Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart-Haëntjens, Ellen; De Boeck, Hans J; Lemoine, Nathan P; Mänd, Pille; Kröel-Dulay, György; Schmidt, Inger K; Jentsch, Anke; Stampfli, Andreas; Anderegg, William R L; Bahn, Michael; Kreyling, Juergen; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; Lloret, Francisco; Classen, Aimée T; Gough, Christopher M; Smith, Melinda D

2018-04-27

Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitation (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought - a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Dealing with Resistance to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Ronald; Blackburn, Barbara R.

2010-01-01

One of the biggest roadblocks to addressing instructional rigor in schools is the resistance to change that is displayed by teachers, students, parents, and other building and district leaders. Every person deals differently with change. Some are more accepting, others more resistant. No change is successful if the people being asked to change…

Climate change trends, grape production, and potential alcohol concentration in wine from the "Romagna Sangiovese" appellation area (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Teslić, Nemanja; Zinzani, Giordano; Parpinello, Giuseppina P.; Versari, Andrea

2018-01-01

The trend of climate change and its effect on grape production and wine composition was evaluated using a real case study of seven wineries located in the "Romagna Sangiovese" appellation area (northern Italy), one of the most important wine producing region of Italy. This preliminary study focused on three key aspects: (i) Assessment of climate change trends by calculating bioclimatic indices over the last 61 years (from 1953 to 2013) in the Romagna Sangiovese area: significant increasing trends were found for the maximum, mean, and minimum daily temperatures, while a decreasing trend was found for precipitation during the growing season period (April-October). Mean growing season temperature was 18.49 °C, considered as warm days in the Romagna Sangiovese area and optimal for vegetative growth of Sangiovese, while nights during the ripening months were cold (13.66 °C). The rise of temperature shifted studied area from the temperate/warm temperate to the warm temperate-/warm grape-growing region (according to the Huglin classification). (ii) Relation between the potential alcohol content from seven wineries and the climate change from 2001 to 2012: dry spell index (DSI) and Huglin index (HI) suggested a large contribution to increasing level of potential alcohol in Sangiovese wines, whereas DSI showed higher correlation with potential alcohol respect to the HI. (iii) Relation between grape production and the climate change from 1982 to 2012: a significant increasing trend was found with little effect of the climate change trends estimated with used bioclimatic indices. Practical implication at viticultural and oenological levels is discussed.

Damage saturation effects on volume and resistivity changes induced by fission-fragment irradiation of copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birtcher, R.C.; Blewitt, T.H.

1981-01-01

Damage production and saturation has been monitored in copper by simultaneous electrical resistivity- and length-change measurements. Damage was introduced by 235 U fission fragments at either 7 or 85 K. At both temperatures, the resistivity and length changes were linearly related to each other for resistivity changes less than 80% saturation resistivity. The linear relationship was the same for both irradiation temperatures and was the same as that observed previously for 10 B fission fragment irrations at 4 K. These results are interpreted to show that the resistivity change per defect is unaffected by irradiation under conditions which lead to interstitial clustering. (orig.)

Development of hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells for enhanced antibody production.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamachi, Yasuharu; Omasa, Takeshi

2018-04-01

Cell culture platform processes are generally employed to shorten the duration of new product development. A fed-batch process with continuous feeding is a conventional platform process for monoclonal antibody production using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To establish a simplified platform process, the feeding method can be changed from continuous feed to bolus feed. However, this change induces a rapid increase of osmolality by the bolus addition of nutrients. The increased osmolality suppresses cell culture growth, and the final product concentration is decreased. In this study, osmotic resistant CHO host cells were developed to attain a high product concentration. To establish hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells, CHO-S host cells were passaged long-term in a hyper osmotic basal medium. There were marked differences in cell growth of the original and established host cells under iso- (328 mOsm/kg) or hyper-osmolality (over 450 mOsm/kg) conditions. Cell growth of the original CHO host cells was markedly decreased by the induction of osmotic stress, whereas cell growth of the hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells was not affected. The maximum viable cell concentration of hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells was 132% of CHO-S host cells after the induction of osmotic stress. Moreover, the hyper osmotic resistant characteristic of established CHO host cells was maintained even after seven passages in iso-osmolality basal medium. The use of hyper osmotic resistance CHO host cells to create a monoclonal antibody production cell line might be a new approach to increase final antibody concentrations with a fed-batch process. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Incidence of Salmonella Infantis in poultry meat and products and the resistance of isolates to antimicrobials

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaba, V.; Golić, B.; Sladojević, Ž.; Kalaba, D.

2017-09-01

Globalisation, climate change, changes in eating habits and the food industry, modern animal husbandry and market demands often have a negative impact on quality assurance, food safety and animal health. After the eradication of some zoonotic diseases that previously often jeopardized the human population, today in developed countries, the focus is mainly on the control of zoonoses transmitted by food. Salmonella is one of the most common pathogens that can be transmitted from animals to humans, and its reservoirs are poultry, cattle and pigs, so one transmission route to humans is from contaminated food of animal origin. Multidrug-resistant isolates of Salmonella, which can transfer their resistance genes to other microorganisms, are considered a serious threat to public health. Control of Salmonella primarily depends on a good monitoring system and knowledge of the presence of serovars and strains in an epizootiological area. During the first nine months of 2016, 1321 samples of poultry meat and products were examined, among which 108 harboured Salmonella. Altogether, 29 of the 108 isolates (26.85%) were Salmonella Infantis. For all 29 S. Infantis isolates, antimicrobial resistance was tested by the disc diffusion method. The isolates showed 100% resistance to amoxicillin, and nalidixic acid.

Electrical resistance determination of actual contact area of cold welded metal joints

Science.gov (United States)

Hordon, M. J.

1970-01-01

Method measures the area of the bonded zone of a compression weld by observing the electrical resistance of the weld zone while the load changes from full compression until the joint ruptures under tension. The ratio of bonding force to maximum tensile load varies considerably.

Antimicrobial resistance issues in beef production

Science.gov (United States)

Antimicrobial resistance threats to human health as identified have been recognized as a critical global public health concern. Linkage of some threats to beef production is discussed. The relevance to beef production of recent government actions will be examined. Prominent antimicrobial resistance ...

Organizational change and resistance: An identity perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ybema, S.B.; Thomas, R; Hardy, C.; Courpasson, D.; Vallas, S.

2016-01-01

A classic term in popular and scholarly literature on change management is ‘resistance to change’. It understands resistance in terms of opposition to managerial strategies for organizational change. Since change is generally viewed as reasonable and desirable within this literature, resistance to

Concomitant changes in cross-sectional area and water content in skeletal muscle after resistance exercise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristiansen, Maja Sofie; Uhrbrand, Anders; Hansen, Mette

2014-01-01

This study investigated how one bout (1EX) and three bouts (3EX) of strenuous resistance exercise affected the cross-sectional area (CSA) and water content (WC) of the quadriceps muscle and patella tendon (PT), 4 h and 52 h after the last exercise bout. Ten healthy untrained male subjects performed...... was significantly reduced at 52 h (3EX: 14 ± 2%) compared with baseline and (3EX: 13 ± 1%) compared with 4 h. Present data demonstrate that strenuous resistance exercise results in an acute increase in muscle WC and underlines the importance of ensuring sufficient time between the last exercise bout...

Economic analysis of sunflower production in the view of orobanche resistance conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semerci, A.

2013-01-01

The objective of this research is to determine the use of production factors in 3 different types of sunflower production with respect to orobanche resistance in the agricultural enterprises in Thrace Region which is located at European continent of Turkey. The data used in this research have been obtained through questionnaire technique from 571 agricultural enterprises which were determined by Stratified Random Sampling Method in 2009. It has been reached to the highest yield by 189.30 kg da-1 and the highest gross profit by 37.91 US$ da-1 in the production of sunflower, resistant to orobanche. In the research, it has been determined that the rate of soil testing among the sunflower producers is considerably low and almost the whole of the production has been made under rainfed conditions. As a result of the research, it has been concluded that orobanche resistant sunflower, which has higher water productivity than other cultivars by 367.13 g m/sup 3/, will have a higher proportion in the sunflower cultivation areas in future because of its higher contribution to producer welfare. (author)

Unpacking Resistance to Change within-School Reform Programmes with a Social Justice Orientation

Science.gov (United States)

Hynds, Anne

2010-01-01

Previous research in the area of resistance has inadequately described opposition to change within-school reform initiatives with a social justice orientation. A lack of attention to, and agreement on, the nature and causes of resistance may explain why so many equity-minded educational reforms fail to be sustained. This article highlights various…

Correlation between resistance-change effect in transition-metal oxides and secondary-electron contrast of scanning electron microscope images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, K.; Kishida, S.; Yoda, T.

2011-01-01

Conductive atomic-force microscopy (C-AFM) writing is attracting attention as a technique for clarifying the switching mechanism of resistive random-access memory by providing a wide area filled with filaments, which can be regarded as one filament with large radius. The writing area on a nickel-oxide (NiO) film formed by conductive atomic-force microscopy was observed by scanning electron microscope, and a correlation between the contrast in a secondary-electron image (SEI) and the resistance written by C-AFM was revealed. In addition, the dependence of the SEI contrast on the beam accelerating voltage (V accel ) suggests that the resistance-change effect occurs near the surface of the NiO film. As for the effects of electron irradiation and vacuum annealing on the C-AFM writing area, it was shown that the resistance-change effect is caused by exchange of oxygen with the atmosphere at the surface of the NiO film. This result suggests that the low-resistance and high-resistance areas are, respectively, p-type Ni 1+δ O (δ 1+δ O (δ≥ 0).

Global resistance and resilience of primary production following extreme drought are predicted by mean annual precipitation

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart-Haëntjens, E. J.; De Boeck, H. J.; Lemoine, N. P.; Gough, C. M.; Kröel-Dulay, G.; Mänd, P.; Jentsch, A.; Schmidt, I. K.; Bahn, M.; Lloret, F.; Kreyling, J.; Wohlgemuth, T.; Stampfli, A.; Anderegg, W.; Classen, A. T.; Smith, M. D.

2017-12-01

Extreme drought is increasing globally in frequency and intensity, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of key ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity of an ecosystem to withstand change in primary production following extreme climate, and resilience, the degree to which primary production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring global patterns of resistance and resilience to extreme drought. Past syntheses on resistance have focused climatic gradients or individual ecosystem types, without assessing interactions between the two. Theory and many empirical studies suggest that forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought, though some empirical studies reveal that these trends are not universal. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis of sixty-four grassland and forest sites, finding that primary production resistance to extreme drought is predicted by a common continuum of mean annual precipitation (MAP). However, grasslands and forests exhibit divergent production resilience relationships with MAP. We discuss the likely mechanisms underlying the mixed production resistance and resilience patterns of forests and grasslands, including different plant species turnover times and drought adaptive strategies. These findings demonstrate the primary production responses of forests and grasslands to extreme drought are mixed, with far-reaching implications for Earth System Models, ecosystem management, and future studies of extreme drought resistance and resilience.

Understanding a Resistance to Change: A Challenge for Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Caruth, Gail D.; Caruth, Donald L.

2013-01-01

Change is inevitable. Today more than ever the pace of change is accelerating. Where there is organizational change there will be resistance to this change. To deal with the resistance effectively university administrators must understand the nature and causes of resistance to change. Only by dealing effectively with resistance to change can…

Impact of Climate Change on Rain-fed Farming and Response Solutions in Semiarid Area of Northwest China

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WANG Hong-li

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The impact of climate change on the agriculture production in semi-arid areas of Northwest, the major drought-resistant technology, the mechanism of increasing grain production were analyzed to explore technical solutions to retort the future climate change, future development of rainfed agriculture, and provide reference for food security. The results showed that the impact of future climate change on crop growth had main three aspects: Firstly, higher temperatures resulted in lower crop yield and quality decline; Secondly, changes in precipitation and precipitation patterns resulted in drought/flooding problems; Thirdly, meteorological disasters caused by extreme weather lead to fluctuations of food production. To adapt or mitigate these adverse effects, increase use efficiency of limited rainfall, optimize soil structure, improve soil fertility, enhance withstanding environmental change ability of crop-soil system, mitigate the impact of future climate change on food production in semi-arid region of Northwest China, the mainly solutions were: (1 Covering gathered precipitation, improve the ability to accumulate soil moisture, change the distribution of soil moisture, regulate the migration and improve the infiltration of precipitation, thus “adjusting water” to adapt to precipitation changes; (2 Optimizing soil structure, physical and chemical properties by soil fertilization, thus “regulating soil” to improve the ability of crop-soil system against to environmental changes, in order to stabilize productivity of rainfed agriculture; (3 Integrate “adjusting water” and “regulating soil” technology, forming technical system of “coordination of water and soil” to comprehensively response to future climate change, mitigate the adverse impact of future climate change on food production in semi-arid region of Northwest, China.

OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IN A PROCESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

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Prediscan Mariana

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to present the research results conducted on several models of organizational change regarding the identification of the appropriate moment in which the managers interest should turn towards the reduction of the employees resistance to change. More specifically, we intend to identify when is the best moment to reduce the resistance to change, depending on the change we want to achieve. After more research of organizational change models, we have reached the following conclusions: -not all models of organizational change present reducing resistance to change as a necessary stage; -the place of this phase in the models of organizational change is not considered to be the same; -some models of organizational change recommend indirectly reducing employee resistance to change by indicating the use of some methods, techniques, processes that would lead to this result. Here we include mainly: communication, training, positive motivation of employees; -we recommended that the place of this stage should vary depending on the desired change to achieve; -in strategic changes, which are extremely important for an organization and which affect a large number of employees, we recommend that the reduction of the employee resistance to change be achieved before passing to the implementation of the plan developed to implement the change; -in imposed changes, in conditions of crisis when we have no time available to plan the change, immediately after it had been implemented it is necessary to conduct effective actions meant to ensure, even if the change has been made, the reduction of the resistance to change of the affected employees -to achieve time savings in the process of organizational change, we recommend that after having obtained a certain attachment of some employees to change, the implementation of the methods, of the techniques that would increase their commitment to continue to be developed in parallel with the implementation of the

Use of a predictive protocol to measure the antimicrobial resistance risks associated with biocidal product usage.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesgate, Rebecca; Grasha, Pierre; Maillard, Jean-Yves

2016-04-01

In this study we assessed the propensity of biocide exposure in the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Our protocol is based on reporting changes in established antimicrobial susceptibility profiles in biocides and antibiotics after during use exposure to a product. The during use exposure reflects worse conditions of product use during application. It differs from the term low concentration, which usually reflects a concentration below the minimal inhibitory concentration, but not necessarily a concentration that occurs in practice. Our results showed that exposure to triclosan (0.0004%) was associated with a high risk of developing resistance and cross-resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This was not observed with exposure to chlorhexidine (0.00005%) or a hydrogen peroxide-based biocidal product (in during use conditions). Interestingly, exposure to a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide (0.001%) carried a risk of emerging resistance to antibiotics if the presence of the oxidizing agent was maintained. We observed a number of unstable clinical resistances to antibiotics after exposure to the cationic biocide and oxidizing agent, notably to tobramycin and ticarcillin-clavulanic acid. Using a decision tree based on the change in antimicrobial susceptibility test results, we were able to provide information on the effect of biocide exposure on the development of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials. Such information should address the call from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Union Biocidal Products Regulation for manufacturers to provide information on antimicrobial resistance and cross-resistance in bacteria after the use of their product. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Resistance of stored-product insects to phosphine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pimentel, Marco Aurelio Guerra; Faroni, Leda Rita D'Antonino; Batista, Maurilio Duarte; Silva, Felipe Humberto da

2008-01-01

The objectives of this work were to assess phosphine resistance in insect populations (Tribolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus zeamais and Oryzaephilus surinamensis) from different regions of Brazil and to verify if the prevailing mechanism of phosphine resistance in these populations involves reduced respiration rates. Sixteen populations of T. castaneum, 15 of R. dominica, 27 of S. zeamais and eight of O. surinamensis were collected from 36 locations over seven Brazilian states. Each population was tested for resistance to phosphine, based on the response of adults to discriminating concentrations, according to FAO standard method. For each insect species, the production of carbon dioxide of the most resistant and of the most susceptible populations was inversely related to their phosphine resistance. The screening tests identified possible phosphine resistant populations. R. dominica and O. surinamensis were less susceptible to phosphine than the other two species. The populations with lower respiration rate showed a lower mortality at discriminating concentration, possibly related to a phosphine resistance mechanism. Phosphine resistance occurs in stored-product insects, in different regions of Brazil, and the resistance mechanism involves reduced respiration rate. (author)

Effect of structural modifications on the drying kinetics of foods: changes in volume, surface area and product shape

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Antonio De Michelis

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Macro and micro-structural changes take place during food dehydration. Macro-structural changes encompass modifications in shape, area and volume. Studies of such changes are important because dehydration kinetics (essential for calculating industrial dryers may be highly influenced by changes in food shape and dimensions. The overall changes in volume, surface area (“shrinkage” and shape (Heywood factor, with provides a close description of food shape were determined experimentally, and the results were correlated with simple expressions. Hence, although dehydration kinetics can be modeled with simplified overall shrinkage expressions, the possibility of selecting a suitable geometry and predicting the characteristics dimensions will provide higher accuracy. An additional unresolved problem is the lack of a general model that predicts macro-structural changes for various foods and diverse geometries. In this work, based on experimental data of sweet and sour cherries, and rose hip fruits, a simplified general model to predict changes in volume and surface area are proposed. To estimate how the changes in characteristic dimensions affect the kinetic studies, experimental drying curves for the three fruits by means of a diffusional model considered the following variants for the characteristic dimensions: (i The radius of the fresh food, assumed constant; (ii The radius of the partially dehydrated product; (iii The radius predicted by the correlation for structural changes, especially volume, obtained in this work and generalized for the three fruits, and (iv to demonstrate the need to study the macro-structural changes for all dehydrated foods, also be present the case of a restructured food.

Climate change, transgenic corn adoption and field-evolved resistance in corn earworm.

Science.gov (United States)

Venugopal, P Dilip; Dively, Galen P

2017-06-01

Increased temperature anomaly during the twenty-first century coincides with the proliferation of transgenic crops containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) to express insecticidal Cry proteins. Increasing temperatures profoundly affect insect life histories and agricultural pest management. However, the implications of climate change on Bt crop-pest interactions and insect resistance to Bt crops remains unexamined. We analysed the relationship of temperature anomaly and Bt adoption with field-evolved resistance to Cry1Ab Bt sweet corn in a major pest, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Increased Bt adoption during 1996-2016 suppressed H. zea populations, but increased temperature anomaly buffers population reduction. Temperature anomaly and its interaction with elevated selection pressure from high Bt acreage probably accelerated the Bt-resistance development. Helicoverpa zea damage to corn ears, kernel area consumed, mean instars and proportion of late instars in Bt varieties increased with Bt adoption and temperature anomaly, through additive or interactive effects. Risk of Bt-resistant H. zea spreading is high given extensive Bt adoption, and the expected increase in overwintering and migration. Our study highlights the challenges posed by climate change for Bt biotechnology-based agricultural pest management, and the need to incorporate evolutionary processes affected by climate change into Bt-resistance management programmes.

Inventions in the nanotechnological area considerably increase wear- and chemical resistance of construction products

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VLASOV Vladimir Alexeevich

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The invention «Reinforced flaked element made of natural or conglomerate stone and its multilayer protective coating (RU 2520193» is referred to construction materials. Reinforced flaked element made of natural or conglomerate stone consists of: natural or conglomerate materials as the basis; multilayer coating which protects the mentioned basis from chemical substances and wearing mechanical factors influencing on this element where the multilayer coating includes at least three layers formed by one or many film-forming compositions which comprise top layer with scratch-resistant nanoparticles and encircled with polyester, melamine, phenolic, acryl or epoxy resin (or any combination of them which provides protection against scratches; damper intermediate layer made of epoxy and/or acryl resin which provides impact resistant; lower layer adjoining to the basis and containing particles of Al2O3 or silicon carbide plus acryl polymer and providing resistance to abrasive wear. Technical result is increased wear- and chemical resistance of flaked elements from natural or conglomerate materials. The invention «Fine organic suspension of carbon metal-containing nanostructures and the method to produce it (RU 2515858» is referred to the area of physical and colloid chemistry and can be used to obtain polymer compositions. Fine organic suspension of carbon metal-containing nanostructures is produced by interaction between nanostructures and polyethylenepolyamine. At first the powder of carbon metalcontaining nanostructures (which are nanoparticles of 3d-metal such as copper, cobalt, nickel stabilized in carbon nanostructures is mechanically milled, then it is mechanically ground with polyethylenepolyamine introduced portionally unless and until the content of nanostructures is less 1 g/ml. The invention results in decreased power inputs as the obtained fine organic suspension of carbon and metal-containing nanostructures is able to recover due to

Application of Social Vulnerability Indicators to Climate Change for the Southwest Coastal Areas of Taiwan

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Chin-Cheng Wu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The impact of climate change on the coastal zones of Taiwan not only affects the marine environment, ecology, and human communities whose economies rely heavily on marine activities, but also the sustainable development of national economics. The southwest coast is known as the area most vulnerable to climate change; therefore, this study aims to develop indicators to assess social vulnerability in this area of Taiwan using the three dimensions of susceptibility, resistance, and resilience. The modified Delphi method was used to develop nine criteria and 26 indexes in the evaluation, and the analytic hierarchy process method was employed to evaluate the weight of each indicator based on the perspectives of experts collected through questionnaire surveys. The results provide important information pertaining to the vulnerability of the most susceptive regions, the lowest-resistance areas, and the least resilient townships on the southwest coast. The most socially vulnerable areas are plotted based on the present analysis. Experts can consider the vulnerability map provided here when developing adaptation policies. It should be kept in mind that improving the capacities of resistance and resilience is more important than reducing susceptibility in Taiwan.

A new production technique for wear resistant ring-hammers

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Li Shifeng

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Based on a great number of laboratory experiments, a new technique has been developed for producing wear resistant ring-hammers. In this technology, lost foam casting with iron sand was combined to make mold; a special alloy was used to inoculate the molten steel, and proper heat treatment was used to further improve mechanical properties of wear resistant ring-hammers. The influence of this new production technology on the microstructure and mechanical properties of wear resistant ring-hammers was studied. Results show that iron sand molding, having the inherent characteristic of sand molding, changes the type of metallic compounds, refines crystal grains and increases the fineness of microstructure. Practical experience verified that the properties of the ring-hammers produced with this new technique are as follows: tensile strength (Rm 720 MPa, impact toughness (ak > 210 J•cm-2 and hardness > 200 HB. After water quenching from 1,080℃ (holding for 4 h and tempering at 320℃ for 3 h, the best wear resistance is obtained, and the wear resistance is 1.6 times higher than that of common high manganese ring-hammers.

Update on Area Production in Mixing of Supercritical Fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Okongo, Nora; Bellan, Josette

2003-01-01

The focus of this research is on supercritical C7H16/N2 and O2/H2 mixing layers undergoing transitions to turbulence. The C7H16/N2 system serves as a simplified model of hydrocarbon/air systems in gas-turbine and diesel engines; the O2/H2 system is representative of liquid rocket engines. One goal of this research is to identify ways of controlling area production to increase disintegration of fluids and enhance combustion in such engines. As used in this research, "area production" signifies the fractional rate of change of surface area oriented perpendicular to the mass-fraction gradient of a mixing layer. In the study, a database of transitional states obtained from direct numerical simulations of the aforementioned mixing layers was analyzed to investigate global layer characteristics, phenomena in regions of high density-gradient magnitude (HDGM), irreversible entropy production and its relationship to the HDGM regions, and mechanisms leading to area production.

Potential consequences of climate change for primary production and fish production in large marine ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, Julia L; Jennings, Simon; Holmes, Robert; Harle, James; Merino, Gorka; Allen, J Icarus; Holt, Jason; Dulvy, Nicholas K; Barange, Manuel

2012-11-05

Existing methods to predict the effects of climate change on the biomass and production of marine communities are predicated on modelling the interactions and dynamics of individual species, a very challenging approach when interactions and distributions are changing and little is known about the ecological mechanisms driving the responses of many species. An informative parallel approach is to develop size-based methods. These capture the properties of food webs that describe energy flux and production at a particular size, independent of species' ecology. We couple a physical-biogeochemical model with a dynamic, size-based food web model to predict the future effects of climate change on fish biomass and production in 11 large regional shelf seas, with and without fishing effects. Changes in potential fish production are shown to most strongly mirror changes in phytoplankton production. We project declines of 30-60% in potential fish production across some important areas of tropical shelf and upwelling seas, most notably in the eastern Indo-Pacific, the northern Humboldt and the North Canary Current. Conversely, in some areas of the high latitude shelf seas, the production of pelagic predators was projected to increase by 28-89%.

Pulse number control of electrical resistance for multi-level storage based on phase change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, K; Takata, M; Kasai, T; Kitagawa, A; Akita, J

2007-01-01

Phase change nonvolatile memory devices composed of SeSbTe chalcogenide semiconductor thin film were fabricated. The resistivity of the SeSbTe system was investigated to apply to multi-level data storage. The chalcogenide semiconductor acts as a programmable resistor that has a large dynamic range. The resistance of the chalcogenide semiconductor can be set to intermediate resistances between the amorphous and crystalline states using electric pulses of a specified power, and it can be controlled by repetition of the electric pulses. The size of the memory cell used in this work is 200 nm thick with a contact area of 1 μm diameter. The resistance of the chalcogenide semiconductor gradually varies from 41 kΩ to 840 Ω within octal steps. The resistance of the chalcogenide semiconductor decreases with increasing number of applied pulses. The step-down characteristic of the resistance can be explained as the crystalline region of the active phase change region increases with increasing number of applied pulses. The extent of crystallization was also estimated by the overall resistivity of the active region of the memory cell

Evolution of insecticide resistance in non-target black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae from Argentina

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Cristina Mónica Montagna

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Black flies, a non-target species of the insecticides used in fruit production, represent a severe medical and veterinary problem. Large increases in the level of resistance to the pyrethroids fenvalerate (more than 355-fold and deltamethrin (162-fold and a small increase in resistance to the organophosphate azinphos methyl (2-fold were observed between 1996-2008 in black fly larvae under insecticide pressure. Eventually, no change or a slight variation in insecticide resistance was followed by a subsequent increase in resistance. The evolution of pesticide resistance in a field population is a complex and stepwise process that is influenced by several factors, the most significant of which is the insecticide selection pressure, such as the dose and frequency of application. The variation in insecticide susceptibility within a black fly population in the productive area may be related to changes in fruit-pest control. The frequency of individuals with esterase activities higher than the maximum value determined in the susceptible population increased consistently over the sampling period. However, the insecticide resistance was not attributed to glutathione S-transferase activity. In conclusion, esterase activity in black flies from the productive area is one mechanism underlying the high levels of resistance to pyrethroids, which have been recently used infrequently. These enzymes may be reselected by currently used pesticides and enhance the resistance to these insecticides.

Evolution of insecticide resistance in non-target black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Montagna, Cristina Mónica; Gauna, Lidia Ester; D'Angelo, Ana Pechen de; Anguiano, Olga Liliana

2012-06-01

Black flies, a non-target species of the insecticides used in fruit production, represent a severe medical and veterinary problem. Large increases in the level of resistance to the pyrethroids fenvalerate (more than 355-fold) and deltamethrin (162-fold) and a small increase in resistance to the organophosphate azinphos methyl (2-fold) were observed between 1996-2008 in black fly larvae under insecticide pressure. Eventually, no change or a slight variation in insecticide resistance was followed by a subsequent increase in resistance. The evolution of pesticide resistance in a field population is a complex and stepwise process that is influenced by several factors, the most significant of which is the insecticide selection pressure, such as the dose and frequency of application. The variation in insecticide susceptibility within a black fly population in the productive area may be related to changes in fruit-pest control. The frequency of individuals with esterase activities higher than the maximum value determined in the susceptible population increased consistently over the sampling period. However, the insecticide resistance was not attributed to glutathione S-transferase activity. In conclusion, esterase activity in black flies from the productive area is one mechanism underlying the high levels of resistance to pyrethroids, which have been recently used infrequently. These enzymes may be reselected by currently used pesticides and enhance the resistance to these insecticides.

Radiation-Resistant Micrococcus luteus SC1204 and Its Proteomics Change Upon Gamma Irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Wuyuan; Yang, Yang; Gao, Peng; Chen, Hao; Wen, Wenting; Sun, Qun

2016-06-01

To explore the radiation-resistance mechanisms in bacteria, a radiation-resistant strain SC1204 was isolated from the surrounding area of a (60)Co-γ radiation facility. SC1204 could survive up to 8 kGy dose of gamma irradiation and was identified as Micrococcus luteus by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Its proteomic changes under 2-kGy irradiation were examined by two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by MALDI-TOF-TOF/MS analysis. The results showed that at least 24 proteins displayed significant changes (p < 0.05) at expression level under the radiation stress, among which 22 were successfully identified and classified into the major functional categories of metabolism, energy production and conservation, translation, ribosomal structure, and biogenesis. Among these proteins, leucyl aminopeptidase involved in synthesis of glutathione was the most abundant induced protein during postirradiation recovery, indicating that anti-oxidation protection was the most important line of defense in SC1204 against radiation. The next abundant protein was phosphoribosyl aminoimidazole carboxamide formyltransferase/IMP cyclohydrolase (AICAR Tfase/IMPCH), the key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of purine that is anti-radiation compound. Other proteins changing significantly (p < 0.05) after radiation exposure included urocanate hydratase, dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase subunit alpha, phosphoglycerate kinase, cell division protein FtsZ, elongation factor Ts and Tu, translation elongation factor Tu and G, 30S ribosomal protein S1, histidyl-tRNA synthetase, and arginyl-tRNA synthetase, which were considered to be the key proteins in urocanate metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, cell division process, and synthesis process of proteins. Therefore, these proteins may also play important roles in radiation resistance in M. luteus.

THE PHENOMENON OF RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: THE NATURE, TYPES AND FORMS

OpenAIRE

N. M. Kobzeva

2013-01-01

The article describes the essence of the phenomenon of resistance to change. The au-thor's definition of «resistance to change» is given. The existing approaches to the study of resistance to change are analyzed. Causes of resistance to change in organiza-tions are described. Generalizing classification of resistance to change is proposed.

Patterns of Resistance in Managing Assessment Change

Science.gov (United States)

Deneen, Christopher; Boud, David

2014-01-01

Achieving change in assessment practices in higher education is difficult. One of the reasons for this is resistance among those responsible for teaching and assessing. This paper seeks to explore this resistance through an analysis of staff dialogue during a major attempt to change the assessment practices at one institution. An institution-wide…

The facilitation by church leaders in overcoming resistance to change.

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

Little has been done to address the issue of how to overcome resistance to change in a change effort in the church world. “How to overcome resistance to change?” is a question that requires serious consideration among church leaders. Church leaders continue to act in ways that produce resistance to change and ultimately failed change efforts. These actions on the part of church leaders often strengthen and reinforce the sources of resistance to change, making it very difficult for change to b...

Antibiotic resistance patterns of Escherichia coli strains isolated from surface water and groundwater samples in a pig production area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger Neto Schneider

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The use of antibiotics, so excessive and indiscriminate in intensive animal production, has triggered an increase in the number of resistant microorganisms which can be transported to aquatic environments. The aim of this study was to determine the profile of the antimicrobial resistance of samples of Escherichia coli isolated from groundwater and surface water in a region of pig breeding. Through the test of antimicrobial susceptibility, we analyzed 205 strains of E. coli. A high rate of resistance to cefaclor was observed, both in surface water (51.9% and groundwater (62.9%, while all samples were sensitive to amikacin. The percentages of multi-resistant samples were 25.96% and 26.73% in surface water and groundwater, respectively, while 19.23% and 13.86% were sensitive to all antibiotics tested. It was determined that the rate of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR was 0.164 for surface water and 0.184 for groundwater. No significant differences were found in the profile of the antimicrobial resistance in strains of E. coli isolated in surface water and groundwater, but the index MAR calculated in certain points of groundwater may offer a potential risk of transmission of resistant genes.

Mesenchymal change and drug resistance in neuroblastoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Naiditch, Jessica A; Jie, Chunfa; Lautz, Timothy B; Yu, Songtao; Clark, Sandra; Voronov, Dimitry; Chu, Fei; Madonna, Mary Beth

2015-01-01

Metastatic initiation has many phenotypic similarities to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, including loss of cell-cell adhesion, increased invasiveness, and increased cell mobility. We have previously demonstrated that drug resistance is associated with a metastatic phenotype in neuroblastoma (NB). The purpose of this project was to determine if the development of doxorubicin resistance is associated with characteristics of mesenchymal change in human NB cells. Total RNA was isolated from wild type (WT) and doxorubicin-resistant (DoxR) human NB cell lines (SK-N-SH and SK-N-BE(2)C) and analyzed using the Illumina Human HT-12 version 4 Expression BeadChip. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Volcano plots and heat maps were generated. Genes of interest with a fold change in expression >1.5 and an adjusted P change via multiple pathways in the transition to a drug-resistant state. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antibiotic resistance patterns of Escherichia coli strains isolated from surface water and groundwater samples in a pig production area

OpenAIRE

Roger Neto Schneider; André Nadvorny; Verônica Schmidt

2009-01-01

The use of antibiotics, so excessive and indiscriminate in intensive animal production, has triggered an increase in the number of resistant microorganisms which can be transported to aquatic environments. The aim of this study was to determine the profile of the antimicrobial resistance of samples of Escherichia coli isolated from groundwater and surface water in a region of pig breeding. Through the test of antimicrobial susceptibility, we analyzed 205 strains of E. coli. A high rate of res...

Impact of climate change on maize potential productivity and the potential productivity gap in southwest China

Science.gov (United States)

He, Di; Wang, Jing; Dai, Tong; Feng, Liping; Zhang, Jianping; Pan, Xuebiao; Pan, Zhihua

2014-12-01

The impact of climate change on maize potential productivity and the potential productivity gap in Southwest China (SWC) are investigated in this paper. We analyze the impact of climate change on the photosynthetic, light-temperature, and climatic potential productivity of maize and their gaps in SWC, by using a crop growth dynamics statistical method. During the maize growing season from 1961 to 2010, minimum temperature increased by 0.20°C per decade ( p gap between light-temperature and climatic potential productivity varied from 12 to 2729 kg ha-1, with the high value areas centered in northern and southwestern SWC. Climatic productivity of these areas reached only 10%-24% of the light-temperature potential productivity, suggesting that there is great potential to increase the maize potential yield by improving water management in these areas. In particular, the gap has become larger in the most recent 10 years. Sensitivity analysis shows that the climatic potential productivity of maize is most sensitive to changes in temperature in SWC. The findings of this study are helpful for quantification of irrigation water requirements so as to achieve maximum yield potentials in SWC.

[Change in drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus].

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yan; Liu, Yan; Luo, Yan-Ping; Liu, Chang-Ting

2013-11-01

To analyze the change in drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus (SAU) in the PLA general hospital from January 2008 to December 2012, and to provide solid evidence to support the rational use of antibiotics for clinical applications. The SAU strains isolated from clinical samples in the hospital were collected and subjected to the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. The results were assessed based on the 2002 American National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) guidelines. SAU strains were mainly isolated from sputum, urine, blood and wound excreta and distributed in penology, neurology wards, orthopedics and surgery ICU wards. Except for glycopeptide drugs, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had a higher drug resistance rate than those of the other drugs and had significantly more resistance than methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (P resistance, we discovered a gradual increase in drug resistance to fourteen test drugs during the last five years. Drug resistance rate of SAU stayed at a higher level over the last five years; moreover, the detection ratio of MRSA keeps rising year by year. It is crucial for physicians to use antibiotics rationally and monitor the change in drug resistance in a dynamic way.

Saturation volume changes and resistivity changes in nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birtcher, R.C.; Blewitt, T.H.

1976-01-01

Saturation defect concentrations generated by thermal neutron irradiation of 235 U doped nickel at liquid helium temperature were measured by changes in electrical resistivity and volume. The experimental procedure is described

Resistance, Justice, and Commitment to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Rex D.

2010-01-01

This research focused on individual responses to organizational change by exploring the relationships among individual resistance, organizational justice, and commitment to change following organizational change implementations in three organizations. To accomplish this, Web-based questionnaires were used to gather individual-level quantitative…

Measurement of resistivity changes in irradiated microscopy discs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagisaka, M.; Isobe, Y.; Edwards, D.J.; Garner, F.; Okita, T.

2007-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The successful operation of next generation fusion or fission devices will require the development of new inspection tools to allow in-situ, non-destructive examination of structural components which experience the deleterious effects of neutron irradiation. Such development requires that an understanding of how radiation-induced microstructural alteration contributes to macroscopic changes in physical properties such as electrical resistivity. This in turn requires test specimens spanning a range of microstructural alteration. Frequently such specimens are very small and available test techniques are not suitable for their examination. An example is the use of thin TEM specimens (3 mm diameter, 0.3 mm thick) used for electron microscopy. A unique four probe electrical resistivity measurement system suitable for examining I EM specimens was developed for investigating small resistivity changes due to void swelling and other microstructural features. Since this system uses momentarily-high electrical currents (0.5 A maximum), electrical resistivity changes can be measured rather precisely. This paper reports results of resistivity change measurements made on model Fe-Cr-Ni-Zr austenitic alloys irradiated in the Fast Flux Test Facility in the Materials Open Test Assembly to doses ranging from 0.38 to 19.2 dpa. Microscopy was used to determine the radiation-induced microstructure. A correlation is presented for resistivity changes arising primarily from void swelling. (authors)

Switching behavior of resistive change memory using oxide nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Aono, Takashige; Sugawa, Kosuke; Shimizu, Tomohiro; Shingubara, Shoso; Takase, Kouichi

2018-06-01

Resistive change random access memory (ReRAM), which is expected to be the next-generation nonvolatile memory, often has wide switching voltage distributions due to many kinds of conductive filaments. In this study, we have tried to suppress the distribution through the structural restriction of the filament-forming area using NiO nanowires. The capacitor with Ni metal nanowires whose surface is oxidized showed good switching behaviors with narrow distributions. The knowledge gained from our study will be very helpful in producing practical ReRAM devices.

Organizational Transition and Change Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciprian Nicolescu

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the very important atopic of organizational transition and change resistance. It is divided in four parts. The first part deals with transition inevitability and its content in the change process. The second part of the paper refers to the change resistance. After a short presentation of a recent approach of this topic, elaborated by Rick Maurer, the authors present their point of view, identifying 14 main causes refering to the main factors involved in the organizational transition. In the third part, authors have formulated a set of key elements which should be taken into consideration in order to achieve a rapid and succesful organizational changes. These key elements are valable for any type of organization – entreprise, institution, locality, region, country a.s.a. The last part of the study deals with conflicts approach, which appear almost always during organizational transition. The conflicts are separated in three categories and for whom are presented the methodes recommended in order to solve them with good results.

Organizational Transition and Change Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ovidiu Nicolescu

2006-07-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the very important atopic of organizational transition and change resistance. It is divided in four parts. The first part deals with transition inevitability and its content in the change process. The second part of the paper refers to the change resistance. After a short presentation of a recent approach of this topic, elaborated by Rick Maurer, the authors present their point of view, identifying 14 main causes refering to the main factors involved in the organizational transition. In the third part, authors have formulated a set of key elements which should be taken into consideration in order to achieve a rapid and succesful organizational changes. These key elements are valable for any type of organization – entreprise, institution, locality, region, country a.s.a. The last part of the study deals with conflicts approach, which appear almost always during organizational transition. The conflicts are separated in three categories and for whom are presented the methodes recommended in order to solve them with good results.

Changes in tree resistance, recovery and resilience across three successive extreme droughts in the northeast Iberian Peninsula.

Science.gov (United States)

Serra-Maluquer, X; Mencuccini, M; Martínez-Vilalta, J

2018-05-01

Understanding which variables affect forest resilience to extreme drought is key to predict future dynamics under ongoing climate change. In this study, we analyzed how tree resistance, recovery and resilience to drought have changed along three consecutive droughts and how they were affected by species, tree size, plot basal area (as a proxy for competition) and climate. We focused on the three most abundant pine species in the northeast Iberian Peninsula: Pinus halepensis, P. nigra and P. sylvestris during the three most extreme droughts recorded in the period 1951-2010 (occurred in 1986, 1994, and 2005-2006). We cored trees from permanent sample plots and used dendrochronological techniques to estimate resistance (ability to maintain growth level during drought), recovery (growth increase after drought) and resilience (capacity to recover pre-drought growth levels) in terms of tree stem basal area increment. Mixed-effects models were used to determine which tree- and plot-level variables were the main determinants of resistance, recovery and resilience, and to test for differences among the studied droughts. Larger trees were significantly less resistant and resilient. Plot basal area effects were only observed for resilience, with a negative impact only during the last drought. Resistance, recovery and resilience differed across the studied drought events, so that the studied populations became less resistant, less resilient and recovered worse during the last two droughts. This pattern suggests an increased vulnerability to drought after successive drought episodes.

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE AND ERP IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zafar U. Ahmed

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP is a useful tool that builds strong capabilities, improves performance, supports better decision making, and provides competitive advantage for businesses. ERP aims to help the management by setting better business practices and equipping them with the right information to take timely decision. In any new technology implementation, one of the issues that need to be addressed is the resistance to change. Many implementations have failed due to strong resistance from the end users. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to test the impact of resistance to change on ERP's implementation success and how change management initiatives acts in the capacity of a moderating role. Using data collected from 69 manufacturing organizations through a mail survey, it was found that resistance to change is negatively related to achievement of predetermined goals (b = –0.930, p < 0.01 and usersatisfaction (b = –0.952, p < 0.01. Further, change management initiatives did not moderate the relationship between resistance and predetermined goals but it moderated the relationship between resistance and user satisfaction. In addition, change management initiatives have a direct positive impact on user satisfaction. This research concludes that the human factor is very important in ERP's implementation.

Resistance to Technological Change in Academia

Science.gov (United States)

Moerschell, Linda

2009-01-01

Initiating changes in technology, promoting utilization, and managing resistance by faculty may be among the most pressing challenges for academic leadership. Change that involves new technology is an ideal example of the systemic nature of organizational change because it includes infrastructure, expert knowledge, training, long-term vision,…

Change Agent – A Force Generating Resistance To Change Within An Organization?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Prediscan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to identify if the change agent represents or not a force generating resistance to change within an organization. The employees affected by a change process are usually the ones who oppose to new implementations. Their opposition is bigger or smaller, depending on the extent that they are affected and also by the direction, either positive or negative. However, employee’s opposition can be potentiated or reduced, depending on the manifestation of the following forces within an organization: communications, the type of organizational structure, management style and organizational culture, forces which refer to the organizational climate. To answer our question, we have researched the current literature and discovered that the change agent can represent a force generating resistance to change within an organization in those situations when he or she identifies with a middle or top manager from the organizational pyramid. This information is valuable to researchers and practitioners, as for a long time, employees were considered the only ones manifesting resistance, the possibility that the change agent can oppose new changes being ignored.

Rapid fabrication of large-area, corrosion-resistant superhydrophobic Mg alloy surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wenji; Song, Jinlong; Sun, Jing; Lu, Yao; Yu, Ziyuan

2011-11-01

A superhydrophobic magnesium (Mg) alloy surface was successfully fabricated via a facile electrochemical machining process, and subsequently covered with a fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) film. The surface morphologies and chemical compositions were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and a Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR). The results show hierarchal rough structures and an FAS film with a low surface energy on the Mg alloy surfaces, which confers good superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 165.2° and a water tilting angle of approximately 2°. The processing conditions, such as the processing time and removal rate per unit area at a constant removal mass per unit area, were investigated to determine their effects on the superhydrophobicity. Interestingly, when the removal mass per unit area is constant at approximately 11.10 mg/cm(2), the superhydrophobicity does not change with the removal rate per unit area. Therefore, a superhydrophobic Mg alloy surface can be rapidly fabricated based on this property. A large-area superhydrophobic Mg alloy surface was also fabricated for the first time using a small-area moving cathode. The corrosion resistance and durability of the superhydrophobic surfaces were also examined.

Projected Crop Production under Regional Climate Change Using Scenario Data and Modeling: Sensitivity to Chosen Sowing Date and Cultivar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sulin Tao

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A sensitivity analysis of the responses of crops to the chosen production adaptation options under regional climate change was conducted in this study. Projections of winter wheat production for different sowing dates and cultivars were estimated for a major economic and agricultural province of China from 2021 to 2080 using the World Food Study model (WOFOST under representative concentration pathways (RCPs scenarios. A modeling chain was established and a correction method was proposed to reduce the bias of the resulting model-simulated climate data. The results indicated that adjusting the sowing dates and cultivars could mitigate the influences of climate change on winter wheat production in Jinagsu. The yield gains were projected from the chosen sowing date and cultivar. The following actions are recommended to ensure high and stable yields under future climate changes: (i advance the latest sowing date in some areas of northern Jiangsu; and (ii use heat-tolerant or heat-tolerant and drought-resistant varieties in most areas of Jiangsu rather than the currently used cultivar. Fewer of the common negative effects of using a single climate model occurred when using the sensitivity analysis because our bias correction method was effective for scenario data and because the WOFOST performed well for Jiangsu after calibration.

Agricultural practice and social change in Berastagi area

Science.gov (United States)

Sembiring, Sri Alem Br

2018-03-01

This paper discusses how agricultural practices build social change in the Berastagi highlands. Agricultural products from this area are the vegetable supplier base for Medan City and other surrounding cities. The supply involves a network of trades involving many actors with many interests, as well as generating migration from other areas around and coming from different ethnicities. The migrants’ settlements are concentrated in certain areas of the region around Berastgai. This paper will illustrate the interaction between these aspects to bring about social change in Berastagi. This research uses qualitative method. Primary data were obtained through in-depth interview techniques and participant observation. Secondary data accessed from relevant agencies. This discussion shows how the pattern of social relationships changed due to changes in the goals of agricultural practices that not only oriented local markets but also exports. Competition, secrecy, and money orientation have become part of their planting activities. On the other hand, trade networks also construct them to work together in a particular context. This paper shows that agricultural activities and all things related to it reflect a broader context to see the development of small towns that also affect the development of the surrounding villages.

7 CFR 959.4 - Production area.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Production area. 959.4 Section 959.4 Agriculture... and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ONIONS GROWN IN SOUTH TEXAS Order Regulating Handling Definitions § 959.4 Production area. Production area means the counties of Val Verde...

7 CFR 956.4 - Production area.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Production area. 956.4 Section 956.4 Agriculture... and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SWEET ONIONS GROWN IN THE WALLA WALLA VALLEY OF SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON AND NORTHEAST OREGON Definitions § 956.4 Production area. Production area...

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Ted H.; Balka, Don S.; Miles, Ruth Harbin

2010-01-01

Resistance to change is a major obstacle in developing and implementing effective instructional programs, yet it is rarely considered, discussed, or addressed. The school leaders who are responsible for improvement frequently feel that their efforts are being blocked or thwarted. For the most part, they are correct, but they may not realize that…

[Research of the Bt crop biomass dynamics upon the invasion of Bt-resistant pests. A mathematical model].

Science.gov (United States)

Rusakov, A V; Medvinskiĭ, A B; Li, B -L; Gonik, M M

2009-01-01

The results of simulations of some consequences of the invasion of Bt-resistant pests into an agricultural ecosystem containing a Bt crop are presented. It is shown that the invasion of Bt-resistant pests leads to changes in the plant biomass dynamics, a decrease in the Bt crop production, and the deterioration of the predictability of the Bt crop production. We show that the parameter values at which the badly predictable Bt crop production takes place, occupy a minor area in the model parameter space. The size of the area depends on the insect reproduction period and the duration of the growing season.

7 CFR 955.4 - Production area.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Production area. 955.4 Section 955.4 Agriculture... and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIDALIA ONIONS GROWN IN GEORGIA Definitions § 955.4 Production area. Production area means that part of the State of Georgia enclosed by the...

Evaluation of water productivity under climate change in irrigated areas of the arid Northwest China using an assemble statistical downscaling method and an agro-hydrological model

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Liu; Guo, Zezhong; Huang, Guanhua

2018-06-01

The Heihe River Basin (HRB) is the second largest inland river basin, located in the arid region of Northwest China with a serious water shortage. Evaluation of water productivity will provide scientific implications for agricultural water-saving in irrigated areas of the arid region under climate change. Based on observed meteorological data, 23 GCMs outputs and the ERA-40 reanalysis data, an assemble statistical downscaling model was developed to generate climate change scenarios under RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP8.5 respectively, which were then used to drive the SWAP-EPIC model to simulate crop growth in the irrigated areas of the middle HRB for the future period from 2018 to 2047. Crop yield showed an increasing trend, while crop water consumption decreased gradually in Gaotai and Ganzhou irrigated areas. The water productivity in future 30 years showed an increasing trend in both Gaotai and Ganzhou areas, with the most significant increase under RCP4.5 scenario, which were both larger than 2 kg m-3. Compared with that of the period from 2012 to 2015, the water productivity during 2018-2047 under three RCP scenarios increased by 9.2, 14.3 and 11.8 % in the Gaotai area, and 15.4, 21.6, 19.9 % in the Ganzhou area, respectively.

Changes in production efficiency in China identification and measuring

CERN Document Server

Xu, Bing; Watada, Junzo

2014-01-01

Evaluating  Production Efficiency in China examines production from engineering and statistics perspectives rather than from economics and mathematics perspectives. The authors present an observable benchmark as the criterion of the production efficiency to replace the unobservable production frontier surface. This book discusses several different computing technologies, controllable variable as a path of identification, changes in production efficiency by decision making on specific operating conditions, and optimal resource allocation. The book provides a channel to tap inside the success stories of China, exploiting the way of changes in production efficiency during China’s development in the past 30 years. This book examines the concepts and realization of production efficiencies across all areas of the economy. Also the book provides the perspective of foreign direct investment (FDI) absorption to identify how Chinese economy changes in production efficiency.

Preference, resistance to change, and the cumulative decision model.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Randolph C

2018-01-01

According to behavioral momentum theory (Nevin & Grace, 2000a), preference in concurrent chains and resistance to change in multiple schedules are independent measures of a common construct representing reinforcement history. Here I review the original studies on preference and resistance to change in which reinforcement variables were manipulated parametrically, conducted by Nevin, Grace and colleagues between 1997 and 2002, as well as more recent research. The cumulative decision model proposed by Grace and colleagues for concurrent chains is shown to provide a good account of both preference and resistance to change, and is able to predict the increased sensitivity to reinforcer rate and magnitude observed with constant-duration components. Residuals from fits of the cumulative decision model to preference and resistance to change data were positively correlated, supporting the prediction of behavioral momentum theory. Although some questions remain, the learning process assumed by the cumulative decision model, in which outcomes are compared against a criterion that represents the average outcome value in the current context, may provide a plausible model for the acquisition of differential resistance to change. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Production of low-affinity penicillin-binding protein by low- and high-resistance groups of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, K; Nomura, K; Doi, M; Yoshida, T

1987-01-01

Methicillin- and cephem-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (137 strains) for which the cefazolin MICs are at least 25 micrograms/ml could be classified into low-resistance (83% of strains) and high-resistance (the remaining 17%) groups by the MIC of flomoxef (6315-S), a 1-oxacephalosporin. The MICs were less than 6.3 micrograms/ml and more than 12.5 micrograms/ml in the low- and high-resistance groups, respectively. All strains produced penicillin-binding protein 2' (PBP 2'), which has been associated with methicillin resistance and which has very low affinity for beta-lactam antibiotics. Production of PBP 2' was regulated differently in low- and high-resistance strains. With penicillinase-producing strains of the low-resistance group, cefazolin, cefamandole, and cefmetazole induced PBP 2' production about 5-fold, while flomoxef induced production 2.4-fold or less. In contrast, penicillinase-negative variants of low-resistance strains produced PBP 2' constitutively in large amounts and induction did not occur. With high-resistance strains, flomoxef induced PBP 2' to an extent similar to that of cefazolin in both penicillinase-producing and -negative strains, except for one strain in which the induction did not occur. The amount of PBP 2' induced by beta-lactam antibiotics in penicillinase-producing strains of the low-resistance group correlated well with resistance to each antibiotic. Large amounts of PBP 2' in penicillinase-negative variants of the low-resistance group did not raise the MICs of beta-lactam compounds, although these strains were more resistant when challenged with flomoxef for 2 h. Different regulation of PBP 2' production was demonstrated in the high- and low-resistance groups, and factor(s) other than PBP 2' were suggested to be involved in the methicillin resistance of high-resistance strains. Images PMID:3499861

Baseline response rates affect resistance to change.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroda, Toshikazu; Cook, James E; Lattal, Kennon A

2018-01-01

The effect of response rates on resistance to change, measured as resistance to extinction, was examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, responding in transition from a variable-ratio schedule and its yoked-interval counterpart to extinction was compared with pigeons. Following training on a multiple variable-ratio yoked-interval schedule of reinforcement, in which response rates were higher in the former component, reinforcement was removed from both components during a single extended extinction session. Resistance to extinction in the yoked-interval component was always either greater or equal to that in the variable-ratio component. In Experiment 2, resistance to extinction was compared for two groups of rats that exhibited either high or low response rates when maintained on identical variable-interval schedules. Resistance to extinction was greater for the lower-response-rate group. These results suggest that baseline response rate can contribute to resistance to change. Such effects, however, can only be revealed when baseline response rate and reinforcement rate are disentangled (Experiments 1 and 2) from the more usual circumstance where the two covary. Furthermore, they are more cleanly revealed when the programmed contingencies controlling high and low response rates are identical, as in Experiment 2. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

The Change Path of Agricultural Production Outsourcing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Zhang

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The system of agricultural production outsourcing is a breakpoint for the development of agriculture and immigration worker’s urbanization. The analysis based on framework of the Institutional Change reveals that as a whole,the outsourcing system of agricultural production improves the welfare of society effectively. To some extents,it also can solve the problem of food security. The rural transferring labor-forces who realize the institutional change in the initial stage are is the first Action Group to gain the potential benefits. Local governments are a breakpoint of induced institutional change, which find potential benefits and then change the role of system changes. The central government is in dominant statue during the whole change. The outsourcing is a kind of improvement to the Family Contracted System, also an adaption to an imperfect Chinese rural social security. So the outsourcing has a positive meaning in the rural area.

Early resistance change and stress/electromigrationmodeling in aluminium interconnects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petrescu, V.; Mouthaan, A.J.; Schoenmaker, W.

1997-01-01

A complete description for early resistance change and two dimensional simulation of mechanical stress evolution in confined Al interconnects, related to the electromigration, is given in this paper. The model, combines the stress/ vacancy concentration evolution with the early resistance change of

Response-reinforcer dependency and resistance to change.

Science.gov (United States)

Cançado, Carlos R X; Abreu-Rodrigues, Josele; Aló, Raquel Moreira; Hauck, Flávia; Doughty, Adam H

2018-01-01

The effects of the response-reinforcer dependency on resistance to change were studied in three experiments with rats. In Experiment 1, lever pressing produced reinforcers at similar rates after variable interreinforcer intervals in each component of a two-component multiple schedule. Across conditions, in the fixed component, all reinforcers were response-dependent; in the alternative component, the percentage of response-dependent reinforcers was 100, 50 (i.e., 50% response-dependent and 50% response-independent) or 10% (i.e., 10% response-dependent and 90% response-independent). Resistance to extinction was greater in the alternative than in the fixed component when the dependency in the former was 10%, but was similar between components when this dependency was 100 or 50%. In Experiment 2, a three-component multiple schedule was used. The dependency was 100% in one component and 10% in the other two. The 10% components differed on how reinforcers were programmed. In one component, as in Experiment 1, a reinforcer had to be collected before the scheduling of other response-dependent or independent reinforcers. In the other component, response-dependent and -independent reinforcers were programmed by superimposing a variable-time schedule on an independent variable-interval schedule. Regardless of the procedure used to program the dependency, resistance to extinction was greater in the 10% components than in the 100% component. These results were replicated in Experiment 3 in which, instead of extinction, VT schedules replaced the baseline schedules in each multiple-schedule component during the test. We argue that the relative change in dependency from Baseline to Test, which is greater when baseline dependencies are high rather than low, could account for the differential resistance to change in the present experiments. The inconsistencies in results across the present and previous experiments suggest that the effects of dependency on resistance to change are

AQUAPEAT 95. New methods for purifying the run-offs of peat production areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selin, P.; Marja-aho, J.; Madekivi, O.

1994-01-01

The aim of Aqua Peat 95-project was to develop new methods for purifying the runoff coming from the peat production areas. The national water protection program for the year 1995 (Ympaeristoeministerioe 1988) as well as the level of the requirements and instructions from the authorities will obligate the peat producers to find new and practical methods for water purification. The chemical treatment reduced the load of peat production areas and the quality of treated water was almost equal to the runoffs coming from the natural bog area. The chemicals were the same as used in purifying drinking water. This purifying method is quite expensive and for this reason applicable only in special cases. The transpiration and evaporation and the soil filtering capacity of the forest area was also observed. The purifying capacity was very good, especially for the total nutrients and suspended solids. The changes of the ground water quality were insignificant but the level of the ground water in the field areas was higher than before. The long term changes of the vegetation and the trees could not be seen, yet. The most important water management practice is the detention of the discharge. The capacity of the sedimentation will increase by using the flow regulation in the sedimentation ponds and ditches. The changes in the water biology downstreams the Laeynioensuo peat production area were clearly seen near the main ditch. Because of the suspended solids the bottom sediment changed which lead to impacts to the bottom fauna. The colour of the runoffs as well as the changes in the sediment influenced on the macrophytes

Are forest disturbances amplifying or canceling out climate change-induced productivity changes in European forests?

Science.gov (United States)

Reyer, Christopher P. O.; Bathgate, Stephen; Blennow, Kristina; Borges, Jose G.; Bugmann, Harald; Delzon, Sylvain; Faias, Sonia P.; Garcia-Gonzalo, Jordi; Gardiner, Barry; Gonzalez-Olabarria, Jose Ramon; Gracia, Carlos; Guerra Hernández, Juan; Kellomäki, Seppo; Kramer, Koen; Lexer, Manfred J.; Lindner, Marcus; van der Maaten, Ernst; Maroschek, Michael; Muys, Bart; Nicoll, Bruce; Palahi, Marc; Palma, João HN; Paulo, Joana A.; Peltola, Heli; Pukkala, Timo; Rammer, Werner; Ray, Duncan; Sabaté, Santiago; Schelhaas, Mart-Jan; Seidl, Rupert; Temperli, Christian; Tomé, Margarida; Yousefpour, Rasoul; Zimmermann, Niklaus E.; Hanewinkel, Marc

2017-03-01

Recent studies projecting future climate change impacts on forests mainly consider either the effects of climate change on productivity or on disturbances. However, productivity and disturbances are intrinsically linked because 1) disturbances directly affect forest productivity (e.g. via a reduction in leaf area, growing stock or resource-use efficiency), and 2) disturbance susceptibility is often coupled to a certain development phase of the forest with productivity determining the time a forest is in this specific phase of susceptibility. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of forest productivity changes in different forest regions in Europe under climate change, and partition these changes into effects induced by climate change alone and by climate change and disturbances. We present projections of climate change impacts on forest productivity from state-of-the-art forest models that dynamically simulate forest productivity and the effects of the main European disturbance agents (fire, storm, insects), driven by the same climate scenario in seven forest case studies along a large climatic gradient throughout Europe. Our study shows that, in most cases, including disturbances in the simulations exaggerate ongoing productivity declines or cancel out productivity gains in response to climate change. In fewer cases, disturbances also increase productivity or buffer climate-change induced productivity losses, e.g. because low severity fires can alleviate resource competition and increase fertilization. Even though our results cannot simply be extrapolated to other types of forests and disturbances, we argue that it is necessary to interpret climate change-induced productivity and disturbance changes jointly to capture the full range of climate change impacts on forests and to plan adaptation measures.

Are forest disturbances amplifying or canceling out climate change-induced productivity changes in European forests?

Science.gov (United States)

Reyer, Christopher P O; Bathgate, Stephen; Blennow, Kristina; Borges, Jose G; Bugmann, Harald; Delzon, Sylvain; Faias, Sonia P; Garcia-Gonzalo, Jordi; Gardiner, Barry; Gonzalez-Olabarria, Jose Ramon; Gracia, Carlos; Hernández, Juan Guerra; Kellomäki, Seppo; Kramer, Koen; Lexer, Manfred J; Lindner, Marcus; van der Maaten, Ernst; Maroschek, Michael; Muys, Bart; Nicoll, Bruce; Palahi, Marc; Palma, João HN; Paulo, Joana A; Peltola, Heli; Pukkala, Timo; Rammer, Werner; Ray, Duncan; Sabaté, Santiago; Schelhaas, Mart-Jan; Seidl, Rupert; Temperli, Christian; Tomé, Margarida; Yousefpour, Rasoul; Zimmermann, Niklaus E; Hanewinkel, Marc

2017-01-01

Recent studies projecting future climate change impacts on forests mainly consider either the effects of climate change on productivity or on disturbances. However, productivity and disturbances are intrinsically linked because 1) disturbances directly affect forest productivity (e.g. via a reduction in leaf area, growing stock or resource-use efficiency), and 2) disturbance susceptibility is often coupled to a certain development phase of the forest with productivity determining the time a forest is in this specific phase of susceptibility. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of forest productivity changes in different forest regions in Europe under climate change, and partition these changes into effects induced by climate change alone and by climate change and disturbances. We present projections of climate change impacts on forest productivity from state-of-the-art forest models that dynamically simulate forest productivity and the effects of the main European disturbance agents (fire, storm, insects), driven by the same climate scenario in seven forest case studies along a large climatic gradient throughout Europe. Our study shows that, in most cases, including disturbances in the simulations exaggerate ongoing productivity declines or cancel out productivity gains in response to climate change. In fewer cases, disturbances also increase productivity or buffer climate-change induced productivity losses, e.g. because low severity fires can alleviate resource competition and increase fertilization. Even though our results cannot simply be extrapolated to other types of forests and disturbances, we argue that it is necessary to interpret climate change-induced productivity and disturbance changes jointly to capture the full range of climate change impacts on forests and to plan adaptation measures. PMID:28855959

Biofilm production and beta-lactamic resistance in Brazilian Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bovine mastitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viviane Figueira Marques

Full Text Available Abstract Staphylococcus spp. play an important role in the etiology of bovine mastitis. Staphylococcus aureus is considered the most relevant species due to the production of virulence factors such as slime, which is required for biofilm formation. This study aimed to evaluate biofilm production and its possible relation to beta-lactamic resistance in 20 S. aureus isolates from bovine mastitic milk. The isolates were characterized by pheno-genotypic and MALDI TOF-MS assays and tested for genes such as icaA, icaD, bap, agr RNAIII, agr I, agr II, agr III, and agr IV, which are related to slime production and its regulation. Biofilm production in microplates was evaluated considering the intervals determined along the bacterial growth curve. In addition, to determine the most suitable time interval for biofilm analysis, scanning electron microscopy was performed. Furthermore, genes such as mecA and blaZ that are related to beta-lactamic resistance and oxacillin susceptibility were tested. All the studied isolates were biofilm producers and mostly presented icaA and icaD. The Agr type II genes were significantly prevalent. According to the SEM, gradual changes in the bacterial arrangement were observed during biofilm formation along the growth curve phases, and the peak was reached at the stationary phase. In this study, the penicillin resistance was related to the production of beta-lactamase, and the high minimal bactericidal concentration for cefoxitin was possibly associated with biofilm protection. Therefore, further studies are warranted to better understand biofilm formation, possibly contributing to our knowledge about bacterial resistance in vivo.

Antimicrobial usage and resistance in beef production

OpenAIRE

Cameron, Andrew; McAllister, Tim A.

2016-01-01

Antimicrobials are critical to contemporary high-intensity beef production. Many different antimicrobials are approved for beef cattle, and are used judiciously for animal welfare, and controversially, to promote growth and feed efficiency. Antimicrobial administration provides a powerful selective pressure that acts on the microbial community, selecting for resistance gene determinants and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria resident in the bovine flora. The bovine microbiota includes many harm...

Simulating changes in cropping practices in conventional and glyphosate-resistant maize. II. Weed impacts on crop production and biodiversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Colbach, Nathalie; Darmency, Henri; Fernier, Alice; Granger, Sylvie; Le Corre, Valérie; Messéan, Antoine

2017-05-01

Overreliance on the same herbicide mode of action leads to the spread of resistant weeds, which cancels the advantages of herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops. Here, the objective was to quantify, with simulations, the impact of glyphosate-resistant (GR) weeds on crop production and weed-related wild biodiversity in HT maize-based cropping systems differing in terms of management practices. We (1) simulated current conventional and probable HT cropping systems in two European regions, Aquitaine and Catalonia, with the weed dynamics model FLORSYS; (2) quantified how much the presence of GR weeds contributed to weed impacts on crop production and biodiversity; (3) determined the effect of cultural practices on the impact of GR weeds and (4) identified which species traits most influence weed-impact indicators. The simulation study showed that during the analysed 28 years, the advent of glyphosate resistance had little effect on plant biodiversity. Glyphosate-susceptible populations and species were replaced by GR ones. Including GR weeds only affected functional biodiversity (food offer for birds, bees and carabids) and weed harmfulness when weed effect was initially low; when weed effect was initially high, including GR weeds had little effect. The GR effect also depended on cultural practices, e.g. GR weeds were most detrimental for species equitability when maize was sown late. Species traits most harmful for crop production and most beneficial for biodiversity were identified, using RLQ analyses. None of the species presenting these traits belonged to a family for which glyphosate resistance was reported. An advice table was built; the effects of cultural practices on crop production and biodiversity were synthesized, explained, quantified and ranked, and the optimal choices for each management technique were identified.

Causes of Resistance to Change. What Managers Should Do?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion Stegaroiu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Change is considered, in more and more cases, an inevitable process and the development of an organization largely depends on how it reacts and adapts to transformations occurring. Change has both positive and negative aspects, it implies experiment and creation of something new and different, but it also means destruction of familiar facts and relationships. The implementation failure rate of organizational change remains high and one of the most common causes of this is considered to be the resistance to change. Although the resistance to change is considered a natural reaction, it is necessary to understand the causes and identify the measures for its reduction. Using content analysis of representative works, as a research method, we identified a number of factors that cause resistance to change and methods than can be used to decrease it, in order to successful implement the organizational change. Journal:Risk in the Contemporary Economy, Proceedings Conference

Rigidity in routines and the development of resistance to change in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Haig, E L; Woodcock, K A

2017-05-01

showed a decrease in resistance to change after entering primary school. Open-ended data showed that more individuals currently evidencing little resistance to change had been exposed to parent or self-imposed flexibility in routines, than those currently evidencing substantial resistance to change. However, correlational analyses on rigidity and resistance to change ratings highlighted the possibility that rigidity during primary school is most relevant for developing resistance to change. Finally, open-ended data emphasised an important beneficial role of rigidity in routines for limiting the current challenging behaviour of individuals with high resistance to change. Because task switching appears to evidence a period of high developmental sensitivity during early primary school years, we propose that this period may represent a critical time when increasing flexibility in the routines of children with PWS could limit the development of resistance to change. However, a careful balance would need to be struck, given the apparent benefit of rigid routines on current behaviour. Further work in this area is much needed. © 2017 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gold mining areas in Suriname: reservoirs of malaria resistance?

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Adhin MR

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Malti R Adhin,1 Mergiory Labadie-Bracho,2 Stephen Vreden31Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname, 2Prof Dr Paul C Flu Institute for Biomedical Sciences, 3Academic Hospital Paramaribo, Paramaribo, SurinameBackground: At present, malaria cases in Suriname occur predominantly in migrants and people living and/or working in areas with gold mining operations. A molecular survey was performed in Plasmodium falciparum isolates originating from persons from gold mining areas to assess the extent and role of mining areas as reservoirs of malaria resistance in Suriname.Methods: The status of 14 putative resistance-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms in the pfdhfr, pfcrt, pfmdr1, and pfATP6 genes was assessed for 28 samples from gold miners diagnosed with P. falciparum malaria using polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and the results were compared with earlier data from nonmining villagers.Results: Isolates from miners showed a high degree of homogeneity, with a fixed pfdhfr Ile51/Asn108, pfmdr1 Phe184/Asp1042/Tyr1246, and pfcrt Thr76 mutant genotype, while an exclusively wild-type genotype was observed for pfmdr1 Asn86 and pfdhfr Ala16, Cys59, and Ile164, and for the pfATP6 positions Leu263/Ala623/Ser769. Small variations were observed for pfmdr1 S1034C. No statistically significant difference could be detected in allele frequencies between mining and nonmining villagers.Conclusion: Despite the increased risk of malaria infection in individuals working/living in gold mining areas, we did not detect an increase in mutation frequency at the 14 analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms. Therefore, mining areas in Suriname cannot yet be considered as reservoirs for malaria resistance.Keywords: Plasmodium falciparum, gold mining, mutation frequency, Suriname

Measuring Resistance to Change at the Within-Session Level

Science.gov (United States)

Tonneau, Francois; Rios, Americo; Cabrera, Felipe

2006-01-01

Resistance to change is often studied by measuring response rate in various components of a multiple schedule. Response rate in each component is normalized (that is, divided by its baseline level) and then log-transformed. Differential resistance to change is demonstrated if the normalized, log-transformed response rate in one component decreases…

Landscape Changes and a Salt Production Sustainable Approach in the State of Salt Pan Area Decreasing on the Coast of Tianjin, China

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Hui Wang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Landsat images from 1979, 1988, 1999, 2008, and 2013 were used to analyze the landscape area change of salt pans lying on the coast of Tianjin. While initially (1979–1988, the area of Tianjin’s salt pan increased, later (1988–2013 it declined dramatically. In the first phase (1979–1988 of the studied period the primary roll-in landscape of the salt pan wasbarren land with an area of 60.0 km2. By 1988, the area of Tianjin’s salt pan rose to 457.8 km2. The main roll-out landscape of the salt pan during 1988–2013 was urban, barren land, village/town, harbor, and road whose area amounted to 69.8, 35.9, 27.3, 25.5 and 18.4 km2 respectively. The roll-out barren land will be transformed to construction land ultimately. By 2013, the total loss reached 167.3 km2, which was 36.5% of the salt pan area of Tianjin in 1988. With the development of coastal economy, the salterns with a lower economic value were transformed to and replaced by land use types with a higher economic value. This trend would influence the production of sea salt and the development of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate industries. Seawater desalination provides an opportunity for the restoration and compensation of salt production capacity. Based on the theory of circular economy and industrial symbiosis, in this article an industrial symbiosis model for sea salt production and sea water desalination is explored: “mariculture–power plant cooling–seawater desalination–Artemia culture–bromide extraction–sea salt production–salt chemical industry”. Through the application of this process sustainable development of the sea salt production in Tianjin could be achieved.

Adaptive Landscapes of Resistance Genes Change as Antibiotic Concentrations Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Mira, Portia M; Meza, Juan C; Nandipati, Anna; Barlow, Miriam

2015-10-01

Most studies on the evolution of antibiotic resistance are focused on selection for resistance at lethal antibiotic concentrations, which has allowed the detection of mutant strains that show strong phenotypic traits. However, solely focusing on lethal concentrations of antibiotics narrowly limits our perspective of antibiotic resistance evolution. New high-resolution competition assays have shown that resistant bacteria are selected at relatively low concentrations of antibiotics. This finding is important because sublethal concentrations of antibiotics are found widely in patients undergoing antibiotic therapies, and in nonmedical conditions such as wastewater treatment plants, and food and water used in agriculture and farming. To understand the impacts of sublethal concentrations on selection, we measured 30 adaptive landscapes for a set of TEM β-lactamases containing all combinations of the four amino acid substitutions that exist in TEM-50 for 15 β-lactam antibiotics at multiple concentrations. We found that there are many evolutionary pathways within this collection of landscapes that lead to nearly every TEM-genotype that we studied. While it is known that the pathways change depending on the type of β-lactam, this study demonstrates that the landscapes including fitness optima also change dramatically as the concentrations of antibiotics change. Based on these results we conclude that the presence of multiple concentrations of β-lactams in an environment result in many different adaptive landscapes through which pathways to nearly every genotype are available. Ultimately this may increase the diversity of genotypes in microbial populations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sustainability Challenges from Climate Change and Air Conditioning Use in Urban Areas

OpenAIRE

Lundgren, Karin; Kjellström, Tord

2013-01-01

Global climate change increases heat loads in urban areas causing health and productivity risks for millions of people. Inhabitants in tropical and subtropical urban areas are at especial risk due to high population density, already high temperatures, and temperature increases due to climate change. Air conditioning is growing rapidly, especially in South and South-East Asia due to income growth and the need to protect from high heat exposures. Studies have linked increased total hourly elect...

Climate change threatens European conservation areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bastos Araujo, Miguel; Alagador, Diogo; Cabeza, Mar

2011-01-01

Europe has the world's most extensive network of conservation areas. Conservation areas are selected without taking into account the effects of climate change. How effectively would such areas conserve biodiversity under climate change? We assess the effectiveness of protected areas and the Natura...... 2000 network in conserving a large proportion of European plant and terrestrial vertebrate species under climate change. We found that by 2080, 58 ± 2.6% of the species would lose suitable climate in protected areas, whereas losses affected 63 ± 2.1% of the species of European concern occurring...

Changing in tool steels wear resistance under electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braginskaya, A.E.; Manin, V.N.; Makedonskij, A.V.; Mel'nikova, N.A.; Pakchanin, L.M.; Petrenko, P.V.

1983-01-01

The tool steels and alloys wear resistance under dry friction after electron irradiation has been studied. Electron irradiation of a wide variety of steels is shown to increase wear resistance. In this case phase composition and lattice parameters changes are observed both in matrix and carbides. The conclusion is drawn that an appreciable increase of steel wear resistance under electron irradiation can be explained both by carbide phase volume gain and changes in it's composition and the formation of carbide phase submicroscopic heterogeneities and, possibly, complexes of defects

Sustainable rice production in the Muda area of Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho Nai Kin; Foong Kam Chong; Kamarudin Dahuli

2002-01-01

The Green Revolution has generated both positive as well as negative effects on the rice agroecosystem in the Muda area. The major obstacles to sustainable rice production are water shortage, natural hazards, disease epidemics, pest outbreaks, urban and industrial development, as well as structural changes in the farming community. The Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) has adopted a proactive approach in addressing these problems. The improvement in management in the Muda area comprises the following strategies: i) Improvement in water use efficiency through intensification of tertiary irrigation systems, ii) Optimisation of drainage water utilisation through recycling, iii) Establishment of a Management Information System to support operational decisions, iv) Conservation of catchment vegetation for sustainable water resources, v) Implementation of Integrated Pest Management programmes, vi) Mobilisation of farmers in dynamic group activities, vii) Integration of farmers participatory experiments in the extension programmes. The above mentioned approaches have contributed to the attainment of high cropping intensity yield enhancement, and sustainability of rice production in the Muda area. (Author)

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with food animals: a United States perspective of livestock production.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathew, Alan G; Cissell, Robin; Liamthong, S

2007-01-01

The use of antimicrobial compounds in food animal production provides demonstrated benefits, including improved animal health, higher production and, in some cases, reduction in foodborne pathogens. However, use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes, particularly for growth enhancement, has come under much scrutiny, as it has been shown to contribute to the increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria of human significance. The transfer of antibiotic resistance genes and selection for resistant bacteria can occur through a variety of mechanisms, which may not always be linked to specific antibiotic use. Prevalence data may provide some perspective on occurrence and changes in resistance over time; however, the reasons are diverse and complex. Much consideration has been given this issue on both domestic and international fronts, and various countries have enacted or are considering tighter restrictions or bans on some types of antibiotic use in food animal production. In some cases, banning the use of growth-promoting antibiotics appears to have resulted in decreases in prevalence of some drug resistant bacteria; however, subsequent increases in animal morbidity and mortality, particularly in young animals, have sometimes resulted in higher use of therapeutic antibiotics, which often come from drug families of greater relevance to human medicine. While it is clear that use of antibiotics can over time result in significant pools of resistance genes among bacteria, including human pathogens, the risk posed to humans by resistant organisms from farms and livestock has not been clearly defined. As livestock producers, animal health experts, the medical community, and government agencies consider effective strategies for control, it is critical that science-based information provide the basis for such considerations, and that the risks, benefits, and feasibility of such strategies are fully considered, so that human and animal health can be maintained while

Experimental Studies on the Changes in Resistivity and Its Anisotropy Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Zhu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Three measuring lines were arranged on one of free planes of magnetite cuboid samples. Apparent resistivity data were acquired by MIR-2007 resistivity meter when samples were under uniaxial compression of servocontrol YAW-5000F loadingmachine in laboratory. Then we constructed the residual resistivity images using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT and plotted the diagrams of apparent resistivity anisotropy coefficient (ARAC λ∗ and the included angle α between the major axis of apparent resistivity anisotropy ellipse and the axis of load with pressure and effective depth. Our results show that with increasing pressure, resistivity and the decreased (D region and increased (I region resistivity regions have complex behaviors, but when pressure is higher than a certain value, the average resistivity decrease and the area of D region expand gradually in all time with the increase of pressure, which may be significant to the monitoring and prediction of earthquake, volcanic activities, and large-scale geologic motions. The effects of pressure on λ∗ and α are not very outstanding for dry magnetite samples.

The dose-area product in DSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gfirtner, H.

1995-01-01

In DSA, the dose-area product shows a very good correlation with the maximum incidence dose. It may therefore serve as a reliable basis for the assessment of radiation doses to patients. The dose-area product is also a useful tool for the detection pf peak shifts in the radiation curves for certain investigations. In view of the considerable scatter of the values for the dose-area product these must, however, be subjected to an additional statistical analysis. Provided that this rule is observed, the dose-area product will considerably gain in importance for the monitoring of radiation exposures of patients. A very noteworthy learning effect could be achieved, if it would be made mandatory for those statistical analyses to be carried out not only on an investigation-specific but also an investigator-specific basis. The latter is particularly true of teaching hospitals. (orig./VHE) [de

Revised INPRO Methodology in the Area of Proliferation Resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J.H.; Lee, Y.D.; Yang, M.S.; Kim, J.K.; Haas, E.; Depisch, F.

2008-01-01

The official INPRO User Manual in the area of proliferation resistance is being processed for the evaluation of innovative nuclear energy systems. Proliferation resistance is one of the goals to be satisfied for future nuclear energy systems in INPRO. The features of currently updated and released INPRO methodology were introduced on basic principles, user requirements and indicators. The criteria for an acceptance limit were specified. The DUPIC fuel cycle was evaluated based on the updated INPRO methodology for the applicability of the INPRO User Manual. However, the INPRO methodology has some difficulty in quantifying the multiplicity and robustness as well as the total cost to improve proliferation resistance. Moreover, the integration method for the evaluation results still needs to be improved.

Climate Change Impacts on Crop Production in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Mereu, V.; Gallo, A.; Carboni, G.; Spano, D.

2011-12-01

The agricultural sector in Nigeria is particularly important for the country's food security, natural resources, and growth agenda. The cultivable areas comprise more than 70% of the total area; however, the cultivated area is about the 35% of the total area. The most important components in the food basket of the nation are cereals and tubers, which include rice, maize, corn, millet, sorghum, yam, and cassava. These crops represent about 80% of the total agricultural product in Nigeria (from NPAFS). The major crops grown in the country can be divided into food crops (produced for consumption) and export products. Despite the importance of the export crops, the primary policy of agriculture is to make Nigeria self-sufficient in its food and fiber requirements. The projected impacts of future climate change on agriculture and water resources are expected to be adverse and extensive in these area. This implies the need for actions and measures to adapt to climate change impacts, and especially as they affect agriculture, the primary sector for Nigerian economy. In the framework of the Project Climate Risk Analysis in Nigeria (founded by World Bank Contract n.7157826), a study was made to assess the potential impact of climate change on the main crops that characterize Nigerian agriculture. The DSSAT-CSM (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer - Cropping System Model) software, version 4.5 was used for the analysis. Crop simulation models included in DSSAT are tools that simulate physiological processes of crop growth, development and production by combining genetic crop characteristics and environmental (soil and weather) conditions. For each selected crop, the models were calibrated to evaluate climate change impacts on crop production. The climate data used for the analysis are derived by the Regional Circulation Model COSMO-CLM, from 1971 to 2065, at 8 km of spatial resolution. The RCM model output was "perturbed" with 10 Global Climate Models to have

Monitoring the Impact of Climate Change on Soil Salinity in Agricultural Areas Using Ground and Satellite Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Corwin, D. L.; Scudiero, E.

2017-12-01

Changes in climatic patterns have had dramatic influence on agricultural areas worldwide, particularly in irrigated arid-zone agricultural areas subjected to recurring drought, such as California's San Joaquin Valley (SJV), or areas receiving above average rainfall for a decade or more, such as Minnesota's Red River Valley (RRV). Climate change has impacted water availability with an under or over abundance, which subsequently has impacted soil salinity levels in the root zone primarily from the upward movement of salts from shallow water tables. Inventorying and monitoring the impact of climate change on soil salinity is crucial to evaluate the extent of the problem, to recognize trends, and to formulate state-wide and field-scale irrigation, drainage, and crop management strategies that will sustain the agricultural productivity of the SJV and RRV. Over the past 3 decades, Corwin and colleagues at the U.S. Salinity Laboratory have developed proximal sensor (i.e., electrical resistivity and electromagnetic induction) and remote imagery (i.e., MODIS and Landsat 7) methodologies for assessing soil salinity at multiple scales: field (0.5 ha to 3 km2), landscape (3 to 10 km2), and regional (10 to 105 km2) scales. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of these scale-dependent salinity assessment technologies. Case studies for SJV and RRV are presented to demonstrate at multiple scales the utility of these approaches in assessing soil salinity changes due to management-induced changes and to changes in climate patterns, and in providing site-specific irrigation management information for salinity control. Decision makers in state and federal agencies, irrigation and drainage district managers, soil and water resource managers, producers, agriculture consultants, extension specialists, and Natural Resource Conservation Service field staff are the beneficiaries of this information.

Nonvolatile memory design magnetic, resistive, and phase change

CERN Document Server

Li, Hai

2011-01-01

The manufacture of flash memory, which is the dominant nonvolatile memory technology, is facing severe technical barriers. So much so, that some emerging technologies have been proposed as alternatives to flash memory in the nano-regime. Nonvolatile Memory Design: Magnetic, Resistive, and Phase Changing introduces three promising candidates: phase-change memory, magnetic random access memory, and resistive random access memory. The text illustrates the fundamental storage mechanism of these technologies and examines their differences from flash memory techniques. Based on the latest advances,

Antimicrobial Usage and Antimicrobial Resistance in Animal Production in Southeast Asia: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nguyen T. Nhung

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Southeast Asia is an area of great economic dynamism. In recent years, it has experienced a rapid rise in the levels of animal product production and consumption. The region is considered to be a hotspot for infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR. We reviewed English-language peer-reviewed publications related to antimicrobial usage (AMU and AMR in animal production, as well as antimicrobial residues in meat and fish from 2000 to 2016, in the region. There is a paucity of data from most countries and for most bacterial pathogens. Most of the published work relates to non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS, Escherichia coli (E. coli, and Campylobacter spp. (mainly from Vietnam and Thailand, Enterococcus spp. (Malaysia, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA (Thailand. However, most studies used the disk diffusion method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing; breakpoints were interpreted using Clinical Standard Laboratory Institute (CSLI guidelines. Statistical models integrating data from publications on AMR in NTS and E. coli studies show a higher overall prevalence of AMR in pig isolates, and an increase in levels of AMR over the years. AMU studies (mostly from Vietnam indicate very high usage levels of most types of antimicrobials, including beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and quinolones. This review summarizes information about genetic determinants of resistance, most of which are transferrable (mostly plasmids and integrons. The data in this review provide a benchmark to help focus research and policies on AMU and AMR in the region.

Changing patterns of drug-resistant Shigella isolates in egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Abd-Elmeged, Ghada M; Khairy, Rasha M; Abo-Eloyoon, Sahar M; Abdelwahab, Sayed F

2015-06-01

The emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) is a serious problem in treating shigellosis. There are limited existing data examining the change in the antimicrobial resistance profile of Shigella in Egypt. We previously reported that 58% of the Shigella isolates in Egypt were resistant to at least one member of the three different antimicrobial groups. This study was performed to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile of Shigella, determine their possible mechanisms of resistance, and compare their resistance profile to those reported 20 years ago. Stool samples were collected from 500 subjects and processed for the isolation and identification of Shigella. The susceptibility of the isolates to 11 different antimicrobials was determined using the disc diffusion method. Of 500 stool cultures, 24 (4.8%) samples were positive for Shigella. There was a high percentage of resistance to ampicillin (88%), tetracycline (83%), and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (75%). Also, there was a moderate percentage of resistance to chloramphenicol (46%), streptomycin (42%), ceftazidime (33%), and cefotaxime (25%). A lower percentage of resistance was recorded for amikacin, nalidixic acid (17% each), and ofloxacin (7%), while no resistance was found to ciprofloxacin (0%). Twenty-one of the isolates (88%) were resistant to at least three different antimicrobial groups (indicating MDR). The average number of antimicrobial agents to which the Shigella isolates were resistant was 4.3±1.4, while it was 3.4±1.5 in the same locality in 1994. These data demonstrate that there is a marked increase in MDR and change in the resistance patterns of Shigella over the past 20 years.

CO{sub 2} corrosion resistance of carbon steel in relation with microstructure changes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ochoa, Nathalie, E-mail: nochoa@usb.ve [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Aptdo., 89000, Caracas (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Vega, Carlos [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Aptdo., 89000, Caracas (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Pébère, Nadine; Lacaze, Jacques [Université de Toulouse, CIRIMAT, UPS/INPT/CNRS, ENSIACET, 4 Allée Emile Monso, CS 44362, 31030 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France); Brito, Joaquín L. [Laboratorio de Físico-química de Superficies, Centro de Química, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Carretera Panamericana, Km 11, Altos de Pipe, Estado Miranda (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)

2015-04-15

The microstructural effects on the corrosion resistance of an API 5L X42 carbon steel in 0.5 M NaCl solution saturated with CO{sub 2} was investigated. Four microstructures were considered: banded (B), normalized (N), quenched and tempered (Q&T), and annealed (A). Electrochemical measurements (polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) were coupled with surface analyses (scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)) to characterize the formation of the corrosion product layers. Electrochemical results revealed that corrosion resistance increased in the following order: B < N < Q&T < A. From the polarization curves it was shown that specifically, cathodic current densities were affected by microstructural changes. SEM images indicated that ferrite dissolved earlier than cementite and a thin layer of corrosion products was deposited on the steel surface. XPS analyses revealed that this layer was composed of a mixture of iron carbonate and non-dissolved cementite. It was also found that the quantity of FeCO{sub 3} content on the steel surface was greater for Q&T and A microstructures. These results, in agreement with the electrochemical data, indicate that the deposition mechanism of iron carbonate is closely related to the morphology of the non-dissolved cementite, determining the protective properties of the corrosion product layers. - Highlights: • The effect of change in microstructure on CO{sub 2} corrosion resistance was evaluated. • An API 5LX 42 carbon steel was immersed in a 0.5 M NaCl solution saturated with CO{sub 2}. • Banded, normalized, quenched-tempered and annealed microstructures were considered. • Electrochemical measurements were coupled with surface analysis. • Morphology and distribution of undissolved Fe{sub 3}C control corrosion kinetics.

Areas contributing recharge to production wells and effects of climate change on the groundwater system in the Chipuxet River and Chickasheen Brook Basins, Rhode Island

Science.gov (United States)

Friesz, Paul J.; Stone, Janet R.

2015-01-01

The Chipuxet River and Chickasheen Brook Basins in southern Rhode Island are an important water resource for public and domestic supply, irrigation, recreation, and aquatic habitat. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Health, began a study in 2012 as part of an effort to protect the source of water to six large-capacity production wells that supply drinking water and to increase understanding of how climate change might affect the water resources in the basins. Soil-water-balance and groundwater-flow models were developed to delineate the areas contributing recharge to the wells and to quantify the hydrologic response to climate change. Surficial deposits of glacial origin ranging from a few feet to more than 200 feet thick overlie bedrock in the 24.4-square mile study area. These deposits comprise a complex and productive aquifer system.

Acinetobacter baumannii displays inverse relationship between meropenem resistance and biofilm production.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez, Leandro Reus Rodrigues

2015-02-01

In this study the ability for biofilm production among meropenem (MEM)-resistant and -susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii isolates was verified. MEM susceptibility and biofilm production were screened in 116 isolates. Meropenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates showed a reduced ability to produce biofilms compared to those susceptible to MEM (Pbaumanni isolates.

Changes of sex pheromone communication systems associated with tebufenozide and abamectin resistance in diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhen; Cao, Guang-Chun; Dong, Shuang-Lin

2010-05-01

Many insect pests have evolved resistance to insecticides. Along with this evolution, the sex pheromone communication system of insects also may change, and subsequently reproductive isolation may occur between resistant and susceptible populations. In this study of the diamondback moth, we found that resistant females (especially Abamectin resistant females) produced less sex pheromone and displayed a lower level of calling behavior. Resistant males showed higher EAG responsiveness to the sex pheromone mixture of females, and responded to a broader range of ratios between the two major components compared to the responses of susceptible moths. In addition, wind tunnel experiments indicated that changes associated with insecticide resistance in the Abamectin resistant strain (Aba-R) significantly reduced female attractiveness to susceptible males. Furthermore, mating choice experiments confirmed that non-random mating occurred between the two different strains. Aba-R females with an abnormal pheromone production and blend ratio exhibited significantly lower mating percentages with males from either their own strain or other strains, which corroborates the results obtained by the wind tunnel experiments. The implications of this non-random mating for insect speciation and insecticide resistance management are discussed.

Anthropogenic climate change has altered primary productivity in Lake Superior.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Beirne, M D; Werne, J P; Hecky, R E; Johnson, T C; Katsev, S; Reavie, E D

2017-06-09

Anthropogenic climate change has the potential to alter many facets of Earth's freshwater resources, especially lacustrine ecosystems. The effects of anthropogenic changes in Lake Superior, which is Earth's largest freshwater lake by area, are not well documented (spatially or temporally) and predicted future states in response to climate change vary. Here we show that Lake Superior experienced a slow, steady increase in production throughout the Holocene using (paleo)productivity proxies in lacustrine sediments to reconstruct past changes in primary production. Furthermore, data from the last century indicate a rapid increase in primary production, which we attribute to increasing surface water temperatures and longer seasonal stratification related to longer ice-free periods in Lake Superior due to anthropogenic climate warming. These observations demonstrate that anthropogenic effects have become a prominent influence on one of Earth's largest, most pristine lacustrine ecosystems.

Endocrine factors related to changes in total peripheral vascular resistance after treatment of thyrotoxic and hypothyroid patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diekman, M. J.; Harms, M. P.; Endert, E.; Wieling, W.; Wiersinga, W. M.

2001-01-01

Total peripheral vascular resistance (TPR) decreases in thyrotoxicosis and increases in hypothyroidism. Several mechanisms may be involved, including adaptation to changes in heat production and direct non-genomic effects of tri-iodothyronine (T3) on vascular smooth muscle cells. The aim of this

Resistance leveling to changes on railway enterprises under implementation of reforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.N. Shyrokova

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The observed tendencies in the development of the national economy require stable implementation of planned reforms in the sphere of industrial and economic activities of the railway transport in the strategic railway branch. At the same time the issue of resistance elimination to changes that innovative solutions may cause is topical. To study the subject matter of resistance manifestation to implementable changes and search for solutions on the problem in question as well. Methodology. Methodology in an article is based on the use of consistent methodological technique. Findings. It contains the author’s point of view on necessity of taking changes resistance into account during restructuring and further reformation. Emphasized is the need for careful planning of changes and current detection of obstacles that inevitably, for a variety of reasons, arise. Originality. The causes of resistance to changes from different points of view were identified in this paper. Their classification was made and some advice for manifestation leveling of resistance to changes was offered. Practical value. The rational application of measures for resistance leveling to the introduced measures will provide not only high-quality and fast implementation of the reform program, but also its implementation with minimum time and finance losses. That is an important factor in competitiveness increase of railways under unstable economic development.

Influence of risk area size and location on native collateral resistance and ischemic zone perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gumm, D.C.; Cooper, S.M.; Thompson, S.B.; Marcus, M.L.; Harrison, D.C.

1988-01-01

To examine the effect of risk area size on collateral resistance and ichemic region perfusion, the authors produced different sized risk areas by occluding either the left anterior descending (LAD) or the circumflex (Cx) coronary artery at different sites. The most proximal occlusion of the LAD and Cx produced risk areas of 43 ± 5 and 36 ± 2% of left ventricular (LV) mass, respectively, whereas distal LAD and Cx occlusions produced risk areas of 13 ± 2 and 17 ± 2% of LV weight, respectively. Although total collateral flow was highest to the largest risk areas, collateral flow per 100 g of ischemic myocardium was 80% higher to the small LAD risk area compared with the large LAD risk area and 43% higher to the small Cx risk area compared with the large Cx risk area. Collateral resistance, calculated from the transcollateral pressure and perfusion per 100 g of myocardium was significantly lower in the small risk areas than in the large ones. They examined the effect of risk area location on collateral perfusion and resistance. These experiments show that collateral resistance is influenced both by ischemic region size and location. Small risk areas receive more collateral flow per mass of tissue than large risk areas, and apical risk areas receive greater quantities of collateral flow than those located at the base. These data may explain why small risk areas often do not develop infarction after coronary occlusion

An Electric Resistivity Study of the Chelungpu Fault in the Taichung Area, Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping-Hu Cheng

2008-01-01

Full Text Available We conducted an electric resistivity survey consisting of six resistivity image profilings and several resistivity measurements on outcrops of strata in the Taichung area to investigate the subsurface structures of the Chelungpu fault. Three magnetotelluric sounding results are added to infer rock formations at depth. Based on the resistivity measurements on outcrops of the strata and the correlations between the interpretative resistivity structures and the rock formations recognized from drilling cores and the outcrops of the strata, the resistivity spectra of rock formations are obtained, and the geological structures are deduced.

Temperature Dependences of the Product of the Differential Resistance by the Area in MIS-Structures Based on Cd x Hg1- x Te Grown by Molecularbeam Epitaxy on Alternative Si and GaAs Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Voitsekhovskii, A. V.; Nesmelov, S. N.; Dzyadukh, S. M.; Varavin, V. S.; Vasil'ev, V. V.; Dvoretskii, S. A.; Mikhailov, N. N.; Yakushev, M. V.; Sidorov, G. Yu.

2017-06-01

In a temperature range of 9-200 K, temperature dependences of the differential resistance of space-charge region in the strong inversion mode are experimentally studied for MIS structures based on CdxHg1-xTe (x = 0.22-0.40) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The effect of various parameters of structures: the working layer composition, the type of a substrate, the type of insulator coating, and the presence of a near-surface graded-gap layer on the value of the product of differential resistance by the area is studied. It is shown that the values of the product RSCRA for MIS structures based on n-CdHgTe grown on a Si(013) substrate are smaller than those for structures based on the material grown on a GaAs(013) substrate. The values of the product RSCRA for MIS structures based on p-CdHgTe grown on a Si(013) substrate are comparable with the value of the analogous parameter for MIS structures based on p-CdHgTe grown on a GaAs(013) substrate.

Phenotypic, fermentation characterization, and resistance mechanism analysis of bacteriophage-resistant mutants of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus isolated from traditional Chinese dairy products.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Kaibo; Fang, Wei; Zheng, Baodong; Miao, Song; Huo, Guicheng

2018-03-01

Bacteriophage infection is a large factor in dairy industrial production failure on the basis of pure inoculation fermentation, and developing good commercial starter cultures from wild dairy products and improving the environmental vigor of starter cultures by enhancing their phage resistance are still the most effective solutions. Here we used a spontaneous isolation method to obtain bacteriophage-resistant mutants of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus strains that are used in traditional Chinese fermented dairy products. We analyzed their phenotypes, fermentation characteristics, and resistance mechanisms. The results showed that bacteriophage-insensitive mutants (BIM) BIM8 and BIM12 had high bacteriophage resistance while exhibiting fermentation and coagulation attributes that were as satisfying as those of their respective parent strains KLDS1.1016 and KLDS1.1028. According to the attachment receptor detection, mutants BIM8 and BIM12 exhibited reduced absorption to bacteriophage phiLdb compared with their respective bacteriophage-sensitive parent strains because of changes to the polysaccharides or teichoic acids connected to their peptidoglycan layer. Additionally, genes, including HSDR, HSDM, and HSDS, encoding 3 subunits of a type I restriction-modification system were identified in their respective parent strains. We also discovered that HSDR and HSDM were highly conserved but that HSDS was variable because it is responsible for the DNA specificity of the complex. The late lysis that occurred only in strain KLDS1.1016 and not in strain KLDS1.1028 suggests that the former and its mutant BIM8 also may have an activatable restriction-modification mechanism. We conclude that the L. bulgaricus BIM8 and BIM12 mutants have great potential in the dairy industry as starter cultures, and their phage-resistance mechanism was effective mainly due to the adsorption interference and restriction-modification system. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science

Principals and the Politics of Resistance to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Starr, Karen

2011-01-01

Governments hold principals accountable for leading and managing significant change for school improvement, primarily demonstrated through enhanced student test results. Research evidence suggests, however, that schools are slow to change, that many individuals are resistant to major change and that school reforms are often cursory or short lived.…

Change agent's contribution to recipients' resistance to change: A two-sided story

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, Janita F.J.; Rupert, Joyce

2018-01-01

In the change management literature, most studies on recipients’ resistance to change include only the views of agents or of recipients, thereby ignoring that these parties may have different perceptions. In this quantitative study, we include the perceptions of both parties in studying the

Change in surface SP caused by pressure buildup observed at the Nigorikawa geothermal area; Nigorikawa chiiki ni okeru atsuryoku buildup ji no shizen den`i henka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yasukawa, K; Yano, Y; Matsushima, N; Ishido, T [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Takahashi, M; Suzuki, I; Aoyama, K; Kuwano, T

1996-10-01

To examine the effect of change of subsurface flow system on the surface SP (self potential), SP measurements were carried out before and after the pressure buildup and drawdown during the periodic inspection at Nigorikawa area. Relation between the SP distribution and the observed data was also examined by 2-D numerical simulation. Tendency was found that the SP increased gradually with the production near the production well, decreased during the pressure buildup, and increased again during the drawdown. There were some points having the reverse tendency in the surrounding area. Behavior during the pressure buildup and drawdown was not clear. The resistivity near the ground surface was low ranging between 2 and 5 ohm/m within the Nigorikawa basin. The variation of SP was not so large when compared with the measuring error. The SP profiles on the secondary section passing in the center of caldera at the production stop and at one week after the production start were well corresponded with the profiles under natural conditions which were reproduces using the 2-D model. It was considered that the SP profile before the production stop was affected by the production. 12 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

"Behaviour changes in Permethrin-resistant strain of Anopheles Stephensi "

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vatandoost H

2000-09-01

Full Text Available Behaviour studies indicated that the permethrin resistant strin of An. Stephensi was 3-fold resistant to knock-down compared with the susceptible strain. The resistant strain was however 3-fold less irritable to permethrin and less responsive than the susceptible strain to the movement of an aspirator. If reduced irritability and reduced responsiveness to catch are consequences of the changes in the nervous system, then such a form of resistance may be disadvantageous to mosquitoes in natural populations.

Effect of psychological capital and resistance to change on organisational citizenship behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loyd Beal III

2013-09-01

Research purpose: This study examined the possible role of resistance to change as a moderator of the predictive relationship between PsyCap and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB, in which OCB served as an index for measuring positive organisational change. Motivation for the study: Little empirical research has investigated the application of positive organisational behaviour to government organisations undergoing organisational change. Organisations can use the study results to increase positive outcomes and reduce resistance in government organisations experiencing a holistic change intervention. Research design, approach and method: The data comprised a cross-sectional survey of 97 employees from a government organisation that provides life-cycle career management support. Employees completed the 24-item psychological capital questionnaire, the 16-item organisational citizenship behaviour scale and the 17-item resistance to change scale. Data analyses used a mixed methods approach to merge quantitative inferential statistics with qualitative thematic analysis. Main findings: The quantitative analysis yielded high levels of resistance to change that moderated the positive effect of PsyCap on organisational citizenship behaviour. The thematic analysis revealed that affective, behavioural and cognitive forms of resistance to change were prevalent. Practical/managerial implications: Organisational leaders should seek to reduce resistance and increase the resources that organisations need to effect positive organisational change. Contribution/value-add: This study adds to the growing body of knowledge about positive organisational behaviour in government organisations.

Conduction Mechanism of Valence Change Resistive Switching Memory: A Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ee Wah Lim

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Resistive switching effect in transition metal oxide (TMO based material is often associated with the valence change mechanism (VCM. Typical modeling of valence change resistive switching memory consists of three closely related phenomena, i.e., conductive filament (CF geometry evolution, conduction mechanism and temperature dynamic evolution. It is widely agreed that the electrochemical reduction-oxidation (redox process and oxygen vacancies migration plays an essential role in the CF forming and rupture process. However, the conduction mechanism of resistive switching memory varies considerably depending on the material used in the dielectric layer and selection of electrodes. Among the popular observations are the Poole-Frenkel emission, Schottky emission, space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC, trap-assisted tunneling (TAT and hopping conduction. In this article, we will conduct a survey on several published valence change resistive switching memories with a particular interest in the I-V characteristic and the corresponding conduction mechanism.

Regulatory assessment of brand changes in the commercial tobacco product market.

Science.gov (United States)

Wayne, G Ferris; Connolly, G N

2009-08-01

Regulatory oversight of tobacco product design has gained momentum in the US and internationally. Appropriate standards for assessing commercial brands and characterising product features must be considered a priority. An area of potential concern is in-market design changes adopted within a single commercial brand over time. Internal tobacco industry documents were identified and used to assess internal discussion of product guidelines and practices regarding in-market brand changes. Commercial tobacco products undergo a constant process of revision in-market, beginning at the most basic level of physical product characteristics and components, and including every aspect of design. These revisions commonly exceed guidelines for acceptable product variance adopted within the industry. While consumer and market testing is conducted to ensure that products remain acceptable to users, explicit marketing often may not accompany brand changes. In the absence of such marketing, it should not be assumed that a brand remains unchanged. For manufacturers, assessment of competitor brands includes identification and analysis of non-routine changes; that is, those changes likely to significantly alter the character of a given brand. Regulators must adopt a similar practice in determining standards for product evaluation in the face of ongoing commercial product revision.

Multi-directional productivity change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asmild, Mette; Balezentis, Tomas; Hougaard, Jens Leth

2016-01-01

In this paper we introduce an extension of the Malmquist total factor productivity index, which utilizes the Multi-directional Efficiency Analysis approach. This enables variable-specific analysis of productivity change as well as its components (efficiency change and technical change). The new...

Coal Layer Identification using Electrical Resistivity Imaging Method in Sinjai Area South Sulawesi

Science.gov (United States)

Ilham Samanlangi, Andi

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research is to image subsurface resistivity for coal identification in Panaikang Village, Sinjai, South Sulawesi.Resistivity measurements were conducted in 3 lines of length 400 meters and 300 meter using resistivity imaging, dipole-dipole configuration. Resistivity data was processed using Res2DInv software to image resistivity variation and interpret lithology. The research results shown that coal resistivity in Line is about 70-200 Ωm, Line 2 is about 70-90 Ωm, and Line 3 is about 70-200 Ωm with average thickness about 10 meters and distributed to the east of research area.

Antimicrobial use in swine production and its effect on the swine gut microbiota and antimicrobial resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Devin B; Chénier, Martin R

2015-11-01

Antimicrobials have been used in swine production at subtherapeutic levels since the early 1950s to increase feed efficiency and promote growth. In North America, a number of antimicrobials are available for use in swine. However, the continuous administration of subtherapeutic, low concentrations of antimicrobials to pigs also provides selective pressure for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and resistance determinants. For this reason, subtherapeutic antimicrobial use in livestock remains a source of controversy and concern. The swine gut microbiota demonstrates a number of changes in response to antimicrobial administration depending on the dosage, duration of treatment, age of the pigs, and gut location that is sampled. Both culture-independent and -dependent studies have also shown that the swine gut microbiota contains a large number of antimicrobial resistance determinants even in the absence of antimicrobial exposure. Heavy metals, such as zinc and copper, which are often added at relatively high doses to swine feed, may also play a role in maintaining antimicrobial resistance and in the stability of the swine gut microbiota. This review focuses on the use of antimicrobials in swine production, with an emphasis on the North American regulatory context, and their effect on the swine gut microbiota and on antimicrobial resistance determinants in the gut microbiota.

Sustainability Challenges from Climate Change and Air Conditioning Use in Urban Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin Lundgren

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Global climate change increases heat loads in urban areas causing health and productivity risks for millions of people. Inhabitants in tropical and subtropical urban areas are at especial risk due to high population density, already high temperatures, and temperature increases due to climate change. Air conditioning is growing rapidly, especially in South and South-East Asia due to income growth and the need to protect from high heat exposures. Studies have linked increased total hourly electricity use to outdoor temperatures and humidity; modeled future predictions when facing additional heat due to climate change, related air conditioning with increased street level heat and estimated future air conditioning use in major urban areas. However, global and localized studies linking climate variables with air conditioning alone are lacking. More research and detailed data is needed looking at the effects of increasing air conditioning use, electricity consumption, climate change and interactions with the urban heat island effect. Climate change mitigation, for example using renewable energy sources, particularly photovoltaic electricity generation, to power air conditioning, and other sustainable methods to reduce heat exposure are needed to make future urban areas more climate resilient.

Characterization and Calibration of Large Area Resistive Strip Micromegas Detectors

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00389527; The ATLAS collaboration

2016-01-01

Resistive strip Micromegas detectors are discharge tolerant. They have been tested extensively as small detectors of about 10 x 10 cm$^2$ in size and they work reliably at high rates of 100 kHz/cm$^2$ and above. Tracking resolution well below 100 $\\mu$m has been observed for 100 GeV muons and pions. Micromegas detectors are meanwhile proposed as large area muon precision trackers of 2-3 m$^2$ in size. To investigate possible differences between small and large detectors, a 1 m$^2$ detector with 2048 resistive strips at a pitch of 450 $\\mu$m was studied in the LMU Cosmic Ray Measurement Facility (CRMF) using two 4 $\\times$ 2.2 m$^2$ large Monitored Drift Tube (MDT) chambers for cosmic muon reference tracking. A segmentation of the resistive strip anode plane in 57.6 mm x 93 mm large areas has been realized by the readout of 128 strips with one APV25 chip each and by eleven 93 mm broad trigger scintillators placed along the readout strips. This allows for mapping of homogeneity in pulse height and efficiency, d...

Resistance to treatment and change in anorexia nervosa [corrected]: a clinical overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbate-Daga, Giovanni; Amianto, Federico; Delsedime, Nadia; De-Bacco, Carlotta; Fassino, Secondo

2013-11-07

Current literature on Eating Disorders (EDs) is devoid of evidence-based findings providing support to effective treatments, mostly for anorexia nervosa (AN). This lack of successful guidelines may play a role in making these disorders even more resistant. In fact, many individuals do not respond to the available treatments and develop an enduring and disabling illness. With this overview we aimed to highlight and discuss treatment resistance in AN--with an in-depth investigation of resistance-related psychological factors.A literature search was conducted on PubMed and PsychINFO; English-language articles published between 1990 and 2013 investigating the phenomenon of resistance to treatment in AN have been considered. The selected papers have been then grouped into four main thematic areas: denial of illness; motivation to change; maintaining factors and treatment outcome; and therapeutic relationship. Eating symptomatology was found to only partially explain resistance to treatment. The role of duration of illness has been questioned whilst some maintaining factors seemed promising in providing a useful framework for this phenomenon. Emotive and relational aspects have been investigated on their role in resistance as well as therapists' countertransference. Remarkably there has been little research done on resistance to treatment in the ED field, in spite of its clinical relevance. Motivation, insight and subjective meaning of the illness can be useful tools to manage the resistance phenomenon when coupled with a wider approach. The latter enables the therapists to be aware of their role in the therapeutic alliance through countertransference aspects and to consider the EDs as disorders of the development of both personality and self, entailing severe impairments as regards identity and relationships.

Harnessing Resistance: Using the Theory of Constraints To Assist Change Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Mabin, Victoria J.; Forgeson, Steve; Green, Lawrence

2001-01-01

Applies the Theory of Constraints, which views resistance to change as a necessary, positive force, to a case study of a bank merger. For each resistance factor, the theory provides tools for using it and managing change successfully. (Contains 46 references.) (SK)

Early resistance change and stress/electromigration evolution in near bamboo interconnects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petrescu, V.; Mouthaan, A.J.; Dima, G.; Govoreanu, B.; Mitrea, O.; Profirescu, M.

1997-01-01

A complete description for early resistance change and mechanical stress evolution in near-bamboo interconnects, related to the electromigration, is given in this paper. The proposed model, for the first time, combines the stress/vacancy concentration evolution with the early resistance change of

Coping with individuals' resistance to change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reunis, M.R.B.; Santema, S.C.; Rozemeijer, F.A.; Axelsson, B.; Rozemeijer, F.; Wynstra, F.

2005-01-01

Probably every purchasing manager is familiar with the employee who just won't change. Sametimes it is easy to understand why: the employee might fear losing his or her job, notwant to learn new skills or notlook forward to join a new team. On most other occasions employee resistance is more

Resistance to change in Greek higher education

OpenAIRE

Kremmyda, Stamatia

2015-01-01

This thesis is a study of resistance to the changes in Greek higher education that were implemented within the framework of the 1999 Bologna Agreement of the European Union in the period 2007-2008. The changes that occurred were of great significance for Greece’s education system as they introduced important changes in the structure and function of Greek higher education. This thesis argues that the organisational culture that had been created throughout the history of Greek higher education ...

Evaluating polymer degradation with complex mixtures using a simplified surface area method.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Kandace M; Pelham, Todd; Phalen, Robert N

2017-09-01

Chemical-resistant gloves, designed to protect workers from chemical hazards, are made from a variety of polymer materials such as plastic, rubber, and synthetic rubber. One material does not provide protection against all chemicals, thus proper polymer selection is critical. Standardized testing, such as chemical degradation tests, are used to aid in the selection process. The current methods of degradation ratings based on changes in weight or tensile properties can be expensive and data often do not exist for complex chemical mixtures. There are hundreds of thousands of chemical products on the market that do not have chemical resistance data for polymer selection. The method described in this study provides an inexpensive alternative to gravimetric analysis. This method uses surface area change to evaluate degradation of a polymer material. Degradation tests for 5 polymer types against 50 complex mixtures were conducted using both gravimetric and surface area methods. The percent change data were compared between the two methods. The resulting regression line was y = 0.48x + 0.019, in units of percent, and the Pearson correlation coefficient was r = 0.9537 (p ≤ 0.05), which indicated a strong correlation between percent weight change and percent surface area change. On average, the percent change for surface area was about half that of the weight change. Using this information, an equivalent rating system was developed for determining the chemical degradation of polymer gloves using surface area.

Antibiotic-resistant genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the effluent of urban residential areas, hospitals, and a municipal wastewater treatment plant system.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianan; Cheng, Weixiao; Xu, Like; Strong, P J; Chen, Hong

2015-03-01

In this study, we determined the abundance of 8 antibiotics (3 tetracyclines, 4 sulfonamides, and 1 trimethoprim), 12 antibiotic-resistant genes (10 tet, 2 sul), 4 antibiotic-resistant bacteria (tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and combined resistance), and class 1 integron integrase gene (intI1) in the effluent of residential areas, hospitals, and municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) systems. The concentrations of total/individual targets (antibiotics, genes, and bacteria) varied remarkably among different samples, but the hospital samples generally had a lower abundance than the residential area samples. The WWTP demonstrated removal efficiencies of 50.8% tetracyclines, 66.8% sulfonamides, 0.5 logs to 2.5 logs tet genes, and less than 1 log of sul and intI1 genes, as well as 0.5 log to 1 log removal for target bacteria. Except for the total tetracycline concentration and the proportion of tetracycline-resistant bacteria (R (2) = 0.330, P antibiotics and the corresponding resistant bacteria (P > 0.05). In contrast, various relationships were identified between antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (P antibiotic-resistant bacteria (P < 0.01).

Living in an oasis: Rapid transformations, resilience, and resistance in the North Water Area societies and ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeppesen, Erik; Appelt, Martin; Hastrup, Kirsten; Grønnow, Bjarne; Mosbech, Anders; Smol, John P; Davidson, Thomas A

2018-04-01

Based on lake sediment data, archaeological findings, and historical records, we describe rapid transformations, resilience and resistance in societies and ecosystems, and their interactions in the past in the North Water area related to changes in climate and historical events. Examples are the formation of the polynya itself and the early arrival of people, ca. 4500 years ago, and later major human immigrations (different societies, cultural encounters, or abandonment) from other regions in the Arctic. While the early immigrations had relatively modest and localised effect on the ecosystem, the later-incoming culture in the early thirteenth century was marked by extensive migrations into and out of the area and abrupt shifts in hunting technologies. This has had long-lasting consequences for the local lake ecosystems. Large natural transformations in the ecosystems have also occurred over relatively short time periods related to changes in the polynya. Finally, we discuss the future perspectives for the North Water area given the many threats, but also opportunities.

Prevalence of veterinary antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in the surface water of a livestock production region in northern China.

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Xuelian Zhang

Full Text Available This study investigated the occurrence of 12 veterinary antibiotics (VAs and the susceptibility of Escherichia coli (E. coli in a rural water system that was affected by livestock production in northern China. Each of the surveyed sites was determined with at least eight antibiotics with maximum concentration of up to 450 ng L(-1. The use of VAs in livestock farming probably was a primary source of antibiotics in the rivers. Increasing total antibiotics were measured from up- to mid- and downstream in the two tributaries. Eighty-eight percent of the 218 E. coli isolates that were derived from the study area exhibited, in total, 48 resistance profiles against the eight examined drugs. Significant correlations were found among the resistance rates of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, chloromycetin and ampicillin as well as between tetracycline and chlortetracycline, suggesting a possible cross-selection for resistance among these drugs. The E. coli resistance frequency also increased from up- to midstream in the three rivers. E. coli isolates from different water systems showed varying drug numbers of resistance. No clear relationship was observed in the antibiotic resistance frequency with corresponding antibiotic concentration, indicating that the antibiotic resistance for E. coli in the aquatic environment might be affected by factors besides antibiotics. High numbers of resistant E. coli were also isolated from the conserved reservoir. These results suggest that rural surface water may become a large pool of VAs and resistant bacteria. This study contributes to current information on VAs and resistant bacteria contamination in aquatic environments particularly in areas under intensive agriculture. Moreover, this study indicates an urgent need to monitor the use of VAs in animal production, and to control the release of animal-originated antibiotics into the environment.

Prevalence of veterinary antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in the surface water of a livestock production region in northern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuelian; Li, Yanxia; Liu, Bei; Wang, Jing; Feng, Chenghong; Gao, Min; Wang, Lina

2014-01-01

This study investigated the occurrence of 12 veterinary antibiotics (VAs) and the susceptibility of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in a rural water system that was affected by livestock production in northern China. Each of the surveyed sites was determined with at least eight antibiotics with maximum concentration of up to 450 ng L(-1). The use of VAs in livestock farming probably was a primary source of antibiotics in the rivers. Increasing total antibiotics were measured from up- to mid- and downstream in the two tributaries. Eighty-eight percent of the 218 E. coli isolates that were derived from the study area exhibited, in total, 48 resistance profiles against the eight examined drugs. Significant correlations were found among the resistance rates of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, chloromycetin and ampicillin as well as between tetracycline and chlortetracycline, suggesting a possible cross-selection for resistance among these drugs. The E. coli resistance frequency also increased from up- to midstream in the three rivers. E. coli isolates from different water systems showed varying drug numbers of resistance. No clear relationship was observed in the antibiotic resistance frequency with corresponding antibiotic concentration, indicating that the antibiotic resistance for E. coli in the aquatic environment might be affected by factors besides antibiotics. High numbers of resistant E. coli were also isolated from the conserved reservoir. These results suggest that rural surface water may become a large pool of VAs and resistant bacteria. This study contributes to current information on VAs and resistant bacteria contamination in aquatic environments particularly in areas under intensive agriculture. Moreover, this study indicates an urgent need to monitor the use of VAs in animal production, and to control the release of animal-originated antibiotics into the environment.

Prevalence of Veterinary Antibiotics and Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli in the Surface Water of a Livestock Production Region in Northern China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuelian; Li, Yanxia; Liu, Bei; Wang, Jing; Feng, Chenghong; Gao, Min; Wang, Lina

2014-01-01

This study investigated the occurrence of 12 veterinary antibiotics (VAs) and the susceptibility of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in a rural water system that was affected by livestock production in northern China. Each of the surveyed sites was determined with at least eight antibiotics with maximum concentration of up to 450 ng L−1. The use of VAs in livestock farming probably was a primary source of antibiotics in the rivers. Increasing total antibiotics were measured from up- to mid- and downstream in the two tributaries. Eighty-eight percent of the 218 E. coli isolates that were derived from the study area exhibited, in total, 48 resistance profiles against the eight examined drugs. Significant correlations were found among the resistance rates of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, chloromycetin and ampicillin as well as between tetracycline and chlortetracycline, suggesting a possible cross-selection for resistance among these drugs. The E. coli resistance frequency also increased from up- to midstream in the three rivers. E. coli isolates from different water systems showed varying drug numbers of resistance. No clear relationship was observed in the antibiotic resistance frequency with corresponding antibiotic concentration, indicating that the antibiotic resistance for E. coli in the aquatic environment might be affected by factors besides antibiotics. High numbers of resistant E. coli were also isolated from the conserved reservoir. These results suggest that rural surface water may become a large pool of VAs and resistant bacteria. This study contributes to current information on VAs and resistant bacteria contamination in aquatic environments particularly in areas under intensive agriculture. Moreover, this study indicates an urgent need to monitor the use of VAs in animal production, and to control the release of animal-originated antibiotics into the environment. PMID:25372873

High Levels of Antibiotic Resistance but No Antibiotic Production Detected Along a Gypsum Gradient in Great Onyx Cave, KY, USA

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Kathleen Lavoie

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A preliminary study of antibiotic production and antibiotic resistance was conducted in Great Onyx Cave in Mammoth Cave National Park, KY, to determine if gypsum (CaSO4∙2H2O affects these bacterial activities. The cave crosses through the width of Flint Ridge, and passages under the sandstone caprock are dry with different amounts of gypsum. The Great Kentucky Desert hypothesis posits that gypsum limits the distribution of invertebrates in the central areas of Great Onyx Cave. Twenty-four bacterial isolates were cultivated from swabs and soils. Using three methods (soil crumb, soil crumb with indicator bacteria, and the cross-streak method using isolated bacteria we did not detect any production of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance was widespread, with all 24 isolates resistant to a minimum of two antibiotics of seven tested, with three isolates resistant to all. Antibiotic resistance was high and not correlated with depth into the cave or the amount of gypsum. The Great Kentucky Desert hypothesis of the negative effects of gypsum seems to have no impact on bacterial activity.

Analysis of the effects of change in cropping pattern due to drought on saffron production in rural areas of the Zebarkhan district villages

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Hamdollah Sojasi Qidari

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Selection of a given cropping pattern can have serious results on the farmers’ life and rural society because of the multi dimensionality of agriculture. However, in many cases, farmers are inclined to change the cropping pattern because of changes in natural situations, changes in demand and consumption, etc. One of the most important and effective factors of change cropping pattern amongst Iranian farmers in recent years is the drought problem. One of the more current cultural method changes in the Khorasan region is inclination to saffron cultivation that can have various economic, social and environmental effects. Thus, this research paid attention to the investigation of changes from cultivation method from drought to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of saffron production amongst the villagers of the Zebarkhan district of the Khorasan Razavi province. Analytical-description methodology was used for this purpose. Data collection was done using the library- field methodology with researcher’s questionnaire whose narrative is 0.78 according to Cronbach's alpha method. Therefore, by using the Cochran formula with the intended level of 0.05, 142 farmers have been selected by available sampling method that have changed their cropping pattern to saffron production because of water shortages and drought. Then, their ideas were analyzed considering cases of economic, social and environmental effects of cropping pattern change to saffron production. The results showed meaningful changes in all research indices except for increase of cultivation surface area. Moreover, the most important changes of cropping pattern and switching over to saffron production have been identified using the Shannon entropy weighing method. In addition, the shown the revealed with continuation of differences of the changes in cropping pattern of saffron between the various villages were analyzed by using the multi-index TOPSIS. Finally, it was shown

Development of innovation infrastructure of agricultural production Lviv area

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Vasyl Chemerys

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Innovative infrastructure of agrarian production in Lviv Area and basic problems of its development are investigated. On the basis of the conducted cluster analysis in the article six optimum areas are offered clusterizations of agricultural production, which are certain after the criterion of balanced cluster educations. The first area of clusterization is most suitable for development of plant-grower. In particular, in four its districts, almost fourth part of plant-grower products is concentrated in the permanent costs of 2010 year. The second area of clusterization can be identified as mainly stock-raising, as its localization in the districts of foot-hill of area creates favourable terms for the production of meat and milk goods. The third area can be attributed to balanced stock-raising-plant-grower straight, with development of agriculture, oriented to the sale of products to the cities, above all things in Lviv. The fourth area of clusterization can be considered mainly plant-grower-oriented with simultaneous development of the suckling cattle breeding. The fifth area of clusterization, as marked already, can be identified as innovative oriented with predominance of stock-raising and production of goods on an export. A sixth (mountain area of clusterization is the least suitable for development of agriculture (except for the milk and meat cattle breeding. The applied approach is based on the account of ten key indexes which characterize potential of agricultural production development in each districts of Lviv Area: products of plant-grower are in all categories of economic agents; products of stock-raising are in all categories of economic agents; area of agricultural lands which are engaged in an agricultural production area of plough-land of economic agents which are engaged in an agricultural production; sowing areas are in all categories of economic agents; a quantity of cattle is in all categories of economic agents; a quantity of

Improvement of oxytetracycline production mediated via cooperation of resistance genes in Streptomyces rimosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Shouliang; Wang, Xuefeng; Shi, Mingxin; Yuan, Fang; Wang, Huizhuan; Jia, Xiaole; Yuan, Fang; Sun, Jinliang; Liu, Tiejun; Yang, Keqian; Zhang, Yuxiu; Fan, Keqiang; Li, Zilong

2017-09-01

Increasing the self-resistance levels of Streptomyces is an effective strategy to improve the production of antibiotics. To increase the oxytetracycline (OTC) production in Streptomyces rimosus, we investigated the cooperative effect of three co-overexpressing OTC resistance genes: one gene encodes a ribosomal protection protein (otrA) and the other two express efflux proteins (otrB and otrC). Results indicated that combinational overexpression of otrA, otrB, and otrC (MKABC) exerted a synergetic effect. OTC production increased by 179% in the recombinant strain compared with that of the wild-type strain M4018. The resistance level to OTC was increased by approximately two-fold relative to the parental strain, thereby indicating that applying the cooperative effect of self-resistance genes is useful to improve OTC production. Furthermore, the previously identified cluster-situated activator OtcR was overexpressed in MKABC in constructing the recombinant strain MKRABC; such strain can produce OTC of approximately 7.49 g L -1 , which represents an increase of 19% in comparison with that of the OtcR-overexpressing strain alone. Our work showed that the cooperative overexpression of self-resistance genes is a promising strategy to enhance the antibiotics production in Streptomyces.

Application of diagnosis and monitoring area contaminated by petroleum derivatives; Aplicacao da tecnica de caminhamento eletrico em area contaminada por derivados de petroleo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreira, Cesar Augusto [Pos-graduacao em Geociencias em Meio Ambiente, IGCE - UNESP, Rio Claro, SP (Brazil)], E-mail: cesargeologia@yahoo.com.br; Dourado, Joao Carlos; Braga, Antonio Celso de Oliveira [Dept. de Geologia Aplicada, IGCE - UNESP, Rio Claro, SP (Brazil)], E-mails: jdourado@rc.unesp.br, acobraga@rc.unesp.br

2006-07-15

Geophysical methods are useful technic of geological investigation, thoroughly employed to diagnosis and monitoring contaminated areas, in conjunction with direct techniques of investigation such as chemical analyses. Among these, electric resistivity is more usually used in studies of contaminants in soil and groundwater, due to the high contrast of electric properties between the soil and the pollutant types frequently found, essentially constituted of composed organic and inorganic. Geophysical studies in impacted areas by petroleum products may be describe by anomalies of both low resistivity and high resistivities, confirmed as contaminant by chemical analyses. This apparent contradiction can reflect processes of degradation of the contaminants, directly associated with its residence time in the soil, through the generation of by-products that change the physical properties of the soil and groundwater, principally for the mineral dissolution by action of organic acids and by formation of minerals of oxides and hydroxides minerals. Natural attenuation defines a series of physical, chemical and biological processes that allow the degradation, dispersion and dilution of contaminants in a natural form, in other words, free from human intervention. This paper presents the application of electrical profiling technique in a contaminated industrial area for benzene, toluene, xylene, 1,2 dichloroethene and inorganic salts and it discusses the physical alterations of the contaminated soil through the obtained results, under the optics of the Natural Attenuation in course in the area of study. (author)

HIV pretreatment drug resistance trends in three geographic areas of Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Morales, Claudia; Tapia-Trejo, Daniela; Quiroz-Morales, Verónica S; Navarro-Álvarez, Samuel; Barrera-Arellano, Carlos A; Casillas-Rodríguez, Jesús; Romero-Mora, Karla A; Gómez-Palacio-Schjetnan, María; Murakami-Ogasawara, Akio; Ávila-Ríos, Santiago; Reyes-Terán, Gustavo

2017-11-01

Pretreatment drug resistance (PDR) levels to NNRTI approaching 10% have recently been reported in Mexico. However, subnational differences may exist in PDR prevalence and transmission dynamics. We longitudinally assessed HIV PDR in three geographic areas of Mexico. HIV-infected, antiretroviral-naive individuals were recruited from 2008 to 2016, from the Central Metropolitan Zone (CMZ), Cancun and Tijuana (1194, 773 and 668 respectively). PDR was estimated using the Stanford HIVdb tool from plasma HIV pol sequences. A higher proportion of females, lower education and lower employment rate were observed in Tijuana, while a higher proportion of MSM was observed in the CMZ (P Mexico. Even when increasing trends in efavirenz resistance were observed in the three areas, our observations support that, in a large country such as Mexico, subnational surveillance and locally tailored interventions to address drug resistance may be a reasonable option. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Resistance to Change among Veteran Teachers: Providing Voice for More Effective Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Richard R.

2017-01-01

Effective implementation of change remains a crucial concern for educational leaders in the 21st Century. One of the factors affecting effective implementation of reform is resistance to change. Veteran teachers in particular present unique challenges, and stereotypically the greatest resistance, for effective implementation of change. This study…

NVENTIONS IN THE NANOTECHNOLOGICAL AREA PROVIDE INCREASED RESISTANCE OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS TO OPERATIONAL LOAD

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VLASOV Vladimir Alexeevich

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The invention «Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes (RU 2494961» can be used in production of modifying additives for construction materials. Dispersion of carbon nanotubes contains, mass %: carbon nanotubes 1–20; surface active agent – sodium chloride of sulfonated derived naphthalene 1–20; fumed silica 5–15; water – the rest. Dispersion can additionally contain ethylene glycol as antifreeze. Dispersion is steady in storage, it is soluble in water, provides increased strength of construction materials. Invention «Building Structures Reinforcement Composition (RU 2493337» can beused in construction to reinforce concrete, brick and masonry structures. Composition contains glass or basalt roving taken in quantity 90÷100 parts by weight, soaked in polymer binder based on epoxy taken in quantity 0,001÷1,5 parts by weight. This invention provides high resistance to operational load.

Productive vegetation: relationships between net primary productivity, vegetation types and climate change in the Wet Tropics bioregion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, Vanessa Valdez; Williams, Stephen E.; VanDerWal, Jeremy

2007-01-01

Full text: Full text: There is now ample evidence demonstrating the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and human society (Walther ef a/. 2002). Numerous studies have shown climate change is one of the most significant threats to tropical forests, such as the Wet Tropics Heritage Area, due to their high biodiversity and endemism (Pounds ef al. 1999; Hughes 2000; Parmesan and Yohe 2003). Williams ef al. (2003) suggested that small shifts in net primary productivity (NPP) as a result of climate change could lead to potentially massive follow-on effects for the extremely diverse and vulnerable rainforest flora and fauna. It is therefore crucial to explore the relationships between NPP and local biodiversity, especially to create models for different climate change scenarios. Nevertheless, NPP in the Wet Tropics has yet to be estimated. This is the first study to provide a general NPP estimate for the Wet Tropics bioregion using climate surrogates (Schuur 2003). This technique estimates NPP in an accurate, repeatable, and cost-effective way. NPP values were linked to vegetation types and examined under various climatic and environmental conditions. Results show a significant difference in productivity according to vegetation types and climatic variables, with temperature and rainfall seasonality as the most important determining variables. Additionally, lowland and upland vegetations showed a significant difference in productivity patterns throughout the year. Vegetation types located above 1000 metres in altitude had the lowest values of mean annual productivity due to their high rainfall and low temperatures; vegetation types located below 600 metres showed increased productivity values during the wet season (December-March). Net primary productivity will certainly be impacted by changes in temperature and rainfall, due to climate change. Although an increase in NPP values can be predicted for upland areas, the more widely distributed lowlands will drastically

Enhanced wear resistance of production tools and steel samples by implantation of nitrogen and carbon ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikkelsen, N.J.; Straede, C.A.

1992-01-01

In recent years ion implantation has become a feasible technique for obtaining improved wear resistance of production tools. However, basic knowledge of how and in which cases ion implantation is working at its best is still needed. The present paper discusses structural and tribological investigations of carbon and nitrogen implanted steels. The nitrogen data were obtained mainly from field tests and the investigation of carbon implantations took place mainly in the laboratory. A study was made of how the tribological behaviour of implanted steels changes with different implantation parameters. The tribological laboratory investigations were carried out using pin-on-disc equipment under controlled test conditions, and deal with high dose carbon implantation (approximately (1-2)x10 18 ions cm -2 ). The wear resistance of steels was enhanced dramatically, by up to several orders of magnitude. The field test results cover a broad range of ion implanted production tools, which showed a marked improvement in wear resistance. Nitrogen implanted tools are also compared with carbon and titanium implanted tools. (orig.)

Increasing antibiotic resistance in preservative-tolerant bacterial strains isolated from cosmetic products.

Science.gov (United States)

Orús, Pilar; Gomez-Perez, Laura; Leranoz, Sonia; Berlanga, Mercedes

2015-03-01

To ensure the microbiological quality, consumer safety and organoleptic properties of cosmetic products, manufacturers need to comply with defined standards using several preservatives and disinfectants. A drawback regarding the use of these preservatives is the possibility of generating cross-insusceptibility to other disinfectants or preservatives, as well as cross resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, the objective of this study was to understand the adaptive mechanisms of Enterobacter gergoviae, Pseudomonas putida and Burkholderia cepacia that are involved in recurrent contamination in cosmetic products containing preservatives. Diminished susceptibility to formaldehyde-donors was detected in isolates but not to other preservatives commonly used in the cosmetics industry, although increasing resistance to different antibiotics (β-lactams, quinolones, rifampicin, and tetracycline) was demonstrated in these strains when compared with the wild-type strain. The outer membrane protein modifications and efflux mechanism activities responsible for the resistance trait were evaluated. The development of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms due to the selective pressure from preservatives included in cosmetic products could be a risk for the emergence and spread of bacterial resistance in the environment. Nevertheless, the large contribution of disinfection and preservation cannot be denied in cosmetic products. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

Impacts of Rural Labor Resource Change on the Technical Efficiency of Crop Production in China

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Ning Yin

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper probes effects of the evolvement of labor resources on technical efficiency in crop production in rural China. Based on twelve years of data on crop production of 30 provinces in China, a stochastic frontier production function model is used to measure crop production efficiency in three crop-functional areas—the production area, the consumption area, and the balanced area. Then effects of both quantity and quality change in labor force on technical efficiency in different regions of China are analyzed. Results show that rural China generally has an increasing number of employees shifted to non-agricultural sectors and a decreasing trend of the stock of human capital. However, both these two changes in rural labor force have significantly positive effects on improving crop production efficiency. In addition, China’s technical inefficiency is at an average of 22.2%. Dynamically, the technical efficiencies show a tendency to rise steadily throughout China and in three areas, while the consumption area possesses the highest technical efficiency. Those results may lend some experience for other countries that are currently experiencing rural labor force and economic transition.

So They Are Resistant to Change? Strategies for Moving an Immovable Object.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesler, Rosemary; And Others

Although the reality of change is ever present, educators are often resistant to it. Three barriers to change in colleges or other organizations are a lack of strategic vision and mission; low commitment, trust, and teamwork; and a bureaucratic organizational culture. Resistance to change can manifest itself in various ways, including regression…

Free sugar contents in onion bulbs on different cultivars and different production areas, and their changes by storage and gamma-irradiation. Free sugars in onion bulbs, 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishibori, Sukie [Tokaigakuen Women' s Coll., Nagoya (Japan); Namiki, Kazuko

1982-05-01

Changes in the contents of free sugar in onion bulbs of different cultivars and different production areas were investigated during storage and processing by using gas-chromatography. No significant difference was observed in the total free sugar contents among the onions of different cultivars and different production areas except early season's cultivars which showed a slightly lower content of sugar. The free sugar was mainly composed with glucose (1.7 - 3.2%), fructose (1.1 - 2.5%) and sucrose (0.7 - 2.6%), and the composition was somewhat different among the onions of different cultivars and different production areas. During the storage at 4 - 5/sup 0/C, the total free suger contents gradually decreased during the first few months but more markedly to about 30% after sprouting. The middle part of onion bulbs contained more total free sugar than the other parts (middle part, 5.6 ..-->.. 3.5%, inner part, 5.2 ..-->.. 3.2%, outer part, 4.8 ..-->.. 1.5%), and the total free sugar contents in the outer part decreased markedly during the storage. The changes of the sugar contents after the freeze-drying were almost negligible, but showed significant decrease after the hot-air drying, especially for sucrose. The gamma irradiation with 5 - 50 krad gave no appreciable effects on the total free sugar contents though it seemed to make a slight increase in the sucrose content.

75 FR 55745 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-14

... Products covered by this order are certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Korea. These... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-818] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon... review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE...

Determination of antibiotic resistance of lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional Turkish fermented dairy products.

Science.gov (United States)

Erginkaya, Z; Turhan, E U; Tatlı, D

2018-01-01

In this study, the antibiotic resistance (AR) of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional Turkish fermented dairy products was investigated. Yogurt, white cheese, tulum cheese, cokelek, camız cream and kefir as dairy products were collected from various supermarkets. Lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus spp., Streptococcus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Enterecoccus spp. were isolated from these dairy products. Lactobacillus spp. were resistant to vancomycin (58%), erythromycin (10.8%), tetracycline (4.3%), gentamicin (28%), and ciprofloxacin (26%). Streptococcus spp. were resistant to vancomycin (40%), erythromycin (10%), chloramphenicol (10%), gentamicin (20%), and ciprofloxacin (30%). Bifidobacterium spp. were resistant to vancomycin (60%), E 15 (6.6%), gentamicin (20%), and ciprofloxacin (33%). Enterococcus spp. were resistant to vancomycin (100%), erythromycin (100%), rifampin (100%), and ciprofloxacin (100%). As a result, LAB islated from dairy products in this study showed mostly resistance to vancomycin.

Analysis of the Factors Affecting Resistance to Changes in Management Accounting Systems

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Rodrigo Angonese

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Despite changes in the environment and management accounting practices, studies indicate that management accounting systems do not change or change at a much slower rate than expected. The stability of the management accounting systems used by companies may relate to resistance to changing these systems. This study analyzes the factors that contribute to resistance to implementing an integrated management system from the perspective of institutional theory, grounded in the old institutional economics. Methodologically, this study provides a qualitative assessment of the problem and a descriptive analysis of the resistance factors through a case-study approach. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed through content analysis. Two companies were selected for this study due to their differing characteristics. The following seven factors were analyzed for resistance to implementing integrated management systems: institutional power, ontological insecurity, trust, inertia, lack of knowledge, acceptance of routines and decoupling. However, there was no evidence to characterize hierarchical power. The research findings indicate that changing management accounting systems, through the implementation of an integrated management system, faces internal resistance in these organizations. Each factor varies in intensity but is permanently present in these companies, such as ontological insecurity, trust, inertia, lack of knowledge, acceptance of routines and decoupling. These factors are awakened when the change process begins and, if they gather enough force, can stop the change.

Validation of the MODIS Collection 6 MCD64 Global Burned Area Product

Science.gov (United States)

Boschetti, L.; Roy, D. P.; Giglio, L.; Stehman, S. V.; Humber, M. L.; Sathyachandran, S. K.; Zubkova, M.; Melchiorre, A.; Huang, H.; Huo, L. Z.

2017-12-01

The research, policy and management applications of satellite products place a high priority on rigorously assessing their accuracy. A number of NASA, ESA and EU funded global and continental burned area products have been developed using coarse spatial resolution satellite data, and have the potential to become part of a long-term fire Essential Climate Variable. These products have usually been validated by comparison with reference burned area maps derived by visual interpretation of Landsat or similar spatial resolution data selected on an ad hoc basis. More optimally, a design-based validation method should be adopted, characterized by the selection of reference data via probability sampling. Design based techniques have been used for annual land cover and land cover change product validation, but have not been widely used for burned area products, or for other products that are highly variable in time and space (e.g. snow, floods, other non-permanent phenomena). This has been due to the challenge of designing an appropriate sampling strategy, and to the cost and limited availability of independent reference data. This paper describes the validation procedure adopted for the latest Collection 6 version of the MODIS Global Burned Area product (MCD64, Giglio et al, 2009). We used a tri-dimensional sampling grid that allows for probability sampling of Landsat data in time and in space (Boschetti et al, 2016). To sample the globe in the spatial domain with non-overlapping sampling units, the Thiessen Scene Area (TSA) tessellation of the Landsat WRS path/rows is used. The TSA grid is then combined with the 16-day Landsat acquisition calendar to provide tri-dimensonal elements (voxels). This allows the implementation of a sampling design where not only the location but also the time interval of the reference data is explicitly drawn through stratified random sampling. The novel sampling approach was used for the selection of a reference dataset consisting of 700

Speci﬿c contact resistance of phase change materials to metal electrode

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roy, Deepu; in 't Zandt, Micha A.A.; Wolters, Robertus A.M.

2010-01-01

For phase change random access memory (PCRAM) cells, it is important to know the contact resistance of phase change materials (PCMs) to metal electrodes at the contacts. In this letter, we report the systematic determination of the speci﬿c contact resistance (Ͽc ) of doped Sb2Te and Ge2Sb2Te5 to TiW

Large-scale patterns of turnover and Basal area change in Andean forests.

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Selene Báez

Full Text Available General patterns of forest dynamics and productivity in the Andes Mountains are poorly characterized. Here we present the first large-scale study of Andean forest dynamics using a set of 63 permanent forest plots assembled over the past two decades. In the North-Central Andes tree turnover (mortality and recruitment and tree growth declined with increasing elevation and decreasing temperature. In addition, basal area increased in Lower Montane Moist Forests but did not change in Higher Montane Humid Forests. However, at higher elevations the lack of net basal area change and excess of mortality over recruitment suggests negative environmental impacts. In North-Western Argentina, forest dynamics appear to be influenced by land use history in addition to environmental variation. Taken together, our results indicate that combinations of abiotic and biotic factors that vary across elevation gradients are important determinants of tree turnover and productivity in the Andes. More extensive and longer-term monitoring and analyses of forest dynamics in permanent plots will be necessary to understand how demographic processes and woody biomass are responding to changing environmental conditions along elevation gradients through this century.

A Feasibility Study on the Worn Area Estimation by Measuring a Contact Resistance (I)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young-Ho; Kim, Hyung-Kyu

2007-01-01

In order to improve the fretting wear resistance of the nuclear fuel rod with considering the effect of the contacting spring shape, it is necessary to examine the formation procedure of the worn area during the fretting wear experiments with including its shape, size and the debris removal path. This is because the wear volume and the maximum wear depth are dominantly affected by the worn area and the wear resistance of the nuclear fuel rod was dominantly affected by the spring shape rather than the test environment and the contact mode (i.e. impact, sliding, rubbing, etc.). Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to archive the size and shape of the worn area on real-time basis because the contact surfaces are always hidden. If we could measure the worn area properties during fretting wear tests, it enables us to promptly estimate the wear resistance or behavior with various contacting spring shapes. Generally, fretting wear degradation is generated by the localized plastic deformation, fracture and finally detachment of wear debris. Generally, wear debris easily oxidized by frictional heat, test environment, etc. From the previous studies, most of the wear debris was detached from the worn surface in the distilled water condition while the wear debris in the dry condition remained on or adhered to the worn surface. At this time, it is reasonable that the accumulated wear debris on the worn surface is existed in the form of oxide. If small amount of electric current was applied between the contacting surfaces, wear debris could be an obstacle to flow the electric current. This means that the variation of the contact resistance under constant electric current during the fretting wear tests has much information on the formation of the worn area even though the applying current could accelerate the oxidation of the generated wear debris. So, in this study, fretting wear tests have been performed with applying an electric current in room temperature air in order to

Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance of non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars in retail aquaculture products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jianmin; Yang, Xiaowei; Kuang, Dai; Shi, Xianming; Xiao, Wenjia; Zhang, Jing; Gu, Zhen; Xu, Xuebin; Meng, Jianghong

2015-10-01

Aquaculture products can become sources of Salmonella by exposure to contaminated water or through processing practices, thus representing a public health hazard. A study was conducted on Salmonella contamination in aquaculture products sampled from marketplaces and retailers in Shanghai, China. A total of 730 samples (including fish, shellfish, bullfrog, clam, shrimp and others) were obtained from 2006 to 2011. Among them, 217 (29.7%) were positive for Salmonella. Thirty-eight serovars were identified in the 217 Salmonella isolates. The most prevalent were Salmonella Aberdeen (18.4%), S. Wandsworth (12.0%), S. Thompson (9.2%), S. Singapore (5.5%), S. Stanley (4.6%), S. Schwarzengrund (4.6%), S. Hvittingfoss (4.1%) and S. Typhimurium (4.1%). Many resistant isolates were detected, with 69.6% resistant to at least one antimicrobial drug. We observed high resistance to sulfonamides (56.5%), tetracycline (34.1%), streptomycin (28.6%), ampicillin (23.5%) and nalidixic acid (21.2%). Lower levels of resistance were found for gentamicin (3.2%), ciprofloxacin (2.3%), ceftiofur (1.3%), cefotaxime (0.9%), ceftazidime (0.5%) and cefepime (0.5%). A total of 43.3% of the Salmonella isolates were multidrug-resistant and 44 different resistance patterns were found. This study provided data on the prevalence, serovars and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella from retail aquaculture products in Shanghai, and indicated the need for monitoring programs for microbiologic safety in such projects and for more prudent drug use in aquaculture production in order to reduce the risk of development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inverse Resistance Change Cr2Ge2Te6-Based PCRAM Enabling Ultralow-Energy Amorphization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatayama, Shogo; Sutou, Yuji; Shindo, Satoshi; Saito, Yuta; Song, Yun-Heub; Ando, Daisuke; Koike, Junichi

2018-01-24

Phase-change random access memory (PCRAM) has attracted much attention for next-generation nonvolatile memory that can replace flash memory and can be used for storage-class memory. Generally, PCRAM relies on the change in the electrical resistance of a phase-change material between high-resistance amorphous (reset) and low-resistance crystalline (set) states. Herein, we present an inverse resistance change PCRAM with Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 (CrGT) that shows a high-resistance crystalline reset state and a low-resistance amorphous set state. The inverse resistance change was found to be due to a drastic decrease in the carrier density upon crystallization, which causes a large increase in contact resistivity between CrGT and the electrode. The CrGT memory cell was demonstrated to show fast reversible resistance switching with a much lower operating energy for amorphization than a Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 memory cell. This low operating energy in CrGT should be due to a small programmed amorphous volume, which can be realized by a high-resistance crystalline matrix and a dominant contact resistance. Simultaneously, CrGT can break the trade-off relationship between the crystallization temperature and operating speed.

Cultivated Land Changes and Agricultural Potential Productivity in Mainland China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linlin Xiao

2015-08-01

Full Text Available With rapid and continuous population growth and the associated declining quality of cultivated land, food security in China has been attracting the attention of scholars both domestically and internationally. In recent decades, the implications of the cultivated land balance policy have promoted spatial changes of cultivated land. Estimating the agricultural potential productivity and assessing its response to cultivated land changes could provide a scientific basis for strategic decision-making concerning grain production and thus guarantee food security. In the present study, the Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZ model was applied to estimate the agricultural potential productivity. Data from the second national land survey were first applied to characterize the changes of cultivated land (by comparing the cultivated land in 2009 with that in 2012 and their influence on potential productivity in Mainland China. We propose a utilization degree of total potential productivity (UTP and its ratio coefficient (RUTP to reveal the utilization status of potential productivity and its change characteristics at the provincial level. It was found that there was a trend for cultivated land to be shifted away from cities, and the average productive capability per hectare of cultivated land declined from 7386.5 kg/ha to 6955.2 kg/ha by occupying highly productive cultivated land generally near the cities and compensating less productive cultivated land in remote areas. UTPs and RUTPs indicate a significant difference in the utilization status of potential productivity among the 31 provinces of Mainland China. Grain production with the aim of sustainable development should be strategized according to the particular facts of each province. The methods we applied can mine the impacts of cultivated land changes on potential productivity and the utilization of potential productivity effectively.

The molecular changing mechanism of Ampicillin-Sulbactam resistant Staphylococcus aureus towards Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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Mieke Hemiawati Satari

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the molecular changing of S.aureus, which is resistant to Ampicillin-Sulbactam and then become resistant to Methicillin as a result of improper dosage. The study was conducted by isolating Ampicillin-Sulbactam resistant and Methicillin Resistant S.aureus (MRSA, afterwards an amplification process was performed by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction. to isolate the betalactamase enzyme regulator and PBP 2a genes. The result of this research showed that there were a deletion of few amino acids from the regulator gene, and a suspicion that the DNA sequence had been substituted from PBP 2 gene into PBP 2a (gen mec. This process had formed MRSA.

Climatic and non-climatic drivers of spatiotemporal maize-area dynamics across the northern limit for maize production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Mette Vestergaard; Bøcher, Peder Klith; Dalgaard, Tommy

2011-01-01

It is expected that the ongoing anthropogenic climate change will drive changes in agricultural production and its geographic distribution. Here, we assess the extent to which climate change is already driving spatiotemporal dynamics in maize production in Denmark. We use advanced spatial...... regression modeling with multi-model averaging to assess the extent to which the recent spatiotemporal dynamics of the maize area in Denmark are driven by climate (temperature as represented by maize heating units [MHU] and growing-season precipitation), climate change and non-climatic factors (cattle...... cultivation and cattle farming, probably reflecting a change to a more favorable climate for maize cultivation: in the beginning of the study period, northern areas were mostly too cold for maize cultivation, irrespective of cattle density, but this limitation has been diminishing as climate has warmed...

Response of lactate metabolism in brain glucosensing areas of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to changes in glucose levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Otero-Rodiño, Cristina; Librán-Pérez, Marta; Velasco, Cristina; Álvarez-Otero, Rosa; López-Patiño, Marcos A; Míguez, Jesús M; Soengas, José L

2015-12-01

There is no evidence in fish brain demonstrating the existence of changes in lactate metabolism in response to alterations in glucose levels. We induced in rainbow trout through intraperitoneal (IP) treatments, hypoglycaemic or hyperglycaemic changes to assess the response of parameters involved in lactate metabolism in glucosensing areas like hypothalamus and hindbrain. To distinguish those effects from those induced by peripheral changes in the levels of metabolites or hormones, we also carried out intracerebroventricular (ICV) treatments with 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG, a non-metabolizable glucose analogue thus inducing local glucopenia) or glucose. Finally, we also incubated hypothalamus and hindbrain in vitro in the presence of increased glucose concentrations. The changes in glucose availability were in general correlated to changes in the amount of lactate in both areas. However, when we assessed in these areas the response of parameters related to lactate metabolism, the results obtained were contradictory. The increase in glucose levels did not produce in general the expected changes in those pathways with only a minor increase in their capacity of lactate production. The decrease in glucose levels was, however, more clearly related to a decreased capacity of the pathways involved in the production and use of lactate, and this was especially evident after ICV treatment with 2-DG in both areas. In conclusion, the present results while addressing the existence of changes in lactate metabolism after inducing changes in glucose levels in brain glucosensing areas only partially support the possible existence of an astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle in hypothalamus and hindbrain of rainbow trout relating glucose availability to lactate production and use.

Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcal Strains Isolated from Various Pathological Products

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Laura-Mihaela SIMON

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Background: The optimal choice of antimicrobial therapy is an important problem in hospital environment in which the selection of resistant and virulent strains easy occurs. S. aureus and especially MRSA(methicillin-resistant S. aureus creates difficulties in both treatment and prevention of nosocomial infections. Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity and the resistance to chemotherapy of staphylococci strains isolated from various pathological products. Material and Method: We identified Staphylococccus species after morphological appearance, culture properties, the production of coagulase, hemolisines and the enzyme activity. The susceptibility tests were performed on Mueller-Hinton medium according to CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Results: The strains were: MSSA (methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (74%, MRSA (8%, MLS B (macrolides, lincosamides and type B streptogramines resistance (12% and MRSA and MLS B (6%. MRSA strains were more frequently isolated from sputum. MRSA associated with the MLS B strains were more frequently isolated from pus. MLS B strains were more frequently isolated from sputum and throat secretions. All S. aureus strains were susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplanin. Conclusions: All staphylococcal infections require resistance testing before treatment. MLS B shows a high prevalence among strains of S. aureus. The association between MLS B and MRSA remains a major problem in Romania.

Conditioned Reinforcement Value and Resistance to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Shahan, Timothy A.; Podlesnik, Christopher A.

2008-01-01

Three experiments examined the effects of conditioned reinforcement value and primary reinforcement rate on resistance to change using a multiple schedule of observing-response procedures with pigeons. In the absence of observing responses in both components, unsignaled periods of variable-interval (VI) schedule food reinforcement alternated with…

Bias dependent specic contact resistance of phase change material to metal contacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roy, Deepu; in 't Zandt, Micha; Wolters, Robertus A.M.

2010-01-01

Knowledge of contact resistance of phase change materials (PCM) to metal electrodes is important for scaling, device modeling and optimization of phase change random access memory (PCRAM) cells. In this article, we report the systematic determination of the speci_c contact resistance (_c) with

Differential reinforcement and resistance to change of divided-attention performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Podlesnik, Christopher A; Thrailkill, Eric; Shahan, Timothy A

2012-06-01

Behavioral momentum theory provides a framework for understanding how conditions of reinforcement influence instrumental response strength under conditions of disruption (i.e., resistance to change). The present experiment examined resistance to change of divided-attention performance when different overall probabilities of reinforcement were arranged across two components of a multiple schedule. Pigeons responded in a delayed-matching-to-sample procedure with compound samples (color + line orientation) and element comparisons (two colors or two line orientations). Reinforcement ratios of 1:9, 1:1, and 9:1 for accurate matches on the two types of comparison trials were examined across conditions using reinforcement probabilities (color/lines) of .9/.1, .5/.5, and .1/.9 in the rich component and .18/.02, .1/.1, and .02/.18 in the lean component. Relative accuracy with color and line comparisons was an orderly function of relative reinforcement, but this relation did not depend on the overall rate of reinforcement between components. The resistance to change of divided-attention performance was greater for both trial types in the rich component with presession feeding and extinction, but not with decreases in sample duration. These findings suggest promise for the applicability of quantitative models of operant behavior to divided-attention performance, but they highlight the need to further explore conditions impacting the resistance to change of attending.

Climate Change and Insect Pests: Resistance Is Not Futile?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Scott N; Züst, Tobias

2018-05-01

Chemical signals produced by plants when attacked by herbivores play a crucial role in efficient plant defence. A recent study suggests that herbivore-specific R-gene resistance may be enhanced by elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. Understanding how climate change affects plant resistance to herbivorous pests could be essential for future food security. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2-D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) Assessment of Ground Failure in Urban Area

Science.gov (United States)

Nordiana, M. M.; Bery, A. A.; Taqiuddin, Z. M.; Jinmin, M.; Abir, I. A.

2018-04-01

This study was carried out to assess the foundation defects around an urban area in Selangor, Malaysia using 2-D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The affected structure is a three storey houses and having severe foundation-based cracks. Six 2-D ERT survey lines with 5 m minimum electrode spacing using Pole-dipole array were executed parallel to building’s wall. Four boreholes were conducted to identify the depth to competent layer to verify the 2-D ERT results. Inversion model of 2-D resistivity show that the study area consists of two main zones. The first zone is a low resistivity value (resistivity values of 100-1000 Ωm at 20-70 m depth. The second zone is the granite bedrock of more than 3500 Ωm with depth greater than 70 m. These results were complimented and confirmed by borehole records. The ERT and borehole record suggest that the clay, sand, saturated zone, highly weathered zone and boulders at foundation depths may lead to ground movements which affected the stability of the building.

Adipokines and their relation to maternal energy substrate production, insulin resistance and fetal size.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahlsson, Fredrik; Diderholm, Barbro; Ewald, Uwe; Jonsson, Björn; Forslund, Anders; Stridsberg, Mats; Gustafsson, Jan

2013-05-01

The role of adipokines in the regulation of energy substrate production in non-diabetic pregnant women has not been elucidated. We hypothesize that serum concentrations of adiponectin are related to fetal growth via maternal fat mass, insulin resistance and glucose production, and further, that serum levels of leptin are associated with lipolysis and that this also influences fetal growth. Hence, we investigated the relationship between adipokines, energy substrate production, insulin resistance, body composition and fetal weight in non-diabetic pregnant women in late gestation. Twenty pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance were investigated at 36 weeks of gestation at Uppsala University Hospital. Levels of adipokines were related to rates of glucose production and lipolysis, maternal body composition, insulin resistance, resting energy expenditure and estimated fetal weights. Rates of glucose production and lipolysis were estimated by stable isotope dilution technique. Median (range) rate of glucose production was 805 (653-1337) μmol/min and that of glycerol production, reflecting lipolysis, was 214 (110-576) μmol/min. HOMA insulin resistance averaged 1.5 ± 0.75 and estimated fetal weights ranged between 2670 and 4175 g (-0.2 to 2.7 SDS). Mean concentration of adiponectin was 7.2 ± 2.5mg/L and median level of leptin was 47.1 (9.9-58.0) μg/L. Adiponectin concentrations (7.2 ± 2.5mg/L) correlated inversely with maternal fat mass, insulin resistance, glucose production and fetal weight, r=-0.50, pinsulin resistance, r=0.76, pinsulin resistance as well as endogenous glucose production rates indicate that low levels of adiponectin in obese pregnant women may represent one mechanism behind increased fetal size. Maternal levels of leptin are linked to maternal fat mass and its metabolic consequences, but the data indicate that leptin lacks a regulatory role with regard to maternal lipolysis in late pregnancy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

The legal changes regarding chemical protection used by amateurs, available active substances and the expected impact on the development of pest resistance in Poland

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Ewa Matyjaszczyk

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Beginning from June 2015, non-professionals will be allowed to only buy and use plant protection products bearing information on the label that they are intended for use by non-professionals. Based on the current register and derogations, the following products will be available for use by amateurs: 21 fungicides, 30 insecticides and 15 herbicides with respectively 20, 14 and 9 different active substances. Over a third of the mentioned active substances of fungicides and insecticides are classified as “high risk” in terms of probability of pest resistance development. For numerous uses only a single product is available. The area of home gardens in Poland amounts to 53.5 thousand hectares. Sales of plant protection products for use by amateurs is about 7% of the market value. The very limited availability of chemical plant protection products for non-professionals can be a serious problem if seen from the perspective of pest resistance development and dissemination. Resistant pests may also affect farms with commercial production. Poland is an important producer of a variety of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants with a very limited availability of chemical protection. Resistance development can further reduce the practical means of pest control and became a serious economic problem.

Resistance training enhances insulin suppression of endogenous glucose production in elderly women.

Science.gov (United States)

Honka, Miikka-Juhani; Bucci, Marco; Andersson, Jonathan; Huovinen, Ville; Guzzardi, Maria Angela; Sandboge, Samuel; Savisto, Nina; Salonen, Minna K; Badeau, Robert M; Parkkola, Riitta; Kullberg, Joel; Iozzo, Patricia; Eriksson, Johan G; Nuutila, Pirjo

2016-03-15

An altered prenatal environment during maternal obesity predisposes offspring to insulin resistance, obesity, and their consequent comorbidities, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Telomere shortening and frailty are additional risk factors for these conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of resistance training on hepatic metabolism and ectopic fat accumulation. Thirty-five frail elderly women, whose mothers' body mass index (BMI) was known, participated in a 4-mo resistance training program. Endogenous glucose production (EGP) and hepatic and visceral fat glucose uptake were measured during euglycemic hyperinsulinemia with [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose and positron emission tomography. Ectopic fat was measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging. We found that the training intervention reduced EGP during insulin stimulation [from 5.4 (interquartile range 3.0, 7.0) to 3.9 (-0.4, 6.1) μmol·kg body wt(-1)·min(-1), P = 0.042] in the whole study group. Importantly, the reduction was higher among those whose EGP was more insulin resistant at baseline (higher than the median) [-5.6 (7.1) vs. 0.1 (5.4) μmol·kg body wt(-1)·min(-1), P = 0.015]. Furthermore, the decrease in EGP was associated with telomere elongation (r = -0.620, P = 0.001). The resistance training intervention did not change either hepatic or visceral fat glucose uptake or the amounts of ectopic fat. Maternal obesity did not influence the studied measures. In conclusion, resistance training improves suppression of EGP in elderly women. The finding of improved insulin sensitivity of EGP with associated telomere lengthening implies that elderly women can reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease with resistance training. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Losing Chlordimeform Use in Cotton Production. Its Effects on the Economy and Pest Resistance. Agricultural Economic Report Number 587.

Science.gov (United States)

Osteen, Craig; Suguiyama, Luis

This report examines the economic implications of losing chlordimeform use on cotton and considers chlordimeform's role in managing the resistance of bollworms and tobacco budworms to synthetic pyrethroids. It estimates changes in prices, production, acreage, consumer expenditures, aggregate producer returns, regional crop effects, and returns to…

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: a product of globalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkey, P M

2015-04-01

Global trade and mobility of people has increased rapidly over the last 20 years. This has had profound consequences for the evolution and the movement of antibiotic resistance genes. There is increasing exposure of populations all around the world to resistant bacteria arising in the emerging economies. Arguably the most important development of the last two decades in the field of antibiotic resistance is the emergence and spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) of the CTX-M group. A consequence of the very high rates of ESBL production among Enterobacteriaceae in Asian countries is that there is a substantial use of carbapenem antibiotics, resulting in the emergence of plasmid-mediated resistance to carbapenems. This article reviews the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, focuses on three particular carbapenemases--imipenem carbapenemases, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase--and highlights the importance of control of antibiotic use. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Carboxylesterase-mediated insecticide resistance: Quantitative increase induces broader metabolic resistance than qualitative change.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Feng; Li, Mei-Xia; Chang, Hai-Jing; Mao, Yun; Zhang, Han-Ying; Lu, Li-Xia; Yan, Shuai-Guo; Lang, Ming-Lin; Liu, Li; Qiao, Chuan-Ling

2015-06-01

Carboxylesterases are mainly involved in the mediation of metabolic resistance of many insects to organophosphate (OP) insecticides. Carboxylesterases underwent two divergent evolutionary events: (1) quantitative mechanism characterized by the overproduction of carboxylesterase protein; and (2) qualitative mechanism caused by changes in enzymatic properties because of mutation from glycine/alanine to aspartate at the 151 site (G/A151D) or from tryptophan to leucine at the 271 site (W271L), following the numbering of Drosophila melanogaster AChE. Qualitative mechanism has been observed in few species. However, whether this carboxylesterase mutation mechanism is prevalent in insects remains unclear. In this study, wild-type, G/A151D and W271L mutant carboxylesterases from Culex pipiens and Aphis gossypii were subjected to germline transformation and then transferred to D. melanogaster. These germlines were ubiquitously expressed as induced by tub-Gal4. In carboxylesterase activity assay, the introduced mutant carboxylesterase did not enhance the overall carboxylesterase activity of flies. This result indicated that G/A151D or W271L mutation disrupted the original activities of the enzyme. Less than 1.5-fold OP resistance was only observed in flies expressing A. gossypii mutant carboxylesterases compared with those expressing A. gossypii wild-type carboxylesterase. However, transgenic flies universally showed low resistance to OP insecticides compared with non-transgenic flies. The flies expressing A. gossypii W271L mutant esterase exhibited 1.5-fold resistance to deltamethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide compared with non-transgenic flies. The present transgenic Drosophila system potentially showed that a quantitative increase in carboxylesterases induced broader resistance of insects to insecticides than a qualitative change. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 700.25 - Tamper-resistant packaging requirements for cosmetic products.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... cosmetic products. 700.25 Section 700.25 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS GENERAL Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products § 700.25 Tamper-resistant packaging requirements for cosmetic products. (a) General. Because most cosmetic liquid...

Temporal Context, Preference, and Resistance to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Podlesnik, Christopher A.; Jimenez-Gomez, Corina; Thrailkill, Eric A.; Shahan, Timothy A.

2011-01-01

According to behavioral momentum theory, preference and relative resistance to change in concurrent chains schedules are correlated and reflect the relative conditioned value of discriminative stimuli. In the present study, we explore the generality of this relation by manipulating the temporal context within a concurrent-chains procedure through…

Examining the Relationship between Employee Resistance to Changes in Job Conditions and Wider Organisational Change: Evidence from Ireland

OpenAIRE

Cronin, Hugh; McGuinness, Seamus

2014-01-01

This paper uses a linked employer-employee dataset, the National Employment Survey, to examine the determinants of organisational change and employee resistance to change and, specifically, to examine the influence of employee inflexibility on the implementation of firm-level policies aimed at increasing competitiveness and workforce flexibility. Key finding arising from the research is that while workforce resistance to job-related change often forces firms to seek alternative means of achie...

Bioenergy production and forest landscape change in the southeastern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Costanza, Jennifer K.; Abt, Robert C.; McKerrow, Alexa; Collazo, Jaime A.

2016-01-01

Production of woody biomass for bioenergy, whether wood pellets or liquid biofuels, has the potential to cause substantial landscape change and concomitant effects on forest ecosystems, but the landscape effects of alternative production scenarios have not been fully assessed. We simulated landscape change from 2010 to 2050 under five scenarios of woody biomass production for wood pellets and liquid biofuels in North Carolina, in the southeastern United States, a region that is a substantial producer of wood biomass for bioenergy and contains high biodiversity. Modeled scenarios varied biomass feedstocks, incorporating harvest of ‘conventional’ forests, which include naturally regenerating as well as planted forests that exist on the landscape even without bioenergy production, as well as purpose-grown woody crops grown on marginal lands. Results reveal trade-offs among scenarios in terms of overall forest area and the characteristics of the remaining forest in 2050. Meeting demand for biomass from conventional forests resulted in more total forest land compared with a baseline, business-as-usual scenario. However, the remaining forest was composed of more intensively managed forest and less of the bottomland hardwood and longleaf pine habitats that support biodiversity. Converting marginal forest to purpose-grown crops reduced forest area, but the remaining forest contained more of the critical habitats for biodiversity. Conversion of marginal agricultural lands to purpose-grown crops resulted in smaller differences from the baseline scenario in terms of forest area and the characteristics of remaining forest habitats. Each scenario affected the dominant type of land-use change in some regions, especially in the coastal plain that harbors high levels of biodiversity. Our results demonstrate the complex landscape effects of alternative bioenergy scenarios, highlight that the regions most likely to be affected by bioenergy production are also critical for

Molecular improvement of alfalfa for enhanced productivity and adaptability in a changing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, Stacy D; Hannoufa, Abdelali; Acharya, Surya

2017-10-18

Due to an expanding world population and increased buying power, the demand for ruminant products such as meat and milk is expected to grow substantially in coming years, and high levels of forage crop production will therefore be a necessity. Unfortunately, urbanization of agricultural land, intensive agricultural practices, and climate change are all predicted to limit crop production in the future, which means that the development of forage cultivars with improved productivity and adaptability will be essential. Because alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most widely cultivated perennial forage crops, it has been the target of much research in this field. In this review, we discuss progress that has been made towards the improvement of productivity, abiotic stress tolerance, and nutrient-use efficiency, as well as disease and pest resistance, in alfalfa using biotechnological techniques. Furthermore, we consider possible future priorities and avenues for attaining further enhancements in this crop as a means of contributing to the realization of food security in a changing environment. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterization and Calibration of Large Area Resistive Strip Micromegas Detectors

CERN Document Server

Losel, Philipp Jonathan; The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

Resisitve strip Micromegas detectors behave discharge tolerant. They have been tested extensively as smaller detectors of about 10 x 10 cm$^2$ in size and they work reliably at high rates of 100\\,kHz/cm$^2$ and above. Tracking resolutions well below 100\\,$\\mu$m have been observed for 100 GeV muons and pions. Micromegas detectors are meanwhile proposed as large area muon precision trackers of 2-3\\,m$^2$ in size. To investigate possible differences between small and large detectors, a 1\\,m$^2$ detector with 2048 resistive strips at a pitch of 450 $\\mu$m was studied in the LMU Cosmic Ray Facility (CRF) using two 4 $\\times$ 2.2 m$^2$ large Monitored Drift Tube (MDT) chambers for cosmic muon reference tracking. Segmentation of the resistive strip anode plane in 57.6\\,mm x 95\\,mm large areas has been realized by the readout of 128 strips with one APV25 chip each and by 11 95\\,mm broad trigger scintillators placed along the readout strips.\\\\ This allows for mapping of homogenity in pulse height and efficiency, deter...

Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea Are More Resistant Than Denitrifiers to Seasonal Precipitation Changes in an Acidic Subtropical Forest Soil

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Jie Chen

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Seasonal precipitation changes are increasingly severe in subtropical areas. However, the responses of soil nitrogen (N cycle and its associated functional microorganisms to such precipitation changes remain unclear. In this study, two projected precipitation patterns were manipulated: intensifying the dry-season drought (DD and extending the dry-season duration (ED but increasing the wet-season storms following the DD and ED treatment period. The effects of these two contrasting precipitation patterns on soil net N transformation rates and functional gene abundances were quantitatively assessed through a resistance index. Results showed that the resistance index of functional microbial abundance (-0.03 ± 0.08 was much lower than that of the net N transformation rate (0.55 ± 0.02 throughout the experiment, indicating that microbial abundance was more responsive to precipitation changes compared with the N transformation rate. Spring drought under the ED treatment significantly increased the abundances of both nitrifying (amoA and denitrifying genes (nirK, nirS, and nosZ, while changes in these gene abundances overlapped largely with control treatment during droughts in the dry season. Interestingly, the resistance index of the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA amoA abundance was significantly higher than that of the denitrifying gene abundances, suggesting that AOA were more resistant to the precipitation changes. This was attributed to the stronger environmental adaptability and higher resource utilization efficiency of the AOA community, as indicated by the lack of correlations between AOA gene abundance and environmental factors [i.e., soil water content, ammonium (NH4+ and dissolved organic carbon concentrations] during the experiment.

Dispositional Resistance to Change and Occupational Interests and Choices

Science.gov (United States)

Oreg, Shaul; Nevo, Ofra; Metzer, Hila; Leder, Naftali; Castro, Dotan

2009-01-01

Through two field studies, we examine the role that individuals' orientation toward change has in determining their occupational choices and interests. In Study 1, 139 job applicants' dispositional resistance to change (RTC) scores were associated with occupational choice, such that individuals applying for investigative and enterprising jobs…

Antibiotic-Impregnated Central Venous Catheters Do Not Change Antibiotic Resistance Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Turnbull, Isaiah R; Buckman, Sara A; Horn, Christopher B; Bochicchio, Grant V; Mazuski, John E

2018-01-01

Antibiotic-impregnated central venous catheters (CVCs) decrease the incidence of infection in high-risk patients. However, use of these catheters carries the hypothetical risk of inducing antibiotic resistance. We hypothesized that routine use of minocycline and rifampin-impregnated catheters (MR-CVC) in a single intensive care unit (ICU) would change the resistance profile for Staphylococcus aureus. We reviewed antibiotic susceptibilities of S. aureus isolates obtained from blood cultures in a large urban teaching hospital from 2002-2015. Resistance patterns were compared before and after implementation of MR-CVC use in the surgical ICU (SICU) in August 2006. We also compared resistance patterns of S. aureus obtained in other ICUs and in non-ICU patients, in whom MR-CVCs were not used. Data for rifampin, oxacillin, and clindamycin were available for 9,703 cultures; tetracycline resistance data were available for 4,627 cultures. After implementation of MR-CVC use in the SICU, rifampin resistance remained unchanged, with rates the same as in other ICU and non-ICU populations (3%). After six years of use of MR-CVCs in the SICU, the rate of tetracycline resistance was unchanged in all facilities (1%-3%). The use of MR-CVCs was not associated with any change in S. aureus oxacillin-resistance rates in the SICU (66% vs. 60%). However, there was a significant decrease in S. aureus clindamycin resistance (59% vs. 34%; p resistance of S. aureus isolates to rifampin or tetracyclines.

Prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis and assessment of trypanocidal drug resistance in tsetse infested and non-tsetse infested areas of Northwest Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shimelis Dagnachew

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The Northwestern region of Ethiopia is affected by both tsetse and non-tsetse transmitted trypanosomosis with a significant impact on livestock productivity. The control of trypanosomosis in Ethiopia relies on either curative or prophylactic treatment of animals with diminazene aceturate (DA or isometamidium chloride (ISM. In the present work; questionnaire survey, cross-sectional and experimental studies were carried out to; a assess the utilization of trypanocidal drugs; b determine the prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis and; c assess the drug resistant problems respectively in Tsetse and non-tsetse infested areas on NW Ethiopia. A total of 100 respondents were included for the survey and the questionnaires focused on the drug utilization practices for the control of Trypanosomosis. Blood from cattle 640 (324 cattle tested in 2011, 316 cattle tested in 2012 and 795 (390 cattle tested in 2011, 405 cattle tested in 2012 were examined from tsetse infested and non-tsetse infested areas respectively using the buffy coat technique and thin blood smear for the detection of trypanosomes and measurement of packed cell volume (PCV. For the assessment of trypanocidal drug resistance three isolates, one from tsetse (TT and two from non-tsetse (NT areas were used on thirty six trypanosome naïve calves. The experimental animals were divided randomly into six groups of six animals (TT-ETBS2-DA, TT-ETBS2-ISM, NT-ETBD2-DA, NT-ETBD2-ISM, NT-ETBD3-DA and NT-ETBD3-ISM, which were infected with T. vivax isolated from a tsetse-infested or non-tsetse infested area with 2 × 106 trypanosomes from donor animals, and in each case treated with higher dose of DA or ISM. The results of the questionnaire survey showed trypanosomosis was a significant animal health constraint for 84% and 100% of the farmers questioned in non-tsetse and tsetse infested areas of Northwest Ethiopia respectively. Responses on trypanocidal drug utilization practices indicated that risk

Resistive switching characteristics of interfacial phase-change memory at elevated temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrofanov, Kirill V.; Saito, Yuta; Miyata, Noriyuki; Fons, Paul; Kolobov, Alexander V.; Tominaga, Junji

2018-04-01

Interfacial phase-change memory (iPCM) devices were fabricated using W and TiN for the bottom and top contacts, respectively, and the effect of operation temperature on the resistive switching was examined over the range between room temperature and 200 °C. It was found that the high-resistance (RESET) state in an iPCM device drops sharply at around 150 °C to a low-resistance (SET) state, which differs by ˜400 Ω from the SET state obtained by electric-field-induced switching. The iPCM device SET state resistance recovered during the cooling process and remained at nearly the same value for the RESET state. These resistance characteristics greatly differ from those of the conventional Ge-Sb-Te (GST) alloy phase-change memory device, underscoring the fundamentally different switching nature of iPCM devices. From the thermal stability measurements of iPCM devices, their optimal temperature operation was concluded to be less than 100 °C.

Estimating Major Crop Water Productivity at Neyshabour Basin and Optimize Crop Area

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Yavar Pourmohamad

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introductionin current situation when world is facing massive population, producing enough food and adequate income for people is a big challenge specifically for governors. This challenge gets even harder in recent decades, due to global population growth which was projected to increase to 7.8 billion in 2025. Agriculture as the only industry that has ability to produce food is consuming 90 percent of fresh water globally. Despite of increasing for food demand, appropriate agricultural land and fresh water resources are restricted. To solve this problem, one is to increase water productivity which can be obtain by irrigation. Iran is not only exempted from this situation but also has more critical situation due to its dry climate and inappropriate precipitation distribution spatially and temporally, also uneven distribution of population which is concentrate in small area. The only reasonable solution by considering water resources limitation and also restricted crop area is changing crop pattern to reach maximum or at least same amount of income by using same or less amount of water. The purpose of this study is to assess financial water productivity and optimize farmer’s income by changing in each crop acreage at basin and sub-basin level with no extra groundwater withdrawals, also in order to repair the damages which has enforce to groundwater resources during last decades a scenario of using only 80percent of renewable water were applied and crop area were optimize to provide maximum or same income for farmers. Materials and methodsThe Neyshabour basin is located in northeast of Iran, the total geographical area of basin is 73,000 km2 consisting of 41,000 km2 plain and the rest of basin is mountains. This Basin is a part of Kalshoor catchment that is located in southern part of Binaloud heights and northeast of KavirMarkazi. In this study whole Neyshabour basin were divided into 199 sub-basins based on pervious study.Based on official

Characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica strains isolated from Brazilian poultry production.

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Mattiello, Samara P; Drescher, Guilherme; Barth, Valdir C; Ferreira, Carlos A S; Oliveira, Sílvia D

2015-11-01

Antimicrobial resistance profiles and presence of resistance determinants and integrons were evaluated in Salmonella enterica strains from Brazilian poultry. The analysis of 203 isolates showed that those from the poultry environment (88 isolates) were significantly more resistant to antimicrobials than isolates from other sources, particularly those isolated from poultry by-product meal (106 isolates). Thirty-seven isolates were resistant to at least three antimicrobial classes. Class 1 integrons were detected in 26 isolates, and the analysis of the variable region between the 5' conserved segment (CS) and 3' CS of each class 1 integron-positive isolate showed that 13 contained a typical 3' CS and 14 contained an atypical 3' CS. One Salmonella Senftenberg isolate harbored two class 1 integrons, showing both typical and atypical 3' CSs. The highest percentage of resistance was found to sulfonamides, and sul genes were detected in the majority of the resistant isolates. Aminoglycoside resistance was detected in 50 isolates, and aadA and aadB were present in 28 and 32 isolates, respectively. In addition, strA and strB were detected in 78.1 and 65.6% isolates resistant to streptomycin, respectively. Twenty-one isolates presented reduced susceptibility to β-lactams and harbored bla(TEM), bla(CMY), and/or bla(CTX-M). Forty isolates showed reduced susceptibility to tetracycline, and most presented tet genes. These results highlight the importance of the environment as a reservoir of resistant Salmonella, which may enable the persistence of resistance determinants in the poultry production chain, contributing, therefore, to the debate regarding the impacts that antimicrobial use in animal production may exert in human health.

Simulation of Land-Cover Change in Taipei Metropolitan Area under Climate Change Impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Kuo-Ching; Huang, Thomas C C

2014-01-01

Climate change causes environment change and shows up on land covers. Through observing the change of land use, researchers can find out the trend and potential mechanism of the land cover change. Effective adaptation policies can affect pattern of land cover change and may decrease the risks of climate change impacts. By simulating land use dynamics with scenario settings, this paper attempts to explore the relationship between climate change and land-cover change through efficient adaptation polices. It involves spatial statistical model in estimating possibility of land-cover change, cellular automata model in modeling land-cover dynamics, and scenario analysis in response to adaptation polices. The results show that, without any control, the critical eco-areas, such as estuarine areas, will be destroyed and people may move to the vulnerable and important economic development areas. In the other hand, under the limited development condition for adaptation, people migration to peri-urban and critical eco-areas may be deterred

Resistivity Structures of the Chelungpu Fault in the Taichung Area, Taiwan

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Ping-Hu Cheng

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We conducted magnetotelluric prospecting in the Taichung area to investigate subsurface resistivity structures of the Chelungpu fault and the resistivity of rock formations. The results indicate that the Chelungpu fault is a complex fault system consisting of two major fault zones, several fracture zones, and back thrust. The two major fault zones, the basal and the Chi-Chi fault zone are about 800 m apart on the ground and converge to a narrow band at a depth of 3000 m. The fault zones are not smooth, composed of ramps and platforms with an average eastward dipping angle of 35° - 37° within the depth of 3000 m. In the shallower region, the basal fault zone has developed along the boundary of the Toukoshan Formation (resistivity: 200 - 400 Ω-m at the footwall and the Neogene formations on the hanging wall, where the Cholan Formation, the Chinshiu Shale, and the Kueichulai Formation have respective resistivity mainly in the ranges: 40 - 100, 8 - 60, and 50 - 150 Ω-m. While the Chi-Chi fault zone has developed along the weak layers of the Cholan Formation where resistivity is lower than the unsheared block.

Large-area burns with pandrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and respiratory failure.

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Ning, Fang-Gang; Zhao, Xiao-Zhuo; Bian, Jing; Zhang, Guo-An

2011-02-01

Infection due to pandrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PDRPA) has become a challenge in clinical practice. The aim of this research was to summarize the treatment of large-area burns (60% - 80%) with PDRPA infection and respiratory failure in our hospital over the last two years, and to explore a feasible treatment protocol for such patients. We retrospectively analyzed the treatment of five patients with large-area burns accompanied by PDRPA infection and respiratory failure transferred to our hospital from burn units in hospitals in other Chinese cities from January 2008 to February 2010. Before PDRPA infection occurred, all five patients had open wounds with large areas of granulation because of the failure of surgery and dissolving of scar tissue; they had also undergone long-term administration of carbapenems. This therapy included ventilatory support, rigorous repair of wounds, and combined antibiotic therapy targeted at drug-resistance mechanisms, including carbapenems, ciprofloxacin, macrolide antibiotics and β-lactamase inhibitors. Four patients recovered from burns and one died after therapy. First, compromised immunity caused by delayed healing of burn wounds in patients with large-area burns and long-term administration of carbapenems may be the important factors in the initiation and progression of PDRPA infection. Second, if targeted at drug-resistance mechanisms, combined antibiotic therapy using carbapenems, ciprofloxacin, macrolide antibiotics and β-lactamase inhibitors could effectively control PDRPA infection. Third, although patients with large-area burns suffered respiratory failure and had high risks from anesthesia and surgery, only aggressive skin grafting with ventilatory support could control the infection and save lives. Patients may not be able to tolerate a long surgical procedure, so the duration of surgery should be minimized, and the frequency of surgery increased.

Effect of psychological capital and resistance to change on organisational citizenship behavior

OpenAIRE

Beal III, Loyd; Stavros, Jacqueline M.; Cole, Matthew L

2013-01-01

ORIENTATION: Research in positive organisational behaviour shows that positive psychological capital (PsyCap) is a construct that enables self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resilience to succeed in the workplace and that employee resistance to change is a key barrier to organisational change. RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study examined the possible role of resistance to change as a moderator of the predictive relationship between PsyCap and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB), in which OCB se...

Effect of psychological capital and resistance to change on organisational citizenship behaviour

OpenAIRE

Loyd Beal III; Jacqueline M. Stavros; Matthew L. Cole

2013-01-01

Orientation: Research in positive organisational behaviour shows that positive psychological capital (PsyCap) is a construct that enables self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resilience to succeed in the workplace and that employee resistance to change is a key barrier to organisational change. Research purpose: This study examined the possible role of resistance to change as a moderator of the predictive relationship between PsyCap and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB), in which OCB...

Global Malmquist indices of productivity change in Egyptian wheat production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elasraag, Y.H.; Alarcón, S.

2017-07-01

This study aims to measure the total factor productivity of the main govern orates of wheat production in Egypt during the time period 1990-2012 and decompose it into technical change, efficiency change and scale change. We used Global Malmquist TFP index as a non-parametric approach. The results indicated that the contribution of technical change component is more important than the efficiency change component. In fact technical change rose, 25.7%, while efficiency change presented a little decline, 3.7%. The decomposition of efficiency change indicated that the main problem of wheat production in Egypt was scale efficiency that worsened by 5.5%.

Engineering Changes in Product Design - A Review

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Karthik, K.; Janardhan Reddy, K., Dr

2016-09-01

Changes are fundamental to product development. Engineering changes are unavoidable and can arise at any phase of the product life cycle. The consideration of market requirements, customer/user feedbacks, manufacturing constraints, design innovations etc., turning them into viable products can be accomplished when product change is managed properly. In the early design cycle, informal changes are accepted. However, changes become formal when its complexity and cost increases, and as product matures. To maximize the market shares, manufacturers have to effectively and efficiently manage engineering changes by means of Configuration Control. The paper gives a broad overview about ‘Engineering Change Management’ (ECM) through configuration management and its implications in product design. The aim is to give an idea and understanding about the engineering changes in product design scenario to the new researchers. This paper elaborates the significant aspect of managing the engineering changes and the importance of ECM in a product life cycle.

Bend-resistant large mode area fiber with novel segmented cladding

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Shaoshuo; Ning, Tigang; Pei, Li; Li, Jing; Zheng, Jingjing

2018-01-01

A novel structure of segment cladding fiber (SCF) with characteristics of bend-resistance and large-mode-area (LMA) is proposed. In this new structure, the high refractive index (RI) core is periodically surrounded by high RI fan-segmented claddings. Numerical investigations show that effective single-mode operation of the proposed fiber with mode field area of 700 μm2 can be achieved when the bending radius is 15 cm. Besides, this fiber is insensitive to the bending orientation at the ranging of [-180°, 180°]. The proposed design shows great potential in high power fiber lasers and amplifiers with compact structure.

Reclaimed water as a main resource to enhance the adaptive capacity to climate change in semi-arid Mediterranean agricultural areas using Earth Observation products

Science.gov (United States)

Pavia Rico, Ana; Lopez-Baeza, Ernesto; Matieu, Pierre-Philippe; Hernandez Sancho, Francesc; Loarte, Edwin

Lack of water is being a big problem in semi-arid areas to make agricultural profits. Most of Mediterranean countries like Spain, Italy, Greece or Cyprus and other countries like Morocco, the Arab United Emirates, South-American countries or China are starting to reuse wastewater as adaptation to climate change water scarcity. Drought areas are nowadays increasing, thus making fertile areas unproductive. For this reason, the European trend is to work on reusing wastewater as a solution to water scarcity in agriculture. Moreover, since population is growing fast, wastewater production is increasing as well as drinkable water demand, thus making reclaimed water as the water guarantee for irrigation and better agricultural management. This work represents a preliminary initiative to check, analyse and monitor the land by using remote sensing techniques to identify and determine the potential lands that used to be productive in the past, are now abandoned, and we want to recuperate to obtain socio-economic benefits. On top of this, this initiative will clearly enhance the adaption capacity of rural/agricultural lands to climate change. Alternatively to reclaimed water, greenhouses, desalination plants or transboarding water do not really eliminate the problem but only offer a temporary solution, make spending plenty of money and always provoking irreversible damages to the environment. The pilot area to first develop this research is the Valencia and Murcia Autonomous Communities located in the Spanish Mediterranean Coastline. An added value of this work will be to develop a methodology transferable to other potential countries with similar climatic characteristics and difficulties for irrigation, by using remote sensing methods and techniques. The remote sensing products obtained provide full information about the current state of the potential lands to grow crops. Potential areas are then being selected to carry out a socio-economic analysis leading to: (i

Resistivity changes of some amorphous alloys undergoing nanocrystallization

Science.gov (United States)

Barandiarán, J. M.; Fernández Barquín, L.; Sal, J. C. Gómez; Gorría, P.; Hernando, A.

1993-10-01

The electrical resistivity of amorphous alloys with compositions: Fe 73.5Nb 3Cu 1Si 13.5B 9, Fe 86Zr 7Cu 1B 6 and Co 80Nb 8B 12 has been studied in the temperature range from 300 to 1100 K, where crystallization occurs. The products of crystallization and the grain size have been studied by X-ray diffraction. In a first step, all the alloys crystallize with small grains of a few nanometers in diameter (nanocrystalline state), and the resistivity behavior at this process accounts for the difference between the amorphous and nanocrystalline phases. The nanocrystalline phases are: α-Fe-Si, α-Fe and fcc Co for the three compounds studied respectively. A second process, at which grain growth and precipitation of intermetallic compounds and borides takes place, has been found for all the alloys. The resistivity is sensitive, not only to the total transformed sample amount, but to the topological distribution of the crystalline phases, and therefore shows a more complex behavior than other well established techniques, as differential scanning calorimetry. This supplementary information given by the resistivity is also discussed.

The Influence of the Leadership Style on the Resistance to Change Phenomenon in Romanian Organizations

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Daniela Braduţanu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In this article we examine the influence of the leadership style on the resistance to change phenomenon, as well as how the degree of resistance to change differs in private organizations versus public ones. After analyzing the literature and conducting a survey in Romanian organizations we have concluded that the leadership style adopted by a top manager has an important impact on employees resistance to change. The research was designed to inform practitioners, researchers, managers and other interested persons about the influence of the leadership style on the resistance to change phenomenon, as well as how the phenomenon is manifested in different types of organizations. The main contribution of this paper is that in order to benefit of a lower degree of resistance to change from employees, the participative leadership style is recommended to be applied.

Bacterial resistance to silver nanoparticles and how to overcome it

Science.gov (United States)

Panáček, Aleš; Kvítek, Libor; Smékalová, Monika; Večeřová, Renata; Kolář, Milan; Röderová, Magdalena; Dyčka, Filip; Šebela, Marek; Prucek, Robert; Tomanec, Ondřej; Zbořil, Radek

2018-01-01

Silver nanoparticles have already been successfully applied in various biomedical and antimicrobial technologies and products used in everyday life. Although bacterial resistance to antibiotics has been extensively discussed in the literature, the possible development of resistance to silver nanoparticles has not been fully explored. We report that the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli 013, Pseudomonas aeruginosa CCM 3955 and E. coli CCM 3954 can develop resistance to silver nanoparticles after repeated exposure. The resistance stems from the production of the adhesive flagellum protein flagellin, which triggers the aggregation of the nanoparticles. This resistance evolves without any genetic changes; only phenotypic change is needed to reduce the nanoparticles' colloidal stability and thus eliminate their antibacterial activity. The resistance mechanism cannot be overcome by additional stabilization of silver nanoparticles using surfactants or polymers. It is, however, strongly suppressed by inhibiting flagellin production with pomegranate rind extract.

Insecticide resistance profile of Anopheles gambiae from a phase II field station in Cové, southern Benin: implications for the evaluation of novel vector control products.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngufor, Corine; N'Guessan, Raphael; Fagbohoun, Josias; Subramaniam, Krishanthi; Odjo, Abibatou; Fongnikin, Augustin; Akogbeto, Martin; Weetman, David; Rowland, Mark

2015-11-18

Novel indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) products aimed at improving the control of pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors have to be evaluated in Phase II semi-field experimental studies against highly pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes. To better understand their performance it is necessary to fully characterize the species composition, resistance status and resistance mechanisms of the vector populations in the experimental hut sites. Bioassays were performed to assess phenotypic insecticide resistance in the malaria vector population at a newly constructed experimental hut site in Cové, a rice growing area in southern Benin, being used for WHOPES Phase II evaluation of newly developed LLIN and IRS products. The efficacy of standard WHOPES-approved pyrethroid LLIN and IRS products was also assessed in the experimental huts. Diagnostic genotyping techniques and microarray studies were performed to investigate the genetic basis of pyrethroid resistance in the Cové Anopheles gambiae population. The vector population at the Cové experimental hut site consisted of a mixture of Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae s.s. with the latter occurring at lower frequencies (23 %) and only in samples collected in the dry season. There was a high prevalence of resistance to pyrethroids and DDT (>90 % bioassay survival) with pyrethroid resistance intensity reaching 200-fold compared to the laboratory susceptible An. gambiae Kisumu strain. Standard WHOPES-approved pyrethroid IRS and LLIN products were ineffective in the experimental huts against this vector population (8-29 % mortality). The L1014F allele frequency was 89 %. CYP6P3, a cytochrome P450 validated as an efficient metabolizer of pyrethroids, was over-expressed. Characterizing pyrethroid resistance at Phase II field sites is crucial to the accurate interpretation of the performance of novel vector control products. The strong levels of pyrethroid resistance at the Cové experimental hut

Problems of finding production losses in smoke areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vins, B

1971-01-01

The world-wide research results obtained up to now give evidence that the injurious effects of emissions in forest stands occur in the form of the decrease of diameter increment leading to premature die-back of trees. The effects of emissions are different both in individual tree species and in stand components. The occurrence and size of increment losses are also influenced by the interaction of climate conditions and concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere. Combining original methodical procedures and laboratory equipment for production ecology with computer processing techniques bring about favorable conditions for the solution of problems concerning the emission effects on the production of forest stands. No solution has been found as yet for the problem of diameter increment decrease differentiation based on age and social position of trees. Research work should provide data necessary for the economic evaluation of losses in the main smoke areas and for the choice of suitable economic measures aimed at the mitigation of injuries. This study indicates that it is the modified increment boring method which becomes an efficient method for the control of production processes and for the evaluation of increment changes both in research work and in practice.

Potential productivity of the Miscanthus energy crop in the Loess Plateau of China under climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Wei; Sang, Tao

2013-01-01

With a vast area of marginal land, the Loess Plateau of China is a promising region for large-scale production of second-generation energy crops. However, it remains unknown whether such production is sustainable in the long run, especially under climate change. Using a regional climate change model, PRECIS, we analyzed the impact of climate change on Miscanthus production in the Loess Plateau. Under three emission scenarios, A2, B2, and A1B, both the average yield and total area capable of supporting Miscanthus production would increase continuously in the future period (2011–2099). As a result, the total yield potential in the region would increase by about 20% in this future period from the baseline period (1961–1990). This was explained primarily by predicted increases in temperature and precipitation across the Loess Plateau, which improved the yield of the perennial C4 plants relying exclusively on rainfed production. The areas that are currently too dry or too cold to support Miscanthus production could be turned into energy crop fields, especially along the arid–semiarid transition zone. Thus the Loess Plateau would become increasingly desirable for growing second-generation energy crops in this century, which could in turn contribute to soil improvement and ecological restoration of the region. (letter)

National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System: Two Decades of Advancing Public Health Through Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Karp, Beth E; Tate, Heather; Plumblee, Jodie R; Dessai, Uday; Whichard, Jean M; Thacker, Eileen L; Hale, Kis Robertson; Wilson, Wanda; Friedman, Cindy R; Griffin, Patricia M; McDermott, Patrick F

2017-10-01

Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a serious and growing public health threat globally. In this review, we describe the role of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) in providing data that help address the resistance problem and show how such a program can have broad positive impacts on public health. NARMS was formed two decades ago to help assess the consequences to human health arising from the use of antimicrobial drugs in food animal production in the United States. A collaboration among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and state and local health departments, NARMS uses an integrated "One Health" approach to monitor antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacteria from humans, retail meat, and food animals. NARMS has adapted to changing needs and threats by expanding surveillance catchment areas, examining new isolate sources, adding bacteria, adjusting sampling schemes, and modifying antimicrobial agents tested. NARMS data are not only essential for ensuring that antimicrobial drugs approved for food animals are used in ways that are safe for human health but they also help address broader food safety priorities. NARMS surveillance, applied research studies, and outbreak isolate testing provide data on the emergence of drug-resistant enteric bacteria; genetic mechanisms underlying resistance; movement of bacterial populations among humans, food, and food animals; and sources and outcomes of resistant and susceptible infections. These data can be used to guide and evaluate the impact of science-based policies, regulatory actions, antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, and other public health efforts aimed at preserving drug effectiveness, improving patient outcomes, and preventing infections. Many improvements have been made to NARMS over time and the program will continue to adapt to address emerging resistance threats, changes in

Reducing contact resistance in graphene devices through contact area patterning.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Joshua T; Franklin, Aaron D; Farmer, Damon B; Dimitrakopoulos, Christos D

2013-04-23

Performance of graphene electronics is limited by contact resistance associated with the metal-graphene (M-G) interface, where unique transport challenges arise as carriers are injected from a 3D metal into a 2D-graphene sheet. In this work, enhanced carrier injection is experimentally achieved in graphene devices by forming cuts in the graphene within the contact regions. These cuts are oriented normal to the channel and facilitate bonding between the contact metal and carbon atoms at the graphene cut edges, reproducibly maximizing "edge-contacted" injection. Despite the reduction in M-G contact area caused by these cuts, we find that a 32% reduction in contact resistance results in Cu-contacted, two-terminal devices, while a 22% reduction is achieved for top-gated graphene transistors with Pd contacts as compared to conventionally fabricated devices. The crucial role of contact annealing to facilitate this improvement is also elucidated. This simple approach provides a reliable and reproducible means of lowering contact resistance in graphene devices to bolster performance. Importantly, this enhancement requires no additional processing steps.

Remanent resistance changes in metal- PrCaMnO-metal sandwich structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scherff, Malte; Meyer, Bjoern-Uwe; Scholz, Julius; Hoffmann, Joerg; Jooss, Christian [Institute of Materials Physics, University of Goettingen (Germany)

2012-07-01

The non-volatile electric pulse induced resistance change (EPIR) seems to be a rather common feature of oxides sandwiched by electrodes. However, microscopic mechanisms are discussed controversially. We present electrical transport measurements of sputtered Pr{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} films sandwiched by metallic electrodes with variation of electrode materials, device geometry and PCMO deposition parameters. Cross-plane transport measurements have been performed as function of temperature and magnetic field. Specifically, the transition from dynamic resistance changes due to non-linear transport to remanent switching is analyzed. By analyzing changes of magneto-resistance at low temperatures in different resistance states we aim for separation between interface and film contributions to switching. Comparing switching behavior in symmetric and asymmetric electrode configuration allows for identification of the active, single interface in the switching process and the origin of an observed switching polarity inversion. The influence of excitation field and power on the switching characteristics of different noble metal electrodes is discussed. Samples from macroscopic devices and in situ stimulated sandwich structures were studied in a transmission electron microscope in order to investigate the induced structural, chemical and electronic changes.

Electromagnetic surface waves for large-area RF plasma productions between large-area planar electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nonaka, S.

1992-01-01

Recently, large-area plasma production has been tested by means of a 13.56 MHz radio-frequency (RF) discharge between a pair of large-area planar electrodes, approximately 0.5 m x 1.4 m, as one of the semiconductor technologies for fabrication of large-area amorphous silicon solar cells in the ''Sunshine Project'' of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology in Japan. We also confirmed long plasma production between a pair of long electrodes. In this paper, normal electromagnetic (EM) waves propagating in a region between a planar waveguide with one plasma and two dielectric layers are analyzed in order to study the feasibility of large-area plasma productions by EM wave-discharges between a pair of large-area RF electrodes larger than the half-wavelength of RF wave. In conclusion, plasmas higher than an electron plasma frequency will be produced by an odd TMoo surface mode. (author) 4 refs., 3 figs

Quantification of the efficiency of treatment of Anopheles gambiae breeding sites with petroleum products by local communities in areas of insecticide resistance in the Republic of Benin

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Doannio Julien MC MC

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The emergence of Anopheles populations capable of withstanding lethal doses of insecticides has weakened the efficacy of most insecticide based strategies of vector control and, has highlighted the need for developing new insecticidal molecules or, improving the efficacy of existing insecticides or abandoning those to which resistance has emerged. The use of petroleum products (PP against mosquito larvae had an immense success during early programmes of malaria control, but these compounds were abandoned and replaced in the 1950s by synthetic insecticides probably because of the high performances given by these new products. In the current context of vector resistance, it is important to elucidate the empirical use of PP by quantifying their efficiencies on resistant strains of Anopheles. Methods Larvae of Anopheles Ladji a local resistant strain were exposed to increasing concentrations of various PP (kerosene, petrol and engine oils for 24 hours and the lethal activities recorded. The highest concentration (HiC having no lethal activity (also referred as the NOEL or no effect level and the lowest concentration (LoC100 yielding 100% mortality were rated for each PP on the Ladji strain. Prior to laboratory analysis, KAP studies were conducted in three traditional communities were insecticide resistance is clearly established to confirm the use of PP against mosquitoes. Results Laboratory analysis of petrol, kerosene and engine oils, clearly established their lethal activities on resistant strains of Anopheles larvae. Contrary to existing references, this research revealed that exposed larvae of Anopheles were mostly killed by direct contact toxicity and not by suffocation as indicated in some earlier reports. Conclusion This research could serve as scientific basis to backup the empirical utilisation of PP on mosquito larvae and to envisage possibilities of using PP in some traditional settings where Anopheles have developed

Phenotypic changes contributing to Enterobacter gergoviae biocide resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Périamé, M; Philippe, N; Condell, O; Fanning, S; Pagès, J-M; Davin-Regli, A

2015-08-01

Enterobacter gergoviae is a recurrent contaminant of cosmetic and hygiene products. To understand how this bacterium adapts to biocides, we studied Ent. gergoviae CIP 76.01 and its triclosan and Methylisothiazolinone-chloromethylisothiazolinone (MIT-CMIT) tolerant isogenic mutants. They were compared with others also isolated from contaminated cosmetics. Phenotypic differences were noted and these included changes in the bacterial envelope and flagella along with differences in motility, and biofilm growth rates. Triclosan and MIT-CMIT derivatives expressed flagella and other MIT-CMIT derivatives exhibited some external appendages. Those bacteria expressing a high-level minimal inhibitory concentration to MIT-CMIT, expressed a strong biofilm formation. No differential phenotypes were noted for carbon source utilisation. Enterobacter gergoviae demonstrated a diverse response to both of these preservatives contained in cosmetic preparations, depending on their concentrations. Interestingly, this adaptive response is associated with modifications of filament structure-related proteins contributing to increase the organism motility and the production of biofilm. Recurrent contaminations of cosmetics products by Ent. gergoviae, needed a better understanding concerning the bacterial adaptation to preservative agents, with particular concern to triclosan and MIT-CMIT. We demonstrated that bacteria response is associated to various mechanisms represented by expression of external appendages (pili or fimbriae) that control cell motility and biofilm formation and evolving as the concentration of biocides adaptation increased. Such mechanisms which are not chemical specific can also promote a cross-resistance to other biocidal agents. The characterization of Ent. gergoviae adaptability to biocides allows industry to adjust the ranges of concentrations and composition of preservatives in formula. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Statistical Analysis of Long-Term Trend of Performance, Production and Cultivated Area of 17 Field Crops Khorasan Razavi Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Zareabyaneh

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Any planning for the future requires estimates of future conditions. It is possible to study changes over time series. In this study, changes of production and cultivated area of 17 field crops of Khorasan Razavi province in a 25-year period were determined with Mann - Kendall test, Sen’s Estimator Slope and linear regression. Analysis of the three tests showed that performance of 76.5% from yield, 88.2% from area under cultivation and 55.8% from agricultural production were significant at the 0.01 and 0.05 level. On the other hand, trend of yields 58.8% was increase, 17.7% was reduced and 23.5% was no significant trend. Similarly, trend of 23.5% from area under cultivation was acreage, 64.7% was reduction, and 11.8% was no significant trend. For production variable, 29.4% was significantly increased and 29.4% was significant reduction. More detailed analysis showed that performance, production and area under cultivation of three crops of cotton, grain and tomatoes increased significantly. Results of all three methods showed the highest trend of negatively performance and area under cultivation variation is related to pea and melon respectively. Furthermore, most of the positive trend in production of tomatoes and grain, performance in onions, potatoes and tomatoes and area under cultivation in tomato observed. The results showed that linear trend and the nonparametric tests of important products of province: wheat, barley, sugar beet, cotton, melons, watermelons and tomatoes in 0.01 were significant. This result shows the importance of these yields in gross state province product.

Shhhhhh, The Dragon Is Asleep, and Its Name Is Resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Janas, Monica

1998-01-01

Discusses the effect of resistance on educational change, offering three steps for managing resistance (being aware of resistance, identifying sources and types of resistance, and developing and applying proactive strategies for managing resistance). Two sidebars describe 10 techniques to turn resistance into productive effort and discuss how to…

Projected climate change threatens pollinators and crop production in Brazil.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tereza Cristina Giannini

may be able to find new suitable areas that have the potential to improve crop production. The results shown here could guide policy decisions for adapting to climate change and for preventing the loss of pollinator species and crop production.

Helsinki Metropolitan Area Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Climate Change Adaptation Strategy has been prepared in close cooperation with the four cities of the metropolitan area (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen), the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY and other municipal, regional and state level organisations. In the strategy, strategic starting points and policies with which the metropolitan area prepares for the consequences of climate change, are compiled. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area adaptation strategy concentrates on the adaptation of the built and urban environment to the changing climate. The vision of the strategy is climate proof city - the future is built now. The strategy aims to (1) assess the impacts of climate change in the area, (2) prepare for the impacts of climate change and to extreme weather events and (3) to reduce the vulnerabilities of the area to climate variability and change. The target is to secure the well-being of the citizens and the functioning of the cities also in the changing climate conditions. The preparation of the adaptation strategy started in 2009 by producing the background studies. They include the regional climate and sea level scenarios, modelling of river floods in climate change conditions and a survey of climate change impacts in the region. Also, existing programmes, legislation, research and studies concerning adaptation were collected. The background studies are published in a report titled 'The Helsinki metropolitan area climate is changing - Adaptation strategy background studies' (in Finnish) (HSY 2010). HSY coordinated the strategy preparation. The work was carried out is close cooperation with the experts of the metropolitan area cities, regional emergency services, Ministry of the Environment, Helsinki Region Transport Authority and other regional organisations. The strategy work has had a steering group that consists of representatives of the cities and other central cooperation partners. The

78 FR 55241 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-10

... merchandise covered by this Order \\2\\ is certain corrosion- resistant carbon steel flat products from Korea... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-818] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon... the countervailing duty (CVD) order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from the...

Prevalence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics and/or biocides on meat processing plant surfaces throughout meat chain production.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavilla Lerma, Leyre; Benomar, Nabil; Gálvez, Antonio; Abriouel, Hikmate

2013-02-01

In order to investigate the prevalence of resistant bacteria to biocides and/or antibiotics throughout meat chain production from sacrifice till end of production line, samples from various surfaces of a goat and lamb slaughterhouse representative of the region were analyzed by the culture dependent approach. Resistant Psychrotrophs (n=255 strains), Pseudomonas sp. (n=166 strains), E. coli (n=23 strains), Staphylococcus sp. (n=17 strains) and LAB (n=82 represented mainly by Lactobacillus sp.) were isolated. Resistant psychrotrophs and pseudomonads (47 and 29%, respectively) to different antimicrobials were frequently detected in almost all areas of meat processing plant regardless the antimicrobial used, although there was a clear shift in the spectrum of other bacterial groups and for this aim such resistance was determined according to several parameters: antimicrobial tested, sampling zone and the bacterial group. Correlation of different parameters was done using a statistical tool "Principal component analysis" (PCA) which determined that quaternary ammonium compounds and hexadecylpyridinium were the most relevant biocides for resistance in Pseudomonas sp., while ciprofloxacin and hexachlorophene were more relevant for psychrotrophs, LAB, and in lesser extent Staphylococcus sp. and Escherichia coli. On the other hand, PCA of sampling zones determined that sacrifice room (SR) and cutting room (CR) considered as main source of antibiotic and/or biocide resistant bacteria showed an opposite behaviour concerning relevance of antimicrobials to determine resistance being hexadecylpyridinium, cetrimide and chlorhexidine the most relevant in CR, while hexachlorophene, oxonia 6P and PHMG the most relevant in SR. In conclusion, rotational use of the relevant biocides as disinfectants in CR and SR is recommended in an environment which is frequently disinfected. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TRAJECTORY ANALYSIS OF FOREST CHANGES IN NORTHERN AREA OF CHANGBAI MOUNTAINS, CHINA FROM LANDSAT TM IMAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Huang

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Based on the information from integrated Landsat TM/ETM images and geographic information systems (GIS, using dynamic model, landscape indices and temporal trajectory analysis, spatio-temporal changes in forest in the northern area of Changbai Mountains were investigated in the past 20 years. The results showed that the forests decreased by 141461 ha at the annual decrease rate of 0.19% from 1986 to 2006. The numbers of forest patch increased, while the patch size of forest land declined. Forestland experienced the process of substantial fragmentation. Close forest showed a net reduction of 13.3×104ha. The typical trajectories of forest changes included forestland-forestland-cropland, forestland-cropland-cropland, forestland-forestland-grassland and forestland-cropland-built-up land. The total area of human-induced change is 1.7 times than that of natural change in the study area. Population, cropland area and gross domestic product increased significantly as forests decreased.

Climate change impacts on productivity of dry lands in Sudan

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Sudan is one of the top 13 countries regarding the extent of dry land coverage. The area that fell under dry land classification is more than 1.5 million km2. Despite the extensive coverage of dry lands, it is water and not land that limits the agricultural production. Thus climate change and variability were expected to present ...

Diversity, distribution and quantification of antibiotic resistance genes in goat and lamb slaughterhouse surfaces and meat products.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leyre Lavilla Lerma

Full Text Available The distribution and quantification of tetracycline, sulfonamide and beta-lactam resistance genes were assessed in slaughterhouse zones throughout meat chain production and the meat products; this study represents the first to report quantitatively monitor antibiotic resistance genes (ARG in goat and lamb slaughterhouse using a culture independent approach, since most studies focused on individual bacterial species and their specific resistance types. Quantitative PCR (qPCR revealed a high prevalence of tetracycline resistance genes tetA and tetB in almost all slaughterhouse zones. Sulfonamide resistance genes were largely distributed, while beta-lactam resistance genes were less predominant. Statistical analysis revealed that resistant bacteria, in most cases, were spread by the same route in almost all slaughterhouse zones, except for tetB, blaCTX and blaTEM genes, which occurred in few zones as isolated 'hot spots.' The sum of all analyzed ARG indicated that slaughterhouse surfaces and end products act as reservoirs of ARG, mainly tet genes, which were more prevalent in slaughtering room (SR, cutting room (CR and commercial meat products (MP. Resistance gene patterns suggest they were disseminated throughout slaughterhouse zones being also detected in commercial meat products, with significant correlations between different sampling zones/end products and total resistance in SR, CR and white room (WR zones, and also refrigerator 4 (F4 and MP were observed. Strategically controlling key zones in slaughterhouse (SR, CR and WR by adequate disinfection methods could strategically reduce the risks of ARG transmission and minimize the issues of food safety and environment contamination.

Diversity, distribution and quantification of antibiotic resistance genes in goat and lamb slaughterhouse surfaces and meat products.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavilla Lerma, Leyre; Benomar, Nabil; Knapp, Charles W; Correa Galeote, David; Gálvez, Antonio; Abriouel, Hikmate

2014-01-01

The distribution and quantification of tetracycline, sulfonamide and beta-lactam resistance genes were assessed in slaughterhouse zones throughout meat chain production and the meat products; this study represents the first to report quantitatively monitor antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in goat and lamb slaughterhouse using a culture independent approach, since most studies focused on individual bacterial species and their specific resistance types. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) revealed a high prevalence of tetracycline resistance genes tetA and tetB in almost all slaughterhouse zones. Sulfonamide resistance genes were largely distributed, while beta-lactam resistance genes were less predominant. Statistical analysis revealed that resistant bacteria, in most cases, were spread by the same route in almost all slaughterhouse zones, except for tetB, blaCTX and blaTEM genes, which occurred in few zones as isolated 'hot spots.' The sum of all analyzed ARG indicated that slaughterhouse surfaces and end products act as reservoirs of ARG, mainly tet genes, which were more prevalent in slaughtering room (SR), cutting room (CR) and commercial meat products (MP). Resistance gene patterns suggest they were disseminated throughout slaughterhouse zones being also detected in commercial meat products, with significant correlations between different sampling zones/end products and total resistance in SR, CR and white room (WR) zones, and also refrigerator 4 (F4) and MP were observed. Strategically controlling key zones in slaughterhouse (SR, CR and WR) by adequate disinfection methods could strategically reduce the risks of ARG transmission and minimize the issues of food safety and environment contamination.

Antibiotic resistance--consequences for animal health, welfare, and food production.

Science.gov (United States)

Bengtsson, Björn; Greko, Christina

2014-05-01

Most of the literature on the consequences of emergence and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics among animals relate to the potential impact on public health. But antibiotics are used to treat sick animals, and resistance in animal pathogens may lead to therapy failure. This has received little scientific attention, and therefore, in this article, we discuss examples that illustrate the possible impact of resistance on animal health and consequences thereof. For all animals, there may be a negative effect on health and welfare when diseases cannot be treated. Other consequences will vary depending on why and how different animal species are kept. Animals kept as companions or for sports often receive advanced care, and antibiotic resistance can lead to negative social and economic consequences for the owners. Further, spread of hospital-acquired infections can have an economic impact on the affected premises. As to animals kept for food production, antibiotics are not needed to promote growth, but, if infectious diseases cannot be treated when they occur, this can have a negative effect on the productivity and economy of affected businesses. Antibiotic resistance in animal bacteria can also have positive consequences by creating incentives for adoption of alternative regimes for treatment and prevention. It is probable that new antibiotic classes placed on the market in the future will not reach veterinary medicine, which further emphasizes the need to preserve the efficacy of currently available antibiotics through antibiotic stewardship. A cornerstone in this work is prevention, as healthy animals do not need antibiotics.

Climate Change and Rainfed Wheat Production in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Koocheki

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This research was conducted to evaluate the impacts of climate change on rainfed wheat growth and yield at country level. Weather data generated by a General Circulation model based on the ICCP scenarios for the target years of 2025 and 2050. Daily weather data including minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation and radiation were used as the inputs of a growth simulation model for rainfed after calibration and validation for predicting wheat yield under current climatic conditions. Using the model, the impacts of climate change on wheat growth and yield was predicted and compared with the current data. The simulation results indicated that leaf area index and absorbed radiation by wheat canopy was reduced under climatic conditions of the target years. Reduction of absorbed radiation resulted to a lower crop growth rate and consequently drastic reduction in dry matter production. Estimated drought stress index for the future climate conditions showed that reduction of crop growth rate was mainly resulted from water shortage due to increased evapotranspiration. Reduction of the length of growth period together with a considerable decline of harvest index resulted in a significant reduction of rainfed wheat yield despite the positive effects of increased CO2 concentration and this negative impacts on wheat yield was intensified from 2025 towards 2050. Simulation results showed that the potential impact of climate change on rainfed wheat yield was more pronounced in Eastern regions of the country compared to the Western production areas. The overall country level reduction of rainfed wheat yield was estimated in the range of 16 to 25 % and 22 to 32% for the years 2025 and 2050, respectively. Keywords: Climate change, Rainfed wheat, General Circulation models, Simulation, Yield, Iran

Fast neutron-induced changes in net impurity concentration of high-resistivity silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsveybak, I.; Bugg, W.; Harvey, J.A.; Walter, J.

1992-01-01

Resistivity changes produced by 1 MeV neutron irradiation at room temperature have been measured in float-zone grown n and p-type silicon with initial resistivities ranging from 1.8 to 100 kΩcm. Observed changes are discussed in terms of net electrically active impurity concentration. A model is presented which postulates escape of Si self-interstitials and vacancies from damage clusters and their subsequent interaction with impurities and other pre-existing defects in the lattice. These interactions lead to transfer of B and P from electrically active substitutional configurations into electrically inactive positions (B i , Pi i , and E-center), resulting in changes of net electrically active impurity concentration. The changes in spatial distribution of resistivity are discussed, and the experimental data are fit by theoretical curves. Differences in the behavior of n-type and p-type material are explained on the basis of a faster removal of substitutional P and a more nonuniform spatial distribution of the original P concentration

78 FR 19210 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Final Results of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-29

.... Scope of the Order Products covered by this order are certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-818] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon... countervailing duty (CVD) order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from the Republic of Korea for...

The identification of aluminium-resistance genes provides opportunities for enhancing crop production on acid soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, P R; Tyerman, S D; Sasaki, T; Furuichi, T; Yamamoto, Y; Zhang, W H; Delhaize, E

2011-01-01

Acid soils restrict plant production around the world. One of the major limitations to plant growth on acid soils is the prevalence of soluble aluminium (Al(3+)) ions which can inhibit root growth at micromolar concentrations. Species that show a natural resistance to Al(3+) toxicity perform better on acid soils. Our understanding of the physiology of Al(3+) resistance in important crop plants has increased greatly over the past 20 years, largely due to the application of genetics and molecular biology. Fourteen genes from seven different species are known to contribute to Al(3+) tolerance and resistance and several additional candidates have been identified. Some of these genes account for genotypic variation within species and others do not. One mechanism of resistance which has now been identified in a range of species relies on the efflux of organic anions such as malate and citrate from roots. The genes controlling this trait are members of the ALMT and MATE families which encode membrane proteins that facilitate organic anion efflux across the plasma membrane. Identification of these and other resistance genes provides opportunities for enhancing the Al(3+) resistance of plants by marker-assisted breeding and through biotechnology. Most attempts to enhance Al(3+) resistance in plants with genetic engineering have targeted genes that are induced by Al(3+) stress or that are likely to increase organic anion efflux. In the latter case, studies have either enhanced organic anion synthesis or increased organic anion transport across the plasma membrane. Recent developments in this area are summarized and the structure-function of the TaALMT1 protein from wheat is discussed.

Wireless Damage Monitoring of Laminated CFRP Composites using Electrical Resistance Change

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Todoroki, Akira

2007-01-01

.... In this system, a tiny oscillation circuit is attached to the composite component. When delimitation of the component occurs, electrical resistance changes, which causes a change in the oscillating frequency of the circuit...

Changing prevalence and resistance patterns in children with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Mumbai.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Ira; Shah, Forum

2017-05-01

The prevalence of drug-resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB) in children is increasing. Although, in India, multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB rates have been relatively stable, the number of children with pre-extensively drug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB is increasing. To determine whether the prevalence of DR TB in children in Mumbai is changing and to study the evolving patterns of resistance. A retrospective study was undertaken in 1311 paediatric patients referred between April 2007 and March 2013 to the Paediatric TB clinic at B. J. Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai. Children were defined as having DR TB on the basis of drug susceptibility testing (DST) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis grown on culture of body fluids (in the case of extra pulmonary TB) or from gastric lavage/bronchi-alveolar lavage/sputum in patients with pulmonary TB or from DST of the contacts. The prevalence of DR TB was calculated and the type of DR was evaluated yearly and in the pre-2010 and post-2010 eras. The overall prevalence of DR TB was 86 (6.6%) with an increase from 23 (5.6%) patients pre-2010 to 63 (7%) post-2010 (P = 0.40). Nine (10.4%) patients were diagnosed on the basis of contact with a parent with DR TB. Overall fluoroquinolone resistance increased from 9 (39.1%) pre-2010 to 59 (93.7%) post-2010 (P = 0.0001): moxifloxacin resistance increased from 2 (8.7%) to 29 (46%) (P = 0.0018) and ofloxacin resistance increased from 7 (30.4%) to 30 (47.6%) (P = 0.14). Ethionamide resistance also increased from 6 (26.1%) to 31 (49.2%) (P = 0.04), aminoglycoside resistance was one (4.3%) pre-2010 and 12 (19%) post-2010 (P = 0.17) and resistance remained virtually the same for both amikacin [0 pre-2010 and 6 (9.5%) after 2010] and kanamycin [one (4.3%) pre- and 6 (9.5%) post-2010]. Of the first-line drugs, resistance remained the same for isoniazid [23 (100%) to 61 (96.8%)], rifampicin [22 (95.7%) to 51 (80.9%),P = 0.17], pyrazinamide [15 (65.2%) to

Molecular characterization, fitness and mycotoxin production of benzimidazole-resistant isolates of Penicillium expansum.

Science.gov (United States)

Malandrakis, Anastasios A; Markoglou, Anastasios N; Konstantinou, Sotiris; Doukas, Eleftherios G; Kalampokis, John F; Karaoglanidis, George S

2013-04-01

Penicillium expansum field-strains resistant to benzimidazole fungicides were isolated in high frequency from decayed apple fruit collected from packinghouses and processing industries located in the region of Imathia, N. Greece. In vitro fungitoxicity tests resulted in the identification of two different resistant phenotypes: highly (BEN-HR) and moderately (BEN-MR) carbendazim-resistant. Thirty seven percent of the isolated P. expansum strains belonged to the BEN-HR phenotype, carried no apparent fitness penalties and exhibited resistance levels higher than 60 based on EC50 values. Cross resistance studies with other benzimidazole fungicides showed that all BEN-HR and BEN-MR isolates were also less sensitive to benomyl and thiabendazole. Fungitoxicity tests on the response of BEN-HR isolates to fungicides belonging to other chemical classes revealed no cross-resistance relationships between benzimidazoles and the phenylpyrrole fludioxonil, the dicarboximide iprodione, the anilinopyrimidine cyprodinil, the QoI pyraclostrobin, the imidazole imazalil and the triazole tebuconazole, indicating that a target-site modification is probably responsible for the BEN-HR phenotype observed. Contrary to the above, some BEN-MR isolates exhibited an increased sensitivity to cyprodinil compared to benzimidazole-sensitive ones. BEN-MR isolates had fitness parameters similar to the benzimidazole-sensitive isolates except for conidia production which appeared significantly decreased. Analysis of mycotoxin production (patulin and citrinin) showed that all benzimidazole-resistant isolates produced mycotoxins at concentrations significantly higher than sensitive isolates both on culture medium and on artificially inoculated apple fruit. Comparison of the β-tubulin gene DNA sequence between resistant and sensitive isolates revealed a point mutation resulting from the E198A substitution of the corresponding protein in most but not all HR isolates tested. Molecular analysis of the �

78 FR 16832 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Germany and the Republic of Korea: Revocation...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-19

...] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Germany and the Republic of Korea: Revocation of... ``ITC'') that revocation of the antidumping duty (``AD'') orders on corrosion-resistant carbon steel... (``Sunset'') Review, 77 FR 85 (January 3, 2012). \\2\\ See Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From...

Effects of Behavioral History on Resistance to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Doughty, Adam H.; Cirino, Sergio; Mayfield, Kristin H.; da Silva, Stephanie P.; Okouchi, Hiroto; Lattal, Kennon A.

2005-01-01

Two experiments examined whether differential resistance to change would occur under identical variable-interval schedules as a function of a differential behavioral history. In Experiment 1, each of 3 pigeons first pecked at different rates under a multiple variable-ratio differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule. In a subsequent condition,…

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITIES ON CHANGE IN FOREST AREA DESIGNATION IN INDRAGIRI HILIR REGENCY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuncoro Ariawan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Changes in forest area may include changes in forest designation through exchange process and release of forest areas such as for plantation and industry. The changes will have direct impact on the community, especially those adjacent to the changed forest areas. The study was conducted to find out knowledge and expectations of forest communities as a result of changing in forest areas in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau Province.The data were collected by using community interview method. Respondents were selected by purposive random sampling. The results showed that community's knowledge to the forest, benefits and consequences of forest destruction is negative, while community's knowledge to the existence oil palm companies is positive. This is because community awareness on the forest is still low. The community generally agree if forest area that become oil palm plantations be released from forest area designation, and they expect increase in their income. This is motivated by the fact that the land that had been cultivated for coconut plantations is no longer productive, due to frequent sea water intrusion. Cooperation with company is expected to help the communities build embankments on lands affected by seawater intrusion so that the land can be reused

Ethidium bromide resistance of L929 cells is accompanied by regular changes in karotype structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grinchuk, T.M.; Novikova, I.Yu.; Sorokina, E.A.; Sal'nikov, K.V.

1988-01-01

Using the method of differential staining of chromosomes for G-bands a comparative karyological analysis of line L 929 mouse cells has been conducted, after the L 929 cells had been sequentially selected for resistance to ethidium bromide at concentrations of 1, 10, 25, and 50 μg/ml and had retained these levels of resistance for a number of cell generations. It was found that the resistant variants exhibited certain karyotypic changes. Only thirteen of the thirty six marker chromosomes typical of the original ethidium bromide-sensitive cells were preserved. Sixteen of the markers were specific for the resistant variants. The changes detected arose at the initial selection stage and were preserved unaltered as the concentration of the toxin was raised. The detection of similar karyotypic changes in cells of clone L 929 of independent origin selected for resistance of 3 μg/ml of ethidium bromide and also in cells of the clone selected for resistance to 25 μg/ml of ethidium bromide and studied previously by the present authors suggests that these changes are universal for L 929 cells resistant to ethidium bromide

Polarity-dependent reversible resistance switching in Ge-Sb-Te phase-change thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pandian, Ramanathaswamy; Kooi, Bart J.; Palasantzas, George; De Hosson, Jeff T. M.; Pauza, Andrew

2007-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate reversible resistance switching in a capacitorlike cell using a Ge-Sb-Te film that does not rely on amorphous-crystalline phase change. The polarity of the applied electric field switches the cell resistance between lower- and higher-resistance states, as was observed

A numerical simulation model of valence-change-based resistive switching

OpenAIRE

Marchewka, Astrid

2017-01-01

Due to their superior scalability and performance, nanoscale resistive switches based on the valence-change mechanism are considered promising candidates for future nonvolatile memory and logic applications. These devices are metal-oxide-metal structures that can be reversibly switched between different resistance states by electrical signals. Typically, they contain one Schottky-like and one ohmic-like metal-oxide contact and exhibit bipolar switching. The switching mechanism and the initial...

Propagation of engineering changes to multiple product data views using history of product structure changes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Do, N.; Choi, I.; Song, M.S.

2008-01-01

Abstract The present paper proposes a comprehensive procedure for engineering change propagation in order to maintain consistency between various product data views. A product data model is also proposed for the propagation procedure, which integrates base product definitions for product design, and

Resistance of stored-product insects to phosphine; Resistencia de insetos de produtos armazenados a fosfina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pimentel, Marco Aurelio Guerra [Universidade Federal de Vicosa (UFV), MG (Brazil). Dept. de Biologia Animal. Setor de Entomologia]. E-mail: marcoagp@gmail.com; Faroni, Leda Rita D' Antonino; Batista, Maurilio Duarte; Silva, Felipe Humberto da [Universidade Federal de Vicosa (UFV), MG (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Agricola. Setor de Armazenamento]. E-mail: lfaroni@ufv.br; mauriliodbatista@yahoo.com.br; felipehumberto@gmail.com

2008-12-15

The objectives of this work were to assess phosphine resistance in insect populations (Tribolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus zeamais and Oryzaephilus surinamensis) from different regions of Brazil and to verify if the prevailing mechanism of phosphine resistance in these populations involves reduced respiration rates. Sixteen populations of T. castaneum, 15 of R. dominica, 27 of S. zeamais and eight of O. surinamensis were collected from 36 locations over seven Brazilian states. Each population was tested for resistance to phosphine, based on the response of adults to discriminating concentrations, according to FAO standard method. For each insect species, the production of carbon dioxide of the most resistant and of the most susceptible populations was inversely related to their phosphine resistance. The screening tests identified possible phosphine resistant populations. R. dominica and O. surinamensis were less susceptible to phosphine than the other two species. The populations with lower respiration rate showed a lower mortality at discriminating concentration, possibly related to a phosphine resistance mechanism. Phosphine resistance occurs in stored-product insects, in different regions of Brazil, and the resistance mechanism involves reduced respiration rate. (author)

Groundwater and quaternary geological studies of potential peat production areas - useful tool for sustainable peat production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valpola, S.E.; Paalijaervi, M. (Geological Survey of Finland, Kokkola (Finland)), Email: samu.valpola@gtk.fi, Email: miikka.paalijarvi@gtk.fi

2009-07-01

Potential peat production areas in Finland are often situated in vicinity of eskers or other quaternary (glaciofluvial) formations. Frequently these formations are also important groundwater resources and it is essential for sustainable peat production to assure that these resources will not be endangered. The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) has concluded several quaternary geological studies on potential peat production areas, which are connected to locally important groundwater areas. These studies have been made using mainly ground penetrating radar (GPR) and light drilling equipment. The main objective of these studies has been to establish the local groundwater flow directions and the quality and extent of quaternary deposits. The increasing need of peat production areas has created an evident demand of cost-effective and fast research methods which can be used for providing reliable information for planning of new production areas. (orig.)

Anopheles coluzzii larval habitat and insecticide resistance in the island area of Manoka, Cameroon.

Science.gov (United States)

Etang, Josiane; Mbida Mbida, Arthur; Ntonga Akono, Patrick; Binyang, Jerome; Eboumbou Moukoko, Carole Else; Lehman, Leopold Gustave; Awono-Ambene, Parfait; Talipouo, Abdou; Ekoko Eyisab, Wolfgang; Tagne, Darus; Tchoffo, Romeo; Manga, Lucien; Mimpfoundi, Remy

2016-05-20

The effectiveness of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets and Indoor Residual Spraying in malaria vector control is threatened by vector resistance to insecticides. Knowledge of mosquito habitats and patterns of insecticide resistance would facilitate the development of appropriate vector control strategies. Therefore, we investigated An. coluzzii larval habitats and resistance to insecticides in the Manoka rural island area compared with the Youpwe suburban inland area, in Douala VI and II districts respectively. Anopheline larvae and pupae were collected from open water bodies in December 2013 and April 2014 and reared until adult emergence. Two to four day old emerging females were morphologically identified as belonging to the An. gambiae complex and used for WHO susceptibility tests with 4 % DDT, 0.75 % permethrin, and 0.05 % deltamethrin, with or without piperonyl butoxide (PBO) synergist. Control and surviving specimens were identified down to the species using a PCR-RFLP method. Survivors were genotyped for kdr L1014 mutations using Hot Oligonucleotide Ligation Assay. In both study sites, ponds, residual puddles, boats, and drains were identified as the major An. gambiae s.l. larval habitats. A total of 1397 females, including 784 specimens from Manoka and 613 from Youpwe, were used for resistance testing. The two mosquito populations displayed resistance to DDT, permethrin and deltamethrin, with variable mortality rates from 1 % to 90 %. The knock-down times were also significantly increased (at least 2.8 fold). Pre-exposure of mosquitoes to PBO did not impact on their mortality to DDT, conversely the mortality rates to permethrin and deltamethrin were significantly increased (7.56 ≤ X(2) ≤ 48.63, df = 1, p habitats have been identified, larval source management strategies may be trialed in this area as complementary vector control interventions.

Electrical Resistivity Studies Between Subarnarekha And Kansabati Rivers, Paschim Medinipur (W.B.), India: Implication To Groundwater Problems In The Area.

Science.gov (United States)

Panda, K. P.; Jha, M. K.; Sharma, S. P.

2017-12-01

Various parts of the world face acute shortage of groundwater. To solve groundwater problems various approaches are followed. Interlinking of the river is one of the approaches. The southern part of the West Bengal province of India receives huge amount of rainfall (annual 1200mm). Instead of huge amount of rainfall some parts of the area are problematic for groundwater occurrence. Characterization of aquifer in this area is very important for sustainable development of water supply and artificial recharge schemes. Electrical resistivity survey was performed at regular interval from Kharagpur (north) to Subarnrekha River (south) to map the lithological variations in this area. It covers around 25 kilometers distance from Kharagpur with latitude and longitude (22°19'7.3"N 87°18'40"E) to Subarnrekha River (22°15'49.4" N 87°16'45.1" E). To locating a suitable area for artificial recharge and for the characterization of aquifers vertical electrical sounding is a robust method. Resistivity soundings were carried out with an interval of 2 to 3 kilometers. Subsurface resistivity distribution has been interpreted by using very fast simulated annealing (VFSA) global optimization technique. The study reveals that northern part of the area is problematic and does not have suitable aquifer systems. Resistivity distribution is suitable in the southern part of area and corresponds to clayey sand. Interpreted resistivity in the northern part of the area is relatively high and reveals impervious laterite layer. In southern part of the area resistivity varies between 5-10 Ohm-m at depth below 80 m. Based on the resistivity model different types of geologic units are classified and the zone of interests for aquifer has been demarcated.

The response of grain production to changes in quantity and quality of cropland in Yangtze River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guilin; Zhang, Luocheng; Zhang, Qian; Musyimi, Zipporah

2015-02-01

Cropland in Yangtze River Delta has declined drastically since economic reforms in 1978 that led to rapid economic development. Such cropland loss due to population growth has led to a decline in grain production. This study aimed at analyzing the impact of land use changes on grain production. To achieve this, the spatiotemporal dynamics of cropland during 1980-2010 were analyzed. Irrigation and soil fertility data were used as additional lines of evidence. Cropland loss had negative impacts on grain production. About 80 and 66% of grain production decreased during 1980-2005 and 2005-2010 respectively. This decline was attributed to the conversion of cropland to built-up areas. Abandoned cropland areas were mainly concentrated in regions with high irrigation capability and high soil fertility, while cropland reclamation was mainly in areas with low irrigation and soil fertility, implying that, although cropland was reclaimed, production remained low. The decline in cropland area has reinforced the chronic food insecurity in Yangtze River Delta. This study demonstrated the response of grain production to the changes in cropland quantity and quality. It also provides scientific evidence for decision makers to protect cropland and enhance grain production. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Disruption of egg production by triclabendazole-resistant Fasciola hepatica following treatment with a commercial preparation of myrrh (Mirazid).

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelaal, Mohamed M O; Brennan, Gerard P; Hanna, Robert E B; Abdel-Aziz, Ahmed; Fairweather, Ian

2017-06-01

An in vitro study has been carried out to monitor changes to the female reproductive system in adult triclabendazole (TCBZ)-resistant Fasciola hepatica following treatment with a commercial preparation of myrrh ("Mirazid"). Flukes were immersed for 6 h and 24 h in myrrh extract at a concentration of 200 µg/ml, then processed for histological and transmission electron microscope (TEM) examination of the uterus, Mehlis' gland, ovary and vitellaria. Egg production had become abnormal at 6 h post-treatment (pt), with the uterine lumen being filled with free vitelline cells and masses of shell protein material; few eggs were present. At 24 h pt, no eggs were present. Distinct changes to the ovary and Mehlis' gland were only observed after 24 h incubation in Mirazid. The ovary contained numbers of apoptotic oogonia and oocytes. In the Mehlis' gland, the S1 cells were disorganised and the processes from them were vacuolated, although the disruption was not significant. More severe changes were observed in the vitelline cells and follicles. After 6 h incubation in Mirazid, although the gross organisation of the vitelline follicles appeared to be normal, nuclear changes indicative of the early stages of apoptosis were observed in the stem cells and shell protein production by the mature cells had decreased. At 24 h pt, a distinct shift in cell population was evident, with the follicles containing mainly mature cells and spaces were present between the cells. The shell globule clusters in the mature cells were disorganised. In more severely-affected follicles, cells were seen to be breaking down, with karyolytic nuclei and disintegrating cytoplasm. Overall, the results have shown that exposure to Mirazid treatment had a severe impact on egg production by TCBZ-resistant flukes, an effect that was mediated by disruption of the vitelline cells and of the mechanism co-ordinating egg formation in the ootype.

Identification of Striga hermonthica-Resistant Upland Rice Varieties in Sudan and Their Resistance Phenotypes

OpenAIRE

Samejima, Hiroaki; Babiker, Abdel G.; Mustafa, Ahmed; Sugimoto, Yukihiro

2016-01-01

Rice has become a major staple cereal in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, upland rice cultivation is expanding particularly in rainfed areas where the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, a major constraint to cereal production, is endemic. Laboratory, pot, and semi-controlled open air experiments were performed to evaluate resistance of selected rice varieties in Sudan to a resident S. hermonthica population. In the laboratory, 27 varieties were screened for post-attachment resistance using...

Toxin production and antibiotic resistances in Escherichia coli isolated from bathing areas along the coastline of the Oslo fjord.

Science.gov (United States)

Charnock, Colin; Nordlie, Anne-Lise; Hjeltnes, Bjarne

2014-09-01

The presence of enterovirulent and/or antibiotic resistant strains of Escherichia coli in recreational bathing waters would represent a clear health issue. In total, 144 E. coli isolated from 26 beaches along the inner Oslo fjord were examined for virulence determinants and resistance to clinically important antibiotics. No isolates possessed the genetic determinants associated with enterotoxigenic strains and none showed the prototypic sorbitol negative, O157:H7 phenotype. A small number (∼1 %) produced alpha-hemolysin. Occurrences and patterns of antibiotic resistances were similar to those of E. coli isolated previously from environmental samples. In total, 6 % of the strains showed one or more clinically relevant resistances and 1.4 % were multi-drug resistant. Microarray analyses suggested that the resistance determinants were generally associated with mobile genetic elements. Resistant strains were not clonally related, and were, furthermore not concentrated at one or a few beach sites. This suggests that these strains are entering the waters at a low rate but in a widespread manner. The study demonstrates that resistant E. coli are present in coastal bathing waters where they can come into contact with bathers, and that the resistance determinants are potentially transferable. Some of the resistances registered in the study are to important antibiotics used in human medicine such as fluoroquinolones. The spread of antibiotic resistant genes, from the clinical setting to the environment, has clear implications with respect to the current management of bacterial infections and the long term value of antimicrobial therapy. The present study is the first of its kind in Norway.

Changes in extracellular matrix in subcutaneous small resistance arteries of patients with essential hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Favero, Gaia; Paini, Anna; De Ciuceis, Carolina; Rodella, Luigi F; Moretti, Enrico; Porteri, Enzo; Rossini, Claudia; Ministrini, Silvia; Solaini, Leonardo; Stefano, Caletti; Coschignano, Maria Antonietta; Brami, Valeria; Petelca, Alina; Nardin, Matteo; Valli, Ilenia; Tiberio, Guido A M; Bonomini, Francesca; Agabiti Rosei, Claudia; Portolani, Nazario; Rizzoni, Damiano; Rezzani, Rita

2018-03-09

In the development of hypertensive microvascular remodeling, a relevant role may be played by changes in extracellular matrix proteins. Aim of this study was the to evaluate some extracellular matrix components within the tunica media of subcutaneous small arteries in 9 normotensive subjects and 12 essential hypertensive patients, submitted to a biopsy of subcutaneous fat from the gluteal or the anterior abdominal region. Subcutaneous small resistance arteries were dissected and mounted on an isometric myograph, and the tunica media to internal lumen ratio was measured. In addition, fibronectin, laminin, transforming growth factor-beta-1 (TGF-β1) and emilin-1 contents within the tunica media were evaluated by immunofluorescence and relative immunomorphometrical analysis (immunopositivity % of area). The total collagen content and collagen subtypes within the tunica media were evaluated using both Sirius red staining (under polarized light) and immunofluorescence assay. Normotensive controls had less total and type III collagen in respect with hypertensive patients. Fibronectin and TGF-β1 tunica media content was significantly greater in essential hypertensive patients, compared with normotensive controls, while laminin and emilin-1 tunica media content was lesser in essential hypertensive patients, compared with normotensive controls. A significant correlation was observed between fibronectin tunica media content and media to lumen ratio. Our results indicate that, in small resistance arteries of patients with essential hypertension, a relevant fibrosis may be detected; fibronectin and TGF-β1 tunica media content is increased, while laminin and emilin-1 content is decreased; these changes might be involved in the development of small resistance artery remodeling in humans.

Relative importance of climate changes at different time scales on net primary productivity-a case study of the Karst area of northwest Guangxi, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Huiyu; Zhang, Mingyang; Lin, Zhenshan

2017-10-05

Climate changes are considered to significantly impact net primary productivity (NPP). However, there are few studies on how climate changes at multiple time scales impact NPP. With MODIS NPP product and station-based observations of sunshine duration, annual average temperature and annual precipitation, impacts of climate changes at different time scales on annual NPP, have been studied with EEMD (ensemble empirical mode decomposition) method in the Karst area of northwest Guangxi, China, during 2000-2013. Moreover, with partial least squares regression (PLSR) model, the relative importance of climatic variables for annual NPP has been explored. The results show that (1) only at quasi 3-year time scale do sunshine duration and temperature have significantly positive relations with NPP. (2) Annual precipitation has no significant relation to NPP by direct comparison, but significantly positive relation at 5-year time scale, which is because 5-year time scale is not the dominant scale of precipitation; (3) the changes of NPP may be dominated by inter-annual variabilities. (4) Multiple time scales analysis will greatly improve the performance of PLSR model for estimating NPP. The variable importance in projection (VIP) scores of sunshine duration and temperature at quasi 3-year time scale, and precipitation at quasi 5-year time scale are greater than 0.8, indicating important for NPP during 2000-2013. However, sunshine duration and temperature at quasi 3-year time scale are much more important. Our results underscore the importance of multiple time scales analysis for revealing the relations of NPP to changing climate.

Resistance exercise-induced fluid shifts: change in active muscle size and plasma volume

Science.gov (United States)

Ploutz-Snyder, L. L.; Convertino, V. A.; Dudley, G. A.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the reduction in plasma volume (PV) induced by resistance exercise reflects fluid loss to the extravascular space and subsequently selective increase in cross-sectional area (CSA) of active but not inactive skeletal muscle. We compared changes in active and inactive muscle CSA and PV after barbell squat exercise. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to quantify muscle involvement in exercise and to determine CSA of muscle groups or individual muscles [vasti (VS), adductor (Add), hamstring (Ham), and rectus femoris (RF)]. Muscle involvement in exercise was determined using exercise-induced contrast shift in spin-spin relaxation time (T2)-weighted MR images immediately postexercise. Alterations in muscle size were based on the mean CSA of individual slices. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, and Evans blue dye were used to estimate changes in PV. Muscle CSA and PV data were obtained preexercise and immediately postexercise and 15 and 45 min thereafter. A hierarchy of muscle involvement in exercise was found such that VS > Add > Ham > RF, with the Ham and RF showing essentially no involvement. CSA of the VS and Add muscle groups were increased 10 and 5%, respectively, immediately after exercise in each thigh with no changes in Ham and RF CSA. PV was decreased 22% immediately following exercise. The absolute loss of PV was correlated (r2 = 0.75) with absolute increase in muscle CSA immediately postexercise, supporting the notion that increased muscle size after resistance exercise reflects primarily fluid movement from the vascular space into active but not inactive muscle.

Emergence of Tetracycline Resistance in Helicobacter pylori: Multiple Mutational Changes in 16S Ribosomal DNA and Other Genetic Loci

Science.gov (United States)

Dailidiene, Daiva; Bertoli, M. Teresita; Miciuleviciene, Jolanta; Mukhopadhyay, Asish K.; Dailide, Giedrius; Pascasio, Mario Alberto; Kupcinskas, Limas; Berg, Douglas E.

2002-01-01

Tetracycline is useful in combination therapies against the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. We found 6 tetracycline-resistant (Tetr) strains among 159 clinical isolates (from El Salvador, Lithuania, and India) and obtained the following four results: (i) 5 of 6 Tetr isolates contained one or two nucleotide substitutions in one part of the primary tetracycline binding site in 16S rRNA (AGA965-967 [Escherichia coli coordinates] changed to gGA, AGc, guA, or gGc [lowercase letters are used to represent the base changes]), whereas the sixth (isolate Ind75) retained AGA965-967; (ii) PCR products containing mutant 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) alleles transformed recipient strains to Tetr phenotypes, but transformants containing alleles with single substitutions (gGA and AGc) were less resistant than their Tetr parents; (iii) each of 10 Tetr mutants of reference strain 26695 (in which mutations were induced with metronidazole, a mutagenic anti-H. pylori agent) contained the normal AGA965-967 sequence; and (iv) transformant derivatives of Ind75 and of one of the Tetr 26695 mutants that had acquired mutant rDNA alleles were resistant to tetracycline at levels higher than those to which either parent strain was resistant. Thus, tetracycline resistance in H. pylori results from an accumulation of changes that may affect tetracycline-ribosome affinity and/or other functions (perhaps porins or efflux pumps). We suggest that the rarity of tetracycline resistance among clinical isolates reflects this need for multiple mutations and perhaps also the deleterious effects of such mutations on fitness. Formally equivalent mutations with small but additive effects are postulated to contribute importantly to traits such as host specificity and virulence and to H. pylori's great genetic diversity. PMID:12435699

Antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from commercial probiotic products used in cattle and swine.

Science.gov (United States)

Amachawadi, Raghavendra G; Giok, Felicia; Shi, Xiaorong; Soto, Jose; Narayanan, Sanjeev K; Tokach, Mike D; Apley, Mike D; Nagaraja, T G

2018-04-03

Probiotics, an antibiotic alternative, are widely used as feed additives for performance benefits in cattle and swine production systems. Among bacterial species contained in probiotics, Enterococcus faecium is common. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly multidrug resistance, is a common trait among enterococci because of their propensity to acquire resistance and horizontally transfer AMR genes. Also, E. faecium is an opportunistic pathogen, and in the United States, it is the second most common nosocomial pathogen. There has been no published study on AMR and virulence potential in E. faecium contained in probiotic products used in cattle and swine in the United States. Therefore, our objectives were to determine phenotypic susceptibilities or resistance to antimicrobials, virulence genes (asa1, gelE, cylA, esp, and hyl) and assess genetic diversity of E. faecium isolated from commercial products. Twenty-two commercially available E. faecium-based probiotic products used in cattle (n = 13) and swine (n = 9) were procured and E. faecium was isolated and species confirmed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations was done by micro-broth dilution method using National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Systems Gram-positive Sensititre panel plate (CMV3AGPF), and categorization of strains as susceptible or resistant was as per Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute's guidelines. E. faecium strains from 7 products (3 for swine and 4 for cattle) were pan-susceptible to the 16 antimicrobials tested. Strains from 15 products (6 for swine and 9 for cattle) exhibited resistance to at least one antimicrobial and a high proportion of strains was resistant to lincomycin (10/22), followed by tetracycline (4/22), daptomycin (4/22), ciprofloxacin (4/22), kanamycin (3/22), and penicillin (2/22). Four strains were multidrug resistant, with resistant phenotypes ranging from 3 to 6 antimicrobials or class. None of the E

Pressure and temperature induced electrical resistance change in nano-carbon/epoxy composites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shen, J. T.; Buschhorn, S. T.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.; Schulte, K.; Fiedler, B.

2015-01-01

In this study, we investigate the changes of electrical resistance of the carbon black (CB) and carbon nanotube (CNT) filled epoxy composites upon compression, swelling and temperature variation. For all samples we observe a decrease of electrical resistance under compression, while an increase of

Climatic change in Mediterranean area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manos, A.

1991-01-01

United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) studies on forecasted greenhouse climatic effects on the Mediterranean coastal and marine ecosystems and regional socio-economic framework have indicated the need for a concerted plan of protective and remedial action. The studies considered rises of 1.5 degrees in ambient temperature and 20 centimeters in sea level occurring before the year 2025. A regional, as opposed to a global area, study approach was adopted since the severity of climatic effects is expected to vary greatly from one part of the world to another. The specific areas investigated were the Po River Delta and Venezia Lagoon in Italy, the Nile Delta, Camargue, the Ebro Delta, the Tunisian National Park area, and the Thermaicos Gulf in Greece. The rise in average temperature is expected to negatively effect Mediterranean agricultural production and the coastal and marine ecosystems due to prolonged periods of drought and exceptional rainfall. It is suggested that a system of dikes be constructed to protect the coastal areas which are heavily dependent on tourism and agriculture

Role of an encapsulating layer for reducing resistance drift in phase change random access memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Jin

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Phase change random access memory (PCRAM devices exhibit a steady increase in resistance in the amorphous phase upon aging and this resistance drift phenomenon directly affects the device reliability. A stress relaxation model is used here to study the effect of a device encapsulating layer material in addressing the resistance drift phenomenon in PCRAM. The resistance drift can be increased or decreased depending on the biaxial moduli of the phase change material (YPCM and the encapsulating layer material (YELM according to the stress relationship between them in the drift regime. The proposed model suggests that the resistance drift can be effectively reduced by selecting a proper material as an encapsulating layer. Moreover, our model explains that reducing the size of the phase change material (PCM while fully reset and reducing the amorphous/crystalline ratio in PCM help to improve the resistance drift, and thus opens an avenue for highly reliable multilevel PCRAM applications.

Metabolic changes during development of Walker-256 carcinosarcoma resistance to doxorubicin.

Science.gov (United States)

Todor, I N; Lukyanova, N Yu; Shvets, Yu V; Lozovska, Yu V; Chekhun, V F

2015-03-01

To study indices of energy metabolism, content of K(+) and Mg(++) both in peripheral blood and in Walker-256 carcinosarcoma during development of resistance to doxorubicin. Resistance of Walker-256 carcinosarcoma to doxorubicin has been developed through 12 subsequent transplantations of tumor after the chemotherapy. Parental strain was inhibited by drug by 65%, while transitional resistant substrains - by 30% and 2%, respectively. Determination of biochemical indices in blood serum and homogenates of tumor tissue, level of potassium, magnesium, lactate, glucose, activities of lactate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was performed with the help of biochemical and immune-enzyme analyzer GBG ChemWell 2990 (USA) using standard kits. Polarography was used to determine indices of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Study of mitochondrial membrane potential was carried out on flow cytometer Beckman Coulter Epics XL using dye JC-1. It has been determined that development of drug resistance causes the decrease of K(+), Mg(++), glucose content in blood serum and increase of these indices in tumor tissue. At the same time, gradual tumor's loss of sensitivity is characterized by decrease of glycolysis activity in it and activation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and pentose phosphate pathway of glucose degradation, which causes more intensive formation of NADPH. Development of drug resistance of tumor causes certain metabolic changes in organism and tumor. Further study of such changes will make possible to determine tumor and extratumor markers of resistance.

Occurrence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases, Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance, and Disinfectant Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli Isolated from Ready-To-Eat Meat Products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Lili; Ye, Lei; Kromann, Sofie

2017-01-01

There are growing concerns about the coselection of resistance against antibiotics and disinfectants in bacterial pathogens. The aim of this study was to characterize the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), plasmid-mediated quinolone...... resistance genes (PMQRs), and quaternary ammonium compound resistance genes (QACs) in Escherichia coli isolated from ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products obtained in Guangzhou, China, and to determine whether these genes were colocalized in the isolates. A total of 64 E. coli isolates were obtained from 720 RTE...... isolates from RTE meat products. The E. coli isolates with multiple antimicrobial resistance genes may transmit to humans through food chain and thus require further investigation and increased awareness....

High-Intensity Progressive Resistance Training Increases Strength With No Change in Cardiovascular Function and Autonomic Neural Regulation in Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanegusuku, Hélcio; Queiroz, Andréia C; Silva, Valdo J; de Mello, Marco T; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos; Forjaz, Cláudia L

2015-07-01

The effects of high-intensity progressive resistance training (HIPRT) on cardiovascular function and autonomic neural regulation in older adults are unclear. To investigate this issue, 25 older adults were randomly divided into two groups: control (CON, N = 13, 63 ± 4 years; no training) and HIPRT (N = 12, 64 ± 4 years; 2 sessions/week, 7 exercises, 2–4 sets, 10–4 RM). Before and after four months, maximal strength, quadriceps cross-sectional area (QCSA), clinic and ambulatory blood pressures (BP), systemic hemodynamics, and cardiovascular autonomic modulation were measured. Maximal strength and QCSA increased in the HIPRT group and did not change in the CON group. Clinic and ambulatory BP, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, stroke volume, heart rate, and cardiac sympathovagal balance did not change in the HIPRT group or the CON group. In conclusion, HIPRT was effective at increasing muscle mass and strength without promoting changes in cardiovascular function or autonomic neural regulation.

Geographical view on agricultural land and structural changes plant production Montenegro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Rajović

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE This paper analyzes agricultural land and structural changes in plant production Montenegro. The Montenegro represents a significant potential for agricultural development, but plant production insufficiently developed in relation to natural resources and the demands of intensive agricultural production. Average possession by agricultural holdings in 1960 amounts is 5.34 ha with only 2.05 ha arable area per agricultural holdings. Yet more unfavorable is the situation with arable surfaces. Namely, agricultural holdings in the Montenegro in 1960 are on average dispose with maximum of 0.74 ha of arable land. Judging by the size of the cultivated area, production volume, as well as according other parameters, plant production in the Montenegro in 2007, mainly used for meeting need households. A smaller area for is market. The role of the Montenegrin village and agriculture must be first-rate, as are its potentials, the main power future development of Montenegro. This requires radically new relationship between society and science to agriculture and the countryside. Instead of the existing approach in which they observed the preventive as producers of cheap food has to be developed a new concept, a comprehensive agricultural and rural development, which will be based on demographic, natural, economic and socio-cultural potential of Montenegro. 

77 FR 27438 - Certain Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Korea: Final Results of Expedited...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-10

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-818] Certain Corrosion-Resistant... order on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (``CORE'') from the Republic of Korea.... Scope of the Order The merchandise covered by the order includes flat-rolled carbon steel products, of...

Antimicrobial-resistant faecal organisms in algae products marketed as health supplements

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2017-09-01

Dietary supplements are increasingly popular in Irish society. One of these is blue-green algae which is used with a variety health benefits in mind. A batch of Chlorella powder was found to be contaminated with Salmonella species in Ireland in 2015. This prompted additional testing of a total of 8 samples of three different products (Chlorella, Spirulina and Super Greens), for other faecal flora and antimicrobial resistance in any bacteria isolated. All 8 samples cultured enteric flora such as Enterococci, Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed one isolate with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) activity and one with carbapenemase activity. Clinicians caring for vulnerable patients should be aware of the potential risk of exposure to antimicrobial resistant bacteria associated with these products

Resistance Detection of Aedes aegypti Larvae to Cypermethrin from Endemic Area in Cimahi City West Java

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endang Puji Astuti

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Vector control programs using chemical insecticide e.g organochlorin, organophosphate, carbamate, and pyrethroid (cypermethrin. When those insecticides were applied continuously, it may lead to vector resistance. The aim of this research was to detect any resistance of Ae. aegypti to cypermethrin in endemic areas of Cimahi. This research is a laboratory study that used biochemical test which referred to Lee’s method. Larva samples were collected from 8 villages, which are endemic area. Samples of larvae were collected from 15 villages belonged to dengue endemic areas in town of Cimahi, however, villages that meet the availability of larvae were only 8 villages. To detect the activity of monooxygenase enzyme, a biochemical assay was used in this research by created a reaction between larvae homogenate and sodium acetate substrate. The results of reaction were read using ELISA reader with spectrophotometer wave length of 595 nm. Overall, the results showed that most of the larvae in eight villages of Cimahi is still susceptible to cypermethrin. However, larvae from Cibabat village were 4% resistant, 2% tolerant, and 94% susceptible. On the other hand, Cigugur village showed that 12.7% larvae were tolerant and 87.3% still susceptible. Other villages like Cimahi, Cibeureum, Melong, Baros, Cipageran, and Pasirkaliki still remains susceptible. Resistance detection using biochemical assay of cypermethrin insecticide for Ae.aegypti resulting data stated that in 6 villages were still susceptible but in 3 other villages were already tolerant and 1 village was already resistance.

X-ray irradiation induced reversible resistance change in Pt/TiO2/Pt cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Seo Hyoung; Kim, Jungho; Phatak, Charudatta; D'Aquila, Kenneth; Kim, Seong Keun; Kim, Jiyoon; Song, Seul Ji; Hwang, Cheol Seong; Eastman, Jeffrey A; Freeland, John W; Hong, Seungbum

2014-02-25

The interaction between X-rays and matter is an intriguing topic for both fundamental science and possible applications. In particular, synchrotron-based brilliant X-ray beams have been used as a powerful diagnostic tool to unveil nanoscale phenomena in functional materials. However, it has not been widely investigated how functional materials respond to the brilliant X-rays. Here, we report the X-ray-induced reversible resistance change in 40-nm-thick TiO2 films sandwiched by Pt top and bottom electrodes, and propose the physical mechanism behind the emergent phenomenon. Our findings indicate that there exists a photovoltaic-like effect, which modulates the resistance reversibly by a few orders of magnitude, depending on the intensity of impinging X-rays. We found that this effect, combined with the X-ray irradiation induced phase transition confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, triggers a nonvolatile reversible resistance change. Understanding X-ray-controlled reversible resistance changes can provide possibilities to control initial resistance states of functional materials, which could be useful for future information and energy storage devices.

The Response of Grain Potential Productivity to Land Use Change: A Case Study in Western Jilin, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Li

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The impact of land use change on grain potential productivity is one of the most important topics in the research of land use/cover change and its effects. Western Jilin, located on the edge of an ecotone in northern China, and its land use have changed dramatically in recent decades, with significant impact on grain potential productivity. This study evaluated the grain potential productivity in different conditions and analyzed the response to land use change based on land use data, meteorological data and statistical data by using the Global Agro-ecological Zone model. Results showed that (1 grain potential productivity of Western Jilin in 2010 was 19.12 million tons, an increase of 34.8% over 1975 because of changes in land use and in climate; (2 due to land use change, grain potential productivity in the study area increased between 1975 and 2000, however, it decreased between 2000 and 2010; (3 conversion in type of land use and an increase in irrigation percentage caused grain potential productivity to increase by 0.70 million tons and 3.13 million tons respectively between 1975 and 2000; between 2000 and 2010, grain potential productivity had an increase of 0.17 million tons due to the increase in farmland area, but it decreased by 1.88 million tons because the irrigation percentage declined from 36.6% to 24.7%. Therefore, increasing investment in agriculture, improving land quality and increasing the conversion rate of grain potential productivity to actual production would be a better choice for ensuring national food security and achieving sustainable land use.

The silica fume on the production of resistant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liborio, J.B.L.; Melo, A.B. de; Souza, M.F. de; Silva, I.J. da

1998-01-01

New developments in the field of the materials science and engineering have resulted in news technologies for protection of concrete made of Portland cement. The final product associates higher durability to very high mechanical resistance. Concrete is a material that presents a random distribution of types and sizes of pores. This porosity not just implies in differences in the mechanical properties but it also affect the permeability, allowing the movement of possible fluids that can degrade partially or totally the concrete. The active silica addition of high pozzolanics provides to concrete significant improvements turning it most compact, with smaller numbers of intercommunicated pores and, therefore, resistance to several aggressiveness sources and a material of high performance. This paper discuss the potential applications of the high performance concrete and the expectations for its currents use in the civil construction. (author)

Reinforcer magnitude and rate dependency: evaluation of resistance-to-change mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinkston, Jonathan W; Ginsburg, Brett C; Lamb, Richard J

2014-10-01

Under many circumstances, reinforcer magnitude appears to modulate the rate-dependent effects of drugs such that when schedules arrange for relatively larger reinforcer magnitudes rate dependency is attenuated compared with behavior maintained by smaller magnitudes. The current literature on resistance to change suggests that increased reinforcer density strengthens operant behavior, and such strengthening effects appear to extend to the temporal control of behavior. As rate dependency may be understood as a loss of temporal control, the effects of reinforcer magnitude on rate dependency may be due to increased resistance to disruption of temporally controlled behavior. In the present experiments, pigeons earned different magnitudes of grain during signaled components of a multiple FI schedule. Three drugs, clonidine, haloperidol, and morphine, were examined. All three decreased overall rates of key pecking; however, only the effects of clonidine were attenuated as reinforcer magnitude increased. An analysis of within-interval performance found rate-dependent effects for clonidine and morphine; however, these effects were not modulated by reinforcer magnitude. In addition, we included prefeeding and extinction conditions, standard tests used to measure resistance to change. In general, rate-decreasing effects of prefeeding and extinction were attenuated by increasing reinforcer magnitudes. Rate-dependent analyses of prefeeding showed rate-dependency following those tests, but in no case were these effects modulated by reinforcer magnitude. The results suggest that a resistance-to-change interpretation of the effects of reinforcer magnitude on rate dependency is not viable.

Age-related changes in the functional neuroanatomy of overt speech production.

Science.gov (United States)

Sörös, Peter; Bose, Arpita; Sokoloff, Lisa Guttman; Graham, Simon J; Stuss, Donald T

2011-08-01

Alterations of existing neural networks during healthy aging, resulting in behavioral deficits and changes in brain activity, have been described for cognitive, motor, and sensory functions. To investigate age-related changes in the neural circuitry underlying overt non-lexical speech production, functional MRI was performed in 14 healthy younger (21-32 years) and 14 healthy older individuals (62-84 years). The experimental task involved the acoustically cued overt production of the vowel /a/ and the polysyllabic utterance /pataka/. In younger and older individuals, overt speech production was associated with the activation of a widespread articulo-phonological network, including the primary motor cortex, the supplementary motor area, the cingulate motor areas, and the posterior superior temporal cortex, similar in the /a/ and /pataka/ condition. An analysis of variance with the factors age and condition revealed a significant main effect of age. Irrespective of the experimental condition, significantly greater activation was found in the bilateral posterior superior temporal cortex, the posterior temporal plane, and the transverse temporal gyri in younger compared to older individuals. Significantly greater activation was found in the bilateral middle temporal gyri, medial frontal gyri, middle frontal gyri, and inferior frontal gyri in older vs. younger individuals. The analysis of variance did not reveal a significant main effect of condition and no significant interaction of age and condition. These results suggest a complex reorganization of neural networks dedicated to the production of speech during healthy aging. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Climate Analogues Suggest Limited Potential for Intensification of Production on Current Croplands Under Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Pugh, T. A. M.; Mueller, C.; Elliott, J.; Deryng, D.; Folberth, C.; Olin, S.; Schmid, E.; Arneth, A.

2016-01-01

Climate change could pose a major challenge to efforts towards strongly increase food production over the coming decades. However, model simulations of future climate-impacts on crop yields differ substantially in the magnitude and even direction of the projected change. Combining observations of current maximum-attainable yield with climate analogues, we provide a complementary method of assessing the effect of climate change on crop yields. Strong reductions in attainable yields of major cereal crops are found across a large fraction of current cropland by 2050. These areas are vulnerable to climate change and have greatly reduced opportunity for agricultural intensification. However, the total land area, including regions not currently used for crops, climatically suitable for high attainable yields of maize, wheat and rice is similar by 2050 to the present-day. Large shifts in land-use patterns and crop choice will likely be necessary to sustain production growth rates and keep pace with demand.

The resistivity imaging application in groundwater exploration: resistivity value and soil type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Khardzir Husain

2006-01-01

Malaysia is rich in water resources. Water development has fueled socio-economic development of the country during the past decades. Dams and thousands of kilometers of pipes and canals divert water from the rivers to sustain domestic, industrial and agricultural needs. Lately, the water situation for the country has changed from one of relative abundance to one of relative scarcity. The population growth and the expansion in urbanization, industrialization and irrigated agriculture are imposing rapidly growing demands and pressure on the water resources, besides contributing to the rising water pollution. Surface water resource, the traditional source of water supply in the past, has become inadequate in some areas. The problem becomes more acute in areas where surface water is affected by the increasing pollution from industrial and agricultural waste and where changes in land have adversely affected the quantity and quality of surface water supply. The development of groundwater as a source of water supply or as an alternative source is therefore a timely outlook. Lack in groundwater development will becoming disasters to country. Electrical resistivity had been used in groundwater exploration to get an accuracy result in a short time. This method measures the apparent resistivity of the subsurface, including effects of any or all of the following: soil type, bedrock fractures, contaminants and ground water. Variations in electrical resistivity may indicate changes in composition, layer thickness or contaminant levels. The resistivity values obtained from various groundwater exploration and experimental sites shows that the value differs also in related to the soil type. (Author)

An evaluation of resistance to change with unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Vargo, Kristina K; Ringdahl, Joel E

2015-09-01

Several reinforcer-related variables influence a response's resistance to change (Nevin, 1974). Reinforcer type (i.e., conditioned or unconditioned) is a reinforcer-related variable that has not been studied with humans but may have clinical implications. In Experiment 1, we identified unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers of equal preference. In Experiments 2, 3, and 4, we reinforced participants' behavior during a baseline phase using a multiple variable-interval (VI) 30-s VI 30-s schedule with either conditioned (i.e., token) or unconditioned (i.e., food; one type of reinforcement in each component) reinforcement. After equal reinforcement rates across components, we introduced a disruptor. Results of Experiments 2 and 3 showed that behaviors were more resistant to extinction and distraction, respectively, with conditioned than with unconditioned reinforcers. Results of Experiment 4, however, showed that when prefeeding disrupted responding, behaviors were more resistant to change with unconditioned reinforcers than with conditioned reinforcers. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Antimicrobial resistance and its association with tolerance to heavy metals in agriculture production.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhongyi; Gunn, Lynda; Wall, Patrick; Fanning, Séamus

2017-06-01

Antimicrobial resistance is a recognized public health challenge that since its emergence limits the therapeutic options available to veterinarians and clinicians alike, when treatment is warranted. This development is further compounded by the paucity of new antibiotics. The agri-food industry benefits from the availability of antimicrobial compounds for food-animal production and crop protection. Nonetheless, their improper use can result in the selection for bacteria that are phenotypically resistant to these compounds. Another class of agents used in agriculture includes various cationic metals that can be included in animal diets as nutritional supplements or spread on pastures to support crop growth and protection. Heavy metals, in particular, are giving rise to concerns among public health professionals, as they can persist in the environment remaining stable for prolonged periods. Moreover, bacteria can also exhibit resistance to these chemical elements and the genes encoding this phenotype can be physically localized to plasmids that may also contain one or more antimicrobial resistance-encoding gene(s). This paper reviews our current understanding of the role that bacteria play in expressing resistance to heavy metals. It will describe how heavy metals are used in agri-food production, and explore evidence available to link resistance to heavy metals and antimicrobial compounds. In addition, possible solutions to reduce the impact of heavy metal resistance are also discussed, including using organic minerals and reducing the level of trace minerals in animal feed rations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanotechnological Advances in Catalytic Thin Films for Green Large-Area Surfaces

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Suzan Biran Ay

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Large-area catalytic thin films offer great potential for green technology applications in order to save energy, combat pollution, and reduce global warming. These films, either embedded with nanoparticles, shaped with nanostructuring techniques, hybridized with other systems, or functionalized with bionanotechnological methods, can include many different surface properties including photocatalytic, antifouling, abrasion resistant and mechanically resistive, self-cleaning, antibacterial, hydrophobic, and oleophobic features. Thus, surface functionalization with such advanced structuring methods is of significance to increase the performance and wide usage of large-area thin film coatings specifically for environmental remediation. In this review, we focus on methods to increase the efficiency of catalytic reactions in thin film and hence improve the performance in relevant applications while eliminating high cost with the purpose of widespread usage. However, we also include the most recent hybrid architectures, which have potential to make a transformational change in surface applications as soon as high quality and large area production techniques are available. Hence, we present and discuss research studies regarding both organic and inorganic methods that are used to structure thin films that have potential for large-area and eco-friendly coatings.

Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus species isolated from Lebanese dairy-based products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zouhairi, O; Saleh, I; Alwan, N; Toufeili, I; Barbour, E; Harakeh, S

2012-12-04

The study evaluated the antimicrobial resistance of molecularly characterized strains of Staphylococcus aureus and S. saprophyticus isolated from 3 Lebanese dairy-based food products that are sometimes consumed raw: kishk, shanklish and baladi cheese. Suspected Staphylococcus isolates were identified initially using standard biochemical tests, then strains that were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (29 S. aureus and 17 S. saprophyticus) were evaluated for their susceptibility to different antimicrobials. The highest levels of contamination with staphylococci were in baladi cheese. Resistance rates ranged from 67% to gentamicin to 94% to oxacillin and clindamycin. The results suggest that these locally made dairy-based foods may act as vehicles for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus spp.

Resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in house flies, Musca domestica L., (Diptera: Muscidae) collected from urban areas in Punjab, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Hafiz Azhar Ali; Akram, Waseem; Fatima, Ammara

2017-12-01

House flies are one of the major public health pests in urban settings. People usually use insecticides containing pyrethroids for the management of house flies; however, there is a lack of information on pyrethroid resistance in house flies from urban areas. In the present study, resistance to four pyrethroids (beta-cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, permethrin, transfluthrin) was assessed in house flies collected from urban areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Significant levels of resistance to all the pyrethroids were found in different strains of house flies. The resistance ratios (RRs) at the median lethal dose (LD 50 ) level were in the range of 5.25- to 11.02-fold for beta-cyfluthrin, 7.22- to 19.31-fold for deltamethrin, 5.36- to 16.04-fold for permethrin, and 9.05- to 35.50-fold for transfluthrin. Pairwise comparison of the log LD 50 s revealed a highly significant correlation (p house flies from urban areas of Punjab. Regular resistance monitoring surveys and integrated approaches for the management of house flies are needed to retain the efficacy of these insecticides for a longer period of time.

Productivity changes in OECD healthcare systems: bias-corrected Malmquist productivity approach.

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Kim, Younhee; Oh, Dong-Hyun; Kang, Minah

2016-10-01

This study evaluates productivity changes in the healthcare systems of 30 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries over the 2002-2012 periods. The bootstrapped Malmquist approach is used to estimate bias-corrected indices of healthcare performance in productivity, efficiency and technology by modifying the original distance functions. Two inputs (health expenditure and school life expectancy) and two outputs (life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate) are used to calculate productivity growth. There are no perceptible trends in productivity changes over the 2002-2012 periods, but positive productivity improvement has been noticed for most OECD countries. The result also informs considerable variations in annual productivity scores across the countries. Average annual productivity growth is evenly yielded by efficiency and technical changes, but both changes run somewhat differently across the years. The results of this study assert that policy reforms in OECD countries have improved productivity growth in healthcare systems over the past decade. Countries that lag behind in productivity growth should benchmark peer countries' practices to increase performance by prioritizing an achievable trajectory based on socioeconomic conditions. For example, relatively inefficient countries in this study indicate higher income inequality, corresponding to inequality and health outcomes studies. Although income inequality and globalization are not direct measures to estimate healthcare productivity in this study, these issues could be latent factors to explain cross-country healthcare productivity for future research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Variation in adult stress resistance does not explain vulnerability to climate change in copper butterflies.

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Klockmann, Michael; Wallmeyer, Leonard; Fischer, Klaus

2017-03-15

Ongoing climate change is a major threat to biodiversity. However, although many species clearly suffer from ongoing climate change, others benefit from it, for example, by showing range expansions. However, which specific features determine a species' vulnerability to climate change? Phenotypic plasticity, which has been described as the first line of defence against environmental change, may be of utmost importance here. Against this background, we here compare plasticity in stress tolerance in 3 copper butterfly species, which differ arguably in their vulnerability to climate change. Specifically, we investigated heat, cold and desiccation resistance after acclimatization to different temperatures in the adult stage. We demonstrate that acclimation at a higher temperature increased heat but decreased cold tolerance and desiccation resistance. Contrary to our predictions, species did not show pronounced variation in stress resistance, though plastic capacities in temperature stress resistance did vary across species. Overall, our results seemed to reflect population-rather than species-specific patterns. We conclude that the geographical origin of the populations used should be considered even in comparative studies. However, our results suggest that, in the 3 species studied here, vulnerability to climate change is not in the first place determined by stress resistance in the adult stage. As entomological studies focus all too often on adults only, we argue that more research effort should be dedicated to other developmental stages when trying to understand insect responses to environmental change. © 2017 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Antimicrobial resistance of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua from meat products and meat-processing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Diego; Azón, Ester; Marco, Noelia; Carramiñana, Juan J; Rota, Carmina; Ariño, Agustín; Yangüela, Javier

2014-09-01

A total of 336 Listeria isolates from ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products and meat-processing environments, consisting of 206 Listeria monocytogenes, and 130 Listeria innocua isolates, were characterized by disc diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for antimicrobial susceptibility against twenty antimicrobials. Resistance to one or two antimicrobials was observed in 71 L. monocytogenes isolates (34.5%), and 56 L. innocua isolates (43.1%). Multidrug resistance was identified in 24 Listeria isolates, 18 belonging to L. innocua (13.9%) and 6 to L. monocytogenes (2.9%). Oxacillin resistance was the most common resistance phenotype and was identified in 100% Listeria isolates. A medium prevalence of resistance to clindamycin (39.3% isolates) and low incidence of resistance to tetracycline (3.9% isolates) were also detected. Listeria isolates from RTE meat products displayed higher overall antimicrobial resistance (31.3%) than those from the environment (13.4%). All the strains assayed were sensitive to the preferred antibiotics used to treat listeriosis. Results showed that although antimicrobial resistance in L. monocytogenes still occurs at a low prevalence, L. innocua can form a reservoir of resistance genes which may transfer between bacterial species, including transference to organisms capable of causing disease in humans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contact-free sheet resistance determination of large area graphene layers by an open dielectric loaded microwave cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaforost, O.; Wang, K.; Adabi, M.; Guo, Z.; Hanham, S.; Klein, N.; Goniszewski, S.; Gallop, J.; Hao, L.

2015-01-01

A method for contact-free determination of the sheet resistance of large-area and arbitrary shaped wafers or sheets coated with graphene and other (semi) conducting ultrathin layers is described, which is based on an open dielectric loaded microwave cavity. The sample under test is exposed to the evanescent resonant field outside the cavity. A comparison with a closed cavity configuration revealed that radiation losses have no significant influence of the experimental results. Moreover, the microwave sheet resistance results show good agreement with the dc conductivity determined by four-probe van der Pauw measurements on a set of CVD samples transferred on quartz. As an example of a practical application, correlations between the sheet resistance and deposition conditions for CVD graphene transferred on quartz wafers are described. Our method has a high potential as measurement standard for contact-free sheet resistance measurement and mapping of large area graphene samples

Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) along the production chain of dairy products in north-western Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadopoulos, Panagiotis; Papadopoulos, Theofilos; Angelidis, Apostolos S; Boukouvala, Evridiki; Zdragas, Antonios; Papa, Anna; Hadjichristodoulou, Christos; Sergelidis, Daniel

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the production chain of dairy products. Of 367 tested samples (36 bulk tank milk (BTM), 19 dairy products, 72 human, 185 animal, 55 equipment), 212 (57.8%) were found positive for S. aureus. Almost all isolates (99.6%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial and 13.3% were multi-drug resistant (MDR), exhibiting resistance to three or more antibiotic classes. Eleven samples (3%) were found contaminated by MRSA carrying the mecA gene. None of the MRSA isolates carried the mecC or the Pandon-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) genes. Four spa types were identified among the MRSA isolates: t127, t3586, t1773, t4038, with t127 being the most prevalent (7 out of 11). Two of them, t3586 and t1773, were isolated for the first time in Greece. Furthermore, Pulse-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis indicated clonal circulation through the dairy production chain. The presence of MDR S. aureus, and especially MRSA, in animals and dairy products represents a potential threat for the spread of this pathogen in the community. The results indicated that human, animal and environmental sources could be involved in the contamination of dairy products along their production chain and therefore further investigation of contamination sources is needed to control the dispersion of MRSA in the community. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incrementally Detecting Change Types of Spatial Area Object: A Hierarchical Matching Method Considering Change Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanhui Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Detecting and extracting the change types of spatial area objects can track area objects’ spatiotemporal change pattern and provide the change backtracking mechanism for incrementally updating spatial datasets. To respond to the problems of high complexity of detection methods, high redundancy rate of detection factors, and the low automation degree during incrementally update process, we take into account the change process of area objects in an integrated way and propose a hierarchical matching method to detect the nine types of changes of area objects, while minimizing the complexity of the algorithm and the redundancy rate of detection factors. We illustrate in details the identification, extraction, and database entry of change types, and how we achieve a close connection and organic coupling of incremental information extraction and object type-of-change detection so as to characterize the whole change process. The experimental results show that this method can successfully detect incremental information about area objects in practical applications, with the overall accuracy reaching above 90%, which is much higher than the existing weighted matching method, making it quite feasible and applicable. It helps establish the corresponding relation between new-version and old-version objects, and facilitate the linked update processing and quality control of spatial data.

Anthelmintic resistance impact on tropical beef cattle productivity: effect on weight gain of weaned calves.

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Fernando A; Almeida, Gabriel D; Heckler, Rafael P; Lemes, Raul T; Onizuka, Marcel K V; Borges, Dyego G L

2013-03-01

The performance of grazing cattle in tropical areas is deeply influenced by parasitism, and the increasing reports of resistance are a threat to effective nematode control. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of avermectins on the performance of weaned calves naturally infected by ivermectin-resistant gastrointestinal nematodes. The effect of four commercial endectocides (ivermectin 2.25 % + abamectin 1.25 %, ivermectin 3.15 %, doramectin 3.15 %, and doramectin 1 %) on parasitism and performance of a hundred weaned Nellore calves were evaluated during 112 days. The most effective anthelmintic showed efficacy of 84 % and resulted in an increase (P < 0.05) of live weight gain of 11.85 kg, compared to untreated group, 9.05 and 9.41 kg compared to those treated with more ineffective avermectins which showed efficacy of 0 and 48.2 %, respectively. A significant (P < 0.05) and weak negative correlation (r = -0.22) between the eggs per gram (EPG) and body weight was observed, indicating that even the low mean EPG (175 ± 150) observed at day 0 in the control group, with predominance of Haemonchus sp., was responsible for production losses. These results indicate that control of nematode parasites in beef cattle in the weaning phase may not result in increased productivity when carried out without technical criteria.

International spread of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Schwarzengrund in food products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Hendriksen, Rene S.; Lockett, Jana

2007-01-01

We compared 581 Salmonella enterica serotype Schwarzengrund isolates from persons, food, and food animals in Denmark, Thailand, and the United States by antimicrobial drug susceptibility and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing. Resistance, including resistance to nalidixic acid......, was frequent among isolates from persons and chickens in Thailand, persons in the United States, and food imported from Thailand to Denmark and the United States. A total of 183 PFGE patterns were observed, and 136 (23.4%) isolates had the 3 most common patterns. Seven of 14 isolates from persons in Denmark...... had patterns found in persons and chicken meat in Thailand; 22 of 390 human isolates from the United States had patterns found in Denmark and Thailand. This study suggests spread of multidrug-resistant S. Schwarzengrund from chickens to persons in Thailand, and from imported Thai food products...

A probabilistic approach to assess antibiotic resistance development risks in environmental compartments and its application to an intensive aquaculture production scenario.

Science.gov (United States)

Rico, Andreu; Jacobs, Rianne; Van den Brink, Paul J; Tello, Alfredo

2017-12-01

Estimating antibiotic pollution and antibiotic resistance development risks in environmental compartments is important to design management strategies that advance our stewardship of antibiotics. In this study we propose a modelling approach to estimate the risk of antibiotic resistance development in environmental compartments and demonstrate its application in aquaculture production systems. We modelled exposure concentrations for 12 antibiotics used in Vietnamese Pangasius catfish production using the ERA-AQUA model. Minimum selective concentration (MSC) distributions that characterize the selective pressure of antibiotics on bacterial communities were derived from the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) Minimum Inhibitory Concentration dataset. The antibiotic resistance development risk (RDR) for each antibiotic was calculated as the probability that the antibiotic exposure distribution exceeds the MSC distribution representing the bacterial community. RDRs in pond sediments were nearly 100% for all antibiotics. Median RDR values in pond water were high for the majority of the antibiotics, with rifampicin, levofloxacin and ampicillin having highest values. In the effluent mixing area, RDRs were low for most antibiotics, with the exception of amoxicillin, ampicillin and trimethoprim, which presented moderate risks, and rifampicin and levofloxacin, which presented high risks. The RDR provides an efficient means to benchmark multiple antibiotics and treatment regimes in the initial phase of a risk assessment with regards to their potential to develop resistance in different environmental compartments, and can be used to derive resistance threshold concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examination of Electrical Resistance of Carburizers Used for Cast Iron Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Książek D.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The publication presents the results of examination of selected carburizers used for cast iron production with respect to their electric resistance. Both the synthetic graphite carburizers and petroleum coke (petcoke carburizers of various chemical composition were compared. The relationships between electrical resistance of tested carburizers and their quality were found. The graphite carburizers exhibited much better conductivity than the petcoke ones. Resistance characteristics were different for the different types of carburizers. The measurements were performed according to the authors’ own method based on recording the electric current flow through the compressed samples. The samples of the specified diameter were put under pressure of the gradually increased value (10, 20, 50, 60, and finally 70 bar, each time the corresponding value of electric resistance being measured with a gauge of high accuracy, equal to 0.1μΩ. The higher pressure values resulted in the lower values of resistance. The relation between both the thermal conductance and the electrical conductance (or the resistance is well known and mentioned in the professional literature. The results were analysed and presented both in tabular and, additionally, in graphic form.

Resistance training intensity and volume affect changes in rate of force development in resistance-trained men.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangine, Gerald T; Hoffman, Jay R; Wang, Ran; Gonzalez, Adam M; Townsend, Jeremy R; Wells, Adam J; Jajtner, Adam R; Beyer, Kyle S; Boone, Carleigh H; Miramonti, Amelia A; LaMonica, Michael B; Fukuda, David H; Ratamess, Nicholas A; Stout, Jeffrey R

2016-12-01

To compare the effects of two different resistance training programs, high intensity (INT) and high volume (VOL), on changes in isometric force (FRC), rate of force development (RFD), and barbell velocity during dynamic strength testing. Twenty-nine resistance-trained men were randomly assigned to either the INT (n = 15, 3-5 RM, 3-min rest interval) or VOL (n = 14, 10-12 RM, 1-min rest interval) training group for 8 weeks. All participants completed a 2-week preparatory phase prior to randomization. Measures of barbell velocity, FRC, and RFD were performed before (PRE) and following (POST) the 8-week training program. Barbell velocity was determined during one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing of the squat (SQ) and bench press (BP) exercises. The isometric mid-thigh pull was used to assess FRC and RFD at specific time bands ranging from 0 to 30, 50, 90, 100, 150, 200, and 250 ms. Analysis of covariance revealed significant (p velocity. Results indicate that INT is more advantageous than VOL for improving FRC and RFD, while changes in barbell velocity during dynamic strength testing are similarly improved by both protocols in resistance-trained men.

Resistance to Change of Responding Maintained by Unsignaled Delays to Reinforcement: A Response-Bout Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Podlesnik, Christopher A.; Jimenez-Gomez, Corina; Ward, Ryan D.; Shahan, Timothy A.

2006-01-01

Previous experiments have shown that unsignaled delayed reinforcement decreases response rates and resistance to change. However, the effects of different delays to reinforcement on underlying response structure have not been investigated in conjunction with tests of resistance to change. In the present experiment, pigeons responded on a…

Soil microbial communities drive the resistance of ecosystem multifunctionality to global change in drylands across the globe.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel; Eldridge, David J; Ochoa, Victoria; Gozalo, Beatriz; Singh, Brajesh K; Maestre, Fernando T

2017-10-01

The relationship between soil microbial communities and the resistance of multiple ecosystem functions linked to C, N and P cycling (multifunctionality resistance) to global change has never been assessed globally in natural ecosystems. We collected soils from 59 dryland ecosystems worldwide to investigate the importance of microbial communities as predictor of multifunctionality resistance to climate change and nitrogen fertilisation. Multifunctionality had a lower resistance to wetting-drying cycles than to warming or N deposition. Multifunctionality resistance was regulated by changes in microbial composition (relative abundance of phylotypes) but not by richness, total abundance of fungi and bacteria or the fungal: bacterial ratio. Our results suggest that positive effects of particular microbial taxa on multifunctionality resistance could potentially be controlled by altering soil pH. Together, our work demonstrates strong links between microbial community composition and multifunctionality resistance in dryland soils from six continents, and provides insights into the importance of microbial community composition for buffering effects of global change in drylands worldwide. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

75 FR 18153 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products from the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-09

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-818] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products from the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of... countervailing duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from Korea. See Countervailing...

77 FR 16810 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time...

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2012-03-22

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-818] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of... Register the countervailing duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from Korea...

76 FR 20954 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-14

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-818] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of... Register the countervailing duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from Korea...

Resistance of Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis to nitric oxide: correlation with antimony therapy and TNF-α production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilson Mary E

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Nitric oxide (NO produced in macrophages plays a pivotal role as a leishmanicidal agent. A previous study has demonstrated that 20% of the L. (V. braziliensis isolated from initial cutaneous lesions of patients from the endemic area of Corte de Pedra, Bahia, Brazil, were NO resistant. Additionally, 5 to 11% of the patients did not respond to three or more antimony treatments" (refractory patients. The aim of this study is to investigate if there is an association between the resistance of L. (V. braziliensis to NO and nonresponsiveness to antimony therapy and cytokine production. Methods We evaluated the in vitro toxicity of NO against the promastigotes stages of L. (V. braziliensis isolated from responsive and refractory patients, and the infectivity of the amastigote forms of these isolates against human macrophages. The supernatants from Leishmania infected macrophage were used to measure TNF-α and IL-10 levels. Results Using NaNO2 (pH 5.0 as the NO source, L. (V. braziliensis isolated from refractory patients were more NO resistant (IC50 = 5.8 ± 4.8 than L. (V. braziliensis isolated from responsive patients (IC50 = 2.0 ± 1.4. Four isolates were selected to infect human macrophages: NO-susceptible and NO-resistant L. (V. braziliensis isolated from responsive and refractory patients. NO-resistant L. (V. braziliensis isolated from refractory patients infected more macrophages stimulated with LPS and IFN-γ at 120 hours than NO-susceptible L. (V. braziliensis isolated from refractory patients. Also, lower levels of TNF-α were detected in supernatants of macrophages infected with NO-resistant L. (V. braziliensis as compared to macrophages infected with NO-susceptible L. (V. braziliensis (p Conclusion These data suggest that NO resistance could be related to the nonresponsiveness to antimony therapy seen in American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis.

Resistance to change in language teaching: some African case ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The conviction with which teachers justify their traditional styles of teaching suggests that they do not teach without deliberation. This presentation looks in some detail at two investigations that serve as case studies for this phenomenon. Is resistance to change in language teaching unique to the African continent? It appears ...

Determination of the dried product resistance variability and its influence on the product temperature in pharmaceutical freeze-drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Scutellà, Bernadette; Trelea, Ioan Cristian; Bourlès, Erwan; Fonseca, Fernanda; Passot, Stephanie

2018-07-01

During the primary drying step of the freeze-drying process, mass transfer resistance strongly affects the product temperature, and consequently the final product quality. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the variability of the mass transfer resistance resulting from the dried product layer (R p ) in a manufacturing batch of vials, and its potential effect on the product temperature, from data obtained in a pilot scale freeze-dryer. Sublimation experiments were run at -25 °C and 10 Pa using two different freezing protocols: with spontaneous or controlled ice nucleation. Five repetitions of each condition were performed. Global (pressure rise test) and local (gravimetric) methods were applied as complementary approaches to estimate R p . The global method allowed to assess variability of the evolution of R p with the dried layer thickness between different experiments whereas the local method informed about R p variability at a fixed time within the vial batch. A product temperature variability of approximately ±4.4 °C was defined for a product dried layer thickness of 5 mm. The present approach can be used to estimate the risk of failure of the process due to mass transfer variability when designing freeze-drying cycle. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aging changes in hormone production

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004000.htm Aging changes in hormone production To use the sharing ... that produce hormones are controlled by other hormones. Aging also changes this process. For example, an endocrine ...

Hydrogen peroxide production regulates the mitochondrial function in insulin resistant muscle cells: effect of catalase overexpression.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Marina R; Sampaio, Igor H; Teodoro, Bruno G; Sousa, Thais A; Zoppi, Claudio C; Queiroz, André L; Passos, Madla A; Alberici, Luciane C; Teixeira, Felipe R; Manfiolli, Adriana O; Batista, Thiago M; Cappelli, Ana Paula Gameiro; Reis, Rosana I; Frasson, Danúbia; Kettelhut, Isis C; Parreiras-e-Silva, Lucas T; Costa-Neto, Claudio M; Carneiro, Everardo M; Curi, Rui; Silveira, Leonardo R

2013-10-01

The mitochondrial redox state plays a central role in the link between mitochondrial overloading and insulin resistance. However, the mechanism by which the ROS induce insulin resistance in skeletal muscle cells is not completely understood. We examined the association between mitochondrial function and H2O2 production in insulin resistant cells. Our hypothesis is that the low mitochondrial oxygen consumption leads to elevated ROS production by a mechanism associated with reduced PGC1α transcription and low content of phosphorylated CREB. The cells were transfected with either the encoded sequence for catalase overexpression or the specific siRNA for catalase inhibition. After transfection, myotubes were incubated with palmitic acid (500μM) and the insulin response, as well as mitochondrial function and fatty acid metabolism, was determined. The low mitochondrial oxygen consumption led to elevated ROS production by a mechanism associated with β-oxidation of fatty acids. Rotenone was observed to reduce the ratio of ROS production. The elevated H2O2 production markedly decreased the PGC1α transcription, an effect that was accompanied by a reduced phosphorylation of Akt and CREB. The catalase transfection prevented the reduction in the phosphorylated level of Akt and upregulated the levels of phosphorylated CREB. The mitochondrial function was elevated and H2O2 production reduced, thus increasing the insulin sensitivity. The catalase overexpression improved mitochondrial respiration protecting the cells from fatty acid-induced, insulin resistance. This effect indicates that control of hydrogen peroxide production regulates the mitochondrial respiration preventing the insulin resistance in skeletal muscle cells by a mechanism associated with CREB phosphorylation and β-oxidation of fatty acids. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A New Ala-122-Asn Amino Acid Change Confers Decreased Fitness to ALS-Resistant Echinochloa crus-galli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Panozzo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Gene mutations conferring herbicide resistance may cause pleiotropic effects on plant fitness. Knowledge of these effects is important for managing the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds. An Echinochloa crus-galli population resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS herbicides was collected in a maize field in north-eastern Italy and the cross-resistance pattern, resistance mechanism and fitness costs associated to mutant-resistant plants under field conditions in the presence or absence of intra-specific competition were determined. The study reports for the first time the Ala-122-Asn amino-acid change in the ALS gene that confers high levels of cross-resistance to all ALS inhibitors tested. Results of 3-year growth analysis showed that mutant resistant E. crus-galli plants had a delayed development in comparison with susceptible plants and this was registered in both competitive (3, 7, and 20 plants m-2 and non-competitive (spaced plants situations. The number of panicles produced by resistant plants was also lower (about 40% fewer panicles than susceptible plants under no-intraspecific competition. Instead, with the increasing competition level, the difference in panicle production at harvest time decreased until it became negligible at 20 plants m-2. Evaluation of total dry biomass as well as biomass allocation in vegetative parts did not highlight any difference between resistant and susceptible plants. Instead, panicle dry weight was higher in susceptible plants indicating that they allocated more biomass than resistant ones to the reproductive organs, especially in no-competition and in competition situations at lower plant densities. The different fitness between resistant and susceptible phenotypes suggests that keeping the infestation density as low as possible can increase the reproduction success of the susceptible phenotype and therefore contribute to lowering the ratio between resistant and susceptible alleles. If adequately

A New Ala-122-Asn Amino Acid Change Confers Decreased Fitness to ALS-Resistant Echinochloa crus-galli.

Science.gov (United States)

Panozzo, Silvia; Scarabel, Laura; Rosan, Valentina; Sattin, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Gene mutations conferring herbicide resistance may cause pleiotropic effects on plant fitness. Knowledge of these effects is important for managing the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds. An Echinochloa crus-galli population resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS) herbicides was collected in a maize field in north-eastern Italy and the cross-resistance pattern, resistance mechanism and fitness costs associated to mutant-resistant plants under field conditions in the presence or absence of intra-specific competition were determined. The study reports for the first time the Ala-122-Asn amino-acid change in the ALS gene that confers high levels of cross-resistance to all ALS inhibitors tested. Results of 3-year growth analysis showed that mutant resistant E. crus-galli plants had a delayed development in comparison with susceptible plants and this was registered in both competitive (3, 7, and 20 plants m -2 ) and non-competitive (spaced plants) situations. The number of panicles produced by resistant plants was also lower (about 40% fewer panicles) than susceptible plants under no-intraspecific competition. Instead, with the increasing competition level, the difference in panicle production at harvest time decreased until it became negligible at 20 plants m -2 . Evaluation of total dry biomass as well as biomass allocation in vegetative parts did not highlight any difference between resistant and susceptible plants. Instead, panicle dry weight was higher in susceptible plants indicating that they allocated more biomass than resistant ones to the reproductive organs, especially in no-competition and in competition situations at lower plant densities. The different fitness between resistant and susceptible phenotypes suggests that keeping the infestation density as low as possible can increase the reproduction success of the susceptible phenotype and therefore contribute to lowering the ratio between resistant and susceptible alleles. If adequately embedded in a

Implications of climate change for agricultural productivity in the early twenty-first century.

Science.gov (United States)

Gornall, Jemma; Betts, Richard; Burke, Eleanor; Clark, Robin; Camp, Joanne; Willett, Kate; Wiltshire, Andrew

2010-09-27

This paper reviews recent literature concerning a wide range of processes through which climate change could potentially impact global-scale agricultural productivity, and presents projections of changes in relevant meteorological, hydrological and plant physiological quantities from a climate model ensemble to illustrate key areas of uncertainty. Few global-scale assessments have been carried out, and these are limited in their ability to capture the uncertainty in climate projections, and omit potentially important aspects such as extreme events and changes in pests and diseases. There is a lack of clarity on how climate change impacts on drought are best quantified from an agricultural perspective, with different metrics giving very different impressions of future risk. The dependence of some regional agriculture on remote rainfall, snowmelt and glaciers adds to the complexity. Indirect impacts via sea-level rise, storms and diseases have not been quantified. Perhaps most seriously, there is high uncertainty in the extent to which the direct effects of CO(2) rise on plant physiology will interact with climate change in affecting productivity. At present, the aggregate impacts of climate change on global-scale agricultural productivity cannot be reliably quantified.

How Could Agricultural Land Systems Contribute to Raise Food Production Under Global Change?

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WU Wen-bin; YU Qiang-yi; Verburg H Peter; YOU Liang-zhi; YANG Peng; TANG Hua-jun

2014-01-01

To feed the increasing world population, more food needs to be produced from agricultural land systems. Solutions to produce more food with fewer resources while minimizing adverse environmental and ecological consequences require sustainable agricultural land use practices as supplementary to advanced biotechnology and agronomy. This review paper, from a land system perspective, systematically proposed and analyzed three interactive strategies that could possibly raise future food production under global change. By reviewing the current literatures, we suggest that cropland expansion is less possible amid iferce land competition, and it is likely to do less in increasing food production. Moreover, properly allocating crops in space and time is a practical way to ensure food production. Climate change, dietary shifts, and other socio-economic drivers, which would shape the demand and supply side of food systems, should be taken into consideration during the decision-making on rational land management in respect of sustainable crop choice and allocation. And ifnally, crop-speciifc agricultural intensiifcation would play a bigger role in raising future food production either by increasing the yield per unit area of individual crops or by increasing the number of crops sown on a particular area of land. Yet, only when it is done sustainably is this a much more effective strategy to maximize food production by closing yield and harvest gaps.

77 FR 25405 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-30

... antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from the Republic of Korea, covering... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-816] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limit for the Preliminary Results of...

76 FR 21332 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-15

... antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from the Republic of Korea, covering... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-816] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limits for the Preliminary Results of...

75 FR 25841 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-10

... antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from the Republic of Korea, covering... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-816] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limits for the Preliminary Results of...

77 FR 25141 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Germany and South Korea: Extension of Time...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-27

...-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Germany and South Korea: Extension of Time Limits for Preliminary...) orders on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from Germany and South Korea (Korea... from Germany and South Korea: Adequacy Redetermination Memorandum,'' (April 20, 2012). The preliminary...

Matter accumulation and changes of assimilation product transport and carbohydrate regime in barley plants as induced by infection with Puccinia striiformis West

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schubert, J. (Akademie der Landwirtschaftswissenschaften der DDR, Aschersleben. Inst. fuer Phytopathologie)

1982-01-01

Accumulation of nuclides (/sup 32/P, /sup 14/C), /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ assimilation and /sup 14/C transport were studied in several barley cultivars differing in their resistance to yellow rust. Increased matter accumulation was found in the rust pustules. Mycelium was proved by means of autoradiography. Infection causes changes with regard to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ assimilation, carbohydrate regime and transport of /sup 14/C assimilation products. Certain relationships exist between these changes and plant resistance to yellow rust. During germination the rust uredospores release substances, particularly amino acids, to be transported in the plant.

The roles of natural areas in a changing climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollard, D.F.W.

1991-01-01

Natural areas are protected sites which are integral parts of a systematic network representing the diversity of natural environments. They are relatively undisturbed by man, selected according to ecological criteria, have assured permanency, are set aside mainly for scientific and educational purposes, and harbor genetic materials of value to society. In the Pacific Northwest, natural areas have been established by the United States Forest Service and the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment and include national parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, and wild rivers. A change in climate will undoubtedly create a mismatch between climatic regions and vegetation and wildlife occupying them. The distribution of plant and animal species will change. Species and communities that will be most affected by climatic change include those at the contracting periphery of the species range, genetically impoverished or highly sensitive species, annual plants, and Arctic and coastal communities. Most species will disperse from existing locations, with variable and unpredictable results. It is conceivable that natural areas will evolve from their current role as refuges to a new role as centers of diversity from which genes migrate into a changing world. Natural areas also serve as a base for biomonitoring of long-term environmental changes and for assessing effects of interventions such as acid precipitation. 32 refs

Surgeons' efficiency change is a major determinant of their productivity change.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakata, Yoshinori; Watanabe, Yuichi; Narimatsu, Hiroto; Yoshimura, Tatsuya; Otake, Hiroshi; Sawa, Tomohiro

2016-05-09

Purpose - The sustainability of the Japanese healthcare system is in question because the government has had a huge fiscal debt. Despite an enormous effort to cut the deficit, our healthcare expenditure is increasing every year because of the rapidly aging population. One of the solutions for this problem is to improve the productivity of healthcare. The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that change surgeons' productivity in one year. Design/methodology/approach - The authors collected data of all surgical procedures performed at Teikyo University Hospital from April 1 through September 30 in 2014 and 2015, and computed the surgeons' Malmquist index (MI), efficiency change (EC) and technical change (TC) using non-radial and non-oriented Malmquist model under the constant returns-to-scale assumptions. The authors then divided the surgeons into two groups; one whose productivity progressed and the other whose productivity regressed. These two groups were compared to identify factors that may influence their MI. Findings - The only significant difference between the two groups was ECs (p productivity change. The best way to improve surgeons' productivity may be to enhance their efficiency regardless of their surgical volume and personal backgrounds.

Annual cropped area expansion and agricultural production ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management ... considerable annual increase of varying extent over time and space for both annual output and area ... The study suggests improving productivity through sustainable agricultural ...

Identification and Antimicrobial Resistance of Bacteria Isolated from Probiotic Products Used in Shrimp Culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noor Uddin, Gazi Md; Larsen, Marianne Halberg; Christensen, Henrik

2015-01-01

Probiotics are increasingly used in aquaculture to control diseases and improve feed digestion and pond water quality; however, little is known about the antimicrobial resistance properties of such probiotic bacteria and to what extent they may contribute to the development of bacterial resistance...... in aquaculture ponds. Concerns have been raised that the declared information on probiotic product labels are incorrect and information on bacterial composition are often missing. We therefore evaluated seven probiotics commonly used in Vietnamese shrimp culture for their bacterial species content, phenotypic....... used to identify resistance genes and genetic elements associated with horizontal gene transfer. Thirteen bacterial species declared on the probiotic products could not be identified and 11 non-declared Bacillus spp. were identified. Although our culture-based isolation and identification may have...

The impact of industrial oil development on a protected area landscape: A case study on human population growth and landscape level change in Murchison Falls Conservation Area, Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Dowhaniuk, Nicholas; Hartter, Joel; Congalton, Russell G.; Palace, Michael W.; Ryan, Sadie J.

2016-04-01

Protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa are sanctuaries for rich biodiversity and are important economic engines for African nations, but they are becoming increasingly threatened by discoveries of mineral deposits within and nearby their boundaries. In 2006, viable oil reserves were discovered in Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) in northern Uganda. Exploratory and appraisal activities concluded in 2014, and production is expected to begin in 2016. The oil development is associated with a substantial increase in human population outside MFCA, with people seeking jobs, land, and economic opportunity. Concomitant with this change is increased truck traffic, a sprawling and denser road network, and infrastructure within the park, which could have large impacts on both the flora and fauna. We examined the broader protected area landscape and the potential feedbacks from resource development on the ecosystem and local livelihoods. Our analysis combines a land cover analysis using Object Based Image Analysis of Landsat data (2002 and 2014), migration patterns and population change (1959-2014), and qualitative interview data. Our results suggest that most of the larger-scale impacts on the landscape and people are occurring in the western and northern sections, both inside and outside of the park. Additionally, oil development is not the only factor in the region influencing population growth and landscape change. Post conflict regrowth in the north, sugarcane production in the south, and migration to this region from conflict-ridden neighboring countries are also playing a vital role in human migration shaping the MFCA Landscape. Understanding the social and environmental changes and impacts in the MFCA and its surrounding areas will add to limited literature on the impacts of resource extraction on local, subsistence communities and landscape level change, which will be important as access and pressure for oil and minerals within protected areas continues to rise.

Enhancing motivation for change in treatment-resistant eating disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitousek, K; Watson, S; Wilson, G T

1998-06-01

Denial and resistance to change are prominent features in most patients with anorexia nervosa. The egosyntonic quality of symptoms can contribute to inaccuracy in self-report, avoidance of treatment, difficulties in establishing a therapeutic relationship, and high rates of attrition and relapse. Individuals with bulimia nervosa are typically more motivated to recover, but often ambivalent about forfeiting the ideal of slenderness and the protective functions of binge-purge behavior. Few attempts have been made to assess denial and resistance in the eating disorders, or to examine alternative strategies for enhancing motivation to change. Review of the clinical literature indicates a striking convergence of recommendations across conceptually distinct treatment approaches. Clinicians are encouraged to acquire a frame of reference that can help them understand the private experience of individuals with eating disorders, empathize with their distress at the prospect of weight gain, and acknowledge the difficulty of change. The Socratic method seems particularly well-suited to work with this population because of its emphasis on collaboration, openness, curiosity, patience, focused and systematic inquiry, and individual discovery. Four themes are crucial in engaging reluctant eating-disordered clients in therapy: the provision of psychoeducational material, an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of symptoms, the explicit use of experimental strategies, and an exploration of personal values.

Net Farm Income Analysis of Maize Production in Gwagwalada Area ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Net Farm Income Analysis of Maize Production in Gwagwalada Area Council of Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. OO Alabi, AAA Coker, ME Idegbesor. Abstract. This study examined net farm income of maize production in Gwagwalada Area Council of Federal Capital Territory. The specific objectives are to: identify the ...

Rural Poultry Production in Ondo South Senatorial District Area of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Rural Poultry Production in Ondo South Senatorial District Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. ... African Journal of Livestock Extension ... The need to obtain baseline information on rural poultry with respect to their population and the production potentials of the indigenous chicken under the village conditions in Ondo Area formed ...

77 FR 31877 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Germany and Korea; Scheduling of Full Five...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-30

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 701-TA-350 and 731-TA-616 and 618 (Third Review)] Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Germany and Korea; Scheduling of Full Five-Year Reviews... corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Korea and the antidumping duty orders on corrosion...

Globalization, structural change, and productivity growth:

OpenAIRE

McMillan, Margaret; Rodrik, Dani

2012-01-01

Large gaps in labor productivity between the traditional and modern parts of the economy are a fundamental reality of developing societies. In this paper, we document these gaps and emphasize that labor flows from low-productivity activities to high-productivity activities are a key driver of development. Our results show that since 1990 structural change has been growth-reducing in both Africa and Latin America, with the most striking changes taking place in Latin America. The bulk of the di...

A change in temperature modulates defence to yellow (stripe) rust in wheat line UC1041 independently of resistance gene Yr36.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Ruth R M; McGrann, Graham R D; Mitchell, Alice R; Schoonbeek, Henk-Jan; Boyd, Lesley A; Uauy, Cristobal; Dorling, Steve; Ridout, Christopher J

2014-01-08

Rust diseases are of major importance in wheat production worldwide. With the constant evolution of new rust strains and their adaptation to higher temperatures, consistent and durable disease resistance is a key challenge. Environmental conditions affect resistance gene performance, but the basis for this is poorly understood. Here we show that a change in day temperature affects wheat resistance to Puccinia striiformis f. sp tritici (Pst), the causal agent of yellow (or stripe) rust. Using adult plants of near-isogenic lines UC1041 +/- Yr36, there was no significant difference between Pst percentage uredia coverage in plants grown at day temperatures of 18°C or 25°C in adult UC1041 + Yr36 plants. However, when plants were transferred to the lower day temperature at the time of Pst inoculation, infection increased up to two fold. Interestingly, this response was independent of Yr36, which has previously been reported as a temperature-responsive resistance gene as Pst development in adult UC1041 -Yr36 plants was similarly affected by the plants experiencing a temperature reduction. In addition, UC1041 -Yr36 plants grown at the lower temperature then transferred to the higher temperature were effectively resistant and a temperature change in either direction was shown to affect Pst development up to 8 days prior to inoculation. Results for seedlings were similar, but more variable compared to adult plants. Enhanced resistance to Pst was observed in seedlings of UC1041 and the cultivar Shamrock when transferred to the higher temperature. Resistance was not affected in seedlings of cultivar Solstice by a temperature change in either direction. Yr36 is effective at 18°C, refining the lower range of temperature at which resistance against Pst is conferred compared to previous studies. Results reveal previously uncharacterised defence temperature sensitivity in the UC1041 background which is caused by a change in temperature and independently of Yr36. This novel

Polarization and resistivity measurements of post-crystallization changes in amorphous Fe-B-Si alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattoraj, I.; Bhattamishra, A.K.; Mitra, A.

1993-01-01

The effects of grain growth and compositional changes on the electrochemical behavior and the resistivity of amorphous iron-boron-silicon (Fe 77.5 B 15 Si 7.5 ) alloys after crystallization were studied. Deterioration of the protective passive film was observed, along with increased annealing. Potentiodynamic polarization provided excellent information about microstructural and chemical changes. It was concluded that electrochemical measurements could be used in conjunction with resistivity measurements in direct studies of grain growth and chemical changes occurring in different phases of the devitrified alloy

The Effect of 8 Weeks Resistance Training with HMB Supplementary Product on Changes in Growth Hormone and Testosteron Over Un athlete Males

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R. Assad

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 8 weeks resistance training program with HMB supplementary product on changes in Growth hormone and testosterone over non athlete males. This  presented research is a semi-experimental research and due to this matter 20 non athlete males participated voluntary  for this research and were divided into 2 groups, experimental groups (n=10 with an average age of 75/28±39/1 years, height 83/179±30/0 centimeters, weight 23/84+-58/3 kilograms and fat percentage 21/29±97/5,2: control group(n=10 with an average of 28+-14/2 years, height 25/180±71/3 centimeters , weight 23/84±58/3 kg and fat percentage 21/29±97/5.both groups performed 8 weeks resistance training  protocol ( 5 moves,3 times per a week, with  an intensity level of 50 to 80% 1RM. The experimental group during the research took 3 gr HMB supplement daily .a drug index is used for the control group. before  the exercise and  48 h after the last training session blood sample was taken from their left  forearm vein while fasting. at last growth hormone and testosterone serum dosage  was analyzed via a micro wells (made in U.S.A. Beside growth hormone and testosterone, fat percentage, BMI and vo2 max  were analyzed before and after the experiment. The analyzed rate via T TEST showed that the usage of HMB supplement doesn’t have a significant effect on GH,TH, FAT PERCENTAGE, BMI, and vo2 max. This presented information doesn’t recommend the HMB supplement dose for increasing level of growth and testosterone serum.

Activation of Antibiotic Production in Bacillus spp. by Cumulative Drug Resistance Mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tojo, Shigeo; Tanaka, Yukinori; Ochi, Kozo

2015-12-01

Bacillus subtilis strains produce a wide range of antibiotics, including ribosomal and nonribosomal peptide antibiotics, as well as bacilysocin and neotrehalosadiamine. Mutations in B. subtilis strain 168 that conferred resistance to drugs such as streptomycin and rifampin resulted in overproduction of the dipeptide antibiotic bacilysin. Cumulative drug resistance mutations, such as mutations in the mthA and rpsL genes, which confer low- and high-level resistance, respectively, to streptomycin, and mutations in rpoB, which confer resistance to rifampin, resulted in cells that overproduced bacilysin. Transcriptional analysis demonstrated that the enhanced transcription of biosynthesis genes was responsible for the overproduction of bacilysin. This approach was effective also in activating the cryptic genes of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, leading to actual production of antibiotic(s). Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Long-term changes in community assembly, resistance, and resilience following experimental floods.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Christopher T

2012-10-01

This study examined the long-term changes in community assembly, resistance, and resilience of macroinvertebrates following 10 years of experimental floods in a flow regulated river. Physico-chemistry, macroinvertebrates, and periphyton biomass were monitored before and sequentially after each of 22 floods, and drift/seston was collected during six separate floods over the study period. The floods reduced the density and taxon richness of macroinvertebrates, and a nonmetric dimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis distinguished temporal shifts in community assembly. Resistance (measured as the relative lack of loss in density) tofloods varied among taxa, and the abundance of resistant taxa was related to the temporal changes in community assembly. Community resistance was inversely related to flood magnitude with all larger floods (> 25 m3/s, > 16-fold over baseflow) reducing densities by > 75% regardless of flood year, whereas smaller floods (floods. No relationship was found between flood magnitude and the relative loss in periphyton biomass. Resilience was defined as the recovery slope (positive slope of a parameter with time following each flood) and was unrelated to shifts in community assembly or resistance. Macroinvertebrate drift and seston demonstrated hysteresis (i.e., a temporal response in parameter quantity with change in discharge) during each flood, although larger floods typically had two peaks in both parameters. The first peak was a response to the initial increases in flow, whereas the second peak was associated with streambed disturbance (substrate mobility) and side-slope failure causing increased scour. Drift density was 3-9 times greater and that of seston 3-30 times greater during larger floods than smaller floods. These results demonstrate temporal shifts in macroinvertebrate community assembly toward a pre-dam assemblage following sequential floods in this flow regulated river, thus confirming the ecological role of habitat filtering in

77 FR 71691 - Type Certification Procedures for Changed Products

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-04

...-8994; Amdt. No. 21-96] RIN 2120-AK19 Type Certification Procedures for Changed Products AGENCY: Federal... regulations for the certification of changes to type-certificated products. That amendment was to enhance... (certification) of the entire changed product. Therefore, Sec. 21.101 is amended to replace ``changed product...

BIOCIDAL PRODUCTS – IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR USAGE IN THE ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE INITIATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Dumitrache

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Biocidal products are necessary in our lives in order to protect us against pathogenic microorganisms. But their use must be subject to a strict regulation because their harmful potential on human and animal health and environment is huge. Biocidal products must be authorized by a competent authority before placing them on the market and all active substances from their composition must be tested and certified to ensure they are in compliance with regulatory requirements in the field. Also biocides, with antimicrobials, may be involved in causing the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance. Their misuse can lead to the emergence of resistant organisms, through mechanisms similar to those that appear in incorrect treatment with antibiotics. We should, therefore, be aware of this aspect particularly important to prevent unwanted effects of cross resistance to antibiotics and biocides. The more so as, lately, there are pulled many alarm signals about the fact that, in a very short time, mankind is in danger of remaining without the main arsenal for fighting harmful microorganisms.

Adapting the Melon Production Model to Climate Change in Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ngo, AT.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Embedded in a package of climate change adaptation, researchers and farmers tested the melon hybrid variety, Kim Hoang Hau (KHH, for yield and disease resistance during the spring-summer season from March to June 2015 in Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh province. The results were analysed and subsequently discussed with local farmers in focused groups. Analysis showed that the KHH was suitable to local soil conditions. The farmers preferred this new variety over the local melon, because not only did KHH give higher yield and pest resistance, it also showed less vulnerability to climatic stressors. Farmers decided to grow KHH based on the prevailing good market price at that time. However, farmers only shifted away from the old melon when they could anticipate the possibility of selling the new product. Those who did not continue with the KHH had difficulty in actively accessing the market for this new product. This study suggests that the market information does not solely drive the process of the adaptation itself, but it also provides relevant stimuli to farmers enabling them to successfully shift to new crop varieties. This study also implies that such process-based understanding is crucial in formulating strategies that increase the farmer's capacity to adapt to climate change.

Chronological change of electrical resistance in GeCu2Te3 amorphous film induced by surface oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Yuta; Shindo, Satoshi; Sutou, Yuji; Koike, Junichi

2014-01-01

Unusual chronological electrical resistance change behavior was investigated for amorphous GeCu 2 Te 3 phase change material. More than a 1 order decrease of electrical resistance was observed in the air even at room temperature. The resistance of the amorphous film gradually increased with increasing temperature and then showed a drop upon crystallization. Such unusual behavior was attributed to the oxidation of the amorphous GeCu 2 Te 3 film. From the compositional depth profile measurement, the GeCu 2 Te 3 film without any capping layer was oxidized in air at room temperature and the formed oxide was mainly composed of germanium oxide. Consequently, a highly-conductive Cu-rich layer was formed in the vicinity of the surface of the film, which reduced the total resistance of the film. The present results could provide insight into the chronological change of electrical resistance in amorphous chalcogenide materials, indicating that not only relaxation of the amorphous, but also a large atomic diffusion contributes to the chronological resistance change. (paper)

Changes in plasma volume and baroreflex function following resistance exercise

Science.gov (United States)

Ploutz, L. L.; Tatro, D. L.; Dudley, G. A.; Convertino, V. A.

1993-01-01

The dynamics of change in plasma volume (PV) and baroreflex responses have been reported over 24 h immediately following maximal cycle exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine if PV and baroreflex showed similar changes for 24 h after resistance exercise. Eight men were studied on 2 test days, 1 week apart. On 1 day, per cent change (% delta) in PV was estimated at 0,3, and 6 h after resistance exercise using haematocrit and haemoglobin. Baseline PV was measured 24 h after exercise using Evans blue dye. The carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflex response was measured before, and 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h post-exercise. Each subject performed six sets of the bench press and leg press with 10 repetitions per set with a load that induced failure within each set. On a control day, the protocol was used without exercise. Plasma volume did not change during the control day. There was a 20% decrease in PV immediately post-exercise; the recovery of the PV was rapid and complete within 3 h. PV was 20% greater 24 h post-exercise than on the control day. There were no differences in any of the baroreflex measurements. Therefore, it is suggested that PV shifts may occur without altering baroreflex sensitivity.

Antibiotic resistance status of Escherichia coli isolated from healthy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The research revealed a high level of antibiotic resistance among E. coli. The percentage of resistance observed for the antibiotics included in this study reflected the degree of their respective uses in pig production in the study area. This work further supports the need for prudent use of each of the antibiotics in animal ...

Transgenic crops with an improved resistance to biotic stresses. A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tohidfar, M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Pests, diseases and weeds (biotic stresses are significant limiting factors for crop yield and production. However, the limitations associated with conventional breeding methods necessitated the development of alternative methods for improving new varieties with higher resistance to biotic stresses. Molecular techniques have developed applicable methods for genetic transformation of a wide range of plants. Genetic engineering approach has been demonstrated to provide enormous options for the selection of the resistance genes from different sources to introduce them into plants to provide resistance against different biotic stresses. Literature. In this review, we focus on strategies to achieve the above mentioned objectives including expression of insecticidal, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral resistance and herbicide detoxification for herbicide resistance. Conclusion. Regardless of the concerns about commercialization of products from genetically modified (GM crops resistant to biotic stresses, it is observed that the cultivation area of these crops is growing fast each year. Considering this trend, it is expected that production and commercialization of GM crops resistant to biotic stresses will continue to increase but will also extend to production of crops resistant to abiotic stresses (e.g. drought, salinity, etc. in a near future.

Children as agents of change in combatting antibiotic resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Molnar, Andreea

2017-01-01

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem and changes are needed in the way antibiotics are used. The value of engaging children as key contributors in health care campaigns to increase the appropriate use of antibiotics has not been fully recognized. Little is known about how to design educational materials for children in order to enable them to be agents of change in their communities. Science education needs to improve the way it engages children so as to give them the tools needed to make responsible decisions on antibiotic use.

Climate change and the water cycle in newly irrigated areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrahão, Raphael; García-Garizábal, Iker; Merchán, Daniel; Causapé, Jesús

2015-02-01

Climate change is affecting agriculture doubly: evapotranspiration is increasing due to increments in temperature while the availability of water resources is decreasing. Furthermore, irrigated areas are expanding worldwide. In this study, the dynamics of climate change impacts on the water cycle of a newly irrigated watershed are studied through the calculation of soil water balances. The study area was a 752-ha watershed located on the left side of the Ebro river valley, in Northeast Spain. The soil water balance procedures were carried out throughout 1827 consecutive days (5 years) of hydrological and agronomical monitoring in the study area. Daily data from two agroclimatic stations were used as well. Evaluation of the impact of climate change on the water cycle considered the creation of two future climate scenarios for comparison: 2070 decade with climate change and 2070 decade without climate change. The main indicators studied were precipitation, irrigation, reference evapotranspiration, actual evapotranspiration, drainage from the watershed, and irrigation losses. The aridity index was also applied. The results represent a baseline scenario in which adaptation measures may be included and tested to reduce the impacts of climate change in the studied area and other similar areas.

Changes in electrical transport and density of states of phase change materials upon resistance drift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krebs, Daniel; Bachmann, Tobias; Jonnalagadda, Prasad; Dellmann, Laurent; Raoux, Simone

2014-01-01

Phase-change memory technology has become more mature in recent years. But some fundamental problems linked to the electrical transport properties in the amorphous phase of phase-change materials still need to be solved. The increase of resistance over time, called resistance drift, for example, poses a major challenge for the implementation of multilevel storage, which will eventually be necessary to remain competitive in terms of high storage densities. To link structural properties with electrical transport, a broader knowledge of (i) changes in the density of states (DoS) upon structural relaxation and (ii) the influence of defects on electrical transport is required. In this paper, we present temperature-dependent conductivity and photo-conductivity measurements on the archetype phase change material GeTe. It is shown that trap-limited band transport at high temperatures (above 165 K) and variable range hopping at low temperatures are the predominating transport mechanism. Based on measurements of the temperature dependence of the optical band gap, modulated photo-conductivity and photo-thermal deflection spectroscopy, a DoS model for GeTe was proposed. Using this DoS, the temperature dependence of conductivity and photo-conductivity has been simulated. Our work shows how changes in the DoS (band gap and defect distributions) will affect the electrical transport before and after temperature-accelerated drift. The decrease in conductivity upon annealing can be explained entirely by an increase of the band gap by about 12%. However, low-temperature photo-conductivity measurements revealed that a change in the defect density may also play a role

Biofilm Production in Carbapenem Resistant Isolates from Chronic Wound Infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swarna SR

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Biofilms are communities of microorganisms covered with extracellular polymeric substances. Such biofilm phenotype makes the microorganism resistant to antibiotics and plays a role in wound chronicity. This results in prolonged hospital stays in ICU, greater cost, and increased mortality. Methods: Pus swabs (59 were collected from a tertiary care hospital near Chennai were processed and identified using standard procedure followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing and identification of carbapenem resistance by Modified Hodge test as per CLSI guidelines. The biofilm formation was tested using plastic microtiter plate method. Results: Out of 59 pus swabs, 51 yielded growth with 69 isolates and 8 yielded no growth. Among the 69 isolates, 51 were GNB and 18 were GPC. Biofilm detection was noted in 84.31% (43/51 GNB isolates with 0.1% crystal violet whereas 100% (51/51 showed biofilm positive with 0.1% safranin. About 74.50% (38/51 isolates of GNB were carbapenem resistant by screening with disk diffusion method. Only 24% (6/25 of GNB isolates among Enterobacteriaceae were positive by Modified Hodge test method. Conclusion: The result shows the association of biofilm production among carbapenem resistant isolates obtained from chronic wound infections.

Effect of electrode shape on grounding resistances - Part 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tomaskovicova, Sonia; Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Christiansen, Anders V.

2016-01-01

Although electric resistivity tomography (ERT) is now regarded as a standard tool in permafrost monitoring, high grounding resistances continue to limit the acquisition of time series over complete freeze-thaw cycles. In an attempt to alleviate the grounding resistance problem, we have tested three...... electrode designs featuring increasing sizes and surface area, in the laboratory and at three different field sites in Greenland. Grounding resistance measurements showed that changing the electrode shape (using plates instead of rods) reduced the grounding resistances at all sites by 28%-69% during...... unfrozen and frozen ground conditions. Using meshes instead of plates (the same rectangular shape and a larger effective surface area) further improved the grounding resistances by 29%-37% in winter. Replacement of rod electrodes of one entire permanent permafrost monitoring array by meshes resulted...

An empirical evaluation of competency requirements for first-line managers to deal with resistance to change.

OpenAIRE

2007-01-01

The point of departure of this study is that first-line managers play a pivotal role in the facilitation of change initiatives in organisations world-wide. Resistance to change is one of the primary reasons why change interventions fail or why success is not achieved in the change process. More specific, the inability of first-line managers to deal with resistance to change has been cited as a primary cause for change projects to fail. There is no evidence that any research has been conducted...

Role of varieties in sustainable rice production in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman Omar; Saad Abdullah

2002-01-01

Rice is the staple food of Malaysians. Rice production in Malaysia is concentrated in granary areas, which are provided with irrigation facilities. There is no plan to increase the size or the number of these granary areas, thus productivity per unit area must be increased to sustain the current level of self-sufficiency. Variety determines the potential productivity; environment and crop management determine how much of this potential is realized. Crop management is very important, as any drop in the level of management will effect productivity. However there are characteristics / factors that can be incorporated into varieties which can buffer the effect of environment and crop management. Pests and diseases can result in severe yield loss and lead to non-sustainable production. Varietal resistance to some of these diseases can be incorporated into rice varieties. Active breeding to incorporate rice resistance to blast, PMV (tungro), bacterial blight and brown planthopper is being currently carried out Factors that determine or justify the active breeding status are: importance of Oe pests diseases, resistance sources and the availability of efficient screening procedure. Sheath blight is also an important disease in direct seeded crops as it can cause severe yield loss, but good resistant sources are not available for incorporation and the screening procedure is also not very efficient. Biotechnologists are working hard to introduce resistance from other crops and also develop other resistance mechanisms for sheath blight. Water, shortage or excess, is a major cause of non-sustainable production. The breeding of short-term varieties can overcome water problems or shortages. Negative interaction between varietal characteristics and environment do occur. Finally farmers have to decide which factors of the environment cannot be easily controlled, and choose the correct varieties in order to achieve sustainable production. (Author)

Expansion of Sugarcane area for Ethanol production in Brazil: a Threat to Food Production and Environmental Sustainability?

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, J. M.; Coutinho, H. L.; Veiga, L. B.

2012-12-01

The raise in fossil fuels prices and the increase in Greenhouse Gas emissions is leading nations to adopt non-fossil fuels based energy sources. Sugarcane crops for biofuel production are expanding fast in Brazil, mainly through land use change (LUC) processes, in substitution of pasturelands and grain crops plantations. Would these changes affect negatively sustainability assessments of bioethanol production in the future? We estimate the extent of sugarcane cropland needed to produce sufficient ethanol to attend to market demands. This work presents a baseline scenario for sugarcane cropping area in Brazil in 2017, taking into account market forces (supply and demand). We also comment on a policy instrument targetting sustainable sugarcane production in Brazil. The expansion scenarios took into account the demand for ethanol from 2008-2017, produced by the Energy Research Corporation, of Brazil. In order to develop the expansion scenario, we estimated the amount of sugarcane needed to attend the ethanol demand. We then calculated the area needed to generate that amount of sugarcane. The analytical parameters were: 1) one tonne of sugarcane produces an average 81.6 liters of ethanol; 2) the average sugarcane crop productivity varied linearly from 81.4 tons/hectare in 2008 to 86.2 tons/hectare in 2017. We also assumed that sugarcane productivity in 2017 as the current average productivity of sugarcane in the State of São Paulo. The results show that the requirement for 3.5 million ha in 2007 will increase to 9 million ha in 2017. The Sugarcane Agroecologic Zoning (ZAECANA), published by Embrapa (2009), is a tool that not only informs the territory occupation and use policies, but also classifies land as qualified, restricted or non-qualified for the plantation of sugarcane crops. The ZAECANA is based on soil and climate suitability assessments, and is presented in a spatially-explicit format. Adopting the precautionary principle, a national policy was established

PATH-ANALYSIS ON SEVERAL CHARACTERS IN POTENTIAL OF CORN PRODUCTION AND RESISTANCE TO DOWNY MILDEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eko Hary Pudjiwati

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This research was aimed at investigating both direct and indirect impacts, and heritability values of characters regarding the potential of corn production and resistance to downy mildew. The result of this investigation is required to determine some criteria taken into account for selection process of downy mildew-resistant corn breeding with high yield. The field experiment was conducted at Research Centre of Agriculture Faculty, Brawijaya University from January to April 2012. Five varieties of hybrid crown and five inbreeding lines were employed, and Randomised Block Design was applied with two replications. As observed, the characters held heritability ranging from average to high, except for heritability of length and width of stomata on the lower surface of the leaves which was categorised as low. Moreover, the stomata density found on lower surface of the leaves was directly and positively correlated to the intensity of attack by downy mildew, which, then, was used as criteria selection in downy mildew-resistance. The intensity of disease and the density of the stomata on lower surface of the leaves accounted for direct and negative correlation to corn production, while the length and diameter of corncob was responsible for direct and positive correlation to corn production. The betterment of corn production can be coped by improving the plant resistance to downy mildew and characters of corncob diameter.

Violences and resistances from a Narrative Production with militants of postdictatorial Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Fernández Droguett

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Political violence being a relevant issue of our recent past that is still present in Chilean society, from the approach of the Social Psychology of Memory in this paper we review and discuss some aspects of violence and resistance of the decade nineties in Chile and its relationship with the present. Dealing with this theme it is developed in terms of a Narrative Production made with subjects ascribed to the use of violence as a strategy of revolutionary political struggle during the dictatorship and transition to democracy. The review and analysis of some segments of the Narrative Production realizes the characteristics of the political violence of the period and the forms of resistance to such violence as soon as conceptions that individuals have on the subject and its manifestations today

Identifying genomic changes associated with insecticide resistance in the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti by deep targeted sequencing

Science.gov (United States)

Faucon, Frederic; Dusfour, Isabelle; Gaude, Thierry; Navratil, Vincent; Boyer, Frederic; Chandre, Fabrice; Sirisopa, Patcharawan; Thanispong, Kanutcharee; Juntarajumnong, Waraporn; Poupardin, Rodolphe; Chareonviriyaphap, Theeraphap; Girod, Romain; Corbel, Vincent; Reynaud, Stephane; David, Jean-Philippe

2015-01-01

The capacity of mosquitoes to resist insecticides threatens the control of diseases such as dengue and malaria. Until alternative control tools are implemented, characterizing resistance mechanisms is crucial for managing resistance in natural populations. Insecticide biodegradation by detoxification enzymes is a common resistance mechanism; however, the genomic changes underlying this mechanism have rarely been identified, precluding individual resistance genotyping. In particular, the role of copy number variations (CNVs) and polymorphisms of detoxification enzymes have never been investigated at the genome level, although they can represent robust markers of metabolic resistance. In this context, we combined target enrichment with high-throughput sequencing for conducting the first comprehensive screening of gene amplifications and polymorphisms associated with insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. More than 760 candidate genes were captured and deep sequenced in several populations of the dengue mosquito Ae. aegypti displaying distinct genetic backgrounds and contrasted resistance levels to the insecticide deltamethrin. CNV analysis identified 41 gene amplifications associated with resistance, most affecting cytochrome P450s overtranscribed in resistant populations. Polymorphism analysis detected more than 30,000 variants and strong selection footprints in specific genomic regions. Combining Bayesian and allele frequency filtering approaches identified 55 nonsynonymous variants strongly associated with resistance. Both CNVs and polymorphisms were conserved within regions but differed across continents, confirming that genomic changes underlying metabolic resistance to insecticides are not universal. By identifying novel DNA markers of insecticide resistance, this study opens the way for tracking down metabolic changes developed by mosquitoes to resist insecticides within and among populations. PMID:26206155

Use of satellite erythemal UV products in analysing the global UV changes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Ialongo

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Long term changes in solar UV radiation affect global bio-geochemistry and climate. The satellite-based dataset of TOMS (Total Ozone Monitoring System and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument of erythemal UV product was applied for the first time to estimate the long-term ultraviolet (UV changes at the global scale. The analysis of the uncertainty related to the different input information is presented. OMI and GOME-2 (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 products were compared in order to analyse the differences in the global UV distribution and their effect on the linear trend estimation.

The results showed that the differences in the inputs (mainly surface albedo and aerosol information used in the retrieval, affect significantly the UV change calculation, pointing out the importance of using a consistent dataset when calculating long term UV changes. The areas where these differences played a major role were identified using global maps of monthly UV changes. Despite the uncertainties, significant positive UV changes (ranging from 0 to about 5 %/decade were observed, with higher values in the Southern Hemisphere at mid-latitudes during spring-summer, where the largest ozone decrease was observed.

Changes in observed climate extremes in global urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Vimal; Ganguly, Auroop R; Nijssen, Bart; Lettenmaier, Dennis P

2015-01-01

Climate extremes have profound implications for urban infrastructure and human society, but studies of observed changes in climate extremes over the global urban areas are few, even though more than half of the global population now resides in urban areas. Here, using observed station data for 217 urban areas across the globe, we show that these urban areas have experienced significant increases (p-value <0.05) in the number of heat waves during the period 1973–2012, while the frequency of cold waves has declined. Almost half of the urban areas experienced significant increases in the number of extreme hot days, while almost 2/3 showed significant increases in the frequency of extreme hot nights. Extreme windy days declined substantially during the last four decades with statistically significant declines in about 60% in the urban areas. Significant increases (p-value <0.05) in the frequency of daily precipitation extremes and in annual maximum precipitation occurred at smaller fractions (17 and 10% respectively) of the total urban areas, with about half as many urban areas showing statistically significant downtrends as uptrends. Changes in temperature and wind extremes, estimated as the result of a 40 year linear trend, differed for urban and non-urban pairs, while changes in indices of extreme precipitation showed no clear differentiation for urban and selected non-urban stations. (letter)

An ecological perspective on U.S. industrial poultry production: the role of anthropogenic ecosystems on the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria from agricultural environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Meghan F; Price, Lance B; Liu, Cindy Meng-Hsin; Silbergeld, Ellen K

2011-06-01

The industrialization of food animal production, specifically the widespread use of antimicrobials, not only increased pressure on microbial populations, but also changed the ecosystems in which antimicrobials and bacteria interact. In this review, we argue that industrial food animal production (IFAP) is appropriately defined as an anthropogenic ecosystem. This paper uses an ecosystem perspective to frame an examination of these changes in the context of U.S. broiler chicken production. This perspective emphasizes multiple modes by which IFAP has altered microbiomes and also suggests a means of generating hypotheses for understanding and predicting the ecological impacts of IFAP in terms of the resistome and the flow of resistance within and between microbiomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 77271 - Competitive Product Postal Price Changes

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2011-12-12

... POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. CP2012-2; Order No. 997] Competitive Product Postal Price... recently-filed Postal Service request for a change in competitive products prices. The changes will take... and justification for the changes, the effective date, and a schedule of the changed rates. The price...

Characterization of Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Lactobacillus Isolated from Traditional Dairy Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Huiling; Pan, Lin; Li, Lina; Lu, Jie; Kwok, Laiyu; Menghe, Bilige; Zhang, Heping; Zhang, Wenyi

2017-03-01

Lactobacilli are widely used as starter cultures or probiotics in yoghurt, cheese, beer, wine, pickles, preserved food, and silage. They are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). However, recent studies have shown that some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains carry antibiotic resistance genes and are resistant to antibiotics. Some of them may even transfer their intrinsic antibiotic resistance genes to other LAB or pathogens via horizontal gene transfer, thus threatening human health. A total of 33 Lactobacillus strains was isolated from fermented milk collected from different areas of China. We analyzed (1) their levels of antibiotic resistance using a standardized dilution method, (2) their antibiotic resistance gene profiles by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using gene-specific primers, and (3) the transferability of some of the detected resistance markers by a filter mating assay. All Lactobacillus strains were found to be resistant to vancomycin, but susceptible to gentamicin, linezolid, neomycin, erythromycin, and clindamycin. Their susceptibilities to tetracycline, kanamycin, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, trimethoprim, ampicillin, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol was different. Results from our PCR analysis revealed 19 vancomycin, 10 ciprofloxacin, and 1 tetracycline-resistant bacteria that carried the van(X), van(E), gyr(A), and tet(M) genes, respectively. Finally, no transferal of the monitored antibiotic resistance genes was observed in the filter mating assay. Taken together, our study generated the antibiotic resistance profiles of some milk-originated lactobacilli isolates and preliminarily assessed their risk of transferring antibiotic gene to other bacteria. The study may provide important data concerning the safe use of LAB. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

High-spatial resolution resistivity mapping of large-area YBCO films by a near-field millimeter-wave microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golosovsky, M.; Galkin, A.; Davidov, D.

1996-01-01

The authors demonstrate a new millimeter-wave technique for the resistivity mapping of large-area conducting films, namely, a near-field resistivity microscope. The microscope is based on the idea that electromagnetic waves are transmitted through a narrow resonant slit with high efficiency. By scanning this slit at fixed height above an inhomogeneous conducting surface and measuring the intensity and phase of the reflected wave, the resistivity of this surface may be determined with a 10--100 microm spatial resolution using 80-GHz radiation. Using this technique, they map normal-sate resistivity of 1 in x 1 in YBCO films at ambient temperature. In some films they find inhomogeneities of the normal-state sheet resistance of the order of 10%--20%

An electrical resistivity monitor for the detection of composition changes in Pb-17Li

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubberstey, P.; Barker, M.G.; Sample, T.

1991-01-01

An electrical resistivity monitor for the detection of composition changes in the lithium-lead eutectic alloy, Pb-17Li, has been developed. A miniature electromagnetic pump is used to sample alloy continuously from a pool or loop system and force it through a capillary section, within which the necessary resistance measurements are made, prior to its return to the bulk source. To calibrate the monitor, detailed resistivity-temperature and resistivity-composition data have been determined for Pb-Li alloys at temperatures from 600 to 800K and compositions from 0 to 20.5 at% Li. The resistivity increases with both temperature and composition; for Pb-17li at 723 K, dρ/dT=0.054x10 -8 ΩmK -1 , and dρ/d[Li]=1.27x10 -8 Ωm(at% Li) -1 . The sensitivity of the monitor is such that changes in composition of as little as ±0.05 at% Li can be detected and its response time is limited soley by the rate of sampling. (orig.)

Field Test Evaluation of Effect on Cone Resistance Caused by Change in Penetration Rate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Rikke; Nielsen, Benjaminn Nordahl; Ibsen, Lars Bo

2012-01-01

in the laboratory. A change in the measured cone resistance occurs by lowering the penetration rate. This is caused by the changes in drainage conditions. Compared to the normal penetration rate of 20 mm/s, this paper illustrates that lowering the penetration rate leads to an increase in the cone resistance from 1......This paper presents how a change in cone penetration rate affects the measured cone resistance during cone penetration testing in silty soils. Regardless of soil, type the standard rate of penetration is 20 mm/s and it is generally accepted that undrained penetration occurs in clay while drained...... penetration occurs in sand. In intermediate soils such as silty soils, the standard cone penetration rate may result in drainage conditions varying from undrained to partially or fully drained conditions. Field cone penetrations tests have been conducted with different penetration rates on a test site...

The resistance changes of carbon and metal oxide film resistors by irradiation of 60Co γ rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Shinichi; Fujino, Takahiro; Furuta, Junichiro; Yoshida, Toshio

1979-01-01

The resistance changes of glass-sealed deposited-carbon-film and carbon-coated-film resitors and metal oxide glazed resistors made in USA were studied by gamma-ray irradiation. (1) The resistances of deposited-carbon-film resistors of 50, 100 and 200 megohm did not change by irradiation of gamma rays up to 1.9 x 10 9 R. (2) The carbon-coated-film resistors of 100, 1000, 10000 and 100000 megohm had negative resistance changes by irradiation of gamma rays up to 9.9 x 10 8 R. (3) The resistances of metal oxide glazed resistors of 100, 1000 and 10000 megohm did not change by irradiation of gamma rays up to 8.8 x 10 8 R. When radiation monitoring instruments with hi-meg resistors are used in a gamma field with high intensity, the resistors must not be exposed to gamma rays with high doses, or the resistors which do not change by gamma-ray irradiation must be selected. (author)

Structural changes and conductance thresholds in metal-free intrinsic SiOx resistive random access memory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehonic, Adnan; Buckwell, Mark; Montesi, Luca; Garnett, Leon; Hudziak, Stephen; Kenyon, Anthony J.; Fearn, Sarah; Chater, Richard; McPhail, David

2015-01-01

We present an investigation of structural changes in silicon-rich silicon oxide metal-insulator-metal resistive RAM devices. The observed unipolar switching, which is intrinsic to the bulk oxide material and does not involve movement of metal ions, correlates with changes in the structure of the oxide. We use atomic force microscopy, conductive atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy to examine the structural changes occurring as a result of switching. We confirm that protrusions formed at the surface of samples during switching are bubbles, which are likely to be related to the outdiffusion of oxygen. This supports existing models for valence-change based resistive switching in oxides. In addition, we describe parallel linear and nonlinear conduction pathways and suggest that the conductance quantum, G 0 , is a natural boundary between the high and low resistance states of our devices

Structural changes and conductance thresholds in metal-free intrinsic SiOx resistive random access memory

Science.gov (United States)

Mehonic, Adnan; Buckwell, Mark; Montesi, Luca; Garnett, Leon; Hudziak, Stephen; Fearn, Sarah; Chater, Richard; McPhail, David; Kenyon, Anthony J.

2015-03-01

We present an investigation of structural changes in silicon-rich silicon oxide metal-insulator-metal resistive RAM devices. The observed unipolar switching, which is intrinsic to the bulk oxide material and does not involve movement of metal ions, correlates with changes in the structure of the oxide. We use atomic force microscopy, conductive atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy to examine the structural changes occurring as a result of switching. We confirm that protrusions formed at the surface of samples during switching are bubbles, which are likely to be related to the outdiffusion of oxygen. This supports existing models for valence-change based resistive switching in oxides. In addition, we describe parallel linear and nonlinear conduction pathways and suggest that the conductance quantum, G0, is a natural boundary between the high and low resistance states of our devices.

High Resolution Seamless Dom Generation Over CHANG'E-5 Landing Area Using Lroc Nac Images

Science.gov (United States)

Di, K.; Jia, M.; Xin, X.; Liu, B.; Liu, Z.; Peng, M.; Yue, Z.

2018-04-01

Chang'e-5, China's first sample return lunar mission, will be launched in 2019, and the planned landing area is near Mons Rümker in Oceanus Procellarum. High-resolution and high-precision mapping of the landing area is of great importance for supporting scientific analysis and safe landing. This paper proposes a systematic method for large area seamless digital orthophoto map (DOM) generation, and presents the mapping result of Chang'e-5 landing area using over 700 LROC NAC images. The developed method mainly consists of two stages of data processing: stage 1 includes subarea block adjustment with rational function model (RFM) and seamless subarea DOM generation; stage 2 includes whole area adjustment through registration of the subarea DOMs with thin plate spline model and seamless DOM mosaicking. The resultant seamless DOM coves a large area (20° longitude × 4° latitude) and is tied to the widely used reference DEM - SLDEM2015. As a result, the RMS errors of the tie points are all around half pixel in image space, indicating a high internal precision; the RMS errors of the control points are about one grid cell size of SLDEM2015, indicating that the resultant DOM is tied to SLDEM2015 well.

77 FR 64567 - Product List Change

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2012-10-22

... Delivery service from the competitive product list due to low customer demand.\\2\\ It states that there are... POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. MC2013-3; Order No. 1503] Product List Change AGENCY... product list. This notice provides public notice of the Postal Service's filing, invites public comment...

Increase in resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins in Salmonella isolated from retail chicken products in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Tamie; Murakami, Koichi; Etoh, Yoshiki; Okamoto, Fuyuki; Yatsuyanagi, Jun; Sera, Nobuyuki; Furuta, Munenori; Onozuka, Daisuke; Oda, Takahiro; Asai, Tetsuo; Fujimoto, Shuji

2015-01-01

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Salmonella are one of the most important public health problems in developed countries. ESBL-producing Salmonella strains have been isolated from humans in Asian countries neighboring Japan, along with strains harboring the plasmid-mediated extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistance gene, ampC (pAmpC). However, only a few studies have investigated the prevalence of ESC-resistant Salmonella in chicken products in Japan, which are the main vehicle of Salmonella transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ESBL-producing, pAmpC-harboring, or carbapenem-resistant Salmonella in chicken products in Japan. In total, 355 out of 779 (45.6%) chicken product samples collected from 1996-2010 contained Salmonella, resulting in 378 distinct isolates. Of these isolates, 373 were tested for resistance to ESCs, cephamycins, or carbapenems. Isolates that showed resistance to one or more of these antimicrobials were then examined by PCR and DNA sequence analysis for the presence of the bla(CMY), bla(CTX-M), bla(TEM), and bla(SHV) resistance genes. Thirty-five resistant isolates were detected, including 26 isolates that contained pAmpC (bla(CMY-2)), and nine ESBL-producing isolates harboring bla(CTX-M) (n = 4, consisting of two bla(CTX-M-2) and two bla(CTX-M-15 genes)), bla(TEM) (n = 4, consisting of one bla(TEM-20) and three bla(TEM-52) genes), and bla(SHV) (n = 1, bla(SHV-12)). All pAmpC-harboring and ESBL-producing Salmonella isolates were obtained from samples collected after 2005, and the percentage of resistant isolates increased significantly from 0% in 2004 to 27.9% in 2010 (P for trend = 0.006). This increase was caused in part by an increase in the number of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis strains harboring an approximately 280-kb plasmid containing bla(CMY-2) in proximity to ISEcp1. The dissemination of ESC-resistant Salmonella containing plasmid-mediated bla(CMY-2) in

Increase in resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins in Salmonella isolated from retail chicken products in Japan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamie Noda

Full Text Available Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL-producing Salmonella are one of the most important public health problems in developed countries. ESBL-producing Salmonella strains have been isolated from humans in Asian countries neighboring Japan, along with strains harboring the plasmid-mediated extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC-resistance gene, ampC (pAmpC. However, only a few studies have investigated the prevalence of ESC-resistant Salmonella in chicken products in Japan, which are the main vehicle of Salmonella transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ESBL-producing, pAmpC-harboring, or carbapenem-resistant Salmonella in chicken products in Japan. In total, 355 out of 779 (45.6% chicken product samples collected from 1996-2010 contained Salmonella, resulting in 378 distinct isolates. Of these isolates, 373 were tested for resistance to ESCs, cephamycins, or carbapenems. Isolates that showed resistance to one or more of these antimicrobials were then examined by PCR and DNA sequence analysis for the presence of the bla(CMY, bla(CTX-M, bla(TEM, and bla(SHV resistance genes. Thirty-five resistant isolates were detected, including 26 isolates that contained pAmpC (bla(CMY-2, and nine ESBL-producing isolates harboring bla(CTX-M (n = 4, consisting of two bla(CTX-M-2 and two bla(CTX-M-15 genes, bla(TEM (n = 4, consisting of one bla(TEM-20 and three bla(TEM-52 genes, and bla(SHV (n = 1, bla(SHV-12. All pAmpC-harboring and ESBL-producing Salmonella isolates were obtained from samples collected after 2005, and the percentage of resistant isolates increased significantly from 0% in 2004 to 27.9% in 2010 (P for trend = 0.006. This increase was caused in part by an increase in the number of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis strains harboring an approximately 280-kb plasmid containing bla(CMY-2 in proximity to ISEcp1. The dissemination of ESC-resistant Salmonella containing plasmid-mediated bla(CMY-2 in chicken

Identification of critical areas of carotid stent navigation by measurement of resistive forces in vitro, using silicone phantoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sengupta, A.; Kesavadas, T.; Baier, R.E.; Hoffmann, K.R.; Schafer, S.

2007-01-01

Manipulation of surgical tools in neuro-endovascular surgery presents problems that are unique to this procedure. Navigating tools through arterial complexities without appropriate visual or force feedback information often causes tool snagging, plaque dislocations and formation of thrombosis from the damage of the arterial wall by the tools. Identifying the critical areas in the vasculature during navigation of endovascular tools, will not only ensure safer surgical planning but also reduce risks of vessel damage. In the present research, resistive forces of stent navigation were measured in-vitro using silicone phantoms and clinically relevant surgical devices. The patterns of variation of the forces along the path of the stent movement were analyzed and mapped along the path of stent movement using a color code. It was observed that the forces changed along the length of the vessel, independent of the insertion length but based on the curvature of the vessel and the contact area of the device in the vessel lumen. (orig.)

Cisplatin resistance: a cellular self-defense mechanism resulting from multiple epigenetic and genetic changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ding-Wu; Pouliot, Lynn M; Hall, Matthew D; Gottesman, Michael M

2012-07-01

Cisplatin is one of the most effective broad-spectrum anticancer drugs. Its effectiveness seems to be due to the unique properties of cisplatin, which enters cells via multiple pathways and forms multiple different DNA-platinum adducts while initiating a cellular self-defense system by activating or silencing a variety of different genes, resulting in dramatic epigenetic and/or genetic alternations. As a result, the development of cisplatin resistance in human cancer cells in vivo and in vitro by necessity stems from bewilderingly complex genetic and epigenetic changes in gene expression and alterations in protein localization. Extensive published evidence has demonstrated that pleiotropic alterations are frequently detected during development of resistance to this toxic metal compound. Changes occur in almost every mechanism supporting cell survival, including cell growth-promoting pathways, apoptosis, developmental pathways, DNA damage repair, and endocytosis. In general, dozens of genes are affected in cisplatin-resistant cells, including pathways involved in copper metabolism as well as transcription pathways that alter the cytoskeleton, change cell surface presentation of proteins, and regulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Decreased accumulation is one of the most common features resulting in cisplatin resistance. This seems to be a consequence of numerous epigenetic and genetic changes leading to the loss of cell-surface binding sites and/or transporters for cisplatin, and decreased fluid phase endocytosis.

Changes in muscle cross-sectional area, muscle force, and jump performance during 6 weeks of progressive whole-body vibration combined with progressive, high intensity resistance training

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberger, A.; Beijer, Å.; Johannes, B.; Schoenau, E.; Mester, J.; Rittweger, J.; Zange, J.

2017-01-01

Objectives: We hypothesized that progressive whole-body vibration (WBV) superimposed to progressive high intensity resistance training has greater effects on muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle force of leg muscles, and jump performance than progressive high intensity resistance training alone. Methods: Two groups of healthy male subjects performed either 6 weeks of Resistive Vibration Exercise (RVE, squats and heel raises with WBV, n=13) or Resistive Exercise (RE, squats and heel raises without WBV, n=13). Squats under RVE required indispensable weight loading on the forefoot to damp harmful vibrations to the head. Time, intervention, and interaction effects were analyzed. Results: After 6 weeks of training, knee extensor CSA, isometric knee extension force, and counter movement jump height increased equally in both groups (time effect, P<0.001, P≤0.02, and P≤0.03, respectively), whereas only in RVE ankle plantar flexor CSA and isometric ankle plantar flexion force reached significance or a tendency, respectively, (time effect, P=0.015 and P=0.069, respectively; intervention effect also for the latter, P=0.006). Drop jump contact time did significantly more improve in RVE (interaction effect, P=0.042). Conclusions: RVE showed better training effects than RE only in plantar flexor muscles. RVE seems to be suitable in professional sports with a special focus on calf muscles. PMID:28574410

Economic evaluation of fissile fuel production using resistive magnet tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doyle, J.C. Jr.

1985-06-01

The application of resistive magnet tokamaks to fissile fuel production has been studied. Resistive magnets offer potential advantages over superconducting magnets in terms of robustness, less technology development required and possibility of demountable joints. Optimization studies within conservatively specified constraints for a compact machine result in a major radius of 3.81 m and 618 MW fusion power and a blanket space envelope of 0.35 m inboard and 0.75 m outboard. This machine is called the Resistive magnet Tokamak Fusion Breeder (RTFB). A computer code was developed to estimate the cost of the resistive magnet tokamak breeder. This code scales from STARFIRE values where appropriate and calculates costs of other systems directly. The estimated cost of the RTFB is $3.01 B in 1984 dollars. The cost of electricity on the same basis as STARFIRE is 42.4 mills/kWhre vs 44.9 mills/kWhre for STARFIRE (this does not include the fuel value or fuel cycle costs for the RTFB). The breakeven cost of U 3 O 8 is $150/lb when compared to a PWR on the once through uranium fuel cycle with no inflation and escalation. On the same basis, the breakeven cost for superconducting tokamak and tandem mirror fusion breeders is $160/lb and $175/lb. Thus, the RTFB appears to be competitive in breakeven U 3 O 8 cost with superconducting magnet fusion breeders and offers the potential advantages of resistive magnet technology

Circumventing resistance: using values to indirectly change attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Blankenship, Kevin L; Wegener, Duane T; Murray, Renee A

2012-10-01

Most research on persuasion examines messages that directly address the attitude of interest. However, especially when message recipients are inclined to resist change, indirect methods might be more effective. Because values are rarely attacked and defended, value change could serve as a useful indirect route for attitude change. Attitudes toward affirmative action changed more when the value of equality was attacked (indirect change) than when affirmative action was directly attacked using the same message (Experiments 1-2). Changes in confidence in the value were responsible for the indirect change when the value was attacked (controlling for changes in favorability toward the value), whereas direct counterarguments to the message were responsible for the relative lack of change when the attitude was attacked directly (Experiment 2). Attacking the value of equality influenced attitudes toward policies related to the value but left policy attitudes unrelated to the value unchanged (Experiment 3). Finally, a manipulation of value confidence that left attitudes toward the value intact demonstrated similar confidence-based influences on policies related to the value of freedom (Experiment 4). Undermined value confidence also resulted in less confidence in the resulting policy attitudes controlling for the changes in the policy attitudes themselves (Experiments 3 and 4). Therefore, indirect change through value attacks presented a double threat--to both the policy attitudes and the confidence with which those policy attitudes were held (potentially leaving them open to additional influence).

Aging and cellular defense mechanisms: age-related changes in resistance of mice to Listeria monocytogenes.

OpenAIRE

Patel, P J

1981-01-01

Age-related changes in resistance of mice to infection with Listeria monocytogenes were investigated. One-month-old mice exhibited the least resistance, and the resistance level increased over the first few months to reach a maximum by 8 months. Increase in age thereafter was accompanied by a slow but progressive decrease in resistance. Thus, 50% lethal doses for 1-, 8-, and 24-month-old mice were 10(4.2), 10(6.6), and 10(5.2), respectively. In spite of differences in resistance, the growth o...

Spatial resolution of gas hydrate and permeability changes from ERT data in LARS simulating the Mallik gas hydrate production test

Science.gov (United States)

Priegnitz, Mike; Thaler, Jan; Spangenberg, Erik; Schicks, Judith M.; Abendroth, Sven

2014-05-01

The German gas hydrate project SUGAR studies innovative methods and approaches to be applied in the production of methane from hydrate-bearing reservoirs. To enable laboratory studies in pilot scale, a large reservoir simulator (LARS) was realized allowing for the formation and dissociation of gas hydrates under simulated in-situ conditions. LARS is equipped with a series of sensors. This includes a cylindrical electrical resistance tomography (ERT) array composed of 25 electrode rings featuring 15 electrodes each. The high-resolution ERT array is used to monitor the spatial distribution of the electrical resistivity during hydrate formation and dissociation experiments over time. As the present phases of poorly conducting sediment, well conducting pore fluid, non-conducting hydrates, and isolating free gas cover a wide range of electrical properties, ERT measurements enable us to monitor the spatial distribution of these phases during the experiments. In order to investigate the hydrate dissociation and the resulting fluid flow, we simulated a hydrate production test in LARS that was based on the Mallik gas hydrate production test (see abstract Heeschen et al., this volume). At first, a hydrate phase was produced from methane saturated saline water. During the two months of gas hydrate production we measured the electrical properties within the sediment sample every four hours. These data were used to establish a routine estimating both the local degrees of hydrate saturation and the resulting local permeabilities in the sediment's pore space from the measured resistivity data. The final gas hydrate saturation filled 89.5% of the total pore space. During hydrate dissociation, ERT data do not allow for a quantitative determination of free gas and remaining gas hydrates since both phases are electrically isolating. However, changes are resolved in the spatial distribution of the conducting liquid and the isolating phase with gas being the only mobile isolating phase

Tree cover changes in- and ouside protected areas in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nüchel, Jonas; Bøcher, Peder Klith; Svenning, J.-C.

Protected areas (PAs) are one of the main tools in the global conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. This is also the case for China. However, only few studies have investigated protected areas´ efficiency in maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity. One way to investigate this is to look...... at tree cover changes inside the PAs and on the surrounding areas. Using MODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields we mapped tree-cover changes between 2000-2010 in- and outside PAs in China. The PAs were extracted from the World Database on Protected Areas. Our aim were to investigated the following four...... between tree cover change and general human pressure. We did not find a significant correlation between tree cover change inside and outside PAs with increasing general human pressures. The lack of correlation could be due to the huge reforestation China has carried out the last years, mainly to stop...

Dynamics in Protected Areas and Domesticated Landscapes Caused by Climate Change and Anthropogenic Use

Science.gov (United States)

Hartter, J.; Ryan, S.; Stampone, M.; Chapman, C.

2009-12-01

Climate change, a key factor of concern for conservation, has important biological and social implications. Africa’s Albertine Rift is an area of extremely high endemic biodiversity and is classed as a world conservation priority. However, natural areas are represented by a chain of protected forest areas in a matrix of intensive smallholder agriculture and dense human settlements. Kibale National Park in western Uganda has become an island of forest surrounded by intensive small-scale agriculture and is the only remaining large area of mid-altitude forest remaining in Albertine Rift Region and East Africa. Increased temperature and precipitation over recent decades has been observed by scientists and local farmers, however, to date, rigorous analysis of local climate data and the impact of climate change on local resources does not exist. Moreover, local farmers report that some crops die or ripen too early because of increased precipitation. Conservation biologists and park managers are concerned that changes in tree phenology and primary productivity will alter wildlife feeding preferences and ranges leading to more human-wildlife conflict. Understanding the impact of local and regional climate change and variation within the social, conservation, and geographic context is necessary to construct informed management plans and to maintain positive park-people relationships. This paper describes our first attempt to fully integrate multiple temporal and spatial datasets, and our progress in developing an interdisciplinary framework to study social and ecological relationships in the Kibale landscape. We examine historical in situ climate data and proxy climate information derived from remotely sensed satellite-borne imagery in our preliminary analyses. Our goal is to link these data with both pre-existing imagery analyses and tree community composition and phenology data from 39 years of ongoing research to identify the pattern, trajectory, and drivers of local

Landuse change detection in a surface coal mine area using multi-temporal high resolution satellite images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demirel, N.; Duzgun, S.; Kemal Emil, M. [Middle East Technical Univ., Ankara (Turkey). Dept. of Mining Engineering

2010-07-01

Changes in the landcover and landuse of a mine area can be caused by surface mining activities, exploitation of ore and stripping and dumping overburden. In order to identify the long-term impacts of mining on the environment and land cover, these changes must be continuously monitored. A facility to regularly observe the progress of surface mining and reclamation is important for effective enforcement of mining and environmental regulations. Remote sensing provides a powerful tool to obtain rigorous data and reduce the need for time-consuming and expensive field measurements. The purpose of this study was to conduct post classification change detection for identifying, quantifying, and analyzing the spatial response of landscape due to surface lignite coal mining activities in Goynuk, Bolu, Turkey, from 2004 to 2008. The paper presented the research algorithm which involved acquiring multi temporal high resolution satellite data; preprocessing the data; performing image classification using maximum likelihood classification algorithm and performing accuracy assessment on the classification results; performing post classification change detection algorithm; and analyzing the results. Specifically, the paper discussed the study area, data and methodology, and image preprocessing using radiometric correction. Image classification and change detection were also discussed. It was concluded that the mine and dump area decreased by 192.5 ha from 2004 to 2008 and was caused by the diminishing reserves in the area and decline in the required production. 5 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs.

Relation between bandgap and resistance drift in amorphous phase change materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Rütten, Martin; Kaes, Matthias; Albert, Andreas; Wuttig, Matthias; Salinga, Martin

2015-12-01

Memory based on phase change materials is currently the most promising candidate for bridging the gap in access time between memory and storage in traditional memory hierarchy. However, multilevel storage is still hindered by the so-called resistance drift commonly related to structural relaxation of the amorphous phase. Here, we present the temporal evolution of infrared spectra measured on amorphous thin films of the three phase change materials Ag4In3Sb67Te26, GeTe and the most popular Ge2Sb2Te5. A widening of the bandgap upon annealing accompanied by a decrease of the optical dielectric constant ε∞ is observed for all three materials. Quantitative comparison with experimental data for the apparent activation energy of conduction reveals that the temporal evolution of bandgap and activation energy can be decoupled. The case of Ag4In3Sb67Te26, where the increase of activation energy is significantly smaller than the bandgap widening, demonstrates the possibility to identify new phase change materials with reduced resistance drift.

Marine Natural Products as Models to Circumvent Multidrug Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Solida Long

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Multidrug resistance (MDR to anticancer drugs is a serious health problem that in many cases leads to cancer treatment failure. The ATP binding cassette (ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp, which leads to premature efflux of drugs from cancer cells, is often responsible for MDR. On the other hand, a strategy to search for modulators from natural products to overcome MDR had been in place during the last decades. However, Nature limits the amount of some natural products, which has led to the development of synthetic strategies to increase their availability. This review summarizes the research findings on marine natural products and derivatives, mainly alkaloids, polyoxygenated sterols, polyketides, terpenoids, diketopiperazines, and peptides, with P-gp inhibitory activity highlighting the established structure-activity relationships. The synthetic pathways for the total synthesis of the most promising members and analogs are also presented. It is expected that the data gathered during the last decades concerning their synthesis and MDR-inhibiting activities will help medicinal chemists develop potential drug candidates using marine natural products as models which can deliver new ABC transporter inhibitor scaffolds.

77 FR 73294 - Requirements for Child-Resistant Packaging: Products Containing Imidazolines Equivalent to 0.08...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-10

... injury or illness than the PPPA standard; and (2) the state or political subdivision applies to the... for Child-Resistant Packaging: Products Containing Imidazolines Equivalent to 0.08 Milligrams or More... Commission (CPSC, Commission, or we) is issuing a rule to require child-resistant (CR) packaging for any over...

Quantifying variety-specific heat resistance and the potential for adaptation to climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Tack, Jesse; Barkley, Andrew; Rife, Trevor W; Poland, Jesse A; Nalley, Lawton Lanier

2016-08-01

The impact of climate change on crop yields has become widely measured; however, the linkages for winter wheat are less studied due to dramatic weather changes during the long growing season that are difficult to model. Recent research suggests significant reductions under warming. A potential adaptation strategy involves the development of heat resistant varieties by breeders, combined with alternative variety selection by producers. However, the impact of heat on specific wheat varieties remains relatively unstudied due to limited data and the complex genetic basis of heat tolerance. Here, we provide a novel econometric approach that combines field-trial data with a genetic cluster mapping to group wheat varieties and estimate a separate extreme heat impact (temperatures over 34 °C) across 24 clusters spanning 197 varieties. We find a wide range of heterogeneous heat resistance and a trade-off between average yield and resistance. Results suggest that recently released varieties are less heat resistant than older varieties, a pattern that also holds for on-farm varieties. Currently released - but not yet adopted - varieties do not offer improved resistance relative to varieties currently grown on farm. Our findings suggest that warming impacts could be significantly reduced through advances in wheat breeding and/or adoption decisions by producers. However, current adaptation-through-adoption potential is limited under a 1 °C warming scenario as increased heat resistance cannot be achieved without a reduction in average yields. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A large-area glass-resistive plate chamber with multistrip readout

CERN Document Server

Petrovici, M; Hildenbrand, K D; Augustinski, G; Ciobanu, M; Cruceru, I; Duma, M; Hartmann, O; Koczón, P; Kress, T; Marquardt, M; Moisa, D; Petris, M; Schröder, C; Simion, V; Stoicea, G; Weinert, J

2002-01-01

A completely new configuration of a glass resistive-plate chamber (GRPC) was built and tested. It consists of a double two-gap structure of electrodes with an active area of about 400 cm sup 2 and is read out via a central multistrip printed circuit board. In measurements with a sup 6 sup 0 Co source and p, d particles of 1.5 A GeV time resolutions better than 80 ps, position resolution along the strips of 5-6 mm and efficiencies larger than 95% were obtained using available fast standard electronics. These results open the possibility of constructing compact TOF detectors of high resolution and high granularity.

Resistance, Reinhabitation, and Regime Change

Science.gov (United States)

Gruenewald, David

2006-01-01