purpose of effect monitoring. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of antidepressants in primary care: a multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joakim Ramsberg

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To determine effectiveness and cost-effectiveness over a one-year time horizon of pharmacological first line treatment in primary care for patients with moderate to severe depression. DESIGN: A multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis was employed to determine the relative efficacy in terms of remission of 10 antidepressants (citalopram, duloxetine escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine mirtazapine, paroxetine, reboxetine, sertraline and venlafaxine. The estimated remission rates were then applied in a decision-analytic model in order to estimate costs and quality of life with different treatments at one year. DATA SOURCES: Meta-analyses of remission rates from randomised controlled trials, and cost and quality-of-life data from published sources. RESULTS: The most favourable pharmacological treatment in terms of remission was escitalopram with an 8- to 12-week probability of remission of 0.47. Despite a high acquisition cost, this clinical effectiveness translated into escitalopram being both more effective and having a lower total cost than all other comparators from a societal perspective. From a healthcare perspective, the cost per QALY of escitalopram was €3732 compared with venlafaxine. CONCLUSION: Of the investigated antidepressants, escitalopram has the highest probability of remission and is the most effective and cost-effective pharmacological treatment in a primary care setting, when evaluated over a one year time-horizon. Small differences in remission rates may be important when assessing costs and cost-effectiveness of antidepressants.

The effect of non-uniform fuel rod temperatures on effective resonance integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichel, A.

1961-06-01

The effective resonance integral for heterogeneous lattices can be reduced to the effective resonance integral for an equivalent homogeneous system with a fairly well defined error depending on lump size and geometry. This report investigates the effect of a radial parabolic temperature variation in cylindrical lumps on the equivalent homogeneous effective resonance integral. Also determined is the equivalent uniform temperature to be taken in the usual formulae to allow for non-uniform fuel rod temperature. This effective temperature is found to be T eff. = T s + 4/9 (T c - T s ) where T s and T c are the surface and central temperatures of the lump. (author)

Generalized EMV-Effect Algebras

Science.gov (United States)

Borzooei, R. A.; Dvurečenskij, A.; Sharafi, A. H.

2018-04-01

Recently in Dvurečenskij and Zahiri (2017), new algebraic structures, called EMV-algebras which generalize both MV-algebras and generalized Boolean algebras, were introduced. We present equivalent conditions for EMV-algebras. In addition, we define a partial algebraic structure, called a generalized EMV-effect algebra, which is close to generalized MV-effect algebras. Finally, we show that every generalized EMV-effect algebra is either an MV-effect algebra or can be embedded into an MV-effect algebra as a maximal ideal.

Effective optical constants and effective optical properties of ultrathin trilayer structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haija, A.J.; Larry Freeman, W.; Umbel, Rachel

2011-01-01

This work presents an extension of the characteristic effective medium approximation (CEMA) to ultrathin trilayer systems. The extension has been carried out analytically and is supported by corresponding calculations of the effective optical constants of Cu-Au-Cu and Ag-SiO-Ag trilayer systems using the CEMA approximation. This work is in essence a generalization of the characteristic effective medium approximation introduced earlier for ultrathin bilayer structures. This method is used to derive the effective optical constants of a trilayer system, consisting of three thin layers with each constituent layer of thickness much less than the wavelength of the incident radiation. Within this regime a trilayer system is viewed as one effective layer referred to as an effective stack (ES) with well defined effective optical constants, which can be used to calculate the optical properties of the trilayer stack within a specified wavelength range. The CEMA based calculations of the effective optical constants are applied to two trilayer systems with a total of five stacks. Three are Cu-Au-Cu and two are Ag-SiO-Ag stacks. The thicknesses of the parent layers in the Cu-Au-Cu stack range from 3 to 30 nm for Cu and 4 to 40 nm for Au; in the Ag-SiO-Ag stack the constituent layers are 6 nm for Ag, but range from 5 to 10 nm for SiO. This study is for normal or near normal incidence spectroscopy in a wavelength range that extends from visible to near infrared. The agreement between CEMA based ES stack results and those of the standard CMT technique is very satisfactory.

Perturbative effect of heavy particles in an effective-Lagrangian approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagiwara, T.; Nakazawa, N.

1981-01-01

An effective-Lagrangian approach is summarized to estimate the perturbative effect of heavy-mass particles in the leading-logarithmic approximation: the logarithmic corrections to mass-suppressed amplitudes are given in a concise form. We apply the formalism to a simplified model with two scalar fields where one is heavy and the other is light. We derive an effective Lagrangian by calculating heavy-particle one-loop diagrams. Solving renormalization-group equations derived from the effective Lagrangian by light-particle one-loop corrections, we obtain logarithmic corrections to the mass-suppressed amplitudes. The results are confirmed by explicit two-loop calculation in the full theory, up to order O((1/M 2 )1nM 2 ), where M is a heavy scalar mass. It is found that the boundary condition for solving the renormalization-group equations must be specified by the renormalization at the heavy-particle mass. It must also be emphasized that in an effective-Lagrangian approach minimal subtraction is not a proper method of renormalization. The necessity to adopt the conventional momentum-shell subtraction is stressed. Several applications of this formalism are also mentioned

Network-Based Effectiveness

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Friman, Henrik

2006-01-01

...) to increase competitive advantage, innovation, and mission effectiveness. Network-based effectiveness occurs due to the influence of various factors such as people, procedures, technology, and organizations...

A study on the effects of personality traits on building effective relationships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Shahab Mousavi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an empirical investigation to measure the effects of five big personality traits on development of effective communication among middle level managers of the first private Iranian bank, Bank Eghtesade Novin, in city of Tehran, Iran. To measure the effects of five big personality traits, the study uses a questionnaire developed by Jackson (1974 [Jackson, D. N. (1974. Personality research form manual. Research Psychologists Press.]. In addition, to measure the impacts of effective communication we use another questionnaire. All questions are designed in Likert scale and Cronbach alphas for two mentioned questionnaires were calculated as 0.92 and 0.74, respectively. The implementation of Pearson test as well as regression analysis have revealed that there were some positive and meaningful relationship between four personality traits, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and effective communication. In addition, there was a negative and meaningful relationship between neuroticism and effective communication.

Effects of experimental lead exposure and the therapeutic effect of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of experimental lead exposure and the therapeutic effect of defatted Moringa oleifera seed meal on serum electrolytes levels of Wistar rats. IS Idoko, IC Ugochukwu, SE Abalaka, AM Adamu, PK Columbus, YA Kwabugge, RE Edeh, S Adamu, B Muhammed ...

The Reincarnation of the Effective Schools Research: Rethinking the Literature on District Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Trujillo, Tina

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the district effectiveness literature. It begins by summarizing the school effectiveness research, the correlates of effective schools, and the conceptual and methodological characteristics of this field. It then describes the findings from a review of 50 studies of district effectiveness, the most…

Network effects in railways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Landex, Alex

2012-01-01

Railway operation is often affected by network effects as a change in one part of the network can influence other parts of the network. Network effects occur because the train runs may be quite long and since the railway system has a high degree of interdependencies as trains cannot cross....../overtake each other everywhere in the network. First this paper describes network effects in general (section 1). In section 2 the network effects for trains and how they can be measured by scheduled waiting time is described. When the trains are affected by network effects the passengers are also affected....... Therefore, sections 3 and 4 describe the network effects for passengers and how they can be measured using passenger delay models. Before the concluding remarks in section 6, section 5 discusses how the operation can be improved by examining network effects in the planning process. © 2012 WIT Press....

Environments for Fostering Effective Critical Thinking in Geotechnical Engineering Education (Geo-EFFECTs)

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Charles E.; Gassman, Sarah L.; Huffman, Jeffrey T.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the development, implementation, and assessment of instructional materials for geotechnical engineering concepts using the Environments for Fostering Effective Critical Thinking (EFFECTs) pedagogical framework. The central learning goals of engineering EFFECTs are to (i) improve the understanding and retention of a specific…

Military Effectiveness: A Reappraisal

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bernasconi, Jeffrey J

2007-01-01

.... Two divergent theories cover the ground of military effectiveness. One looks at the interaction of social structures, whereas the other looks at the effect organization has on military effectiveness...

Almost sharp quantum effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arias, Alvaro; Gudder, Stan

2004-01-01

Quantum effects are represented by operators on a Hilbert space satisfying 0≤A≤I, and sharp quantum effects are represented by projection operators. We say that an effect A is almost sharp if A=PQP for projections P and Q. We give simple characterizations of almost sharp effects. We also characterize effects that can be written as longer products of projections. For generality we first work in the formalism of von Neumann algebras. We then specialize to the full operator algebra B(H) and to finite dimensional Hilbert spaces

Matrix effective theories of the fractional quantum Hall effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cappelli, Andrea; Rodriguez, Ivan D

2009-01-01

The present understanding of nonperturbative ground states in the fractional quantum Hall effect is based on effective theories of the Jain 'composite fermion' excitations. We review the approach based on matrix variables, i.e. D0 branes, originally introduced by Susskind and Polychronakos. We show that the Maxwell-Chern-Simons matrix gauge theory provides a matrix generalization of the quantum Hall effect, where the composite-fermion construction naturally follows from gauge invariance. The matrix ground states obtained by suitable projections of higher Landau levels are found to be in one-to-one correspondence with the Laughlin and Jain hierarchical states. The matrix theory possesses a physical limit for commuting matrices that could be reachable while staying in the same phase.

The effect of rotational viscosity on the memory effect in ferroelectric liquid crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaur, S.; Thakur, A.K.; Chauhan, R.; Bawa, S.S.; Biradar, A.M.

2004-01-01

Memory effect in deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal (DHFLC) is not a new phenomenon. Although it was reported 12 years ago yet its exact physical behavior is not explained. It has been thought by various researchers all over the world that it might be a transient memory effect. In the present study, it has been observed and predicted that memory effect is of long duration and shows remarkable dependencies on the voltage and frequency of the driving electrical pulse, which is entirely different from the memory effect in surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (SSFLC). The memory effect in SSFLC is primarily due to surface effect but in DHFLC, its ultra-short pitch plays a dominant role. So, it has been observed that the memory effect in DHFLC is due to its high viscosity and inter/intra layer dipolar interactions

Neutron Exposures in Human Cells: Bystander Effect and Relative Biological Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Seth, Isheeta; Schwartz, Jeffrey L.; Stewart, Robert D.; Emery, Robert; Joiner, Michael C.; Tucker, James D.

2014-01-01

Bystander effects have been observed repeatedly in mammalian cells following photon and alpha particle irradiation. However, few studies have been performed to investigate bystander effects arising from neutron irradiation. Here we asked whether neutrons also induce a bystander effect in two normal human lymphoblastoid cell lines. These cells were exposed to fast neutrons produced by targeting a near-monoenergetic 50.5 MeV proton beam at a Be target (17 MeV average neutron energy), and irradiated-cell conditioned media (ICCM) was transferred to unirradiated cells. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay was used to quantify genetic damage in radiation-naïve cells exposed to ICCM from cultures that received 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 or 4 Gy neutrons. Cells grown in ICCM from irradiated cells showed no significant increase in the frequencies of micronuclei or nucleoplasmic bridges compared to cells grown in ICCM from sham irradiated cells for either cell line. However, the neutron beam has a photon dose-contamination of 5%, which may modulate a neutron-induced bystander effect. To determine whether these low doses of contaminating photons can induce a bystander effect, cells were irradiated with cobalt-60 at doses equivalent to the percent contamination for each neutron dose. No significant increase in the frequencies of micronuclei or bridges was observed at these doses of photons for either cell line when cultured in ICCM. As expected, high doses of photons induced a clear bystander effect in both cell lines for micronuclei and bridges (pbystander effect in these cells. Finally, neutrons had a relative biological effectiveness of 2.0±0.13 for micronuclei and 5.8±2.9 for bridges compared to cobalt-60. These results may be relevant to radiation therapy with fast neutrons and for regulatory agencies setting standards for neutron radiation protection and safety. PMID:24896095

Controlling Healthcare Costs: Just Cost Effectiveness or "Just" Cost Effectiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

Fleck, Leonard M

2018-04-01

Meeting healthcare needs is a matter of social justice. Healthcare needs are virtually limitless; however, resources, such as money, for meeting those needs, are limited. How then should we (just and caring citizens and policymakers in such a society) decide which needs must be met as a matter of justice with those limited resources? One reasonable response would be that we should use cost effectiveness as our primary criterion for making those choices. This article argues instead that cost-effectiveness considerations must be constrained by considerations of healthcare justice. The goal of this article will be to provide a preliminary account of how we might distinguish just from unjust or insufficiently just applications of cost-effectiveness analysis to some healthcare rationing problems; specifically, problems related to extraordinarily expensive targeted cancer therapies. Unconstrained compassionate appeals for resources for the medically least well-off cancer patients will be neither just nor cost effective.

Research into the biological effects of ionizing radiation somatic effects II: non-cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bond, V.P.

1980-01-01

Somatic effects of radiation can be considered in two categories: low and high level effects. In the low level exposure region (defined here arbitrarily as a single dose of the order of 10 rads or less, or higher doses at very low dose rates), the only somatic effects other than cancer known definitely at present to have health significance are those on fertiltiy and on the developing individual from conception to near birth. Knowledge of these effects is inadequate at present, and the bulk of this report will be devoted to discussing the types of additional investigations required. With respect to non-cancer somatic effects of radiation at intermediate to high doses and dose rates, enough is known to describe in general the course of early (over the first days to perhaps six weeks) effects, following different doses of external radiation. In particular, the non-cancer late effects of intermediate to high doses of internal and external radiation need better definition. The distinction between non-cancer and cancer-related somatic effects is blurred, at least at high dose levels

Interface-Dependent Effective Mobility in Graphene Field-Effect Transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Ahlberg, Patrik; Hinnemo, Malkolm; Zhang, Shi-Li; Olsson, Jörgen

2018-03-01

By pretreating the substrate of a graphene field-effect transistor (G-FET), a stable unipolar transfer characteristic, instead of the typical V-shape ambipolar behavior, has been demonstrated. This behavior is achieved through functionalization of the SiO2/Si substrate that changes the SiO2 surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, in combination with postdeposition of an Al2O3 film by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Consequently, the back-gated G-FET is found to have increased apparent hole mobility and suppressed apparent electron mobility. Furthermore, with addition of a top-gate electrode, the G-FET is in a double-gate configuration with independent top- or back-gate control. The observed difference in mobility is shown to also be dependent on the top-gate bias, with more pronounced effect at higher electric field. Thus, the combination of top and bottom gates allows control of the G-FET's electron and hole mobilities, i.e., of the transfer behavior. Based on these observations, it is proposed that polar ligands are introduced during the ALD step and, depending on their polarization, result in an apparent increase of the effective hole mobility and an apparent suppressed effective electron mobility.

Effects of radiation on man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, P.A.H.

1981-01-01

The available evidence on the effects of radiation on man and the predictions that have been made of possible low level effects are reviewed. Data from United Nations Scientific Committee of the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) and the committee on the Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation (BEIR) is used to illustrate the acute, delayed and hereditary effects of high dose levels. The effects of low dose levels are discussed on the assumption that both somatic and hereditary effects can be predicted on the basis of linear extrapolation from high dose effects. (U.K.)

Biological effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heribanova, A.

1995-01-01

The basic principles and pathways of effects of ionizing radiation on living organisms and cells are outlined. The following topics are covered: effects of radiation on living matter (direct effects, radical or indirect effects, dual radiation action, and molecular biological theories); effects of radiation on cells and tissues (cell depletion, changes in the cytogenetic information, reparation mechanisms), dose-response relationship (deterministic effects, stochastic effects), and the effects of radiation on man (acute radiation sickness, acute local changes, fetus injuries, non-tumorous late injuries, malignant tumors, genetic changes). (P.A.). 3 tabs., 2 figs., 5 refs

The effect of several adjuvants on glufosinate effectiveness in Conyza species.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez-Cerejido, M C; Bastida, F; Menendez, J

2009-01-01

The effect of several adjuvants on the effectiveness of glufosinate and the role of adherence and contact angle modifications due to the presence of these adjuvants in the spraying solution on the increase in efficacy observed on the broadleaved weeds Conyza albida and Conyza bonariensis has been determined under laboratory controlled conditions. The adjuvants used on the experiment were a mixture of methyl oleate and palmitate (MO/MP), a dodecylbenzene ammonium sulphonate (DBAS), a paraffinic oil (PO), an alkylglycol ester (AGE), and a lecithin + propionic acid + non ionic surfactant based product (LI-700). Dose-response experiments showed that C. albida displayed higher susceptibility to glufosinate than C. bonariensis, no matter the adjuvant tested. However, none of the mixtures increased the herbicide effectiveness on C. atlbida, with LI 700 and PO showing an antagonistic effect on the herbicide efficacy. On C. bonariensis, MO/MP and DBAS showed significant better results than non-amended glufosinate controls, with LI 700 showing again an antagonistic effect. Both adherence and contact angle studies were inconclusive, since adjuvants with best adherence and contact angle values were not the most effective ones. Therefore, other unknown parameters putatively modified by adjuvants such as herbicide penetration should be questioned.

Using human genetics to predict the effects and side-effects of drugs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stender, Stefan; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne

2016-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: 'Genetic proxies' are increasingly being used to predict the effects of drugs. We present an up-to-date overview of the use of human genetics to predict effects and adverse effects of lipid-targeting drugs. RECENT FINDINGS: LDL cholesterol lowering variants in HMG-Coenzyme A re...

Effective healthcare teams require effective team members: defining teamwork competencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leggat Sandra G

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although effective teamwork has been consistently identified as a requirement for enhanced clinical outcomes in the provision of healthcare, there is limited knowledge of what makes health professionals effective team members, and even less information on how to develop skills for teamwork. This study identified critical teamwork competencies for health service managers. Methods Members of a state branch of the professional association of Australian health service managers participated in a teamwork survey. Results The 37% response rate enabled identification of a management teamwork competency set comprising leadership, knowledge of organizational goals and strategies and organizational commitment, respect for others, commitment to working collaboratively and to achieving a quality outcome. Conclusion Although not part of the research question the data suggested that the competencies for effective teamwork are perceived to be different for management and clinical teams, and there are differences in the perceptions of effective teamwork competencies between male and female health service managers. This study adds to the growing evidence that the focus on individual skill development and individual accountability and achievement that results from existing models of health professional training, and which is continually reinforced by human resource management practices within healthcare systems, is not consistent with the competencies required for effective teamwork.

Single event effects and total ionizing dose effects of typical VDMOSFET devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lou Jianshe; Cai Nan; Liu Jiaxin; Wu Qinzhi; Wang Jia

2012-01-01

In this work, single event effects and total ionizing dose effects of typical VDMOSFET irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays and 252 Cf source were studied. The single event burnout and single event gate rupture (SEB/SEGR) effects were investigated, and the relationship between drain-source breakdown voltage and ionizing dose was obtained. The results showed that the VDMOSFET devices were sensitive to SEB and SEGR, and measures to improve their resistance to SEB and SEGR should be considered seriously for their space applications. The drain-source breakdown voltage was sensitive to total ionizing dose effects as the threshold voltage. In assessing the devices' resistance to the total ionizing dose effects, both the threshold voltage and the drain-source breakdown voltage should be taken into account. (authors)

Nocebo effect in dermatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidharth Sonthalia

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nocebo effect, originally denoting the negative counterpart of the placebo phenomenon, is now better defined as the occurrence of adverse effects to a therapeutic intervention because the patient expects them to develop. More commonly encountered in patients with a past negative experience, this effect stems from highly active processes in the central nervous system, mediated by specific neurotransmitters and modulated by psychological mechanisms such as expectation and conditioning. The magnitude of nocebo effect in clinical medicine is being increasingly appreciated and its relevance encompasses clinical trials as well as clinical practice. Although there is hardly any reference to the term nocebo in dermatology articles, the phenomenon is encountered routinely by dermatologists. Dermatology patients are more susceptible to nocebo responses owing to the psychological concern from visibility of skin lesions and the chronicity, unpredictable course, lack of ′permanent cure′ and frequent relapses of skin disorders. While finasteride remains the prototypical drug that displays a prominent nocebo effect in dermatologic therapeutics, other drugs such as isotretinoin are also likely inducers. This peculiar phenomenon has recently been appreciated in the modulation of itch perception and in controlled drug provocation tests in patients with a history of adverse drug reactions. Considering the conflict between patients′ right to information about treatment related adverse effects and the likelihood of nocebo effect stemming from information disclosure, the prospect of ethically minimizing nocebo effect remains daunting. In this article, we review the concept of nocebo effect, its postulated mechanism, relevance in clinical dermatology and techniques to prevent it from becoming a barrier to effective patient management.

Effects of teacher training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahlgren, Bjarne; Larsen, Lea Lund

2010-01-01

The article gives a short overview over existing knowledge concerning the effect of teacher training in relation to adult learning. It presents a research design for measuring the effect of teacher traning.......The article gives a short overview over existing knowledge concerning the effect of teacher training in relation to adult learning. It presents a research design for measuring the effect of teacher traning....

Training effectiveness vs. cost effectiveness: The next millennium challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coe, Richard P.

2003-01-01

With the advent of the new millennium and energy deregulation, organizations will be challenged to be cost competitive and profitable. Deregulation in the US energy industry will force utilities and, more specifically, commercial nuclear power production to unprecedented cost control measures. It will also renew the fires of debate about costs vs. safety. With personnel costs being the single largest expenditure for most organizations management will be faced with constant dilemmas of competition for scarce resources. Salaries, benefits and training costs will be under greater scrutiny. Training resources and programs will face increased pressure to be job related, based on conservative requirements and more cost effective than in the past. For nearly two decades the US National Academy for Nuclear Training (NANT) has developed and used industry-wide accreditation and evaluation standards based on the Systematic Approach to Training (SAT). This process assures that existing and emerging technical training is constantly reviewed and evaluated against standardized criteria to assure job relatedness and enhanced job performance. The process also requires management to approve, actively participate in and support the training of NPP personnel. Instructors must be highly skilled and well trained in the SAT process and various instructional strategies. The SAT process is grounded in five interlocking keystone steps; Analysis - Design - Development - Implementation - Evaluation (ADDIE). Evaluation of training is often said to be the most crucial and most difficult step. Here is where an organization determines if the training is effective and meeting the legitimate needs of all of the stakeholders. This QA/QC aspect of training must be an ongoing process involving management, instructors and the students. It is only through the discipline of an SAT based evaluation process that an organization can truly determine if the training is efficient, effective, cost effective and

Aristotle and Double Effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Di Nucci, Ezio

2014-01-01

There are some interesting similarities between Aristotle’s ‘mixed actions’ in Book III of the Nicomachean Ethics and the actions often thought to be justifiable with the Doctrine of Double Effect. Here I analyse these similarities by comparing Aristotle’s examples of mixed actions with standard...... cases from the literature on double effect such as, amongst others, strategic bombing, the trolley problem, and craniotomy. I find that, despite some common features such as the dilemmatic structure and the inevitability of a bad effect, Aristotle’s mixed actions do not count as cases justifiable...... through application of the Doctrine of Double Effect because they fail to meet the crucial necessary condition of the Doctrine according to which the bad effect can only be a merely foreseen side- effect and not an intended means....

Genetic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Hiroo

1975-01-01

In 1948-1953 a large scale field survey was conducted to investigate the possible genetic effects of A-bomb radiation on over 70,000 pregnancy terminations in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The indices of possible genetic effect including sex ratio, birth weight, frequency of malformation, stillbirth, neonatal death, deaths within 9 months and anthropometric measurements at 9 months of age for these children were investigated in relation to their parent's exposure status to the A-bomb. There were no detectable genetic effects in this sample, except for a slight change in sex ratio which was in the direction to be expected if exposure had induced sex-linked lethal mutations. However, continued study of the sex ratio, based upon birth certificates in Hiroshima and Nagasaki for 1954-1962, did not confirm the earlier trend. Mortality in these children of A-bomb survivors is being followed using a cohort of 54,000 subjects. No clearly significant effect of parental exposure on survival of the children has been demonstrated up to 1972 (age 17 on the average). On the basis of the regression data, the minimal genetic doubling dose of this type of radiation for mutations resulting in death is estimated at 46 rem for the father and 125 rem for the mother. (auth.)

The Effect of Expected Value on Attraction Effect Preference Reversals.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, George D; Warren, Paul A; El-Deredy, Wael; Howes, Andrew

2017-10-01

The attraction effect shows that adding a third alternative to a choice set can alter preference between the original two options. For over 30 years, this simple demonstration of context dependence has been taken as strong evidence against a class of parsimonious value-maximising models that evaluate alternatives independently from one another. Significantly, however, in previous demonstrations of the attraction effect alternatives are approximately equally valuable, so there was little consequence to the decision maker irrespective of which alternative was selected. Here we vary the difference in expected value between alternatives and provide the first demonstration that, although extinguished with large differences, this theoretically important effect persists when choice between alternatives has a consequence. We use this result to clarify the implications of the attraction effect, arguing that although it robustly violates the assumptions of value-maximising models, it does not eliminate the possibility that human decision making is optimal. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Behavioral Decision Making Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Treatment Effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heckman, James J.; Lopes, Hedibert F.; Piatek, Rémi

2014-01-01

This paper contributes to the emerging Bayesian literature on treatment effects. It derives treatment parameters in the framework of a potential outcomes model with a treatment choice equation, where the correlation between the unobservable components of the model is driven by a low-dimensional v......This paper contributes to the emerging Bayesian literature on treatment effects. It derives treatment parameters in the framework of a potential outcomes model with a treatment choice equation, where the correlation between the unobservable components of the model is driven by a low...... to observe the same person in both the treated and untreated states, but it also turns out to be straightforward to implement. Formulae are provided to compute mean treatment effects as well as their distributional versions. A Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out to illustrate how the methodology can...

Comparing Hall Effect and Field Effect Measurements on the Same Single Nanowire.

Science.gov (United States)

Hultin, Olof; Otnes, Gaute; Borgström, Magnus T; Björk, Mikael; Samuelson, Lars; Storm, Kristian

2016-01-13

We compare and discuss the two most commonly used electrical characterization techniques for nanowires (NWs). In a novel single-NW device, we combine Hall effect and back-gated and top-gated field effect measurements and quantify the carrier concentrations in a series of sulfur-doped InP NWs. The carrier concentrations from Hall effect and field effect measurements are found to correlate well when using the analysis methods described in this work. This shows that NWs can be accurately characterized with available electrical methods, an important result toward better understanding of semiconductor NW doping.

Side Effects (Management)

Science.gov (United States)

... cancer care is relieving side effects, called symptom management, palliative care, or supportive care. It is important ... treat them. To learn about the symptoms and management of the long-term side effects of cancer ...

Habituation of reinforcer effectiveness

OpenAIRE

David R Lloyd; David R Lloyd; Douglas J Medina; Larry W Hawk; Whitney D Fosco; Jerry B Richards

2014-01-01

In this paper we propose an integrative model of habituation of reinforcer effectiveness (HRE) that links behavioral and neural based explanations of reinforcement. We argue that habituation of reinforcer effectiveness (HRE) is a fundamental property of reinforcing stimuli. Most reinforcement models implicitly suggest that the effectiveness of a reinforcer is stable across repeated presentations. In contrast, an HRE approach predicts decreased effectiveness due to repeated presentation. We ar...

Effect Size Measures for Mediation Models: Quantitative Strategies for Communicating Indirect Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Preacher, Kristopher J.; Kelley, Ken

2011-01-01

The statistical analysis of mediation effects has become an indispensable tool for helping scientists investigate processes thought to be causal. Yet, in spite of many recent advances in the estimation and testing of mediation effects, little attention has been given to methods for communicating effect size and the practical importance of those…

Effective Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frost, Jacob

To investigate the use of VTLoE as a basis for formal derivation of functional programs with effects. As a part of the process, a number of issues central to effective formal programming are considered. In particular it is considered how to develop a proof system suitable for pratical reasoning......, how to implement this system in the generic proof assistant Isabelle and finally how to apply the logic and the implementation to programming....

Effective leadership

OpenAIRE

Vávrová, Zuzana

2010-01-01

In my bachelor thesis I describe problems of effective leadership in organization in relation with organization's objectives filling. I focus here on main principles of leadership process. I characterize process of leadership and personality of leader, who is active executor of this process in organization. The effective leadership is here evaluated mainly from organization theory point of view and in relation with requirements to management, especially its relation with leadership and its de...

Acoustic Casimir Effect

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Homes, Christopher

1997-01-01

...). When the indirect manifestations of the ZPF are interpreted as due to radiation pressure, acoustic noise can provide an excellent analog to investigate the Casimir effect as well as other effects due to the ZPF...

The effect of training on teachers' knowledge of effective classroom ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of training on teachers' knowledge of effective classroom management strategies in Jos metropolis. ... Global Journal of Educational Research ... A single group pre-post test design was used, with a one-day training on classroom management techniques as the independent variable and the number of strategies ...

Placebo and nocebo effects on itch: effects, mechanisms, and predictors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bartels, D.J.P.; Laarhoven, A.I. van; Kerkhof, P.C. van de; Evers, A.W.

2016-01-01

Placebo and nocebo effects have been extensively studied in the field of pain and more recently also on itch. In accordance with placebo research on pain, expectancy learning via verbal suggestion or conditioning has shown to induce placebo and nocebo effects on itch, in which the combination of

Framing effects on expectations, decisions, and side effects experienced: the case of influenza immunization.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, A M; Pennie, R A; Dales, R E

1996-11-01

To examine the effects of using positive or negative frames to describe influenza vaccine benefits and side effects on patients' expectations, decisions, decisional conflict, and reported side effects. 292 previously unimmunized patients with chronic respiratory or cardiac disease were randomly assigned to receive benefit/risk information that was framed: (1) positively as the percentage who remain free of influenza and have no vaccine side effects, or (2) negatively as the percentage who acquire influenza and have vaccine side effects. Questionnaires elicited expectations, decisions, and decisional conflict. Vaccines were telephoned 3 days later for a self-report of local and systemic side effects and work absenteeism. Both groups had similar immunization rates and decisional conflict scores. The positive frame group had lower and more realistic expectations of vaccine side effects, fewer systemic side effects, and less work absenteeism (p framing did not influence patients' decisions, possibly due to the patients' awareness of their higher risk of influenza complications and greater desire to follow recommendations. The common practice of using negative frames when describing probabilities of side effects may need to be reexamined, considering its deleterious influence on self-reported side effects and work absenteeism.

Effects-Driven IT Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertzum, Morten; Simonsen, Jesper

2011-01-01

For customers information technology (IT) is a means to an end. This tight association between IT systems and their use is, however, often absent during their development and implementation, resulting in systems that may fail to produce desired ends. Effects-driven IT development aims to avoid...... change that realize the specified effects, and (c) measuring the absence or presence of the specified effects during pilot use of the system while also remaining alert to the emergence of beneficial but hitherto unspecified effects. In this paper we explore effects-driven IT development and discuss...... the possibilities and challenges involved in making it an instrument for managing IT projects. Two main challenges are that effects must be measured while development is still ongoing, making pilot implementations a central activity, and that vendor and customer must extend their collaboration, particularly...

Biological effects of petroleum hydrocarbons: Predictions of long-term effects and recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capuzzo, J.M.

1990-01-01

Biological effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems are dependent on the persistence and bioavailability of specific hydrocarbons, the ability of organisms to accumulate and metabolize various hydrocarbons, the fate of metabolized products, and the interference of specific hydrocarbons with normal metabolic processes that may alter an organism's chances for survival and reproduction in the environment. In considering the long-term effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine ecosystems it is important to ascertain what biological effects may result in subtle ecological changes, changes in community structure and function, and possible impairment of fisheries resources. It is also important to understand which hydrocarbons persist in benthic environments and the sublethal effects that lead to reduced growth, delayed development and reduced reproductive effort, population decline and the loss of that population's function in marine communities. Only through a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the fate, transport and effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine ecosystems will there be a significant improvement in the ability to predict the long-term effects of oil spills and to elucidate the mechanisms of recovery

Comment: Distinguishing Cohort Effects from Age*Period Effects on Non-Marital Fertility

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Steve

2009-01-01

In the article "Cohort Effects on Non-marital Fertility," in this issue of "Social Forces," Jean Stockard employs a novel strategy for disentangling cohort, period, and age effects on the non-marital fertility ratio. In a model with fixed-effect controls for age and for time period, the author documents evidence for three cohort-specific factors…

Impact of brand or generic labeling on medication effectiveness and side effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Faasse, Kate; Martin, Leslie R; Grey, Andrew; Gamble, Greg; Petrie, Keith J

2016-02-01

Branding medication with a known pharmaceutical company name or product name bestows on the drug an added assurance of authenticity and effectiveness compared to a generic preparation. This study examined the impact of brand name and generic labeling on medication effectiveness and side effects. 87 undergraduate students with frequent headaches took part in the study. Using a within-subjects counterbalanced design, each participant took tablets labeled either as brand name "Nurofen" or "Generic Ibuprofen" to treat each of 4 headaches. In reality, half of the tablets were placebos, and half were active ibuprofen (400 mg). Participants recorded their headache pain on a verbal descriptor and visual analogue scale prior to taking the tablets, and again 1 hour afterward. Medication side effects were also reported. Pain reduction following the use of brand name labeled tablets was similar in active ibuprofen or a placebo. However, if the tablets had a generic label, placebo tablets were significantly less effective compared to active ibuprofen. Fewer side effects were attributed to placebo tablets with brand name labeling compared to the same placebo tablets with a generic label. Branding of a tablet appears to have conferred a treatment benefit in the absence of an active ingredient, while generic labeled tablets were substantially less effective if they contained no active ingredient. Branding is also associated with reduced attribution of side effects to placebo tablets. Future interventions to improve perceptions of generics may have utility in improving treatment outcomes from generic drugs. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Intentional binding of visual effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruess, Miriam; Thomaschke, Roland; Kiesel, Andrea

2018-04-01

When an action produces an effect, the effect is perceived earlier in time compared to a stimulus without preceding action. This temporal bias is called intentional binding (IB) and serves as an implicit measure of sense of agency. Typically, IB is investigated by presenting a rotating clock hand while participants execute an action and perceive a resulting tone. Participants are asked to estimate the time point of tone onset by referring to the clock hand position. This time point estimate is compared to a time point estimate of a tone in a condition in which the tone occurs without preceding action. Studies employing this classic clock paradigm employed auditory action effects. We modified this paradigm to investigate potential IB of visual action effects, and, additionally, to investigate how IB differs for visual action effects (Experiment 1) in comparison to auditory action effects (Experiment 2). Our results show that, like the IB of an auditory effect, the time point of a visual action effect is shifted toward the causing action, and that the size of the IB depends on the delay duration of the effect. Comparable to auditory action effects, earlier action effects showed stronger IB compared to later action effects. Yet overall IB of the visual effects was weaker than IB of the auditory effects. As IB is seen as an indicator of sense of agency, this may have important implications for the design of human-machine interfaces.

Dissipative Effects in the Effective Field Theory of Inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez Nacir, Diana; /Buenos Aires, CONICET /Buenos Aires U.; Porto, Rafael A.; /Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study /ISCAP, New York /Columbia U.; Senatore, Leonardo; /Stanford U., ITP /SLAC /KIPAC, Menlo Park; Zaldarriaga, Matias; /Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study

2012-09-14

We generalize the effective field theory of single clock inflation to include dissipative effects. Working in unitary gauge we couple a set of composite operators, {Omicron}{sub {mu}{nu}}..., in the effective action which is constrained solely by invariance under time-dependent spatial diffeomorphisms. We restrict ourselves to situations where the degrees of freedom responsible for dissipation do not contribute to the density perturbations at late time. The dynamics of the perturbations is then modified by the appearance of 'friction' and noise terms, and assuming certain locality properties for the Green's functions of these composite operators, we show that there is a regime characterized by a large friction term {gamma} >> H in which the {zeta}-correlators are dominated by the noise and the power spectrum can be significantly enhanced. We also compute the three point function <{zeta}{zeta}{zeta}> for a wide class of models and discuss under which circumstances large friction leads to an increased level of non-Gaussianities. In particular, under our assumptions, we show that strong dissipation together with the required non-linear realization of the symmetries implies |f{sub NL}| {approx} {gamma}/c{sub s}{sup 2} H >> 1. As a paradigmatic example we work out a variation of the 'trapped inflation' scenario with local response functions and perform the matching with our effective theory. A detection of the generic type of signatures that result from incorporating dissipative effects during inflation, as we describe here, would teach us about the dynamics of the early universe and also extend the parameter space of inflationary models.

The central effect of biological Amines on immunosuppressive effect of restraint stress in rat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeraati F

2000-10-01

Full Text Available The effects of some histaminergic agents were evaluated on stress- induced immunosuppression in immunized nale rats. In rat immunized with sheep red blood cells ( SRBCs. Restraint stress (RS prevented the booster-induced rise in anti-SRBC antibody titre and cell immunity response. Intracerebroventicular (I.C>V injection of histamine (150 µg/rat induced a similar effect with RS. Pretreatment with chlorpheniramine (50 µg/rat reduced the inhibitory effect of Ras on immune function. Also histamine could inhibit the effect of RS on immune function. Also histamine could inhibitory the effect of chlorpheniramine when injected simultaneously. Pretreatment with ranidine (10 µg/rat had not a significant effect. Serotonin (3 µg/rat and dopamine (0.2 µg/rat could reverse the effects of chlorpheniromine when injected with chlorpheniramine (P<0.05. Epinephrine (0.2 µg/rat had not a significant effect. The results indicate that histamine mediates the immunosuppression of restraint stress by influencing the histamine H1 receptor in the brain and this effects of histamine may be modulated by serotoninergic and dopaminergic system.

Costs, health effects and cost-effectiveness of alcohol and tobacco control strategies in Estonia.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lai, T.; Habicht, J.; Reinap, M.; Chisholm, D.; Baltussen, R.M.P.M.

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the population-level costs, effects and cost-effectiveness of different alcohol and tobacco control strategies in Estonia. DESIGN: A WHO cost-effectiveness modelling framework was used to estimate the total costs and effects of interventions. Costs were assessed in Estonian

Estimating the Effects of Parental Divorce and Death With Fixed Effects Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Paul R; Anthony, Christopher J

2014-04-01

The authors used child fixed effects models to estimate the effects of parental divorce and death on a variety of outcomes using 2 large national data sets: (a) the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort (kindergarten through the 5th grade) and (b) the National Educational Longitudinal Study (8th grade to the senior year of high school). In both data sets, divorce and death were associated with multiple negative outcomes among children. Although evidence for a causal effect of divorce on children was reasonably strong, effect sizes were small in magnitude. A second analysis revealed a substantial degree of variability in children's outcomes following parental divorce, with some children declining, others improving, and most not changing at all. The estimated effects of divorce appeared to be strongest among children with the highest propensity to experience parental divorce.

Estimating the Effects of Parental Divorce and Death With Fixed Effects Models

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Paul R.; Anthony, Christopher J.

2014-01-01

The authors used child fixed effects models to estimate the effects of parental divorce and death on a variety of outcomes using 2 large national data sets: (a) the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort (kindergarten through the 5th grade) and (b) the National Educational Longitudinal Study (8th grade to the senior year of high school). In both data sets, divorce and death were associated with multiple negative outcomes among children. Although evidence for a causal effect of divorce on children was reasonably strong, effect sizes were small in magnitude. A second analysis revealed a substantial degree of variability in children’s outcomes following parental divorce, with some children declining, others improving, and most not changing at all. The estimated effects of divorce appeared to be strongest among children with the highest propensity to experience parental divorce. PMID:24659827

Somatic and genetic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broerse, J.J.; Barendsen, G.W.; Kal, H.B.; Kogel, A.J. van der

1983-01-01

This book contains the extended abstracts of the contributions of the poster workshop sessions on somatic and genetic effects of the 7th international congress of radiation research. They cover the following main topics: haematopoietic and immune systems, mechanisms of late effects in various tissues, endogenous and exogenous factors in radiation carcinogenesis, teratogenic effects, genetic effects, in vitro transformation, tumour induction in different tissues, carcinogenesis in incorporated tissues, cancer epidemology and risk assessment. refs.; figs.; tabs

School leadership effects revisited: a review of empirical studies guided by indirect-effect models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, Maria A.; Scheerens, Jaap

2013-01-01

Fourteen leadership effect studies that used indirect-effect models were quantitatively analysed to explore the most promising mediating variables. The results indicate that total effect sizes based on indirect-effect studies appear to be low, quite comparable to the results of some meta-analyses of

Bystander effects and radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín, Alicia; Martín, Margarita; Liñán, Olga; Alvarenga, Felipe; López, Mario; Fernández, Laura; Büchser, David; Cerezo, Laura

2015-01-01

Radiation-induced bystander effects are defined as biological effects expressed after irradiation by cells whose nuclei have not been directly irradiated. These effects include DNA damage, chromosomal instability, mutation, and apoptosis. There is considerable evidence that ionizing radiation affects cells located near the site of irradiation, which respond individually and collectively as part of a large interconnected web. These bystander signals can alter the dynamic equilibrium between proliferation, apoptosis, quiescence or differentiation. The aim of this review is to examine the most important biological effects of this phenomenon with regard to areas of major interest in radiotherapy. Such aspects include radiation-induced bystander effects during the cell cycle under hypoxic conditions when administering fractionated modalities or combined radio-chemotherapy. Other relevant aspects include individual variation and genetics in toxicity of bystander factors and normal tissue collateral damage. In advanced radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), the high degree of dose conformity to the target volume reduces the dose and, therefore, the risk of complications, to normal tissues. However, significant doses can accumulate out-of-field due to photon scattering and this may impact cellular response in these regions. Protons may offer a solution to reduce out-of-field doses. The bystander effect has numerous associated phenomena, including adaptive response, genomic instability, and abscopal effects. Also, the bystander effect can influence radiation protection and oxidative stress. It is essential that we understand the mechanisms underlying the bystander effect in order to more accurately assess radiation risk and to evaluate protocols for cancer radiotherapy.

Effect of Additional Structure on Effective Stack Height of Gas Dispersion in Atmosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takenobu Michioka

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Wind-tunnel experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of additional structure (building, sea wall and banking on the effective stack height, which is usually used in safety analyses of nuclear power facilities in Japan. The effective stack heights were estimated with and without the additional structure in addition to the reactor building while varying several conditions such as the source height, the height of additional structure and the distance between the source position and the additional structure. When the source height is equivalent to the reactor building height, the additional structure enhances both the vertical and horizontal gas dispersion widths and decreases the ground gas concentration, and it means that the additional structure does not decrease the effective stack height. When the source height is larger than the reactor height, the additional structures might affect the effective stack height. As the distance between the source and the additional structure decreases, or as the height of the additional structure increases, the structure has a larger effect on the effective stack height.

Effect of edema, relative biological effectiveness, and dose heterogeneity on prostate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jian Z.; Mayr, Nina A.; Nag, Subir; Montebello, Joseph; Gupta, Nilendu; Samsami, Nina; Kanellitsas, Christos

2006-01-01

Many factors influence response in low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy of prostate cancer. Among them, edema, relative biological effectiveness (RBE), and dose heterogeneity have not been fully modeled previously. In this work, the generalized linear-quadratic (LQ) model, extended to account for the effects of edema, RBE, and dose heterogeneity, was used to assess these factors and their combination effect. Published clinical data have shown that prostate edema after seed implant has a magnitude (ratio of post- to preimplant volume) of 1.3-2.0 and resolves exponentially with a half-life of 4-25 days over the duration of the implant dose delivery. Based on these parameters and a representative dose-volume histogram (DVH), we investigated the influence of edema on the implant dose distribution. The LQ parameters (α=0.15 Gy -1 and α/β=3.1 Gy) determined in earlier studies were used to calculate the equivalent uniform dose in 2 Gy fractions (EUD 2 ) with respect to three effects: edema, RBE, and dose heterogeneity for 125 I and 103 Pd implants. The EUD 2 analysis shows a negative effect of edema and dose heterogeneity on tumor cell killing because the prostate edema degrades the dose coverage to tumor target. For the representative DVH, the V 100 (volume covered by 100% of prescription dose) decreases from 93% to 91% and 86%, and the D 90 (dose covering 90% of target volume) decrease from 107% to 102% and 94% of prescription dose for 125 I and 103 Pd implants, respectively. Conversely, the RBE effect of LDR brachytherapy [versus external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy] enhances dose effect on tumor cell kill. In order to balance the negative effects of edema and dose heterogeneity, the RBE of prostate brachytherapy was determined to be approximately 1.2-1.4 for 125 I and 1.3-1.6 for 103 Pd implants. These RBE values are consistent with the RBE data published in the literature. These results may explain why in earlier modeling studies

Impedance and Collective Effects

CERN Document Server

Metral, E; Rumolo, R; Herr, W

2013-01-01

This document is part of Subvolume C 'Accelerators and Colliders' of Volume 21 'Elementary Particles' of Landolt-Börnstein - Group I 'Elementary Particles, Nuclei and Atoms'. It contains the Chapter '4 Impedance and Collective Effects' with the content: 4 Impedance and Collective Effects Introduction 4.1 Space Charge 4.2 Wake Fields and Impedances 4.3 Coherent Instabilities 4.4 Landau Damping 4.5 Two-Stream Effects (Electron Cloud and Ions) 4.6 Beam-Beam Effects 4.7 Numerical Modelling

Effects-Driven IT Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertzum, Morten; Simonsen, Jesper

2010-01-01

We present effects-driven IT development as an instrument for pursuing and reinforcing Participatory Design (PD) when it is applied in commercial information technology (IT) projects. Effects-driven IT development supports the management of a sustained PD process throughout design and organizatio......We present effects-driven IT development as an instrument for pursuing and reinforcing Participatory Design (PD) when it is applied in commercial information technology (IT) projects. Effects-driven IT development supports the management of a sustained PD process throughout design...

Time effectiveness of capillary effect improvement of ramie fabrics processed by RF glow discharging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhiwen; Wei Weixing; He Yanhe; Zhao Yuanqing; Pan Liyiji; Li Xuemei; Shi Shaodui; Li Guangxin

2010-01-01

The time effectiveness of capillary effect improvement of ramie fabrics processed by RF glow discharging was studied. The ramie fabrics were processed in fulfilling with different gas (O 2 , N 2 , Ar) by different parameters (such as pressure,power and time) plasma. The capillary effect of the ramie fabrics processed by RF glow discharging was tested at different time. The results indicate that the capillary effect of ramie fabrics processed by RF glow discharging has been improved, the improvement of the capillary effect firstly decrease rapidly, then slowly, and become stable after 15 day, it indicate that improvement of the ramie fabrics capillary has good time effectiveness, and the plasma parameter for the best capillary effect improvement of ramie fabric is 100 W and 40 Pa processed 20 min by oxygen plasma. (authors)

Facebook Effect

OpenAIRE

STOICA, Anamaria

2011-01-01

This research paper is intended to understand the effects that Facebook, the social networking site has upon us, whether it influences our lives in a good or in a bad way. In order to understand the Facebook Effect we are trying to see how it impacts our lives at economic level,social level, political level, terminology level , psychological level and cultural level . Starting from the question : What does Facebook want? we found several answers consisting in pros and cons of this phenomenon ...

Valley Hall effect and Nernst effect in strain engineered graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Zhi Ping; Yao, Jian-ming

2018-04-01

We theoretically predict the existence of tunneling valley Hall effect and Nernst effect in the normal/strain/normal graphene junctions, where a strained graphene is sandwiched by two normal graphene electrodes. By applying an electric bias a pure transverse valley Hall current with longitudinal charge current is generated. If the system is driven by a temperature bias, a valley Nernst effect is observed, where a pure transverse valley current without charge current propagates. Furthermore, the transverse valley current can be modulated by the Fermi energy and crystallographic orientation. When the magnetic field is further considered, we obtain a fully valley-polarized current. It is expected these features may be helpful in the design of the controllable valleytronic devices.

Plutonium dose-effect relationship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuoka, Osamu

1976-01-01

Dose in internal exposure to Pu was investigated, and dose-effect relationship was discussed. Dose-effect relationship in internal exposure was investigated by means of two methods, which were relationship between dose and its effect (relationship between μ Ci/Kg and its effect), and exposure dose and its effects (rad-effect), and merits and demerits of two methods were mentioned. Problems in a indication method such as mean dose were discussed with respect to the dose in skeleton, the liver and the lung. Pu-induced osteosarcoma in mice rats, and beagles was described, and differences in its induction between animals were discussed. Pulmonary neoplasma induced by 239 PuO 2 inhalation in beagles was reported, and description was made as to differences in induction of lung cancer between animals when Pu was inhaled and was taken into the lung. A theoretical and experimental study of a extrapolation of the results of the animal experiment using Pu to human cases is necessary. (Serizawa, K.)

The effect of melanin on the bystander effect in human keratinocytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosse, I. [Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences, Academicheskaya Str. 27, Minsk (Belarus)]. E-mail: i.mosse@igc.bas-net.by; Marozik, P. [Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences, Academicheskaya Str. 27, Minsk (Belarus); Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, DIT, Dublin 8 (Ireland); Seymour, C. [Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Canada); Mothersill, C. [Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Canada)

2006-05-11

The influence of melanin on radiation-induced bystander effects has been studied. Melanin is known to be a natural substance with proved radioprotective properties in different organisms and cell lines. It is non-toxic and is effective against acute and chronic irradiation. The lower the radiation dose, the higher the relative impact of melanin protection. In this study influence of melanin on human keratinocytes (HPV-G cells) has been studied using the colony-forming assay. We have shown that bystander donor medium from 0.5 Gy irradiated cells when transferred to unirradiated cells, caused almost the same effect as direct irradiation. Melanin increased the colony-forming ability of bystander recipient cells when it was added into culture medium before irradiation. The effect of melanin added after irradiation was to produce less protection in both the directly irradiated and bystander medium treated groups. The absorption spectrum of the filtered medium is identical to one of the intact culture medium showing that melanin was not present in filtered medium. Thus, it cannot protect recipient cells but reduces the amount of the bystander effect. It is concluded that melanin added before irradiation effectively decreased the radiation dose. The reduction of the impact of the bystander signal on recipient cells when melanin was added to the donor medium after harvest but before filtration, may mean that the bystander signal has a physical component as melanin can absorb all types of physical energy.

The effect of melanin on the bystander effect in human keratinocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosse, I.; Marozik, P.; Seymour, C.; Mothersill, C.

2006-01-01

The influence of melanin on radiation-induced bystander effects has been studied. Melanin is known to be a natural substance with proved radioprotective properties in different organisms and cell lines. It is non-toxic and is effective against acute and chronic irradiation. The lower the radiation dose, the higher the relative impact of melanin protection. In this study influence of melanin on human keratinocytes (HPV-G cells) has been studied using the colony-forming assay. We have shown that bystander donor medium from 0.5 Gy irradiated cells when transferred to unirradiated cells, caused almost the same effect as direct irradiation. Melanin increased the colony-forming ability of bystander recipient cells when it was added into culture medium before irradiation. The effect of melanin added after irradiation was to produce less protection in both the directly irradiated and bystander medium treated groups. The absorption spectrum of the filtered medium is identical to one of the intact culture medium showing that melanin was not present in filtered medium. Thus, it cannot protect recipient cells but reduces the amount of the bystander effect. It is concluded that melanin added before irradiation effectively decreased the radiation dose. The reduction of the impact of the bystander signal on recipient cells when melanin was added to the donor medium after harvest but before filtration, may mean that the bystander signal has a physical component as melanin can absorb all types of physical energy

Flexo-photovoltaic effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ming-Min; Kim, Dong Jik; Alexe, Marin

2018-04-19

It is highly desirable to discover photovoltaic mechanisms that enable a higher efficiency of solar cells. Here, we report that the bulk photovoltaic effect, which is free from the thermodynamic Shockley-Queisser limit but usually manifested only in noncentrosymmetric (piezoelectric or ferroelectric) materials, can be realized in any semiconductor, including silicon, by mediation of flexoelectric effect. We introduce strain gradients using either an atomic force microscope or a micron-scale indentation system, creating giant photovoltaic currents from centrosymmetric single crystals of SrTiO 3 , TiO 2 , and Si. This strain-gradient-induced bulk photovoltaic effect, which we call the flexo-photovoltaic effect, functions in the absence of a p - n junction. This finding may extend present solar cell technologies by boosting the solar energy conversion efficiency from a wide pool of established semiconductors. Copyright © 2018, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Effects of surface and interface scattering on anomalous Hall effect in Co/Pd multilayers

KAUST Repository

Guo, Zaibing

2012-09-27

In this paper, we report the results of surface and interface scattering on anomalous Hall effect in Co/Pd multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The surface scattering effect has been extracted from the total anomalous Hall effect. By scaling surface scattering contribution with ρAHs∼ργss, the exponent γ has been found to decrease with the increase of surface scattering resistivity, which could account for the thickness-dependent anomalous Hall effect. Interface diffusion induced by rapid thermal annealing modifies not only the magnetization and longitudinal resistivity but also the anomalous Hall effect; a large exponent γ ∼ 5.7 has been attributed to interface scattering-dominated anomalous Hall effect.

[Genetic and environmental effects on neuromodulation and the antinociceptive effect of dextromethorphan].

Science.gov (United States)

Oestreicher, M K; Desmeules, J; Piguet, V; Allaz, A F; Dayer, P

1998-02-07

Administration of NMDA antagonists leads to attenuation or disappearance of some symptoms of central sensitization, such as secondary hyperalgesia. However, the side effects of NMDA antagonists to a large extent counterbalance the expected benefits, thus preventing wide or prolonged use. Dextromethorphan and its metabolite dextrophan, on the other hand, are established and safe drugs. Experimentally they both antagonize the NMDA receptor. This study evaluates the effects of dextromethorphan and its metabolite in pain models using electrical stimulation for testing the antinociceptive effect and capsaicin-induced hyperalgesia. Dextromethorphan shows clear antinociceptive as well as neuromodulary effects, both depending heavily on the cytochrome P450 2D6 phenotype (CYP2D6).

Scattering Effect on Anomalous Hall Effect in Ferromagnetic Transition Metals

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qiang

2017-11-30

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) has been discovered for over a century, but its origin is still highly controversial theoretically and experimentally. In this study, we investigated the scattering effect on the AHE for both exploring the underlying physics and technical applications. We prepared Cox(MgO)100-x granular thin films with different Co volume fraction (34≤≤100) and studied the interfacial scattering effect on the AHE. The STEM HAADF images confirmed the inhomogeneous granular structure of the samples. As decreases from 100 to 34, the values of longitudinal resistivity () and anomalous Hall resistivity (AHE) respectively increase by about four and three orders in magnitude. The linear scaling relation between the anomalous Hall coefficient () and the measured at 5 K holds in both the as-prepared and annealed samples, which suggests a skew scattering dominated mechanism in Cox(MgO)100-x granular thin films. We prepared (Fe36//Au12/), (Ni36//Au12/) and (Ta12//Fe36/) multilayers to study the interfacial scattering effect on the AHE. The multilayer structures were characterized by the XRR spectra and TEM images of cross-sections. For the three serials of multilayers, both the and AHE increase with , which clearly shows interfacial scattering effect. The intrinsic contribution decreases with increases in the three serials of samples, which may be due to the crystallinity decaying or the finite size effect. In the (Fe36//Au12/) samples, the side-jump contribution increases with , which suggests an interfacial scattering-enhanced side jump. In the (Ni36//Au12/) samples, the side-jump contribution decreases with increases, which could be explained by the opposite sign of the interfacial scattering and grain boundary scattering contributed side jump. In the (Ta12//Fe36/) multilayers, the side-jump contribution changed from negative to positive, which is also because of the opposite sign of the interfacial scattering and grain boundary scattering

Anti-atherosclerotic effects of tomatoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hidekatsu Yanai

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which causes the red coloring of tomatoes. Several reports have suggested lycopene plays a role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we systematically reviewed the interventional studies using tomatoes or tomato products to understandtheanti-atherosclerotic effects of the tomatoas a functional food. We found that a significantnumber of interventional studies reportedtheanti-atherosclerotic effects of tomatoes, includinganti-obesity effects, hypotensiveeffects, improvement of lipid/glucose metabolismand endothelial function, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effect, and anti-platelet effect; however, the anti-platelet effect was disagreed uponby some studies. Furthermore, we discoveredcooking methods significantlyaffect anti-atherosclerotic effects of tomatoes.

Cross-Cultural Generalizability of Year in School Effects: Negative Effects of Acceleration and Positive Effects of Retention on Academic Self-Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Herbert W.

2016-01-01

Given that the Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect, the negative effect of school-average achievement on academic self-concept, is one of the most robust findings in educational psychology (Marsh, Seaton et al., 2007), this research extends the theoretical model, based on social comparison theory, to study relative year in school effects (e.g., being 1…

Effective suppression of bystander effects by DMSO treatment of irradiated CHO cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashino, Genro; Prise, K.M.; Suzuki, Keiji

2007-01-01

Evidence is accumulating that irradiated cells produce some signals which interact with non-exposed cells in the same population via a bystander effect. Here, we examined whether dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is effective in suppressing radiation induced bystander effects in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and repair deficient xrs5 cells. When 1 Gy-irradiated CHO cells were treated with 0.5% DMSO for 1 hr before irradiation, the induction of micronuclei in irradiated cells was suppressed to 80% of that in non-treated irradiated cells. The suppressive effect of DMSO on the formation of bystander signals was examined and the results demonstrated that 0.5% DMSO treatment of irradiated cells completely suppressed the induction of micronuclei by the bystander effect in non-irradiated cells. It is suggested that irradiated cells ceased signal formation for bystander effects by the action of DMSO. To determine the involvement of reactive oxygen species on the formation of bystander signals, we examined oxidative stress levels using the 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCFH) staining method in irradiated populations. The results showed that the treatment of irradiated cells with 0.5% DMSO did not suppress oxidative stress levels. These results suggest that the prevention of oxidative stress is independent of the suppressive effect of DMSO on the formation of the bystander signal in irradiated cells. It is suggested that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in irradiated cells is not a substantial trigger of a bystander signal. (author)

Heavy particle effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Y.P.

1981-01-01

There are two problems discussed, both of which have to do with dissimilar magnitudes in mass. Theoretically, we can devise the large difference in mass as observed by decreeing some vev, v/sub i/ to be much bigger than the other; or, we can assume that some couplings g/sub i/ are much stronger. These two different assumptions give rise to entirely different patterns of interaction in the resulting theory. The first way to generate a mass hierarchy can be called the soft way, because in the zeroth order, the large mass scale leaves its foot print merely in a few effective parameters of the residual theory. The effective theory is renormalizable, sans anomaly. In this limit, the heavy particles decouple. The second assumption (g/sub j/ much greater than g/sub j'/) to create mass hierarchy does a lot of violence to a theory. Effects of the large mass scale will be felt by the system left behind in many ways. An infinite number of parameters are needed to summarize the effects in this limit. This is called the hard limit. It follows that the resulting effective Lagrangian, if in fact it makes sense to construct one at all, will be non-polynomial and apparently non-renormalizable

Summary of geonuclear effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rawson, Donald E [Explosives Engineering Services, Gulf General Atomic Incorporated, San Diego, CA (United States)

1970-05-01

Geonuclear effects are considered here to include all of the interactions between underground nuclear explosions and the surrounding earth material. They constitute a large spectrum of effects that starts with the complex chemistry of the explosion 'fireball' and continues in space until the teleseismic signals in the earth have attenuated and in time until the radioactive products have decayed. This paper does not treat the total spectrum but is restricted to those effects which are of direct use to possible non excavation engineering projects and the major side effects that could detract from the use of nuclear explosions for such projects. Emphasis is given to possible methods of enhancing the desired geonuclear effects and minimizing the deleterious ones. Those who have directly participated in developing nuclear explosive technology cannot help but be impressed by the terrific potential for useful work associated with this energy source. Those who have viewed this developing technology from the periphery (the potential industrial market, the concerned public, and specialists in many allied fields) are certainly interested in the potential benefits but cannot help but be impressed by the attendant risks. Some of the useful geonuclear effects balanced against the associated side effects are shown schematically. More experience and increased knowledge of these effects will affect both project costs and public opinion. These factors will determine how the balance will tilt in relation to specific nuclear explosion engineering projects.

Summary of geonuclear effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rawson, Donald E.

1970-01-01

Geonuclear effects are considered here to include all of the interactions between underground nuclear explosions and the surrounding earth material. They constitute a large spectrum of effects that starts with the complex chemistry of the explosion 'fireball' and continues in space until the teleseismic signals in the earth have attenuated and in time until the radioactive products have decayed. This paper does not treat the total spectrum but is restricted to those effects which are of direct use to possible non excavation engineering projects and the major side effects that could detract from the use of nuclear explosions for such projects. Emphasis is given to possible methods of enhancing the desired geonuclear effects and minimizing the deleterious ones. Those who have directly participated in developing nuclear explosive technology cannot help but be impressed by the terrific potential for useful work associated with this energy source. Those who have viewed this developing technology from the periphery (the potential industrial market, the concerned public, and specialists in many allied fields) are certainly interested in the potential benefits but cannot help but be impressed by the attendant risks. Some of the useful geonuclear effects balanced against the associated side effects are shown schematically. More experience and increased knowledge of these effects will affect both project costs and public opinion. These factors will determine how the balance will tilt in relation to specific nuclear explosion engineering projects

Bias stress effect and recovery in organic field effect transistors : proton migration mechanism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sharma, A.; Mathijssen, S.G.J.; Kemerink, M.; Leeuw, de D.M.; Bobbert, P.A.; Bao, Z.; McCulloch, I.

2010-01-01

Organic field-effect transistors exhibit operational instabilities when a gate bias is applied. For a constant gate bias the threshold voltage shifts towards the applied gate bias voltage, an effect known as the bias-stress effect. We have performed a detailed experimental and theoretical study of

Impurity effect in the quantum Nernst effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirasaki, Ryoen; Nakamura, Hiroaki; Hatano, Naomichi

2005-11-01

We theoretically study the Nernst effect and the Seebeck effect in a two-dimensional electron ga in a strong magnetic field and a temperature gradient under adiabatic condition. We recently predicted for a pure system in the quantum Hall regime that the Nernst coefficients strongly suppressed and the thermal conductance is quantized due to quantum ballistic transport. Taking account of impurities, we here compute the Nernst coefficient and the Seebeck coefficient when the chemical potential coincides with a Landau level. We adopt the self-consistent Born approximation and consider the linear transport equations of the thermal electric transport induced by the temperature gradient. The thermal conductance and the Nernst coefficient are slightly modified from the pure case and the Seebeck coefficient newly appears because of the impurity scattering of electrons in the bulk states. (author)

Binary effectivity rules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keiding, Hans; Peleg, Bezalel

2006-01-01

is binary if it is rationalized by an acyclic binary relation. The foregoing result motivates our definition of a binary effectivity rule as the effectivity rule of some binary SCR. A binary SCR is regular if it satisfies unanimity, monotonicity, and independence of infeasible alternatives. A binary...

Radiation Therapy Side Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells, it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Learn more about possible side effects.

[Psychoanalysis and Side Effect].

Science.gov (United States)

Shirahase, Joichiro

2015-01-01

A study of psychoanalysis from the perspective of side effects reveals that its history was a succession of measures to deal with its own side effects. This, however, does not merely suggest that, as a treatment method, psychoanalysis is incomplete and weak: rather, its history is a record of the growth and development of psychoanalysis that discovered therapeutic significance from phenomena that were initially regarded as side effects, made use of these discoveries, and elaborated them as a treatment method. The approach of research seen during the course of these developments is linked to the basic therapeutic approach of psychoanalysis. A therapist therefore does not draw conclusions about a patient's words and behaviors from a single aspect, but continues to make efforts to actively discover a variety of meanings and values from them, and to make the patient's life richer and more productive. This therapeutic approach is undoubtedly one of the unique aspects of psychoanalysis. I discuss the issue of psychoanalysis and side effects with the aim of clarifying this unique characteristic of psychoanalysis. The phenomenon called resistance inevitably emerges during the process of psychoanalytic treatment. Resistance can not only obstruct the progress of therapy; it also carries the risk of causing a variety of disadvantages to the patient. It can therefore be seen as an adverse effect. However, if we re-examine this phenomenon from the perspective of transference, we find that resistance is in fact a crucial tool in psychoanalysis, and included in its main effect, rather than a side effect. From the perspective of minimizing the character of resistance as a side effect and maximizing its character as a main effect, I have reviewed logical organization, dynamic evaluation, the structuring of treatment, the therapist's attitudes, and the training of therapists. I conclude by stating that psychoanalysis has aspects that do not match the perspective known as a side

Deforestation Hydrological Effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poveda J, G.; Mesa S, O.J.

1995-01-01

Deforestation causes strong disturbances in ecosystems and in hydrological cycle, increasing or reducing wealths. Particularly in this work, effects of feed back between interface processes land - atmosphere are discussed and is demonstrated that losses of water by evaporation-transpiration are thoroughly indispensable to maintain the balance of hydrological regime. It's concluded that as a rule the effect of deforestation is to reduce wealth middle and to increase extreme wealth with consequent stronger and more frequent droughts or flood effects. Other deforestation effects as increase in superficial temperature, increase in atmospherical pressure, decrease in soil moisture, decrease in evaporation-transpiration, decrease of soil ruggedness, decrease of thickness of atmospherical cap limit, decrease of clouds, decrease of rain in both medium and long term and the consequent decrease of rivers wealth middle are explained. Of other side, the basins with greater deforestation affectation in Colombia are indicated. Finally, it's demonstrated the need of implementing reforestation programs

Effects of herbicides on fish

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solomon, Keith R.; Dalhoff, Kristoffer; Volz, David

2013-01-01

Herbicides are used to control weeds and are usually targeted to processes and target sites that are specific to plants. As a result, most herbicides are not acutely toxic to fish. Exceptions to this general rule are uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation and some herbicides that interfere...... with cell division. Chronic and sublethal effects have been studied for some herbicides, but fewer data are available for these effects than for acute effects. The sublethal effects of herbicides that have been studied include reproduction, stress, olfaction, and behavior. Although some of these responses......, and reproduction. As with all pesticides, herbicides may have indirect effects in fish. These effects are mediated by herbicide-induced changes in food webs or in the physical environment. Indirect effects can only occur if direct effects occur first and would be mediated by the killing of plants by herbicides...

Spread effects - methodology; Spredningseffekter - metodegrunnlag

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

Diffusion of technology, environmental effects and rebound effects are the principal effects from the funding of renewable energy and energy economising. It is difficult to estimate the impact of the spread effects both prior to the measures are implemented and after the measures are carried out. Statistical methods can be used to estimate the spread effects, but they are insecure and always need to be complemented with qualitative and subjective evaluations. It is more adequate to evaluate potential spread effects from market and market data surveillance for a selection of technologies and parties. Based on this information qualitative indicators for spread effects can be constructed and used both ex ante and ex post (ml)

Period Effects, Cohort Effects, and the Narrowing Gender Wage Gap

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Colin; Pearlman, Jessica

2015-01-01

Despite the abundance of sociological research on the gender wage gap, questions remain. In particular, the role of cohorts is under investigated. Using data from the Current Population Survey, we use Age-Period-Cohort analysis to uniquely estimate age, period, and cohort effects on the gender wage gap. The narrowing of the gender wage gap that occurred between 1975 and 2009 is largely due to cohort effects. Since the mid-1990s, the gender wage gap has continued to close absent of period effects. While gains in female wages contributed to declines in the gender wage gap for cohorts born before 1950, for later cohorts the narrowing of the gender wage gap is primarily a result of declines in male wages. PMID:24090861

Basic optics of effect materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Steven A

2010-01-01

Effect materials derive their color and effect primarily from thin-film interference. Effect materials have evolved over the decades from simple guanine crystals to the complex multilayer optical structures of today. The development of new complex effect materials requires an understanding of the optics of effect materials. Such an understanding would also benefit the cosmetic formulator as these new effect materials are introduced. The root of this understanding begins with basic optics. This paper covers the nature of light, interference of waves, thin-film interference, color from interference, and color travel.

Magnetic effects in electrochemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NEBOJSA D. NIKOLIC

2005-05-01

Full Text Available The effect of imposed magnetic fields onto the electrodeposition of magnetic (nickel and non – magnetic (copper metals was analysed. Also, magnetic properties of electrochemically obtained nanocontacts were examined. An effort to establish a possible correlation between the morphologies of the nanocontacts and the effect of the very large ballistic magnetoresistance (BMR effect was made.

Effective career ladders.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, B; Rabbitts, D; Shover, J; Torres, M; VanDerHeyden, B; Violand-Jones, S

1992-01-01

Motivation, quality improvement, productivity enhancement. These are just some of the benefits of an effective career ladder program. The key term here is effective. It is easy for laboratory personnel to stagnate professionally if they do not have a career ladder program, but it is even easier for them to become frustrated--even cynical--over a program that fails to live up to its expectations to encourage, support, and reward professional advancement. If you have been looking form some ideas to get your own career ladder program off the ground, the following responses from your colleagues may help as CLMR asks: What makes your career ladder program effective?

Study of the coupling between real gas effects and rarefied effects on hypersonic aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Song; Hu, Yuan; Sun, Quanhua

2012-11-01

Hypersonic vehicles travel across the atmosphere at very high speed, and the surrounding gas experiences complicated physical and chemical processes. These processes produce real gas effects at high temperature and rarefied gas effects at high altitude where the two effects are coupled through molecular collisions. In this study, we aim to identify the individual real gas and rarefied gas effects by simulating hypersonic flow over a 2D cylinder, a sphere and a blunted cone using a continuum-based CFD approach and the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. It is found that physical processes such as vibrational excitation and chemical reaction will reduce significantly the shock stand-off distance and flow temperature for flows having small Knudsen number. The calculated skin friction and surface heat flux will decrease when the real gas effects are considered in simulations. The trend, however, gets weakened as the Knudsen number increases. It is concluded that the rarefied gas effects weaken the real gas effects on hypersonic flows.

The Effect and Side Effect of Dipyridamole in Myocardial SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Hyung In; Lee, Dong Soo; Yeo, Jeong Suk; Bae, Sang Kyun; Choi, Chang Woon; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Koh, Chang Soon

1993-01-01

Dipyridamole is an agent that may be used to noninvasively evaluate coronary artery disease. The effect of dipyridamole infusion its generally related to its induced peripheral vasodilatory effect. In normal person, heart rate is generally increased slightly while blood pressure decrease, but the achieved double product and related myocardial oxygen consumption have no significant change. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect and side effect of dipyridamole, and to compare different response to dipyridamole among the patients. We evaluated 847 patients who underwent dipyridamole stress myocardial SPECT. 93.6% of them had induced hypotension 0.9% showed no change of blood pressure, 5.5% had increased blood pressure 8.3% had no change of pulse rate more than 10% of basal pulse rate. Among diabetes, 16.9% was not change of pulse rate, 6.7% in non-diabetes. There was no significant correlation between age and rate pressure product rest(RPPr), in patients without perfusion defects on SPECT(y=7.1x+48.4r=0.13 p>0.01). As increasing age, RPPs/RPPr was declined(y=-11.6x+68.9 r=0.17 p<0.01), similar results were obtained in patients with perfusion defect. The size of perfusion defect on myocardial SPECT have no correlation between RPPr and RPPs/RPPr. The side effects of dipyridamole included chest pain and chest tightness, headache, abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, and dyspnea. As increasing age, dipyridamole-induced cardiac work at rest was increased, cardiac response to dipyridamole was decreased.

Rectenna related atmospheric effects

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, J.

1980-01-01

Possible meteorological effects arising from the existence and operations of a solar power satellite (SPS) system rectenna are examined. Analysis and model simulations in some chosen site situations and meteorological conditions indicate that the meteorological effects of the construction and operation of a rectenna are small, particularly outside the boundary of the structure. From weather and climate points of view, installation of an SPS rectenna seems likely to have effects comparable with those due to other nonindustrial land use changes covering the same area. The absorption and scattering of microwave radiation in the troposphere would have negligible atmospheric effects.

Effective Lagrangian of QED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaminski, J.Z.

1981-01-01

A renormalization group equation for the effective Lagrangian of QED is obtained. Starting from this equation, perturbation theory for the renormalization group equation (PTRGE) is developed. The results are in full agreement with the standard perturbation theory. Conjecturing that the asymptotic effective coupling constant is finite, the effective Lagrangian for a strong magnetic field is obtained, which is proportional to the Maxwellian Lagrangian. For the asymptotically free theories the situation is diametrically opposed to QED. In these cases the effective Lagrangian of the Yang-Mills system tends to infinity for very strong external Yang-Mills fields. (Auth.)

Epigenetic effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EI-Naggar, A.M.

2007-01-01

Data generated during the last three decades provide evidence of Epigenetic Effects that ave-induced by ionizing radiation, particularly those of high LET values, and low level dose exposures. Epigenesist is defined as the stepwise process by which genetic information, as modified by environmental influences, is translated into the substance and behavior of cells, tissues, organism.The epigenetic effects cited in the literature are essentially classified into fine types depending on the type and nature of the effect induced.The most accepted postulation, for the occurrence of these epigenetic effects, is a radiation induced bio electric disturbances in the environment of the non-irradiated cellular volume. This will trigger signals that will induce effects in the unirradiated cells.The epigenetic effects referenced in the literature up to date are five types; namely, Genomic Instability, Bystander. Effects, Clastogenic Plasma Factors,, Abscopal Effects, and Tran generational Effects.The demonstration of Epigenetic Effects associated with exposure to ionizing radiation indicates the need to re- examine the concept of radiation dose and target size. Also an improved understanding of qualifiring and quantifying radiation risk estimates may be attained. Also, a more logical means to understand the underlying mechanisms of radiation induced carcinogenic transformation of cells

Microscopic dynamical Casimir effect

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Reinaldo de Melo e.; Impens, François; Neto, Paulo A. Maia

2018-03-01

We consider an atom in its ground state undergoing a nonrelativistic oscillation in free space. The interaction with the electromagnetic quantum vacuum leads to two effects to leading order in perturbation theory. When the mechanical frequency is larger than the atomic transition frequency, the dominant effect is the motion-induced transition to an excited state with the emission of a photon carrying the excess energy. We compute the angular distribution of emitted photons and the excitation rate. On the other hand, when the mechanical frequency is smaller than the transition frequency, the leading-order effect is the parametric emission of photon pairs, which constitutes the microscopic counterpart of the dynamical Casimir effect. We discuss the properties of the microscopic dynamical Casimir effect and build a connection with the photon production by an oscillating macroscopic metallic mirror.

The Effect(s) of Teen Pregnancy: Reconciling Theory, Methods, and Findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Christina J; Fiel, Jeremy E

2016-02-01

Although teenage mothers have lower educational attainment and earnings than women who delay fertility, causal interpretations of this relationship remain controversial. Scholars argue that there are reasons to predict negative, trivial, or even positive effects, and different methodological approaches provide some support for each perspective. We reconcile this ongoing debate by drawing on two heuristics: (1) each methodological strategy emphasizes different women in estimation procedures, and (2) the effects of teenage fertility likely vary in the population. Analyses of the Child and Young Adult Cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 3,661) confirm that teen pregnancy has negative effects on most women's attainment and earnings. More striking, however, is that effects on college completion and early earnings vary considerably and are most pronounced among those least likely to experience an early pregnancy. Further analyses suggest that teen pregnancy is particularly harmful for those with the brightest socioeconomic prospects and who are least prepared for the transition to motherhood.

A triazolam/amphetamine dose-effect interaction study: dissociation of effects on memory versus arousal.

Science.gov (United States)

Mintzer, Miriam Z; Griffiths, Roland R

2007-06-01

In addition to producing robust memory impairment, benzodiazepines also induce marked sedation. Thus, it is possible that the observed amnestic effects are secondary to more global sedative effects and do not reflect a specific primary benzodiazepine effect on memory mechanisms. The objective was to use the nonspecific stimulant d-amphetamine to dissociate the sedative and memory-impairing effects of the benzodiazepine triazolam. Single oral doses of placebo, triazolam alone (0.25, 0.50 mg/70 kg), d-amphetamine sulfate alone (20, 30 mg/70 kg), and triazolam (0.25, 0.50 mg/70 kg) and d-amphetamine sulfate (20, 30 mg/70 kg) conjointly (at all dose combinations) were administered to 18 healthy adult participants across nine sessions in a double-blind, staggered-dosing, crossover design. In addition to standard data analyses, analyses were also conducted on z-score standardized data, enabling effects to be directly compared across measures. Relative to the sedative measures, the memory measures generally exhibited a pattern of less reversal of triazolam's effects by d-amphetamine. The memory measures ranged in degree of reversal such that the most reversal was observed for reaction time on the n-back working memory task, and the least reversal was observed for accuracy on the Sternberg working memory task, with most measures showing an overall pattern of partial reversal. Benzodiazepines have specific effects on memory that are not merely a by-product of the drugs' sedative effects, and the degree to which sedative effects contribute to the amnestic effects varies as a function of the particular memory process being assessed.

Noncovalent Hydrogen Isotope Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Buchachenko, A. L.; Breslavskaya, N. N.

2018-02-01

Zero-point energies (ZPE) and isotope effects, induced by intermolecular, noncovalent vibrations, are computed and tested by experimental data. The ZPE differences of H- and D-complexes of water with hydrogen, methane, and water molecules are about 100-300 cal/mol; they result to isotope effects IE of 1.20-1.70. Semi-ionic bonds between metal ions and water ligands in M(H2O) 6 2+ complexes are much stronger; their ZPEs are about 12-14 kcal/mol per molecule and result to IE of 1.9-2.1 at 300 K. Protonated (deuterated) water and biwater exhibit the largest ZPE differences and isotope effects; the latter are 25-28 and 12-13 for water and biwater, respectively. Noncovalent IEs contribute markedly into the experimentally measured effects and explain many anomalous and even magic properties of the effects, such as the dependence of IE on the solvents and on the presence of the third substances, enormously large isotope effects at the mild conditions, the difference between IEs measured in the reactions of individual protiated and deuterated compounds and those measured in their mixture. Noncovalent IEs are not negligible and should be taken into account to make correct and substantiated conclusions on the reaction mechanisms. The kinetic equations are derived for the total isotope effects, which include noncovalent IEs as additive factors.

The placebo effect and nothingness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Tine

In this paper I shall discuss the placebo effect from a posthuman angle. The placebo effect is a medical conundrum, as it is a medical effect that is produced by “nothing”. Placebo literally means, ”I please”, and the placebo has, among other things, been defined as an inert substance, often...... a calcium pill. Placebos are being used in medical trials to determine how much of the medical effect is caused by other factors than medical. There is a vast amount of literature on the placebo effect and it has been studied since the late 1940’ies, mainly for the purpose of pre-elimination from medical...... trials. It has been studied as an effect of personality traits, as an expectational effect, and from a physiological point of departure. Still it remains a medical riddle how something that is “nothing” can cause a measurable effect? In this paper I shall address this issue from a posthuman angle...

Period effects, cohort effects, and the narrowing gender wage gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Colin; Pearlman, Jessica

2013-11-01

Despite the abundance of sociological research on the gender wage gap, questions remain. In particular, the role of cohorts is under investigated. Using data from the Current Population Survey, we use age-period-cohort analysis to uniquely estimate age, period, and cohort effects on the gender wage gap. The narrowing of the gender wage gap that occurred between 1975 and 2009 is largely due to cohort effects. Since the mid-1990s, the gender wage gap has continued to close absent of period effects. While gains in female wages contributed to declines in the gender wage gap for cohorts born before 1950, for later cohorts the narrowing of the gender wage gap is primarily a result of declines in male wages. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The framing effect: medical implications].

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzocco, Ketti; Cherubini, Paolo; Rumiati, Rino

2005-01-01

Over the last 20 years, many studies explored how the way information is presented modifies choices. This sort of effect, referred to as "framing effects", typically consists of the inversion of choices when presenting structurally identical decision problems in different ways. It is a common assumption that physicians are unaffected (or less affected) by the surface description of a decision problem, because they are formally trained in medical decision making. However, several studies showed that framing effects occur even in the medical field. The complexity and variability of these effects are remarkable, making it necessary to distinguish among different framing effects, depending on whether the effect is obtained by modifying adjectives (attribute framing), goals of a behavior (goal framing), or the probability of an outcome (risky choice framing). A further reason for the high variability of the framing effects seems to be the domain of the decision problem, with different effects occurring in prevention decisions, disease-detection decisions, and treatment decisions. The present work reviews the studies on framing effects, in order to summarize them and clarify their possible role in medical decision making.

Biogeochemical features of aquatic plants in the Selenga River delta

Science.gov (United States)

Shinkareva, Galina; Lychagin, Mikhail

2014-05-01

The Selenga River system provides more than a half of the Lake Baikal total inflow. The river collects a significant amount of pollutants (e.g. heavy metals) from the whole basin. These substances are partially deposited within the Selenga delta, and partially are transported further to the lake. A generous amount of aquatic plants grow in the delta area according to its favorable conditions. This vegetation works as a specific biofilter. It accumulates suspended particles and sorbs some heavy metals from the water. The study aimed to reveal the species of macrophytes which could be mostly important for biomonitoring according to their chemical composition. The field campaign took place in the Selenga River delta in July-August of 2011 (high water period) and in June of 2012 (low water period). 14 species of aquatic plants were collected: water starwort Callitriche hermaphroditica, small yellow pond lily Nuphar pumila, pondweeds Potamogeton crispus, P. pectinatus, P. friesii, broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia, hornwort or coontail Ceratophyllum demersum, arrowhead Sagittaria natans, flowering rush (or grass rush) Butomus umbellatus, reed Phragmites australis, parrot's feather Myriophyllum spicatum, the common mare's tail Hippuris vulgaris, Batrachium trichophyllum, canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis. The samples were dried, grinded up and digested in a mixture of HNO3 and H2O2. The chemical composition of the plant material was defined using ICP-MS and ICP-AES methods. Concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, B, Zn, V, Co, As, Mo, Pb, and U were considered. The study revealed that Potamogeton pectinatus and Myriophyllum spicatum concentrate elements during both high and low water periods. Conversely the Butomus umbellatus and Phragmites australis contain small amount of heavy metals. The reed as true grasses usually accumulates fewer amounts of elements than other macrophytes. To compare biogeochemical specialization of different species we suggest to use

Exploring the representational basis of response-effect compatibility: Evidence from bilingual verbal response-effect mappings.

Science.gov (United States)

Földes, Noémi; Philipp, Andrea M; Badets, Arnaud; Koch, Iring

2018-05-01

The ideomotor principle states that actions are represented by their anticipated sensory effects. This notion is often tested using the response-effect compatibility (REC) paradigm, where participants' responses are followed either by a compatible or incompatible response effect (e.g., an effect on the right side after a right-hand response is considered R-E compatible due to the spatial overlap, whereas an effect on the left side after the right-hand response is considered incompatible). Shorter reaction times are typically observed in the compatible condition compared to the incompatible condition (i.e., REC effect), suggesting that effect anticipation plays a role in action control. Previous evidence from verbal REC suggested that effect anticipation can be due to conceptual R-E overlap, but there was also phonological overlap (i.e., anticipated reading of a word preceded by the vocal response of saying that very word). To examine the representational basis of REC, in three experiments, we introduced a bilingual R-E mapping to exclude phonological R-E overlap (i.e., in the R-E compatible condition, the translation equivalent of the response word is presented as an effect word in a different language). Our findings show that the REC effect is obtained when presenting the effect word in the same language as the response (i.e., monolingual condition), but the compatibility effect was not found when the semantically same word is presented in a different language, suggesting no conceptually generalized REC in a bilingual setting. (232 words). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environment-effect reporting. Chapter 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermens, P.A.H.

1989-01-01

Environment-effect reporting is a tool in the resolution of one or more government bodies about activities which may have important disadvantageous impacts upon the environment. This chapter gives a treatment of environment-effect reporting as a process consisting of the preparation, draw-up, judgement and use of an environment-effect report (MER), followed by an evaluation. The contentsof an environment-effect report are indicated. The role of environment-effect reporting in relation with other procedures is discussed. Some experience with the application of environment-effect reporting is presented and a number of experiences in the application are discussed. (H.W.). 5 refs.; 3 figs.; 3 tabs

The less-is-more effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantinos V. Katsikopoulos

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In inductive inference, a strong prediction is the less-is-more effect: Less information can lead to more accuracy. For the task of inferring which one of two objects has a higher value on a numerical criterion, there exist necessary and sufficient conditions under which the effect is predicted, assuming that recognition memory is perfect. Based on a simple model of imperfect recognition memory, I derive a more general characterization of the less-is-more effect, which shows the important role of the probabilities of hits and false alarms for predicting the effect. From this characterization, it follows that the less-is-more effect can be predicted even if heuristics (enabled when little information is available have relatively low accuracy; this result contradicts current explanations of the effect. A new effect, the below-chance less-is-more effect, is also predicted. Even though the less-is-more effect is predicted to occur frequently, its average magnitude is predicted to be small, as has been found empirically. Finally, I show that current empirical tests of less-is-more-effect predictions have methodological problems and propose a new method. I conclude by examining the assumptions of the imperfect-recognition-memory model used here and of other models in the literature, and by speculating about future research.

The effective nuclear potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skyrme, T.H.R.

1994-01-01

An empirical analyses is made of the mean effective internucleon potential required in the shell-model description of nuclei, allowing for the presence of many-body effects as suggested by current theory. A consistent description is found in which the effective two-body interaction acts almost entirely in even states, and the many-body effects are simulated by a repulsive three-body contact interaction. The strength of the two-body interaction is consistent with that expressed by the free scattering matrix of the two-nucleon system, and that of the three-body interaction with the 'rearrangement energy' calculated in the many-body theory. (author). 21 refs, 2 figs, 7 tabs

Density dependent effective interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dortmans, P.J.; Amos, K.

1994-01-01

An effective nucleon-nucleon interaction is defined by an optimal fit to select on-and half-off-of-the-energy shell t-and g-matrices determined by solutions of the Lippmann-Schwinger and Brueckner-Bethe-Goldstone equations with the Paris nucleon-nucleon interaction as input. As such, it is seen to better reproduce the interaction on which it is based than other commonly used density dependent effective interactions. The new (medium modified) effective interaction when folded with appropriate density matrices, has been used to define proton- 12 C and proton- 16 O optical potentials. With them elastic scattering data are well fit and the medium effects identifiable. 23 refs., 8 figs

Estimating the Effects of Parental Divorce and Death With Fixed Effects Models

OpenAIRE

Amato, Paul R.; Anthony, Christopher J.

2014-01-01

The authors used child fixed effects models to estimate the effects of parental divorce and death on a variety of outcomes using 2 large national data sets: (a) the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort (kindergarten through the 5th grade) and (b) the National Educational Longitudinal Study (8th grade to the senior year of high school). In both data sets, divorce and death were associated with multiple negative outcomes among children. Although evidence for a causal effect o...

Biophysical radiation effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fidorra, J.

1982-07-01

The biological effectiveness of ionizing radiation is based upon the absorption of energy in molecular structures of a cell. Because of the quantum nature of radiation large fluctuations of energy concentration in subcellulare regions has to be considered. In addition both the spatial distribution of a sensitive molecular target and cellulare repair processes has to be taken into consideration for an assessment of radiation action. In radiation protection the difference between the quality factor and the Relative Biological Effectiveness has a fundamental meaning and will be discussed in more detail. The present report includes a short review on some relevant models on radiation action and a short discussion on effects of low dose irradiation. (orig.) [de

40 CFR 1508.8 - Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Effects. 1508.8 Section 1508.8 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TERMINOLOGY AND INDEX § 1508.8 Effects. Effects include: (a) Direct effects, which are caused by the action and occur at the same time and place. (b...

Effective communication with seniors

OpenAIRE

PONCAROVÁ, Ester

2008-01-01

My bachelor thesis is called "The Effective Communication With Seniors". The aim of this thesis is to describe communication, its various kinds and the basic principles of the effective communication. I will also describe the communication with seniors suffering from dementia. Another aim of this thesis is to find out whether workers in the senior houses know and use the principles of the effective communication.

Effectance, committed effective dose equivalent and annual limits on intake: what are the changes?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendall, G.M.; Stather, J.W.; Phipps, A.W.

1990-01-01

This paper outlines the concept of effectance, compares committed effectance with the old committed effective dose equivalent and goes on to discuss changes in the annual limits on intakes and the maximum organ doses which would result from an intake of an ALI (Annual Limit of Intake). It is shown that committed effectance is usually, but not always, higher than committed effective dose equivalent. ALIS are usually well below those resulting from the ICRP Publication 30 scheme. However, if the ALI were based only on a limit on effectance it would imply a high dose to specific organs for certain nuclides. In order to control maximum organ doses an explicit limit could be introduced. However, this would destroy some of the attractive features of the new scheme. An alternative would be a slight modification to some of the weighting factors. (author)

Leverage Between the Buffering Effect and the Bystander Effect in Social Networking.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Yu-Ping; Chang, Shu-Chen

2015-08-01

This study examined encouraged and inhibited social feedback behaviors based on the theories of the buffering effect and the bystander effect. A system program was used to collect personal data and social feedback from a Facebook data set to test the research model. The results revealed that the buffering effect induced a positive relationship between social network size and feedback gained from friends when people's social network size was under a certain cognitive constraint. For people with a social network size that exceeds this cognitive constraint, the bystander effect may occur, in which having more friends may inhibit social feedback. In this study, two social psychological theories were applied to explain social feedback behavior on Facebook, and it was determined that social network size and social feedback exhibited no consistent linear relationship.

Effective slip lengths for flows over surfaces with nanobubbles: the effects of finite slip

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendy, S C; Lund, N J

2009-01-01

We consider effective slip lengths for flows of simple liquids over surfaces contaminated by gaseous nanobubbles. In particular, we examine whether the effects of finite slip over the liquid-bubble interface are important in limiting effective slip lengths over such surfaces. Using an expression that interpolates between the perfect slip and finite slip regimes for flow over bubbles, we conclude that for the bubble dimensions and coverages typically reported in the literature the effects of finite slip are secondary, reducing effective slip lengths by only 10%. Further, we find that nanobubbles do not significantly increase slip lengths beyond those reported for bare hydrophobic surfaces.

A 'Copenhagen Effect'?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Werlauff, Erik

2009-01-01

On the basis of the Danish company law reform of 2009/2010, this article examines the question of whether the processes of liberalisation and internationalisation of the Danish rules on public and private companies which the reform represents are significant enough to warrant the term...... the ‘Copenhagen effect' in competition with the already established ‘London effect'....

En "Copenhagen effect"?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Werlauff, Erik

2009-01-01

Artiklen efterprøver på grundlag af den danske selskabsreform 2009/10, om den liberalisering og internationalisering, der herved har fundet sted af den danske lovgivning om aktie- og anpartsselskaber, er så betydningsfuld, at det fremtidigt giver mening at tale om en "Copenhagen effect" i...... konkurrence med den allerede kendte "London effect". Udgivelsesdato: Juni 2009...

The Effects of Organizational Conflicts on Team Effectiveness in a Malaysian Statutory Body Institutions

OpenAIRE

Mohd, Idaya Husna; Omar, Muhammad Khalil; Asri, Tengku Nural Tengku

2016-01-01

Working in teams is usually expected to improve organizational effectiveness; however, there are several challenges that would affect team effectiveness. While team members are usually empowered to find a solution to a problem, this raises the question of effectiveness of the team itself, especially in terms of conflict that usually occurs when working in teams. Conflict was suggested to be positive and useful for organizations, but also provides negative effects, interferes with team perform...

Effect of numbers vs pictures on perceived effectiveness of a public safety awareness advertisement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bochniak, S; Lammers, H B

1991-08-01

In a 2 x 2 completely randomized factorial experiment, 24 women and 16 men rated the perceived effectiveness of an earthquake preparedness advertisement which contained either a picture or no picture of prior earthquake damage and contained either statistics or no statistics on likelihood of an earthquake. A main effect for superiority of the picture was found. The presence of statistics had no main or interactive effects on the perceived effectiveness of the advertisement.

Membrane Transporters as Mediators of Cisplatin Effects and Side Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuliano Ciarimboli

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Transporters are important mediators of specific cellular uptake and thus, not only for effects, but also for side effects, metabolism, and excretion of many drugs such as cisplatin. Cisplatin is a potent cytostatic drug, whose use is limited by its severe acute and chronic nephro-, oto-, and peripheral neurotoxicity. For this reason, other platinum derivatives, such as carboplatin and oxaliplatin, with less toxicity but still with antitumoral action have been developed. Several transporters, which are expressed on the cell membranes, have been associated with cisplatin transport across the plasma membrane and across the cell: the copper transporter 1 (Ctr1, the copper transporter 2 (Ctr2, the P-type copper-transporting ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B, the organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2, and the multidrug extrusion transporter 1 (MATE1. Some of these transporters are also able to accept other platinum derivatives as substrate. Since membrane transporters display a specific tissue distribution, they can be important molecules that mediate the entry of platinum derivatives in target and also nontarget cells possibly mediating specific effects and side effects of the chemotherapeutic drug. This paper summarizes the literature on toxicities of cisplatin compared to that of carboplatin and oxaliplatin and the interaction of these platinum derivatives with membrane transporters.

Electroplastic effect in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprecher, A.F. Jr.

1984-01-01

This report presents the effects of single d-c current pulses (1000-6000 A/mm 2 approx.60 μs) on plastically deforming metals. Polycrystalline wire specimens (D 0 approx. 1/2 mm, L 0 approx. 50 mm) representing the three more common crystal structures were employed: Ti from the HCP structures; Fe, Nb, and W from the bcc structure; and Al, Cu, and Ni from the fcc structure. The tests were carried out under uniaxial tension with an applied strain rate of 1.7 x 10 -4 sec -1 at room temperature. Forced air cooling was employed in order to reduce the principal side effect, heating. As a result of applying a current pulse, there were significant drops in the flow stress (1-35%). These drops not only included an electron dislocation interaction but all side effects as well. The main side effect due to the temperature rise was thermal expansion and could account for 60-90% of the drops. In addition to thermal expansion, some thermally induced plastic flow occurred as indicated by computer simulations. The total side effects (thermal expansion and plastic flow) approximately accounted for the stress drops in Ti, W, and Nb. However, a strong electron dislocation (ed) interaction was observed in Cu and Al since plastic flow from thermal effects was negligible. In Ni and Fe the portion of the stress drops due to (ed) was unclear due to some dynamic aging effects present

[Effects of nurses' perception of servant leadership on leader effectiveness, satisfaction and additional effort: focused on the mediating effects of leader trust and value congruence].

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Sang Sook; Kim, Nam Eun

2012-02-01

This study was done to examine the effects of nurses' perception of servant leadership on leader effectiveness, satisfaction and promoting additional effort. The focus was the mediating effects of leader trust and value congruence. Data were collected from 361 RN-BSN students and nurses participating in nationally attended in-service training programs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural analysis with SPSS 17.0 windows program and Amos 7.0. Direct effects of nurses' perception of servant leadership were negative, but mediating effects of trust and value congruency were positively correlated with leader effectiveness, satisfaction and additional effort, that is servant leadership should be effective through mediating factors. The study results indicate that if the middle managers of nurses can build leader trust and value congruency between nurses through servant leadership, leader effectiveness, satisfaction and additional effort on the part of the nurses could result in a positive change in the long term.

The effect of synesthetic associations between the visual and auditory modalities on the Colavita effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Stekelenburg, Jeroen J; Keetels, Mirjam

2016-05-01

The Colavita effect refers to the phenomenon that when confronted with an audiovisual stimulus, observers report more often to have perceived the visual than the auditory component. The Colavita effect depends on low-level stimulus factors such as spatial and temporal proximity between the unimodal signals. Here, we examined whether the Colavita effect is modulated by synesthetic congruency between visual size and auditory pitch. If the Colavita effect depends on synesthetic congruency, we expect a larger Colavita effect for synesthetically congruent size/pitch (large visual stimulus/low-pitched tone; small visual stimulus/high-pitched tone) than synesthetically incongruent (large visual stimulus/high-pitched tone; small visual stimulus/low-pitched tone) combinations. Participants had to identify stimulus type (visual, auditory or audiovisual). The study replicated the Colavita effect because participants reported more often the visual than auditory component of the audiovisual stimuli. Synesthetic congruency had, however, no effect on the magnitude of the Colavita effect. EEG recordings to congruent and incongruent audiovisual pairings showed a late frontal congruency effect at 400-550 ms and an occipitoparietal effect at 690-800 ms with neural sources in the anterior cingulate and premotor cortex for the 400- to 550-ms window and premotor cortex, inferior parietal lobule and the posterior middle temporal gyrus for the 690- to 800-ms window. The electrophysiological data show that synesthetic congruency was probably detected in a processing stage subsequent to the Colavita effect. We conclude that-in a modality detection task-the Colavita effect can be modulated by low-level structural factors but not by higher-order associations between auditory and visual inputs.

Biosimilar medicines and cost-effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Simoens

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Steven SimoensResearch Centre for Pharmaceutical Care and Pharmaco-economics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumAbstract: Given that biosimilars are agents that are similar but not identical to the reference biopharmaceutical, this study aims to introduce and describe specific issues related to the economic evaluation of biosimilars by focusing on the relative costs, relative effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of biosimilars. Economic evaluation assesses the cost-effectiveness of a medicine by comparing the costs and outcomes of a medicine with those of a relevant comparator. The assessment of cost-effectiveness of a biosimilar is complicated by the fact that evidence needed to obtain marketing authorization from a registration authority does not always correspond to the data requirements of a reimbursement authority. In particular, this relates to the availability of adequately powered equivalence or noninferiority studies, the need for comparative data about the effectiveness in a real-world setting rather than the efficacy in a structured setting, and the use of health outcome measures instead of surrogate endpoints. As a biosimilar is likely to be less expensive than the comparator (eg, the reference biopharmaceutical, the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a biosimilar depends on the relative effectiveness. If appropriately designed and powered clinical studies demonstrate equivalent effectiveness between a biosimilar and the comparator, then a cost-minimization analysis identifies the least expensive medicine. If there are differences in the effectiveness of a biosimilar and the comparator, other techniques of economic evaluation need to be employed, such as cost-effectiveness analysis or cost-utility analysis. Given that there may be uncertainty surrounding the long-term safety (ie, risk of immunogenicity and rare adverse events and effectiveness of a biosimilar, the cost-effectiveness

Effects of increased biofuel utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahr, J.; Blad, B.; Hillring, B.

1996-01-01

This report is a compilation of present knowledge regarding the effects of an increased use of biomass fuels. Main areas treated are: Availability of raw materials; Effects on forestry and agriculture; Transportation; Areas of use; Cost and price formation; Emission to the atmosphere, and effect on the climate; and Effect on employment and regional aspects. 29 tabs

5 CFR 1320.2 - Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Effect. 1320.2 Section 1320.2... PUBLIC § 1320.2 Effect. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part takes effect on October 1, 1995. (b)(1) In the case of a collection of information for which there is in effect on...

Effects and side effects of inspections and accountability in education: an overview of empirical studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Wolf, Inge F.; Janssens, F.J.G.

This paper presents an overview of studies into effects and side effects of control mechanisms in education. We focus on effects and side effects of inspection visits and public performance indicators. A first conclusion is that the studies do not provide us with a clear answer to the question of

Testing of Binders Toxicological Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Strokova, V.; Nelyubova, V.; Rykunova, M.

2017-11-01

The article presents the results of a study of the toxicological effect of binders with different compositions on the vital activity of plant and animal test-objects. The analysis of the effect on plant cultures was made on the basis of the phytotesting data. The study of the effect of binders on objects of animal origin was carried out using the method of short-term testing. Based on the data obtained, binders are ranked according to the degree of increase in the toxic effect: Gypsum → Portland cement → Slag Portland cement. Regardless of the test-object type, the influence of binders is due to the release of various elements (calcium ions or heavy metals) into the solution. In case of plant cultures, the saturation of the solution with elements has a positive effect (there is no inhibitory effect), and in case of animal specimens - an increase in the toxic effect.

Analisis Fenomena Day of the Week Effect: Pengujian Monday Effect, Week-Four Effect and Rogalski Effect (Studi Empiris Pada Perusahaan LQ 45 Di BEI)

OpenAIRE

Satoto, Shinta Heru

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study were to provide an empirical evidence of the day of the week phenomenon in Indonesian Capital Market. This research used 39 sample firms that list on LQ 45 Indonesian Capital Market on January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2010. The results indicate that Monday returns are positive and significant on average, and significantly different from returns of the rest of the week. Thus, no evidence was uncovered to support Monday effect and week four effect in Indonesian capit...

Assessing robustness of designs for random effects parameters for nonlinear mixed-effects models.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffull, Stephen B; Hooker, Andrew C

2017-12-01

Optimal designs for nonlinear models are dependent on the choice of parameter values. Various methods have been proposed to provide designs that are robust to uncertainty in the prior choice of parameter values. These methods are generally based on estimating the expectation of the determinant (or a transformation of the determinant) of the information matrix over the prior distribution of the parameter values. For high dimensional models this can be computationally challenging. For nonlinear mixed-effects models the question arises as to the importance of accounting for uncertainty in the prior value of the variances of the random effects parameters. In this work we explore the influence of the variance of the random effects parameters on the optimal design. We find that the method for approximating the expectation and variance of the likelihood is of potential importance for considering the influence of random effects. The most common approximation to the likelihood, based on a first-order Taylor series approximation, yields designs that are relatively insensitive to the prior value of the variance of the random effects parameters and under these conditions it appears to be sufficient to consider uncertainty on the fixed-effects parameters only.

Take off the heater: Utility effect and food environment effect in food consumption decisions

OpenAIRE

Lombardini-Riipinen, Chiara; Lankoski, Leena

2010-01-01

In this paper, we describe individual food consumption decisions as driven by a utility effect and a food environment effect. To outline the utility effect, we first develop a new theoretical model of individual food consumption. Next, we introduce the food environment effect by showing how the food environment can affect food consumption decisions and how this can skew the resulting food consumption vector. Finally, we analyse manipulations of the food environment as a potential form of poli...

Effect of Interband Interaction on Isotope Effect Coefficient of Mg B2 Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udomsamuthirun, P.; Kumvongsa, C.; Burakorn, A.; Changkanarth, P.; Maneeratanakul, S.

2005-10-01

In this research, the exact formula of Tc s equation and the isotope effect coefficient of two-band s-wave superconductors in weak-coupling limit are derived by considering the influence of interband interaction .In each band ,our model consist of two paring interactions : the electron-phonon interaction and non-electron-phonon interaction . According to the numerical calculation, we find that the isotope effect coefficient of MgB 2 , α=3 . 0 with T c 40 K can be found in the weak coupling regime and interband interaction of electron-phonon show more effect on isotope effect coefficient than interband interaction of non-phonon-electron

The development of an effective performance indicator program aids management effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelm, R.R.

1989-01-01

One problem that has plagued nuclear security departments has been the failure to adequately develop accurate and effective means of tracking and trending computer-based security system performance data at nuclear power facilities. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to provide information on the development and uses of one system employed by the Detroit Edison Company that has proven to be an effective performance indicator system to track security system data and to explain how management makes use of the system data. The performance indicator system has had a remarkable effect on the department's performance. The system's users have become more effective in isolating problems with security system components. The data have been utilized as part of the cost/benefit analysis for justifying improvements or equipment upgrades, clearly documenting cost savings. Finally, security management at all levels is able to promptly identify individual problems or trends. The time, money, and hours devoted to system development have greatly contributed to Detroit Edison's nuclear security department achieving a SALP 1 rating

Greenhouse effect: Myth or reality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.L.

1992-01-01

This paper debates on greenhouse effect controversy. Natural greenhouse effect is beneficent but additional greenhouse effect, in relation with human activities, can present a major risk for humanity. However an international agreement is difficult owing to the enormous costs which could not be endured by South economies. A tax on carbon dioxide emissions would have for consequence a wave of industrial delocalizations without precedent with important unemployment in Europe and no impact on additional greenhouse effect because it is a radiative effect and it is not a classic local chemical pollution. 11 refs., 10 figs

Sound specificity effects in spoken word recognition: The effect of integrality between words and sounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strori, Dorina; Zaar, Johannes; Cooke, Martin

2017-01-01

Recent evidence has shown that nonlinguistic sounds co-occurring with spoken words may be retained in memory and affect later retrieval of the words. This sound-specificity effect shares many characteristics with the classic voice-specificity effect. In this study, we argue that the sound......-specificity effect is conditional upon the context in which the word and sound coexist. Specifically, we argue that, besides co-occurrence, integrality between words and sounds is a crucial factor in the emergence of the effect. In two recognition-memory experiments, we compared the emergence of voice and sound...... from a mere co-occurrence context effect by removing the intensity modulation. The absence of integrality led to the disappearance of the sound-specificity effect. Taken together, the results suggest that the assimilation of background sounds into memory cannot be reduced to a simple context effect...

Sound specificity effects in spoken word recognition: The effect of integrality between words and sounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Strori, Dorina; Zaar, Johannes; Cooke, Martin; Mattys, Sven L

2018-01-01

Recent evidence has shown that nonlinguistic sounds co-occurring with spoken words may be retained in memory and affect later retrieval of the words. This sound-specificity effect shares many characteristics with the classic voice-specificity effect. In this study, we argue that the sound-specificity effect is conditional upon the context in which the word and sound coexist. Specifically, we argue that, besides co-occurrence, integrality between words and sounds is a crucial factor in the emergence of the effect. In two recognition-memory experiments, we compared the emergence of voice and sound specificity effects. In Experiment 1 , we examined two conditions where integrality is high. Namely, the classic voice-specificity effect (Exp. 1a) was compared with a condition in which the intensity envelope of a background sound was modulated along the intensity envelope of the accompanying spoken word (Exp. 1b). Results revealed a robust voice-specificity effect and, critically, a comparable sound-specificity effect: A change in the paired sound from exposure to test led to a decrease in word-recognition performance. In the second experiment, we sought to disentangle the contribution of integrality from a mere co-occurrence context effect by removing the intensity modulation. The absence of integrality led to the disappearance of the sound-specificity effect. Taken together, the results suggest that the assimilation of background sounds into memory cannot be reduced to a simple context effect. Rather, it is conditioned by the extent to which words and sounds are perceived as integral as opposed to distinct auditory objects.

Sublethal effects of tritium on aquatic systems. Ecological effects of lithium and beryllium on aquatic communities. Teratological effects of low-level magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, J.A.; Poston, T.M.; Skalaski, J.R.; Emery, R.M.; Klopfer, D.C.; Abernethy, C.S.

1981-01-01

Studies of the sublethal effects of tritium on the relatively radiosensitive immune process of the rainbow trout suggest that a higher RBE value than is now recognized by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) may be required. Studies included an evaluation of potential toxicity of lithium on embryological life of rainbow trout and an assessment of fate and effects of lithium in artificial stream habitats. Levels of lithium necessary to cause an observed effect would have to be at least three orders of magnitude above observed background. Studies on teratogenic effects of low-level magnetic fields address the need to assess the potential harmful effects of magnetic fields on attendant personnel working in the transport and hot cell areas of fusion reactors

Effective dose equivalent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huyskens, C.J.; Passchier, W.F.

1988-01-01

The effective dose equivalent is a quantity which is used in the daily practice of radiation protection as well as in the radiation hygienic rules as measure for the health risks. In this contribution it is worked out upon which assumptions this quantity is based and in which cases the effective dose equivalent can be used more or less well. (H.W.)

The greenhouse effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

In the framework of the sustainable development, this paper presents the greenhouse effect and its impact on the climatic change, the world interest from Rio to Buenos Aires, the human activities producing the carbon dioxide and responsible of the greenhouse effect, the carbon dioxide emission decrease possibilities and shows the necessity of the electric power producers contribution. (A.L.B.)

Synchronization on effective networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Tao; Zhao Ming; Zhou Changsong

2010-01-01

The study of network synchronization has attracted increasing attentionrecently. In this paper, we strictly define a class of networks, namely effective networks, which are synchronizable and orientable networks. We can prove that all the effective networks with the same size have the same spectra, and are of the best synchronizability according to the master stability analysis. However, it is found that the synchronization time for different effective networks can be quite different. Further analysis shows that the key ingredient affecting the synchronization time is the maximal depth of an effective network: the larger depth results in a longer synchronization time. The secondary factor is the number of links. The increasing number of links connecting nodes in the same layer (horizontal links) will lead to longer synchronization time, whereas the increasing number of links connecting nodes in neighboring layers (vertical links) will accelerate the synchronization. Our analysis of the relationship between the structure and synchronization properties of the original and effective networks shows that the purely directed effective network can provide an approximation of the original weighted network with normalized input strength. Our findings provide insights into the roles of depth, horizontal and vertical links in the synchronizing process, and suggest that the spectral analysis is helpful yet insufficient for the comprehensive understanding of network synchronization.

Synchronization on effective networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou Tao [Web Sciences Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Zhao Ming [Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Zhou Changsong, E-mail: cszhou@hkbu.edu.h [Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong)

2010-04-15

The study of network synchronization has attracted increasing attentionrecently. In this paper, we strictly define a class of networks, namely effective networks, which are synchronizable and orientable networks. We can prove that all the effective networks with the same size have the same spectra, and are of the best synchronizability according to the master stability analysis. However, it is found that the synchronization time for different effective networks can be quite different. Further analysis shows that the key ingredient affecting the synchronization time is the maximal depth of an effective network: the larger depth results in a longer synchronization time. The secondary factor is the number of links. The increasing number of links connecting nodes in the same layer (horizontal links) will lead to longer synchronization time, whereas the increasing number of links connecting nodes in neighboring layers (vertical links) will accelerate the synchronization. Our analysis of the relationship between the structure and synchronization properties of the original and effective networks shows that the purely directed effective network can provide an approximation of the original weighted network with normalized input strength. Our findings provide insights into the roles of depth, horizontal and vertical links in the synchronizing process, and suggest that the spectral analysis is helpful yet insufficient for the comprehensive understanding of network synchronization.

Stereoelectronic Substituent Effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bols, Mikael; Jensen, Henrik Helligsø

2006-01-01

An investigation was carried Out on the influence of the stereo-chemistry of substituents, particularly hydroxyl groups, on their electronic effects in piperidines, carbohydrates (pyranosides), and related compounds. Polar groups, such as OH, OR, and F, were found in the 3 and 4 position to be much...... more electron-withdrawing when positioned equatorially rather than axially. In contrast, little difference in electronic effects was observed from apolar groups as a result of epimerization. These observations were believed to be caused by differences in charge-dipole interactions and were used...... to explain why stereoisomeric glycosides hydrolyze with different rates. The conformational changes of hydroxylated piperidines and related compounds as a function of pH were likewise explained from the different substituent effects of axial and equatorial OH groups....

Effect of structural inheritance on effectiveness of 'intercritical quenching'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kut'in, A.B.; Polyakova, A.M.; Gerbikh, N.M.

1989-01-01

Effect of quenching from intercritical interval on tempering brittleness suppression by comparing structural changes under heating of steels which do not tend to structural inheritance and steels, additionally doped with elements increasing the tendency of preliminary quenching grain to reduction, is studied. Investigation was conducted using medium-carbon chromium nickel steels, melted in an open induction furnace. It is shown that effect of quenching from intercritical interval on the tempering brittleness attennuation is increased with the increase of steel tendency to structural inheritance. Intergranular embrittlement suppression at tempering is obviously caused by a uniform distribution of impurities on subboundaries in the grain volume

The Effects of Leadership Style on School Culture and Teacher Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, Kristal Carey

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between principal leadership style and school culture and to determine what effect both factors have on teacher effectiveness. This study was based on the perceptions of teachers and principals in Title I elementary schools (Grades 1-5), with high ESL populations in 10 schools within a West…

Pancreatic effects of GLP-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuhre, Rune Ehrenreich; Albrechtsen, Nicolai Jacob Wewer; Holst, Jens Juul

2014-01-01

-dependent manner. But perhaps equally importantly, GLP-1’s glucose lowering effects are attributable to a strong inhibition of glucagon secretion, and, thereby, a reduction of hepatic glucose output. The effects of GLP-1 on insulin secretion are mediated by binding of the hormone to the receptor (GLP-1r......) on the pancreatic β-cell, which increases intracellular cAMP levels and sets in motion a plethora of events that lead to secretion. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of GLP-1 on the α-cell may be indirect, involving paracrine intra-islet regulation by somatostatin and possibly also insulin, although GLP-1 also...... inhibits glucagon secretion in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Besides these acute effects on the endocrine pancreas, GLP-1 also appears to have a positive effect on β-cell mass. In the following we will review GLP-1’s pancreatic effects with particular focus on its effects on pancreatic islets...

Multiphoton polarization Bremsstrahlung effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovinskij, P.A.

2001-01-01

A general approach to induced polarization effects was formulated on the basis of theory of many particles in a strong periodic field. Correlation with the perturbation theory is shown and the types of effective polarization potentials both for isolated atoms and ions, and for ions in plasma, are provided. State of art in the theory of forced polarization Bremsstrahlung effect is analyzed and some outlooks for further experimental and theoretical studies are outlined [ru

Clinical effectiveness and cost effect analysis of quadrivalent HPV vaccine

OpenAIRE

Lekić, Nataša

2008-01-01

1 ABSTRACT Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine- Evaluation of clinical effectiveness and national vaccine programs Author: Nataša Lekić Research Advisor: PharmDr. Lenka Práznovcová, Ph.D. Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague. SUMMARY QUADRIVALENT HPV VACCINE- EVALUATION OF CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS AND NATIONAL VACCINE PROGRAMS Background: Human papillomavirus types 6, 11,16 and 18 cause majority of genital warts an...

Partner Effects and Bi-Directional Parent-Child Effects in Family Alcohol Use

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Otten, R.; van der Zwaluw, C.S.; Vorst, H.; Engels, R.C.M.E.

2008-01-01

Introduction: The current study investigated partner effects and bidirectional parent-child effects in family alcohol use. Methods: A full family, longitudinal design was used to test the hypotheses. Participants were 428 families, including mothers, fathers, and 2 children. Associations were

Combined effect of formaldehyde and gamma-irradiation. Vitamin complex effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ban'kovskij, A.A.; El'chaninova, M.A.

1996-01-01

Combined inhalation effect of formaldehyde and gamma-irradiation on the activities of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases in rat lung tissue was studied. The possibility of fitting the parameters studied by the vitamin PP, A and E and complex was shown. At investigation of white rats in conditions of formaldehyde inhalation in concentration 10 mg/m 3 and gamma-irradiation by dose 0.25 Gy the changes of activities of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases in the rat lung tissue were detected. An injection of PP, A and E vitamin complex after combined effect of formaldehyde and gamma-irradiation contributes to normalization of studied parameters. The K(C -1 ) constant is reduced. On this basis it is proposed that in such conditions formaldehyde stabilizes membranes and protects important metabolic processes against damages. Thus, vitamin complex is capable to level a toxic combined effect of formaldehyde and gamma-irradiation. 9 refs., 1 tab

Multipollutant health effect simulations

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Resulting betas (health effects) from a variety of copollutant epidemiologic models used to analyze the impact of exposure measurement error on health effect...

Characteristics of Effective Argumentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Frana, Adrian W.

1989-01-01

Examines how the 1988 Presidential Debates provide a resource for effective instruction in public argument. Provides several examples of effective (and ineffective) argumentative speaking taken from the debates. (MM)

Measurements of effective total macroscopic cross sections and effective energy of continuum beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobayashi, Hisao [Rikkyo Univ., Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Japan). Inst. for Atomic Energy

1998-03-01

Two practically useful quantities are introduced in this study to characterize a continuum neutron beam and to describe transmission phenomena of the beam in field of quantitative neutron radiography: an effective energy instead of a peak energy or a mean energy of the spectrum and an effective total macroscopic (ETM) cross section instead of a total macroscopic (TM) cross section defined at the monochromatic energy. The effective energy was evaluated by means of energy dependence of ETM cross section. To realize the method a beam quality indicator (BQI) has been proposed recently. Several effective energies were measured for non-filtered, filtered neutron beams, and outputs of neutron guide tubes in world by the BQI. A thermal neutron beam and three beams modulated by Pb filters with different thicknesses are studied to measure ETM cross sections for various materials and summarized in a table. Validity of the effective energy determined by the BQI is discussed relating with ETM cross sections of materials. (author)

[Placebo effect in Parkinson's disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Miwa, Hideto

2007-02-01

"Placebo" is Latin for "I shall please". The placebo effect has been widely documented by randomized placebo-controlled drug studies. One of the best examples of placebo effectiveness is that have been shown in clinical trials of anti-parkinsonian drugs. The placebo effect is observable not only in drug trials but also with deep brain stimulation. Recent advances in research on the placebo effect in Parkinson's disease (PD) have suggested that motor symptoms of PD can be essentially improved by placebo. A recent study using positron emission tomography (PET) with raclopride demonstrated that release of endogeneous dopamine in the dorsal striatum occurs in placebo-responsive patients with PD. This suggests that placebo-induced expectation of clinical improvement may activate endogenous dopamine in the striatum, and that placebo effectiveness is thus achieved by endogenous dopamine supplementation. Indeed, decreased neuronal activities in the subthalamic nucleus (STN), that were recorded during surgery to implant deep brain stimulation electrodes, correlated well with placebo-induced clinical improvement in patients with PD. Although the detailed pathophysiological mechanism underlying the placebo effects remains uncertain, theoretically, the placebo effect has generally been explained by two different mechanisms: one is conditioning theory (pavlovian conditioning), and the other is cognitive theory (expectation of clinical improvement). Although both mechanisms may contribute to placebo effects, the placebo effect in PD may be attributed more to cognitive mechanisms such as expectation of improvement, because the placebo effect can be obtained in de novo PD patients. There have been accumulating findings that suggest a functional relationship between dopamine and the expectation of clinical improvement (reward). Further basic studies are required to clarify the complex link between dopamine and the reward system, but such findings will contribute to a better

Moessbauer effect and its applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butt, N.M.; Arshad, M.

1995-01-01

This paper presents the basic concepts of Moessbauer effect. The provision of extremely high energy resolution, 1 part in 10/sp 12/, is the remarkable feature of this effects. This feature can be used to solve various problems where small changes in energy are involved. This effect has been applied in various disciplines of science like astrophysics, archaeology, biology, corrosion, amorphous alloys, chemistry, metallurgy, solid state physics, magnetism, superconductivity etc. A brief description of Moessbauer effect along with some typical examples are presented to demonstrate the importance and power of this effect in solving problems in these areas. (author)

Field tests on partial embedment effects (embedment effect tests on soil-structure interaction)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurimoto, O.; Tsunoda, T.; Inoue, T.; Izumi, M.; Kusakabe, K.; Akino, K.

1993-01-01

A series of Model Tests of Embedment Effect on Reactor Buildings has been carried out by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), under the sponsorship of the Ministry of International Trade and lndustry (MITI) of Japan. The nuclear reactor buildings are partially embedded due to conditions for the construction or building arrangement in Japan. It is necessary to verify the partial embedment effects by experiments and analytical studies in order to incorporate the effects in the seismic design. Forced vibration tests, therefore, were performed using a model with several types of embedment. Correlated simulation analyses were also performed and the characteristics of partial embedment effects on soil-structure interaction were evaluated. (author)

Effective parameters, effective processes: From porous flow physics to in situ remediation technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruess, K.

1995-06-01

This paper examines the conceptualization of multiphase flow processes on the macroscale, as needed in field applications. It emphasizes that upscaling from the pore-level will in general not only introduce effective parameters but will also give rise to ''effective processes,'' i.e., the emergence of new physical effects that may not have a microscopic counterpart. ''Phase dispersion'' is discussed as an example of an effective process for the migration and remediation of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contaminants in heterogeneous media. An approximate space-and-time scaling invariance is derived for gravity-driven liquid flow in unsaturated two-dimensional porous media (fractures). Issues for future experimental and theoretical work are identified

Magnetoelectric effects in manganites

Science.gov (United States)

Jeen, Hyoung Jeen

Research on manganites has been conducted for more than half century. Recent discoveries of colossal responses to external fields such as colossal magnetoresistance effects and correlation among spin, orbital, and lattice in phase separated manganites and multiferroic manganites have motivated me to understand these materials. The main purpose of this dissertation is to understand magnetoelectric effects in phase separated (La1-yPr y)1-xCaxMnO3 (LPCMO) thin films and multiferroic BiMnO3 (BMO) thin films. First, high quality phase separated manganite thin films have been successfully grown. To grow the high quality manganite thin films, extensive effort was devoted to fine tuning of oxygen pressure, temperature, and laser fluence during film growth. As-grown films were characterized with various ex-situ techniques: magnetization measurements, transport measurements, x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and/or transmission electron microscopy to remove the effects of impurities and unwanted strains except substrate induced strain. Second, three major results were obtained in high quality phase separated LPCMO thin films. These results are based on the dynamic nature of phases in LPCMO. 1) LPCMO thin films showed single domain to multi-domain transition during cooling. This transition can be tuned by substrate stress induced in-plane magnetic anisotropy. 2) Evidence for the origin of colossal electroresistance (CER) effect has been observed. The CER is triggered by dielectrophoresis, or movements of ferromagnetic metallic (FMM) phase, which is manifested in anisotropic transport properties in microfabricated LPCMO cross structures. This fluidic nature of the FMM phase in LPCMO under high electric fields lead to exotic magnetoelectric effects. 3) Electric field effects on magnetotransport properties have been observed. This phenomena can also be tuned by the combined effect of substrate strain and current flow. This combined effect of electric and magnetic

Understanding peer effects : on the nature, estimation and channels of peer effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feld, J.F.; Zölitz, U.N.

2016-01-01

This paper estimates peer effects in a university context where students are randomly assigned to sections. While students benefit from better peers on average, lowachieving students are harmed by high-achieving peers. Analyzing students’ course evaluations suggests that peer effects are driven by

Differential effectiveness of placebo treatments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meissner, Karin; Fässler, Margrit; Rücker, Gerta

2013-01-01

IMPORTANCE When analyzing results of randomized clinical trials, the treatment with the greatest specific effect compared with its placebo control is considered to be the most effective one. Although systematic variations of improvements in placebo control groups would have important implications...... relevant sources through February 2012 and contacted the authors to identify randomized clinical trials on the prophylaxis of migraine with an observation period of at least 8 weeks after randomization that compared an experimental treatment with a placebo control group. We calculated pooled random-effects...... and sham surgery are associated with higher responder ratios than oral pharmacological placebos. Clinicians who treat patients with migraine should be aware that a relevant part of the overall effect they observe in practice might be due to nonspecific effects and that the size of such effects might differ...

The effectiveness of e-learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noesgaard, Signe Schack; Ørngreen, Rikke

2015-01-01

A structured search of library databases revealed that research examining the effectiveness of e-Learning has heavily increased within the last five years. After taking a closer look at the search results, the authors discovered that previous researchers defined and investigated effectiveness....... The paper answers the following research questions: How is the effectiveness of e-Learning defined? How is the effectiveness of e-Learning measured? What makes e-Learning solutions effective? The authors discovered 19 distinct ways to define effectiveness, the most common of which is ‘learning outcome...... to the findings of the literature study. The study suggests that it is difficult to use e-Learning to improve teaching performance, as participating teachers can apply several strategies to avoid substantially changing their work-related practices. Furthermore, the study shows that only using the fulfilment...

Leadership Effectiveness and Gender

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gedney, Christine

1999-01-01

This research paper on the subject of Leadership Effectiveness and Gender attempts to conduct a focused amount of research to answer the question about the correlation between gender and leadership effectiveness...

Augmented reality warnings in vehicles: Effects of modality and specificity on effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, Felix; Fastenmeier, Wolfgang

2017-04-01

In the future, vehicles will be able to warn drivers of hidden dangers before they are visible. Specific warning information about these hazards could improve drivers' reactions and the warning effectiveness, but could also impair them, for example, by additional cognitive-processing costs. In a driving simulator study with 88 participants, we investigated the effects of modality (auditory vs. visual) and specificity (low vs. high) on warning effectiveness. For the specific warnings, we used augmented reality as an advanced technology to display the additional auditory or visual warning information. Part one of the study concentrates on the effectiveness of necessary warnings and part two on the drivers' compliance despite false alarms. For the first warning scenario, we found several positive main effects of specificity. However, subsequent effects of specificity were moderated by the modality of the warnings. The specific visual warnings were observed to have advantages over the three other warning designs concerning gaze and braking reaction times, passing speeds and collision rates. Besides the true alarms, braking reaction times as well as subjective evaluation after these warnings were still improved despite false alarms. The specific auditory warnings were revealed to have only a few advantages, but also several disadvantages. The results further indicate that the exact coding of additional information, beyond its mere amount and modality, plays an important role. Moreover, the observed advantages of the specific visual warnings highlight the potential benefit of augmented reality coding to improve future collision warnings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Science.gov (United States)

... Health effects of air pollution Health effects of air pollution Breathing air that is not clean can hurt ... important to know about the health effects that air pollution can have on you and others. Once you ...

Pleiotropic effects of statins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narasaraju Kavalipati

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Statins or 3-hydroxy-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA reductase inhibitors not only prevents the synthesis of cholesterol biosynthesis but also inhibits the synthesis of essential isoprenoid intermediates such as farnesyl pyrophosphate, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, isopentanyl adenosine, dolichols and polyisoprenoid side chains of ubiquinone, heme A, and nuclear lamins. These isoprenoid intermediates are required for activation of various intracellular/signaling proteins- small guanosine triphosphate bound protein Ras and Ras-like proteins like Rho, Rab, Rac, Ral, or Rap which plays an indispensible role in multiple cellular processes. Reduction of circulating isoprenoids intermediates as a result of HMG CoA reductase inhibition by statins prevents activation of these signalling proteins. Hence, the multiple effects of statins such as antiinflammatory effects, antioxidant effects, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects, plaque stability, normalization of sympathetic outflow, and prevention of platelet aggregation are due to reduction of circulating isoprenoids and hence inactivation of signalling proteins. These multiple lipid-independent effects of statins termed as statin pleiotropy would potentially open floodgates for research in multiple treatment domains catching attentions of researchers and clinician across the globe.

Towards enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen generation: Which is more important, alloy synergistic effect or plasmonic effect?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Zhenhe; Kibria, Md Golam; AlOtaibi, Bandar; Duchesne, Paul N.; Besteiro, Lucas V.; Gao, Yu; Zhang, Qingzhe; Mi, Zetian; Zhang, Peng; Govorov, Alexander O.; Mai, Liqiang; Chaker, Mohamed; Ma, Dongling

2018-02-01

Synergistic effect in alloys and plasmonic effect have both been explored for increasing the efficiency of water splitting. In depth understanding and comparison of their respective contributions in certain promising systems is highly desired for catalyst development, yet rarely investigated so far. We report herein our thorough investigations on a series of highly interesting nanocomposites composed of Pt, Au and C3N4 nanocomponents, which are designed to benefit from both synergistic and plasmonic effects. Detailed analyses led to an important conclusion that the contribution from the synergistic effect was at least 3.5 times that from the plasmonic effect in the best performing sample, Pt50Au50 alloy decorated C3N4. It showed remarkable turnover frequency of >1.6 mmol h-1 g-1 at room temperature. Our work provides physical insights for catalyst development by rationally designing samples to compare long-known synergistic effect with recently emerging, attractive plasmonic effect and represents the first case study in the field.

Quantum Zeno effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrosky, T.; Tasaki, S.; Prigogine, I.

1991-01-01

In 1977, Misra and Sudarshan showed, based on the quantum measurement theory, that an unstable particle will never be found to decay when it is continuously observed. They called it the quantum Zeno effect (or paradox). More generally the quantum Zeno effect is associated to the inhibition of transitions by frequent measurements. This possibility has attracted much interest over the last years. Recently, Itano, Heinzen, Bollinger and Wineland have reported that they succeeded in observing the quantum Zeno effect. This would indeed be an important step towards the understanding of the role of the observer in quantum mechanics. However, in the present paper, we will show that their results can be recovered through conventional quantum mechanics and do not involve a repeated reduction (or collapse) of the wave function. (orig.)

Non-targeted and delayed effects of exposure to ionizing radiation: II. Radiation-induced genomic instability and bystander effects in vivo, clastogenic factors and transgenerational effects

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, William F.

2003-01-01

The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence for non-targeted and delayed effects of exposure to ionizing radiation in vivo. Currently, human health risks associated with radiation exposures are based primarily on the assumption that the detrimental effects of radiation occur in irradiated cells. Over the years a number of non-targeted effects of radiation exposure in vivo have been described that challenge this concept. These include radiation-induced genomic instability, bystander effects, clastogenic factors produced in plasma from irradiated individuals that can cause chromosomal damage when cultured with nonirradiated cells, and transgenerational effects of parental irradiation that can manifest in the progeny. These effects pose new challenges to evaluating the risk(s) associated with radiation exposure and understanding radiation-induced carcinogenesis.

Understanding peer effects - On the nature, estimation and channels of peer effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feld, J.F.; Zölitz, U.N.

2016-01-01

This paper estimates peer effects in a university context where students are randomly assigned to sections. While students benefit from better peers on average, low-achieving students are harmed by high-achieving peers. Analyzing students’ course evaluations suggests that peer effects are driven by

The effect of water solubles on Kelvin effects of the Maritime Polluted ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this work microphysical properties of Maritime Polluted aerosols wereextracted from Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds (OPAC) after varying the concentrations of water soluble at five different levels. The analytical expressions for the changes in the equilibrium relative humidity (RH), effective radii, effective ...

Beyond the treatment effect: Evaluating the effects of patient preferences in randomised trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, S D; Turner, R; Macaskill, P; McCaffery, K J; Irwig, L

2017-02-01

The treatments under comparison in a randomised trial should ideally have equal value and acceptability - a position of equipoise - to study participants. However, it is unlikely that true equipoise exists in practice, because at least some participants may have preferences for one treatment or the other, for a variety of reasons. These preferences may be related to study outcomes, and hence affect the estimation of the treatment effect. Furthermore, the effects of preferences can sometimes be substantial, and may even be larger than the direct effect of treatment. Preference effects are of interest in their own right, but they cannot be assessed in the standard parallel group design for a randomised trial. In this paper, we describe a model to represent the impact of preferences on trial outcomes, in addition to the usual treatment effect. In particular, we describe how outcomes might differ between participants who would choose one treatment or the other, if they were free to do so. Additionally, we investigate the difference in outcomes depending on whether or not a participant receives his or her preferred treatment, which we characterise through a so-called preference effect. We then discuss several study designs that have been proposed to measure and exploit data on preferences, and which constitute alternatives to the conventional parallel group design. Based on the model framework, we determine which of the various preference effects can or cannot be estimated with each design. We also illustrate these ideas with some examples of preference designs from the literature.

Effect of Whole-Body Vibration on Speech. Part 2; Effect on Intelligibility

Science.gov (United States)

Begault, Durand R.

2011-01-01

The effect on speech intelligibility was measured for speech where talkers reading Diagnostic Rhyme Test material were exposed to 0.7 g whole body vibration to simulate space vehicle launch. Across all talkers, the effect of vibration was to degrade the percentage of correctly transcribed words from 83% to 74%. The magnitude of the effect of vibration on speech communication varies between individuals, for both talkers and listeners. A worst case scenario for intelligibility would be the most sensitive listener hearing the most sensitive talker; one participant s intelligibility was reduced by 26% (97% to 71%) for one of the talkers.

Mechanism of the flame ionization detector. II. Isotope effects and heteroatom effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Torkil

1997-01-01

The relative molar flame ionization detecton (FID) response (RMR) for a hydrocarbon does not change when deuterium is substituted for hydrogen. The exception is methane for which an inverse deuterium effect of 3..5% is observed for tetradeuteriomethane. [13C]Methane shows an inverse isotope effect...... of 2%. The reason for the small or non-existent isotope effects is that H/2H exchange takes place in the pre-combustion hydrogenolysis in the flame. This was shown by taking samples from the lower part of the flame by means of a fused silica capillary probe. By the same technique the hydrogenolytic...

Effects of Social Constraints on Career Maturity: The Mediating Effect of the Time Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung-Nyun; Oh, Se-Hee

2013-01-01

Previous studies have provided mixed results for the effects of social constraints on career maturity. However, there has been growing interest in these effects from the time perspective. Few studies have examined the effects of social constraints on the time perspective which in turn influences career maturity. This study examines the mediating…

Hormonal effects in newborns

Science.gov (United States)

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001911.htm Hormonal effects in newborns To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Hormonal effects in newborns occur because in the womb, babies ...

Habituation of reinforcer effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R Lloyd

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we propose an integrative model of habituation of reinforcer effectiveness (HRE that links behavioral and neural based explanations of reinforcement. We argue that habituation of reinforcer effectiveness (HRE is a fundamental property of reinforcing stimuli. Most reinforcement models implicitly suggest that the effectiveness of a reinforcer is stable across repeated presentations. In contrast, an HRE approach predicts decreased effectiveness due to repeated presentation. We argue that repeated presentation of reinforcing stimuli decreases their effectiveness and that these decreases are described by the behavioral characteristics of habituation (McSweeney and Murphy, 2009;Rankin et al., 2009. We describe a neural model that postulates a positive association between dopamine neurotransmission and HRE. We present evidence that stimulant drugs, which artificially increase dopamine neurotransmission, disrupt (slow normally occurring HRE and also provide evidence that stimulant drugs have differential effects on operant responding maintained by reinforcers with rapid vs. slow HRE rates. We hypothesize that abnormal HRE due to genetic and/or environmental factors may underlie some behavioral disorders. For example, recent research indicates that slow-HRE is predictive of obesity. In contrast ADHD may reflect ‘accelerated-HRE’. Consideration of HRE is important for the development of effective reinforcement based treatments. Finally, we point out that most of the reinforcing stimuli that regulate daily behavior are non-consumable environmental/social reinforcers which have rapid-HRE. The almost exclusive use of consumable reinforcers with slow-HRE in pre-clinical studies with animals may have caused the importance of HRE to be overlooked. Further study of reinforcing stimuli with rapid-HRE is needed in order to understand how habituation and reinforcement interact and regulate behavior.

Edge effects in composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guz, A.N.; Kokhanenko, Yu.V.

1995-01-01

In the present article we survey papers on edge effects investigated by the rigorous approach. We interpret edge effects as stressed states created in a composite as a result of zones in which the stresses exhibit a rapidly changing behavior in comparison with the slow variation of the stresses outside such zones. Here the range of the edge effect is defined as the distance from the point of its inception to the boundary of the edge zone in a given direction. The transition of the stresses to the slowly varying state is determined within prescribed error limits. The size and configuration of the edge zone depends on the tolerated error. Clearly, the main difficulty associated with the rigorous approach is finding solutions of the elasticity problems. The finite-difference approach is suggested for the approximate solution of these problems. In light of the comparative time consumption of the finite-difference approach, it is best directed at certain classes of problems rather than at particular individual problems. Not too many papers on the investigation of edge effects by the rigorous approach have been published to date. Below, following in their footsteps, we formulate edge effect problems in composites, determine classes of problems, and investigate edge effects in composite materials and structural elements using them in Cartesian (planar and three-dimensional problems) and cylindrical (axisymmetric problems) coordinate frames. We note that the division of approaches to the study of edge effects into qualitative (nonrigorous) and quantitative (rigorous) reflects the authors own point of view. Of course, other schemes of classification of the approaches to the investigation of the regions of rapidly varying states in composites are possible

Biological effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gisone, Pablo; Perez, Maria R.

2001-01-01

It has been emphasised the importance of DNA as the main target for ionizing radiation, that can induce damage by its direct action on this molecule or by an indirect effect mediated by free-radicals generated by water radiolysis. Biological effects of ionizing radiation are influenced not only by the dose but also by the dose-rate and the radiation quality. Radiation induced damage, mainly DNA single and double strand breaks, is detected by molecular sensors which in turn trigger signalling cascades leading to cell cycle arrest to allow DNA repair or programmed cell death (apoptosis). Those effects related with cell death, named deterministic, exhibits a dose-threshold below which they are not observed. Acute radiation syndrome and radiological burns are examples of this kind of effects. Other radiation induced effects, called stochastic, are the consequence of cell transformation and do not exhibit a dose-threshold. This is the case of cancer induction and hereditary effects. The aim of this presentation is briefly describe the main aspects of deterministic and stochastic effects from the point of view of radiobiology and radio pathology. (author)

Late effects from hadron therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blakely, Eleanor A.; Chang, Polly Y.

2004-06-01

Successful cancer patient survival and local tumor control from hadron radiotherapy warrant a discussion of potential secondary late effects from the radiation. The study of late-appearing clinical effects from particle beams of protons, carbon, or heavier ions is a relatively new field with few data. However, new clinical information is available from pioneer hadron radiotherapy programs in the USA, Japan, Germany and Switzerland. This paper will review available data on late tissue effects from particle radiation exposures, and discuss its importance to the future of hadron therapy. Potential late radiation effects are associated with irradiated normal tissue volumes at risk that in many cases can be reduced with hadron therapy. However, normal tissues present within hadron treatment volumes can demonstrate enhanced responses compared to conventional modes of therapy. Late endpoints of concern include induction of secondary cancers, cataract, fibrosis, neurodegeneration, vascular damage, and immunological, endocrine and hereditary effects. Low-dose tissue effects at tumor margins need further study, and there is need for more acute molecular studies underlying late effects of hadron therapy.

The placebo effect and homeopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Marcus Z; Guedes, Cristina H F F; Barreto, Patrícia V; Martins, Mílton A

2010-04-01

Like other forms of medicine, including Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), homeopathy elicits expectations in patients. The physician-patient relationship, personal and comprehensive treatment and lack of adverse effects are elements in creating positive expectations. Other elements may be associated with negative expectations. We conducted a systematic literature review on placebo and nocebo effects in acupuncture and homeopathy using Medline. Findings on the psychophysiological and neuromediating mechanisms of the placebo-nocebo phenomenon are reviewed. Studies of these effects reveal how expectations and unconscious conditioning can be measured by imaging and EEG methods. They result in significant, non-specific therapeutic effects, which may confuse the evaluation of the specific therapeutic effects treatment, hampering selection of the simillimum. Directions for future research on non-specific therapeutic effects of homeopathy to improve clinical practice and clinical research are discussed.

CT colonography and cost-effectiveness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mavranezouli, Ifigeneia [University College London, National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Sub-department of Clinical Health Psychology, London (United Kingdom); East, James E. [St Marks Hospital, Imperial College London, Wolfson Unit for Endoscopy, London (United Kingdom); Taylor, Stuart A. [University College Hospital, Specialist X-Ray, London (United Kingdom); University College Hospital, Department of Imaging, London (United Kingdom)

2008-11-15

CT colonography (CTC) is increasingly advocated as an effective initial screening tool for colorectal cancer. Nowadays, policy-makers are increasingly interested in cost-effectiveness issues. A number of studies assessing the cost-effectiveness of CTC have been published to date. The majority of findings indicate that CTC is probably not cost-effective when colonoscopy is available, but this conclusion is sensitive to a number of key parameters. This review discusses the findings of these studies, and considers those factors which most influence final conclusions, notably intervention costs, compliance rates, effectiveness of colonoscopy, and the assumed prevalence and natural history of diminutive advanced polyps. (orig.)

CT colonography and cost-effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mavranezouli, Ifigeneia; East, James E.; Taylor, Stuart A.

2008-01-01

CT colonography (CTC) is increasingly advocated as an effective initial screening tool for colorectal cancer. Nowadays, policy-makers are increasingly interested in cost-effectiveness issues. A number of studies assessing the cost-effectiveness of CTC have been published to date. The majority of findings indicate that CTC is probably not cost-effective when colonoscopy is available, but this conclusion is sensitive to a number of key parameters. This review discusses the findings of these studies, and considers those factors which most influence final conclusions, notably intervention costs, compliance rates, effectiveness of colonoscopy, and the assumed prevalence and natural history of diminutive advanced polyps. (orig.)

Greenhouse effect: analysis, incertitudes, consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrier, A.

1991-01-01

A general presentation of climatic changes due to greenhouse effect with their consequences is analysed. After a schematic description of this effect a simplified atmospheric model (box model) is proposed. This model integrates the main feedback effects and quantifies them. The effects of astronomic and atmospheric factors on climatic changes are analyzed and compared with classical paleoclimatic results. This study shows the need of good global modelization to evaluate long term quantification of climatic greenhouse effects according to the main time lag of the several biospheric boxes. An overview of biologic and agronomic consequences is given to promote new research subjects and to orientate protecting and conservative biospheric actions [fr

Effects of Medications on Voice

Science.gov (United States)

... ENTCareers Marketplace Find an ENT Doctor Near You Effects of Medications on Voice Effects of Medications on Voice Patient Health Information News ... replacement therapy post-menopause may have a variable effect. An inadequate level of thyroid replacement medication in ...

Quantum effects in accelerator physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leinaas, J.M.

1991-08-01

Quantum effects for electrons in a storage ring are discussed, in particular the polarization effect due to spin flip synchrotron radiation. The electrons are treated as a simple quantum mechnical two-level system coupled to the orbital motion and the radiation field. The excitations of the spin system are then related to the Unruh effect, i.e. the effect that an accelerated radiation detector is thermally excited by vacuum fluctuations. 24 refs., 2 figs