THE INFLUENCE OF LINE EXTENSION STRATEGIES BY PREMIUM BRANDS ON BRAND EQUITY: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GERMANY AND THAILAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Lukas SEIZER

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Premium markets are expected to outperform other markets throughout the near future. Thus these markets are of high importance for marketers, who already face challenges to manage premium brands due to the hazard of a possible dilution of user’s sense of exclusivity and pride. Premium brand managers must know when it is best to take a pass on short-term growth opportunities that could tarnish the brand's long-term health. Line extensions embody one of the most frequently used vehicles for growth to meet global consumer needs. Though they have advantages, also risks are associated with them. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to identify the influence of line extensions on brand equity in culturally different spheres. The study focuses on premium brands from the automotive industry and asks if and in how far different – vertical (different price & quality level and horizontal (same price & quality level – line extension strategies influence brand equity differently among cultures. A one group pre-test post-test research design is used to measure brand equity before and after an existing brand’s (hypothetical extension. A structured online survey with page logic collected primary data from four hundred students in Germany and Thailand recruited by a matched sampling technique. Culture has to be added to brand equity models as results show distinctive changes of brand equity for both Germany and Thailand. While after vertical downscale extensions, brand equity increases in Germany, it decreases in Thailand. Hence, the research results in managerial recommendations which assess if product policy strategies should be thought ‘regionally’ or ‘globally’.

Extensive intestinal spirochaetosis in pigs challenged with Brachyspira pilosicoli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Tim Kåre; Boye, Mette; Møller, Kristian

2004-01-01

of the study). Mild mucosal reddening and flecks of pus characterized the gross lesions, while diffuse, catarrhal colitis was revealed microscopically in all animals. Intestinal spirochaetosis with moderate to densely packed end-attached B. pilosicoli organisms was revealed extensively on the mucosal surface...... of the large intestines by light microscopy and fluorescent in situ hybridization. This study is the first to report extensive intestinal spirochaetosis in pigs challenged with B. pilosicoli....

The difference in centre position in the ACL femoral footprint inclusive and exclusive of the fan-like extension fibres.

Science.gov (United States)

Iriuchishima, Takanori; Ryu, Keinosuke; Aizawa, Shin; Fu, Freddie H

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the centre position of each anterior cruciate ligament bundle in its femoral footprint in measurements including and excluding the fan-like extension fibres. Fourteen non-paired human cadaver knees were used. All soft tissues around the knee were resected except the ligaments. The ACL was divided into antero-medial (AM) and postero-lateral (PL) bundles according to the difference in tension patterns. The ACL was carefully dissected, and two outlines were made of the periphery of each bundle insertion site: those which included and those which excluded the fan-like extension fibres. An accurate lateral view of the femoral condyle was photographed with a digital camera, and the images were downloaded to a personal computer. The centre position of each bundle, including and excluding the fan-like extension fibres, was measured with ImageJ software (National Institution of Health). Evaluation of the centre position was performed using the modified quadrant method. The centre of the femoral AM bundle including the fan-like extension was located at 28.8% in a shallow-deep direction and 37.2% in a high-low direction. When the AM bundle was evaluated without the fan-like extension, the centre was significantly different at 34.6% in a shallow-deep direction (p = 0.000) and 36% in a high-low direction. The centre of the PL bundle including the fan-like extension was found at 37.1% in a shallow-deep direction and 73.4% in a high-low direction. When the PL bundle was evaluated without the fan-like extension, the centre was significantly different at 42.7% in a shallow-deep direction (p = 0.000) and 69.3% in a high-low direction (p = 0.000). The centre position of the AM and PL bundles in the femoral ACL footprint was significantly different depending on the inclusion or exclusion of the fan-like extension fibres. For the clinical relevance, to reproduce the direct femoral insertion in the anatomical ACL reconstruction, tunnels should be

Perceived Factors Affecting Performance Of Extension Workers In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study focused on perceived factors affecting performance of extension workers in Imo State, Nigeria. Data for the study was collected from 83 Extension agents from the Imo State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP). Results of the study revealed that the organizational factors that affect performance are ...

The Impact Of Information And Communication In Extension ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The article examines the impact of information and communication in extension services to rural farmers in Niger- Delta. Questionnaire, interview and personal observation methods were employed to elicit information on the impact information and communication in extension services to rural farmers. The study reveals the ...

Live cell linear dichroism imaging reveals extensive membrane ruffling within the docking structure of natural killer cell immune synapses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benninger, Richard K P; Vanherberghen, Bruno; Young, Stephen

2009-01-01

We have applied fluorescence imaging of two-photon linear dichroism to measure the subresolution organization of the cell membrane during formation of the activating (cytolytic) natural killer (NK) cell immune synapse (IS). This approach revealed that the NK cell plasma membrane is convoluted...... into ruffles at the periphery, but not in the center of a mature cytolytic NK cell IS. Time-lapse imaging showed that the membrane ruffles formed at the initial point of contact between NK cells and target cells and then spread radialy across the intercellular contact as the size of the IS increased, becoming...... absent from the center of the mature synapse. Understanding the role of such extensive membrane ruffling in the assembly of cytolytic synapses is an intriguing new goal....

The unresolved puzzle why alanine extensions cause disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Reno; Liebold, Jens; Schwarz, Elisabeth

2013-08-01

The prospective increase in life expectancy will be accompanied by a rise in the number of elderly people who suffer from ill health caused by old age. Many diseases caused by aging are protein misfolding diseases. The molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders receive constant scientific interest. In addition to old age, mutations also cause congenital protein misfolding disorders. Chorea Huntington, one of the most well-known examples, is caused by triplet extensions that can lead to more than 100 glutamines in the N-terminal region of huntingtin, accompanied by huntingtin aggregation. So far, nine disease-associated triplet extensions have also been described for alanine codons. The extensions lead primarily to skeletal malformations. Eight of these proteins represent transcription factors, while the nuclear poly-adenylate binding protein 1, PABPN1, is an RNA binding protein. Additional alanines in PABPN1 lead to the disease oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). The alanine extension affects the N-terminal domain of the protein, which has been shown to lack tertiary contacts. Biochemical analyses of the N-terminal domain revealed an alanine-dependent fibril formation. However, fibril formation of full-length protein did not recapitulate the findings of the N-terminal domain. Fibril formation of intact PABPN1 was independent of the alanine segment, and the fibrils displayed biochemical properties that were completely different from those of the N-terminal domain. Although intranuclear inclusions have been shown to represent the histochemical hallmark of OPMD, their role in pathogenesis is currently unclear. Several cell culture and animal models have been generated to study the molecular processes involved in OPMD. These studies revealed a number of promising future therapeutic strategies that could one day improve the quality of life for the patients.

Genome sequence analysis of five Canadian isolates of strawberry mottle virus reveals extensive intra-species diversity and a longer RNA2 with increased coding capacity compared to a previously characterized European isolate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhagwat, Basdeo; Dickison, Virginia; Ding, Xinlun; Walker, Melanie; Bernardy, Michael; Bouthillier, Michel; Creelman, Alexa; DeYoung, Robyn; Li, Yinzi; Nie, Xianzhou; Wang, Aiming; Xiang, Yu; Sanfaçon, Hélène

2016-06-01

In this study, we report the genome sequence of five isolates of strawberry mottle virus (family Secoviridae, order Picornavirales) from strawberry field samples with decline symptoms collected in Eastern Canada. The Canadian isolates differed from the previously characterized European isolate 1134 in that they had a longer RNA2, resulting in a 239-amino-acid extension of the C-terminal region of the polyprotein. Sequence analysis suggests that reassortment and recombination occurred among the isolates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Canadian isolates are diverse, grouping in two separate branches along with isolates from Europe and the Americas.

Characteristics of Human Brain Activity during the Evaluation of Service-to-Service Brand Extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Taeyang; Lee, Seungji; Seomoon, Eunbi; Kim, Sung-Phil

2018-01-01

Brand extension is a marketing strategy to apply the previously established brand name into new goods or service. A number of studies have reported the characteristics of human event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to the evaluation of goods-to-goods brand extension. In contrast, human brain responses to the evaluation of service extension are relatively unexplored. The aim of this study was investigating cognitive processes underlying the evaluation of service-to-service brand extension with electroencephalography (EEG). A total of 56 text stimuli composed of service brand name (S1) followed by extended service name (S2) were presented to participants. The EEG of participants was recorded while participants were asked to evaluate whether a given brand extension was acceptable or not. The behavioral results revealed that participants could evaluate brand extension though they had little knowledge about the extended services, indicating the role of brand in the evaluation of the services. Additionally, we developed a method of grouping brand extension stimuli according to the fit levels obtained from behavioral responses, instead of grouping of stimuli a priori . The ERP analysis identified three components during the evaluation of brand extension: N2, P300, and N400. No difference in the N2 amplitude was found among the different levels of a fit between S1 and S2. The P300 amplitude for the low level of fit was greater than those for higher levels ( p service-to-service brand extension from goods-to-goods.

Chain networking revealed by molecular dynamics simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yexin; Tsige, Mesfin; Wang, Shi-Qing

Based on Kremer-Grest model for entangled polymer melts, we demonstrate how the response of a polymer glass depends critically on the chain length. After quenching two melts of very different chain lengths (350 beads per chain and 30 beads per chain) into deeply glassy states, we subject them to uniaxial extension. Our MD simulations show that the glass of long chains undergoes stable necking after yielding whereas the system of short chains is unable to neck and breaks up after strain localization. During ductile extension of the polymer glass made of long chain significant chain tension builds up in the load-bearing strands (LBSs). Further analysis is expected to reveal evidence of activation of the primary structure during post-yield extension. These results lend support to the recent molecular model 1 and are the simulations to demonstrate the role of chain networking. This work is supported, in part, by a NSF Grant (DMR-EAGER-1444859)

Possible Different Rifting Mechanisms Between South and North Part of the Fenhe-Weihe Rift Zone Revealed by Shear Velocity Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, S.; Zheng, Y.

2017-12-01

As an active intraplate continental rift, FWR plays an important role in accommodating the trans-tension in the Trans North China Craton (TNCO). Velocity field derived from GPS measurements reveals that the northern part of FWR is still under extension in N105°E direction at a rate of 4±2 mm/yr [Shen et al., 2000]. Actually, the FWR has been the most seismically active region in NCC. Bouguer gravity profile and seismic sounding lines [Xu and Ma, 1992] revealed a 2-3 km uplift of Moho depth beneath Taiyuan basin and 5-6 km beneath the Southwestern rift zone, those geophysical observations give clues to the un-evenly upwelling of the asthenosphere beneath the rift system and the different rifting process of the FWR. Therefore, studying the extension process of FWR is meaningful to understanding the NCC geodynamics associated with rifting tectonism. Using vertical continuous waveforms recorded during 2014 from CEarray, we construct a reliable and detailed 3-D crustal and uppermost mantle S-wave velocity structure of FWR, using a Bayesian Monte-Carlo method to jointly interpret teleseismic P-wave receiver functions and Rayleigh wave dispersions [Shen et al., 2013]. In the upmost crust, FWR appear as awful low velocity anomaly zone (LVZ), while the Taihang and Lvliang mountain ranges are imaged as strong high velocity anomaly zones(HVZ). In the middle crust, the low velocity zones still keep their LVZ features Additionally, nearly the whole FWR appears as a linearly LVZ line separating Taihang Uplift and Lvliang Uplift, except beneath Shilingguan and Linshi blocks that separate the Xinxian, Taiyuan and Linfen Basins, consisting with the high seismicity there. The velocity of the lower crust beneath Taiyuan and Weihe Basin are relatively higher than the rest rift regions, we interpret them as the limited mafic underplating beneath the TNCO. From the lower crust to upper mantle, the Datong volcanic zone display robust low velocity features, though the lowest velocity

Evaluation and measures of the life extension of TVO I and TVO II power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakala, J.

1994-01-01

A continuous and wide preventive maintenance and renovation is chosen to the life extension strategy at TVO I and II units. This requires extensive concentration on all ageing phenomena on theoretical level as well as on following their development at the power plant. The work related to ageing is partly performed by persons who are responsible for systems and components in the power plant organization, partly by the working groups, which are organized for those purposes. The evaluation of the ageing phenomenon of the power plant systems, of large components and of different technical fields has revealed several needs for measures. Partly those are already performed. However the evaluation has not revealed any such ageing phenomena, which would limit the power plant life time to originally planned 40 years. (orig.)

Reduced evolutionary rates in HIV-1 reveal extensive latency periods among replicating lineages.

Science.gov (United States)

Immonen, Taina T; Leitner, Thomas

2014-10-16

HIV-1 can persist for the duration of a patient's life due in part to its ability to hide from the immune system, and from antiretroviral drugs, in long-lived latent reservoirs. Latent forms of HIV-1 may also be disproportionally involved in transmission. Thus, it is important to detect and quantify latency in the HIV-1 life cycle. We developed a novel molecular clock-based phylogenetic tool to investigate the prevalence of HIV-1 lineages that have experienced latency. The method removes alternative sources that may affect evolutionary rates, such as hypermutation, recombination, and selection, to reveal the contribution of generation-time effects caused by latency. Our method was able to recover latent lineages with high specificity and sensitivity, and low false discovery rates, even on relatively short branches on simulated phylogenies. Applying the tool to HIV-1 sequences from 26 patients, we show that the majority of phylogenetic lineages have been affected by generation-time effects in every patient type, whether untreated, elite controller, or under effective or failing treatment. Furthermore, we discovered extensive effects of latency in sequence data (gag, pol, and env) from reservoirs as well as in the replicating plasma population. To better understand our phylogenetic findings, we developed a dynamic model of virus-host interactions to investigate the proportion of lineages in the actively replicating population that have ever been latent. Assuming neutral evolution, our dynamic modeling showed that under most parameter conditions, it is possible for a few activated latent viruses to propagate so that in time, most HIV-1 lineages will have been latent at some time in their past. These results suggest that cycling in and out of latency plays a major role in the evolution of HIV-1. Thus, no aspect of HIV-1 evolution can be fully understood without considering latency - including treatment, drug resistance, immune evasion, transmission, and pathogenesis.

Extensive small-angle X-ray scattering studies of blood coagulation factor VIIa reveal interdomain flexibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosbæk, Charlotte Rode; Nolan, David; Persson, Egon

2010-01-01

Blood coagulation factor VIIa (FVIIa) is used in the treatment of replacement therapy resistant hemophilia patients, and FVIIa is normally activated upon complex formation with tissue factor (TF), potentially in context with structural rearrangements. The solution behavior of uncomplexed FVIIa...... is important for understanding the mechanism of activation and for the stability and activity of the pharmaceutical product. However, crystal structures of FVIIa in complex with TF and of truncated free FVIIa reveal different overall conformations while previous small-angle scattering studies suggest FVIIa...... causing resistance to activation, thereby emphasizing the connection between the distribution of different conformations of FVII and the mechanism of activation....

Comparative Genomics Analyses Reveal Extensive Chromosome Colinearity and Novel Quantitative Trait Loci in Eucalyptus

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Qijie; Li, Mei; Yu, Xiaoli; Guo, Yong; Wang, Yu; Zhang, Xiaohong; Gan, Siming

2015-01-01

Dense genetic maps, along with quantitative trait loci (QTLs) detected on such maps, are powerful tools for genomics and molecular breeding studies. In the important woody genus Eucalyptus, the recent release of E. grandis genome sequence allows for sequence-based genomic comparison and searching for positional candidate genes within QTL regions. Here, dense genetic maps were constructed for E. urophylla and E. tereticornis using genomic simple sequence repeats (SSR), expressed sequence tag (EST) derived SSR, EST-derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (EST-CAPS), and diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers. The E. urophylla and E. tereticornis maps comprised 700 and 585 markers across 11 linkage groups, totaling at 1,208.2 and 1,241.4 cM in length, respectively. Extensive synteny and colinearity were observed as compared to three earlier DArT-based eucalypt maps (two maps with E. grandis × E. urophylla and one map of E. globulus) and with the E. grandis genome sequence. Fifty-three QTLs for growth (10–56 months of age) and wood density (56 months) were identified in 22 discrete regions on both maps, in which only one colocalizaiton was found between growth and wood density. Novel QTLs were revealed as compared with those previously detected on DArT-based maps for similar ages in Eucalyptus. Eleven to 585 positional candidate genes were obained for a 56-month-old QTL through aligning QTL confidence interval with the E. grandis genome. These results will assist in comparative genomics studies, targeted gene characterization, and marker-assisted selection in Eucalyptus and the related taxa. PMID:26695430

Comparative Genomics Analyses Reveal Extensive Chromosome Colinearity and Novel Quantitative Trait Loci in Eucalyptus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fagen Li

Full Text Available Dense genetic maps, along with quantitative trait loci (QTLs detected on such maps, are powerful tools for genomics and molecular breeding studies. In the important woody genus Eucalyptus, the recent release of E. grandis genome sequence allows for sequence-based genomic comparison and searching for positional candidate genes within QTL regions. Here, dense genetic maps were constructed for E. urophylla and E. tereticornis using genomic simple sequence repeats (SSR, expressed sequence tag (EST derived SSR, EST-derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (EST-CAPS, and diversity arrays technology (DArT markers. The E. urophylla and E. tereticornis maps comprised 700 and 585 markers across 11 linkage groups, totaling at 1,208.2 and 1,241.4 cM in length, respectively. Extensive synteny and colinearity were observed as compared to three earlier DArT-based eucalypt maps (two maps with E. grandis × E. urophylla and one map of E. globulus and with the E. grandis genome sequence. Fifty-three QTLs for growth (10-56 months of age and wood density (56 months were identified in 22 discrete regions on both maps, in which only one colocalizaiton was found between growth and wood density. Novel QTLs were revealed as compared with those previously detected on DArT-based maps for similar ages in Eucalyptus. Eleven to 585 positional candidate genes were obained for a 56-month-old QTL through aligning QTL confidence interval with the E. grandis genome. These results will assist in comparative genomics studies, targeted gene characterization, and marker-assisted selection in Eucalyptus and the related taxa.

Thermal performance of different planting substrates and irrigation frequencies in extensive tropical rooftop greeneries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Yi-Jiung [Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Foo-Yin University, Kaohsiung (China); No. 16, Lane 29, Chen-Sing 7th Street, Niao-Song, Kaohsiung 833 (China); Lin, Hsien-Te [Department of Architecture, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan (China); No. 1, Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan 701 (China)

2011-02-15

The need for the better use of scarce planetary resources has never been more evident than it is today. However, this need is poorly reflected in human housing. In recent years, there has been a growing realization of the importance of constructing human shelters that better conserve energy and water through appropriate insulation and architectural designs. Among the important advancements in these areas is the use of rooftop greeneries for both energy and water conservation. This paper performs an investigation into this topic within the specific climatic context of tropical regions. Long-term experimental results are provided from a four-floor building in Kaohsiung in the southern part of Taiwan. The study involves a fully monitored extensive rooftop greenery and examines four different plant substrates, three different irrigation regimes, and different types of drought-enduring plants to find the most efficient combination of all three in providing maximum heat insulation and water usage efficiency. The attenuation of solar radiation through the vegetation layer is evaluated, as well as the thermal insulation performance of the rooftop greenery structure. Among the substrates, burned sludge has the best thermal reduction percentage of heat amplitude under the roof slab surface (up to 84.4%). Irrigation twice a week has the best thermal reduction percentage of heat amplitude (91.6%). Among the plant types, Sansevieria trifasciata cv. Laurentii Compacta and Rhoeo spathaceo cv. Compacta are found to be suitable for extensive rooftop greeneries because they have the best coverage ratio and are most drought enduring. (author)

Utilization of Educational Innovations and Technology in Research and Extension Functions of State Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosalinda M. Comia

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The study focused on the extent of utilization of the educational innovations and technology in research and extension functions of SUs. The descriptive design, triangulation method, and purposive sampling were applied in this study. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents are married adults and master’s degree graduates with education as their area of specialization. They are permanent in status and have considerable years in the University serving as research or extension officer. Research of SUs have common research thrusts in terms of environment and natural resources management but differ in their own respective agenda; similarly the SUs share common extension thrusts and concerns but differ in their programs, activities and projects related to community services. Commonly encountered problems concern inadequate funds and inability to access the available technology. Officers utilized educational innovations on research and extension to a moderate extent but software and hardware were utilized to a great extent; likewise internet-based communication was utilized to a great extent for research but used moderately for extension. This implies that compared to research, most of the extension functions do not require the use of internet-based communication. From the results of the study, it was recommended that review of the existing allocation of funds for technology development may be done to improve the existing hardware, software and communication facilities.

Characteristics of Human Brain Activity during the Evaluation of Service-to-Service Brand Extension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taeyang Yang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Brand extension is a marketing strategy to apply the previously established brand name into new goods or service. A number of studies have reported the characteristics of human event-related potentials (ERPs in response to the evaluation of goods-to-goods brand extension. In contrast, human brain responses to the evaluation of service extension are relatively unexplored. The aim of this study was investigating cognitive processes underlying the evaluation of service-to-service brand extension with electroencephalography (EEG. A total of 56 text stimuli composed of service brand name (S1 followed by extended service name (S2 were presented to participants. The EEG of participants was recorded while participants were asked to evaluate whether a given brand extension was acceptable or not. The behavioral results revealed that participants could evaluate brand extension though they had little knowledge about the extended services, indicating the role of brand in the evaluation of the services. Additionally, we developed a method of grouping brand extension stimuli according to the fit levels obtained from behavioral responses, instead of grouping of stimuli a priori. The ERP analysis identified three components during the evaluation of brand extension: N2, P300, and N400. No difference in the N2 amplitude was found among the different levels of a fit between S1 and S2. The P300 amplitude for the low level of fit was greater than those for higher levels (p < 0.05. The N400 amplitude was more negative for the mid- and high-level fits than the low level. The ERP results of P300 and N400 indicate that the early stage of brain extension evaluation might first detect low-fit brand extension as an improbable target followed by the late stage of the integration of S2 into S1. Along with previous findings, our results demonstrate different cognitive evaluation of service-to-service brand extension from goods-to-goods.

Characteristics of Human Brain Activity during the Evaluation of Service-to-Service Brand Extension

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Taeyang; Lee, Seungji; Seomoon, Eunbi; Kim, Sung-Phil

2018-01-01

Brand extension is a marketing strategy to apply the previously established brand name into new goods or service. A number of studies have reported the characteristics of human event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to the evaluation of goods-to-goods brand extension. In contrast, human brain responses to the evaluation of service extension are relatively unexplored. The aim of this study was investigating cognitive processes underlying the evaluation of service-to-service brand extension with electroencephalography (EEG). A total of 56 text stimuli composed of service brand name (S1) followed by extended service name (S2) were presented to participants. The EEG of participants was recorded while participants were asked to evaluate whether a given brand extension was acceptable or not. The behavioral results revealed that participants could evaluate brand extension though they had little knowledge about the extended services, indicating the role of brand in the evaluation of the services. Additionally, we developed a method of grouping brand extension stimuli according to the fit levels obtained from behavioral responses, instead of grouping of stimuli a priori. The ERP analysis identified three components during the evaluation of brand extension: N2, P300, and N400. No difference in the N2 amplitude was found among the different levels of a fit between S1 and S2. The P300 amplitude for the low level of fit was greater than those for higher levels (p < 0.05). The N400 amplitude was more negative for the mid- and high-level fits than the low level. The ERP results of P300 and N400 indicate that the early stage of brain extension evaluation might first detect low-fit brand extension as an improbable target followed by the late stage of the integration of S2 into S1. Along with previous findings, our results demonstrate different cognitive evaluation of service-to-service brand extension from goods-to-goods. PMID:29479313

Challenges of extension workers in reaching rural women farmers in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study examined the challenges of extension workers in reaching rural women farmers in Enugu State Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample size of 52 extension workers. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean statistic, chart and factor analysis. Results revealed that training and visit ...

Dettol: Managing Brand Extensions

OpenAIRE

Anand Kumar Jaiswal; Arpita Srivastav; Dhwani Kothari

2009-01-01

This case is about evolution of a parent brand and its subsequent extensions into different product categories. Dettol as a brand has immense trust and loyalty from the consumers. Since the 1930s when Dettol was introduced in India, it has occupied a distinct position in the mind of its consumers. To achieve fast growth and leverage the strong brand equity of Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser India Limited (RBIL) rolled out a number of brand extensions. Some of these extensions such as Dettol soap an...

Individual Differences among Employees Management Communication Style and Employee Satisfaction: Replication and Extension.

Science.gov (United States)

McCroskey, James C.; And Others

Portions of three earlier studies relating differences in employees to employee satisfaction and one study relating management communication style (MCS) to employee satisfaction were replicated across four organizational contexts. Major findings supported the generalizability of the results revealed in the earlier research. The role of…

Parascapular mass revealing primary tuberculosis of the posterior arch

Science.gov (United States)

Arbault, Anais; Ornetti, Paul; Chevallier, Olivier; Avril, Julien; Pottecher, Pierre

2016-01-01

We report the case of a parascapular abscess revealing primary tuberculosis of the posterior arch in a 31-year-old man. Sectional imaging is essential in order to detect the different lesions of this atypical spinal tuberculosis as osteolysis of the posterior arch extendible to vertebral body, osteocondensation, epidural extension which is common in this location, and high specificity of a zygapophysial, costo-vertebral or transverse arthritis. PMID:27709081

When intensions do not map onto extensions: Individual differences in conceptualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, James A; Passanisi, Alessia

2016-04-01

Concepts are represented in the mind through knowledge of their extensions (the class of items to which the concept applies) and intensions (features that distinguish that class of items). A common assumption among theories of concepts is that the 2 aspects are intimately related. Hence if there is systematic individual variation in concept representation, the variation should correlate between extensional and intensional measures. A pair of individuals with similar extensional beliefs about a given concept should also share similar intensional beliefs. To test this notion, exemplars (extensions) and features (intensions) of common categories were rated for typicality and importance respectively across 2 occasions. Within-subject consistency was greater than between-subjects consensus on each task, providing evidence for systematic individual variation. Furthermore, the similarity structure between individuals for each task was stable across occasions. However, across 5 samples, similarity between individuals for extensional judgments did not map onto similarity between individuals for intensional judgments. The results challenge the assumption common to many theories of conceptual representation that intensions determine extensions and support a hybrid view of concepts where there is a disconnection between the conceptual resources that are used for the 2 tasks. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The northern slope of South China Sea: an ideal site for studying passive margin extension and breakup

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, D.; Sun, Z.; Pang, X.; Wu, X.; Xu, H.; Qiu, N.

2011-12-01

With the advance of hydrocarbon exploration into deep waters of the northern SCS, structural details from continental slope to deepsea basin have been revealed. A striking feature is the dramatic change in Cenozoic extension along and across the strike as well as with the time. Along strike the slope is seperated by lithospheric faults into segments with different amount of Cenozoic extension. The breakup occurred in the no-extension eastern segment (the Chaoshan depression), the most strongly extended central segment (the Baiyun sag) but failed in the western segment of intermediate extension (the Qingdongnan basin). This pattern violates the expectation that breakup occurs at first where the extension reached the maximum. In the central segment, the style of extension varies significantly in dip direction. Differing from the belts of half grabens in the shelf, the extension is expressed as a large downwarp (the Baiyun sag) in the slope, and as irregularly shaped sags (the Liwan sag) near the continental-oceanic boundary (COB). The Baiyun sag (BYS) is the largest and deepest sag in the Pearl River Mouth basin (PRMB). Long-cable MCS revealed that at the center of the BYS the crust thinned to Mexico where thrust belts developed by gravitational sliding. Multi-staged magmatic activities have contributed to but could not fully explain the structural complexities of the LWS. Perhaps basement structures have played an important role as the sag might be developed upon the relict Mesozoic West Pacific subduction system. In addition, two horizons of deep-seated waving reflectors are identified beneath the LWS, which are suspected to be respectively a detachment surface and the intra-crustal shear zones related to lower-crust flow. A good understanding of these features may help answering the fundamental question on what controls the style, magnitude, and segmentation of passive margin extension and breakup, what is the mechanism, and what differences between marginal sea

Motor units in vastus lateralis and in different vastus medialis regions show different firing properties during low-level, isometric knee extension contraction.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Leonardo Mendes Leal; Cabral, Hélio Veiga; de Oliveira, Liliam Fernandes; Vieira, Taian Martins

2018-04-01

Architectural differences along vastus medialis (VM) and between VM and vastus lateralis (VL) are considered functionally important for the patellar tracking, knee joint stability and knee joint extension. Whether these functional differences are associated with a differential activity of motor units between VM and VL is however unknown. In the present study, we, therefore, investigate neuroanatomical differences in the activity of motor units detected proximo-distally from VM and from the VL muscle. Nine healthy volunteers performed low-level isometric knee extension contractions (20% of their maximum voluntary contraction) following a trapezoidal trajectory. Surface electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from VM proximal and distal regions and from VL using three linear adhesive arrays of eight electrodes. The firing rate and recruitment threshold of motor units decomposed from EMGs were then compared among muscle regions. Results show that VL motor units reached lower mean firing rates in comparison with VM motor units, regardless of their position within VM (P motor units (P = .997). Furthermore, no significant differences in the recruitment threshold were observed for all motor units analysed (P = .108). Our findings possibly suggest the greater potential of VL to generate force, due to its fibres arrangement, may account for the lower discharge rate observed for VL then either proximally or distally detected motor units in VM. Additionally, the present study opens new perspectives on the importance of considering muscle architecture in investigations of the neural aspects of motor behaviour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conditional withholding of proboscis extension in honeybees (Apis mellifera) during discriminative punishment.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, B H; Abramson, C I; Tobin, T R

1991-12-01

Proboscis extension conditioning of honeybee workers was used to test the ability of bees to respond to appetitive and aversive stimuli while restrained in a harness that allows subjects to move their antennae and mouthparts (Kuwabara, 1957; Menzel, Erber, & Masuhr, 1974). Subjects were conditioned to discriminate between two odors, one associated with sucrose feeding and the other associated with a 10 V AC shock if they responded to the sucrose unconditioned stimulus (US) in the context of that odor. Most Ss readily learned to respond to the odor followed by sucrose feeding and not to the odor associated with sucrose stimulation plus shock. Furthermore, in the context of the odor associated with shock, significantly more subjects withheld or delayed proboscis extension on stimulation with the sucrose US than they did in the context of the odor associated with feeding. Thus, restrained honeybees can readily learn to avoid shock according to an odor context by withholding proboscis extension to a normally powerful releaser. Analysis of individual learning curves revealed that subjects differed markedly in performance on this task. Some learn the discrimination quickly, whereas others show different kinds of response patterns.

Kinematics and hydrodynamics analysis of swimming anurans reveals striking inter-specific differences in the mechanism for producing thrust.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Christopher T

2010-02-15

the body velocity in H. boettgeri and X. laevis, resulting in negative net translational EFV. Consequently, the translational component of thrust (caused mostly by hip, knee and ankle extension) was twofold higher than rotational thrust in Rana pipiens. Likewise, rotational components of thrust were nearly twofold higher than translational components in H. boettgeri. X. laevis, however, was the most skewed species observed, generating nearly 100% of total thrust by foot rotation generated by hip, ankle and tmt extension. Thus, this study presents a simple kinematics analysis that is predictive of hydrodynamic differences among species. Such differences in kinematics reveal a continuum of different propulsive strategies ranging from mostly rotation-powered (X. laevis) to mostly translation-powered (R. pipiens) swimming.

Perturbation of whole-brain dynamics in silico reveals mechanistic differences between brain states

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deco, Gustavo; Cabral, Joana; Saenger, Victor M; Boly, Melanie; Tagliazucchi, Enzo; Laufs, Helmut; Van Someren, Eus; Jobst, Beatrice; Stevner, Angus; Kringelbach, Morten L

2017-01-01

Human neuroimaging research has revealed that wakefulness and sleep involve very different activity patterns. Yet, it is not clear why brain states differ in their dynamical complexity, e.g. in the level of integration and segregation across brain networks over time. Here, we investigate the

Perturbation of whole-brain dynamics in silico reveals mechanistic differences between brain states

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deco, Gustavo; Cabral, Joana; Saenger, Victor M; Boly, Melanie; Tagliazucchi, Enzo; Laufs, Helmut; Van Someren, Eus; Jobst, Beatrice M; Stevner, Angus B A; Kringelbach, Morten L

2018-01-01

Human neuroimaging research has revealed that wakefulness and sleep involve very different activity patterns. Yet, it is not clear why brain states differ in their dynamical complexity, e.g. in the level of integration and segregation across brain networks over time. Here, we investigate the

Rural Development And Agricultural Extension Administration In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reviewed the wide range of policies and approaches formulated and implemented to effect agricultural and rural development in Nigeria. The paper reveals that the common feature of all the strategies is the use of institutionalized agricultural extension service, devoted principally to augment smallholder ...

New activities of universities in transfer and extension: multiple requirements and manifold solutions

OpenAIRE

Bo Göransson; Rasigan Maharajh; Ulrich Schmoch

2009-01-01

The third mission encompasses all activities of universities beyond their first and second missions, education and research. An analysis of various countries with different economic, political and geographic features reveals an increased demand for such activities in particular with regard to technology transfer, but also as to the support of the civil society in more general terms. Therefore the universities have to find a new balance between education, research and transfer/extension. Howev...

Metastatic Adenocarcinoma Presenting as Extensive Cavoatrial Tumor Thrombus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johari, Bushra; Abdul Aziz, Yang Faridah; Krishnasamy, Sivakumar; Looi, Lai Meng; Hashim, Shahrul Amry; Raja Mokhtar, Raja Amin

2015-01-01

The presence of tumor thrombus in the right atrium is frequently the result of direct intraluminal extension of infra-diaphragmatic malignancy into the inferior vena cava (IVC) or supradiaphragmatic carcinoma into the superior vena cava (SVC). Right atrial tumor thrombus with extension into both SVC and IVC has not been reported in the literature. We present a patient who presented with symptoms of right atrial and SVC obstruction. Imaging revealed presence of a thrombus in the right atrium, extending to the SVC and IVC, with the additional findings of a left adrenal mass and multiple liver lesions. The histopathological examination of the right atrial mass revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma cells. The patient was given a presumptive diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma, most likely adrenal in origin, with multiple hepatic lesions suspicious for metastasis. The clinical outcome of the patient was not favorable; the patient succumbed before the adrenal mass could be confirmed to be the primary tumor. This case highlights that in patients manifesting with extensive cavoatrial thrombus as, the existence of primary carcinoma should be considered especially in the adrenal cortex or in the lung

The complete genome and proteome of Laribacter hongkongensis reveal potential mechanisms for adaptations to different temperatures and habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Patrick C Y; Lau, Susanna K P; Tse, Herman; Teng, Jade L L; Curreem, Shirly O T; Tsang, Alan K L; Fan, Rachel Y Y; Wong, Gilman K M; Huang, Yi; Loman, Nicholas J; Snyder, Lori A S; Cai, James J; Huang, Jian-Dong; Mak, William; Pallen, Mark J; Lok, Si; Yuen, Kwok-Yung

2009-03-01

Laribacter hongkongensis is a newly discovered Gram-negative bacillus of the Neisseriaceae family associated with freshwater fish-borne gastroenteritis and traveler's diarrhea. The complete genome sequence of L. hongkongensis HLHK9, recovered from an immunocompetent patient with severe gastroenteritis, consists of a 3,169-kb chromosome with G+C content of 62.35%. Genome analysis reveals different mechanisms potentially important for its adaptation to diverse habitats of human and freshwater fish intestines and freshwater environments. The gene contents support its phenotypic properties and suggest that amino acids and fatty acids can be used as carbon sources. The extensive variety of transporters, including multidrug efflux and heavy metal transporters as well as genes involved in chemotaxis, may enable L. hongkongensis to survive in different environmental niches. Genes encoding urease, bile salts efflux pump, adhesin, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and other putative virulence factors-such as hemolysins, RTX toxins, patatin-like proteins, phospholipase A1, and collagenases-are present. Proteomes of L. hongkongensis HLHK9 cultured at 37 degrees C (human body temperature) and 20 degrees C (freshwater habitat temperature) showed differential gene expression, including two homologous copies of argB, argB-20, and argB-37, which encode two isoenzymes of N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK)-NAGK-20 and NAGK-37-in the arginine biosynthesis pathway. NAGK-20 showed higher expression at 20 degrees C, whereas NAGK-37 showed higher expression at 37 degrees C. NAGK-20 also had a lower optimal temperature for enzymatic activities and was inhibited by arginine probably as negative-feedback control. Similar duplicated copies of argB are also observed in bacteria from hot springs such as Thermus thermophilus, Deinococcus geothermalis, Deinococcus radiodurans, and Roseiflexus castenholzii, suggesting that similar mechanisms for temperature adaptation may be employed by other

Nutrient leaching from extensive green roofs with different substrate compositions: a laboratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Zhong, Xing; Che, Wu

2018-02-01

To investigate nutrient leaching from extensive green roofs, green roof platforms were established to investigate the effluent quantity and quality during artificial rainfall. When the influent volume reached three times the empty bed volume, for which the cumulative rainfall was around 300 mm, the effluent TP and COD concentrations of green roof platforms filled with peat soil did not tend to stabilize. For a long-term operation, the substrate depths had little significant influence on TN, TP and COD concentrations of the green roof effluents. A normalized cumulative emission process method was proposed to discuss the difference in various pollutant leaching processes. Obvious differences in the leaching process of different contaminants for green roof platforms filled with various substrates were observed. For the green roof filled with modified substrates, the nitrogen and phosphorus pollutant leaching rates were relatively high in the initial stage of green roof operation and the phosphorus leaching rate was higher than that of nitrogen. The green roof is a sink for TN, but not for TP and COD in this study. The outcomes are critical for the selection of green roof substrates and also contribute to green roof maintenance.

Medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity: US, CT and MRI findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekiesinska-Figatowska, M.; Uliasz, M.; Roszkowski, M.

2008-01-01

Medulloblastoma accounts for up to 25% of all paediatric CNS tumours. According to WHO classification (2007) medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity (MBEN) is a separate rare entity associated with younger age and better prognosis. A 9-month-old girl was admitted and examined because of macrocephaly and disturbed psychomotor development. Transfontanel ultrasound revealed dilated ventricular system and hyperechoic mass in the posterior cranial fossa. Computed tomography showed hyperdense mass in the cerebellum. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass with gyriform pattern and strong contrast enhancement after gadolinium administration. Differential diagnosis included dysplastic heterotopic cortex, Lhermitte-Duclos disease, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumour (AT/RT), and medulloblastoma (MB). The patient was operated on. Medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity (MBEN) was finally diagnosed. The authors present and discuss three other cases of this rare entity.Transfontanel sonografic examination is capable of detection of the posterior fossa tumour as a cause of hydrocephalus and macrocephaly. The mass in a child's posterior cranial fossa that is hyperdense on unenhanced CT and gyriform, nodular, and markedly enhancing on MRI may strongly suggest medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity (MBEN). (authors)

Individual differences in decision making competence revealed by multivariate fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Talukdar, Tanveer; Román, Francisco J; Operskalski, Joachim T; Zwilling, Christopher E; Barbey, Aron K

2018-06-01

While an extensive literature in decision neuroscience has elucidated the neurobiological foundations of decision making, prior research has focused primarily on group-level effects in a sample population. Due to the presence of inherent differences between individuals' cognitive abilities, it is also important to examine the neural correlates of decision making that explain interindividual variability in cognitive performance. This study therefore investigated how individual differences in decision making competence, as measured by the Adult Decision Making Competence (A-DMC) battery, are related to functional brain connectivity patterns derived from resting-state fMRI data in a sample of 304 healthy participants. We examined connectome-wide associations, identifying regions within frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital cortex that demonstrated significant associations with decision making competence. We then assessed whether the functional interactions between brain regions sensitive to decision making competence and seven intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) were predictive of specific facets of decision making assessed by subtests of the A-DMC battery. Our findings suggest that individual differences in specific facets of decision making competence are mediated by ICNs that support executive, social, and perceptual processes, and motivate an integrative framework for understanding the neural basis of individual differences in decision making competence. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influence of different catilever extensions and glass or polyamaramid reinforcement fibers on fracture strength of implant-supported temporary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Colán Guzmán

2008-04-01

Full Text Available In long-term oral rehabilitation treatments, resistance of provisional crowns is a very important factor, especially in cases of an extensive edentulous distal space. The aim of this laboratorial study was to evaluate an acrylic resin cantilever-type prosthesis regarding the flexural strength of its in-balance portion as a function of its extension variation and reinforcement by two types of fibers (glass and polyaramid, considering that literature is not conclusive on this subject. Each specimen was composed by 3 total crowns at its mesial portion, each one attached to an implant component (abutment, while the distal portion (cantilever had two crowns. Each specimen was constructed by injecting acrylic resin into a two-part silicone matrix placed on a metallic base. In each specimen, the crowns were fabricated with either acrylic resin (control group or acrylic resin reinforced by glass (Fibrante, Angelus or polyaramide (Kevlar 49, Du Pont fibers. Compression load was applied on the cantilever, in a point located 7, 14 or 21 mm from the distal surface of the nearest crown with abutment, to simulate different extensions. The specimen was fixed on the metallic base and the force was applied until fracture in a universal test machine. Each one of the 9 sub-groups was composed by 10 specimens. Flexural strength means (in kgf for the distances of 7, 14 and 21 mm were, respectively, 28.07, 8.27 and 6.39 for control group, 31.89, 9.18 and 5.16 for Kevlar 49 and 30.90, 9.31 and 6.86 for Fibrante. Data analysis ANOVA showed statistically significant difference (p<0.05 only regarding cantilever extension. Tukey's test detected significantly higher flexural strength for the 7 mm-distance, followed by 14 and 21 mm. Fracture was complete only on specimens of non-reinforced groups.

Need for Methamphetamine Programming in Extension Education

Science.gov (United States)

Beaudreault, Amy R.; Miller, Larry E.

2011-01-01

The study reported sought to identify the prevention education needs involving methamphetamine through survey methodology. The study focused on a random sample of U.S. states and the Extension Directors within each state, resulting in a 70% response rate (n = 134). Findings revealed that 11% reported they had received methamphetamine user…

Identification of Current Proficiency Level of Extension Competencies and the Competencies Needed for Extension Agents to Be Successful in the 21st Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dona Lakai

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In this era of globalization, competency is an issue of concern to any field of professionals and their clients. Competency is an integrated set of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that allow one to effectively carry out the activities of a given work to the standards expected in the employment context. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to determine the current proficiency level of North Carolina Cooperative Extension agents’ competencies and the other competencies they need to develop to be successful in Cooperative Extension. Findings indicate that the current proficiency level of competency for Extension agents in North Carolina Cooperative Extension varies from moderate to high in all 42 items listed in the survey. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that Extension agents’ years of Extension experience and age were major determinants of their overall proficiency level. Extension agents’ proficiency levels did not vary with gender, level of education, professional association affiliation, job position, or area of job responsibility. The research revealed that emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, flexibility for adapting to changing environments, and ability to manage resources were the most significant other competencies needed for Extension agents to be successful in current context.

Assessment of extension agents' use of communication methods ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Findings from correlation analysis revealed that there was significant relationship between linkage and communication methods between institute (r =-0.377), linkage and communication methods among extension agents (r =0.379). However, the relationship between communication within and between institute was highly ...

Bmi-1 Regulates Extensive Erythroid Self-Renewal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ah Ram Kim

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Red blood cells (RBCs, responsible for oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide exchange, are essential for our well-being. Alternative RBC sources are needed to meet the increased demand for RBC transfusions projected to occur as our population ages. We previously have discovered that erythroblasts derived from the early mouse embryo can self-renew extensively ex vivo for many months. To better understand the mechanisms regulating extensive erythroid self-renewal, global gene expression data sets from self-renewing and differentiating erythroblasts were analyzed and revealed the differential expression of Bmi-1. Bmi-1 overexpression conferred extensive self-renewal capacity upon adult bone-marrow-derived self-renewing erythroblasts, which normally have limited proliferative potential. Importantly, Bmi-1 transduction did not interfere with the ability of extensively self-renewing erythroblasts (ESREs to terminally mature either in vitro or in vivo. Bmi-1-induced ESREs can serve to generate in vitro models of erythroid-intrinsic disorders and ultimately may serve as a source of cultured RBCs for transfusion therapy.

Metabolomics reveals variation and correlation among different tissues of olive (Olea europaea L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rao Guodong

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Metabolites in olives are associated with nutritional value and physiological properties. However, comprehensive information regarding the olive metabolome is limited. In this study, we identified 226 metabolites from three different tissues of olive using a non-targeted metabolomic profiling approach, of which 76 named metabolites were confirmed. Further statistical analysis revealed that these 76 metabolites covered different types of primary metabolism and some of the secondary metabolism pathways. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA statistical assay was performed to calculate the variations within the detected metabolites, and levels of 65 metabolites were differentially expressed in different samples. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA dendrograms showed variations among different tissues that were similar to the metabolite profiles observed in new leaves and fruit. Additionally, 5776 metabolite-metabolite correlations were detected by a Pearson correlation coefficient approach. Screening of the calculated correlations revealed 3136, 3025, and 5184 were determined to metabolites and had significant correlations in three different combinations, respectively. This work provides the first comprehensive metabolomic of olive, which will provide new insights into understanding the olive metabolism, and potentially help advance studies in olive metabolic engineering.

Extension of the COSYMA-ECONOMICS module - cost calculations based on different economic sectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faude, D.

1994-12-01

The COSYMA program system for evaluating the off-site consequences of accidental releases of radioactive material to the atmosphere includes an ECONOMICS module for assessing economic consequences. The aim of this module is to convert various consequences (radiation-induced health effects and impacts resulting from countermeasures) caused by an accident into the common framework of economic costs; this allows different effects to be expressed in the same terms and thus to make these effects comparable. With respect to the countermeasure 'movement of people', the dominant cost categories are 'loss-of-income costs' and 'costs of lost capital services'. In the original version of the ECONOMICS module these costs are calculated on the basis of the total number of people moved. In order to take into account also regional or local economic peculiarities of a nuclear site, the ECONOMICS module has been extended: Calculation of the above mentioned cost categories is now based on the number of employees in different economic sectors in the affected area. This extension of the COSYMA ECONOMICS module is described in more detail. (orig.)

Structural characterization of Helicobacter pylori dethiobiotin synthetase reveals differences between family members

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porebski, Przemyslaw J.; Klimecka, Maria; Chruszcz, Maksymilian; Nicholls, Robert A.; Murzyn, Krzysztof; Cuff, Marianne E.; Xu, Xiaohui; Cymborowski, Marcin; Murshudov, Garib N.; Savchenko, Alexei; Edwards, Aled; Minor, Wladek (MCSG); (UV); (MRC)

2012-07-11

Dethiobiotin synthetase (DTBS) is involved in the biosynthesis of biotin in bacteria, fungi, and plants. As humans lack this pathway, DTBS is a promising antimicrobial drug target. We determined structures of DTBS from Helicobacter pylori (hpDTBS) bound with cofactors and a substrate analog, and described its unique characteristics relative to other DTBS proteins. Comparison with bacterial DTBS orthologs revealed considerable structural differences in nucleotide recognition. The C-terminal region of DTBS proteins, which contains two nucleotide-recognition motifs, differs greatly among DTBS proteins from different species. The structure of hpDTBS revealed that this protein is unique and does not contain a C-terminal region containing one of the motifs. The single nucleotide-binding motif in hpDTBS is similar to its counterpart in GTPases; however, isothermal titration calorimetry binding studies showed that hpDTBS has a strong preference for ATP. The structural determinants of ATP specificity were assessed with X-ray crystallographic studies of hpDTBS-ATP and hpDTBS-GTP complexes. The unique mode of nucleotide recognition in hpDTBS makes this protein a good target for H. pylori-specific inhibitors of the biotin synthesis pathway.

Benign Mature Mediastinal Dysembryoma with Pulmonary Extension Revealed by Recurrent Hemoptysis in a Young Woman

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filaire, M.; Michel-Letonturier, M.; Garcier, J. M.; Escande, G.; Boyer, L.

2006-01-01

We report one case of mature mediastinal teratoma with pulmonary extension surgically diagnosed in a 22-year-old woman complaining of recurrent hemoptyses for which no etiological explanation could be found. Thoracic surgery was only decided on after three embolizations proved ineffective

A Multiparameter Network Reveals Extensive Divergence between C. elegans bHLH Transcription Factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grove, C.; De Masi, Federico; Newburger, Daniel

2009-01-01

parameters remain undetermined. We comprehensively identify dimerization partners, spatiotemporal expression patterns, and DNA-binding specificities for the C. elegans bHLH family of TFs, and model these data into an integrated network. This network displays both specificity and promiscuity, as some b......HLH proteins, DNA sequences, and tissues are highly connected, whereas others are not. By comparing all bHLH TFs, we find extensive divergence and that all three parameters contribute equally to bHLH divergence. Our approach provides a framework for examining divergence for other protein families in C. elegans...

N- and O-glycosylation Analysis of Human C1-inhibitor Reveals Extensive Mucin-type O-Glycosylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stavenhagen, Kathrin; Kayili, H Mehmet; Holst, Stephanie; Koeleman, Carolien A M; Engel, Ruchira; Wouters, Diana; Zeerleder, Sacha; Salih, Bekir; Wuhrer, Manfred

2018-06-01

Human C1-inhibitor (C1-Inh) is a serine protease inhibitor and the major regulator of the contact activation pathway as well as the classical and lectin complement pathways. It is known to be a highly glycosylated plasma glycoprotein. However, both the structural features and biological role of C1-Inh glycosylation are largely unknown. Here, we performed for the first time an in-depth site-specific N - and O -glycosylation analysis of C1-Inh combining various mass spectrometric approaches, including C18-porous graphitized carbon (PGC)-LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS applying stepping-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron-transfer dissociation (ETD). Various proteases were applied, partly in combination with PNGase F and exoglycosidase treatment, in order to analyze the (glyco)peptides. The analysis revealed an extensively O -glycosylated N-terminal region. Five novel and five known O -glycosylation sites were identified, carrying mainly core1-type O -glycans. In addition, we detected a heavily O -glycosylated portion spanning from Thr 82 -Ser 121 with up to 16 O -glycans attached. Likewise, all known six N -glycosylation sites were covered and confirmed by this site-specific glycosylation analysis. The glycoforms were in accordance with results on released N -glycans by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS/MS. The comprehensive characterization of C1-Inh glycosylation described in this study will form the basis for further functional studies on the role of these glycan modifications. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

When Intensions Do Not Map onto Extensions: Individual Differences in Conceptualization

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, James A.; Passanisi, Alessia

2016-01-01

Concepts are represented in the mind through knowledge of their extensions (the class of items to which the concept applies) and intensions (features that distinguish that class of items). A common assumption among theories of concepts is that the 2 aspects are intimately related. Hence if there is systematic individual variation in concept…

Expressing the Behavior of Three Very Different Concurrent Systems by Using Natural Extensions of Separation Logic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edgar G. Daylight

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Separation Logic is a non-classical logic used to verify pointer-intensive code. In this paper, however, we show that Separation Logic, along with its natural extensions, can also be used as a specification language for concurrent-system design. To do so, we express the behavior of three very different concurrent systems: a Subway, a Stopwatch, and a 2x2 Switch. The Subway is originally implemented in LUSTRE, the Stopwatch in Esterel, and the 2x2 Switch in Bluespec.

Age-Related Differences in Motor Coordination during Simultaneous Leg Flexion and Finger Extension: Influence of Temporal Pressure

OpenAIRE

Hussein, Tarek; Yiou, Eric; Larue, Jacques

2013-01-01

Although the effect of temporal pressure on spatio-temporal aspects of motor coordination and posture is well established in young adults, there is a clear lack of data on elderly subjects. This work examined the aging-related effects of temporal pressure on movement synchronization and dynamic stability. Sixteen young and eleven elderly subjects performed series of simultaneous rapid leg flexions in an erect posture paired with ipsilateral index-finger extensions, minimizing the difference b...

Adapting Extension Food Safety Programming for Vegetable Growers to Accommodate Differences in Ethnicity, Farming Scale, and Other Individual Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Kline, Terence R.; Kneen, Harold; Barrett, Eric; Kleinschmidt, Andy; Doohan, Doug

2012-01-01

Differences in vegetable production methods utilized by American growers create distinct challenges for Extension personnel providing food safety training to producer groups. A program employing computers and projectors will not be accepted by an Amish group that does not accept modern technology. We have developed an outreach program that covers…

Global transcriptome analysis reveals extensive gene remodeling, alternative splicing and differential transcription profiles in non-seed vascular plant Selaginella moellendorffii.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yan; Chen, Longxian; Zhang, Chengjun; Hao, Pei; Jing, Xinyun; Li, Xuan

2017-01-25

Selaginella moellendorffii, a lycophyte, is a model plant to study the early evolution and development of vascular plants. As the first and only sequenced lycophyte to date, the genome of S. moellendorffii revealed many conserved genes and pathways, as well as specialized genes different from flowering plants. Despite the progress made, little is known about long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) and the alternative splicing (AS) of coding genes in S. moellendorffii. Its coding gene models have not been fully validated with transcriptome data. Furthermore, it remains important to understand whether the regulatory mechanisms similar to flowering plants are used, and how they operate in a non-seed primitive vascular plant. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed for three S. moellendorffii tissues, root, stem, and leaf, by constructing strand-specific RNA-seq libraries from RNA purified using RiboMinus isolation protocol. A total of 176 million reads (44 Gbp) were obtained from three tissue types, and were mapped to S. moellendorffii genome. By comparing with 22,285 existing gene models of S. moellendorffii, we identified 7930 high-confidence novel coding genes (a 35.6% increase), and for the first time reported 4422 lncRNAs in a lycophyte. Further, we refined 2461 (11.0%) of existing gene models, and identified 11,030 AS events (for 5957 coding genes) revealed for the first time for lycophytes. Tissue-specific gene expression with functional implication was analyzed, and 1031, 554, and 269 coding genes, and 174, 39, and 17 lncRNAs were identified in root, stem, and leaf tissues, respectively. The expression of critical genes for vascular development stages, i.e. formation of provascular cells, xylem specification and differentiation, and phloem specification and differentiation, was compared in S. moellendorffii tissues, indicating a less complex regulatory mechanism in lycophytes than in flowering plants. The results were further strengthened by the evolutionary trend of

Conservation of boundary extension mechanisms between plants and animals

OpenAIRE

Mathur, Jaideep

2005-01-01

Locomotion clearly sets plants and animals apart. However, recent studies in higher plants reveal cell-biological and molecular features similar to those observed at the leading edge of animal cells and suggest conservation of boundary extension mechanisms between motile animal cells and nonmotile plant cells.

Downward Price-Based Brand Line Extensions Effects on Luxury Brands

OpenAIRE

Royo-Vela, Marcelo; Voss, Eileen

2015-01-01

This study tries to examine the brand concept consistency, the self-concept congruence and the resulting loyalty status of the consumers in order to evaluate whether a downward price-based line extensions in the luxury goods market has any negative or positive effect on them. By conducting focus group and in-depth interviews it was tried to filter out how brand concepts of luxury brands are perceived before and after a line extension. Results revealed that a crucial aspect for the evaluation ...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra revealing the inter-cultivar differences for Chinese ornamental Flos Chrysanthemum: a new promising method for plant taxonomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heng Zhang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Flos Chrysanthemi, as a part of Chinese culture for a long history, is valuable for not only environmental decoration but also the medicine and food additive. Due to their voluminously various breeds and extensive distributions worldwide, it is burdensome to make recognition and classification among numerous cultivars with conventional methods which still rest on the level of morphologic observation and description. As a fingerprint spectrum for parsing molecular information, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS could be a suitable candidate technique to characterize and distinguish the inter-cultivar differences at molecular level. Results SERS spectra were used to analyze the inter-cultivar differences among 26 cultivars of Chinese ornamental Flos Chrysanthemum. The characteristic peaks distribution patterns were abstracted from SERS spectra and varied from cultivars to cultivars. For the bands distributed in the pattern map, the similarities in general showed their commonality while in the finer scales, the deviations and especially the particular bands owned by few cultivars revealed their individualities. Since the Raman peaks could characterize specific chemical components, those diversity of patterns could indicate the inter-cultivar differences at the chemical level in fact. Conclusion In this paper, SERS technique is feasible for distinguishing the inter-cultivar differences among Flos Chrysanthemum. The Raman spectral library was built with SERS characteristic peak distribution patterns. A new method was proposed for Flos Chrysanthemum recognition and taxonomy.

Controleum - an independently extensible control system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Martin Lykke Rytter

2014-01-01

challenging kind of system to design for independent extension. This thesis presents two new software technologies that improve the extensibility of control systems: First, the concept of dynamic links is introduced and Decouplink – an implementation of dynamic links for Java - is presented. Dynamic links...... is introduced, and an implementation is presented. The extensible controller is a component framework designed to automatically resolve conflicts among mutually unaware components in a control system. The solution is based on the idea that independent components implement different kinds of control concerns...

Dynamical transitions in large systems of mean field-coupled Landau-Stuart oscillators: Extensive chaos and cluster states.

Science.gov (United States)

Ku, Wai Lim; Girvan, Michelle; Ott, Edward

2015-12-01

In this paper, we study dynamical systems in which a large number N of identical Landau-Stuart oscillators are globally coupled via a mean-field. Previously, it has been observed that this type of system can exhibit a variety of different dynamical behaviors. These behaviors include time periodic cluster states in which each oscillator is in one of a small number of groups for which all oscillators in each group have the same state which is different from group to group, as well as a behavior in which all oscillators have different states and the macroscopic dynamics of the mean field is chaotic. We argue that this second type of behavior is "extensive" in the sense that the chaotic attractor in the full phase space of the system has a fractal dimension that scales linearly with N and that the number of positive Lyapunov exponents of the attractor also scales linearly with N. An important focus of this paper is the transition between cluster states and extensive chaos as the system is subjected to slow adiabatic parameter change. We observe discontinuous transitions between the cluster states (which correspond to low dimensional dynamics) and the extensively chaotic states. Furthermore, examining the cluster state, as the system approaches the discontinuous transition to extensive chaos, we find that the oscillator population distribution between the clusters continually evolves so that the cluster state is always marginally stable. This behavior is used to reveal the mechanism of the discontinuous transition. We also apply the Kaplan-Yorke formula to study the fractal structure of the extensively chaotic attractors.

Strategy revealing phenotypic differences among synthetic oscillator designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G; Savageau, Michael A

2014-09-19

Considerable progress has been made in identifying and characterizing the component parts of genetic oscillators, which play central roles in all organisms. Nonlinear interaction among components is sufficiently complex that mathematical models are required to elucidate their elusive integrated behavior. Although natural and synthetic oscillators exhibit common architectures, there are numerous differences that are poorly understood. Utilizing synthetic biology to uncover basic principles of simpler circuits is a way to advance understanding of natural circadian clocks and rhythms. Following this strategy, we address the following questions: What are the implications of different architectures and molecular modes of transcriptional control for the phenotypic repertoire of genetic oscillators? Are there designs that are more realizable or robust? We compare synthetic oscillators involving one of three architectures and various combinations of the two modes of transcriptional control using a methodology that provides three innovations: a rigorous definition of phenotype, a procedure for deconstructing complex systems into qualitatively distinct phenotypes, and a graphical representation for illuminating the relationship between genotype, environment, and the qualitatively distinct phenotypes of a system. These methods provide a global perspective on the behavioral repertoire, facilitate comparisons of alternatives, and assist the rational design of synthetic gene circuitry. In particular, the results of their application here reveal distinctive phenotypes for several designs that have been studied experimentally as well as a best design among the alternatives that has yet to be constructed and tested.

a comparative study of two agricultural extension approaches in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

each approach are described and their strengths and weaknesses are revealed including the implications of having two extension ... line of technical support and administrative control, b) to change the multi-purpose role ... evaluation and training plots called Management Training Plots (MTPs). According to Quinones et al; ...

Extensive cerebral venous thrombosis in a renal allograft recipient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nayak, Shobhana G.; Satish, R.; Gokulnath

2008-01-01

An increased risk of venous thromboembolism has been demonstrated following renal transplantation. Commonly reported sites have been deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism and vascular thrombosis involving the graft. Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) has not been reported in literature so far. A 36-year-old male patient, transplanted in January 2005 with normal graft functions, was admitted with history of headache, blurring of vision and vomiting. Examination revealed papilledema and no neurological deficits. Baseline investigations and analysis of cerebrospinal liquid were normal. Cerebral magnetic resonance venogram revealed extensive CVT involving superior sagittal sinus, bilateral transverse sinuses and the right sigmoid sinus. He was investigated for a thrombophilic disorder; serum homocysteine, protein C and S levels, antiphospholipid antibody and antithrombin-III levels were done despite which no conclusive diagnosis could be arrived at. To our knowledge, this is the first report of extensive CVT described in a transplant recipient. Ne definite prothrombotic or predisposing factors could be identified in our patient and the cause of CVT remains unclear. (author)

Lipidomic profiling reveals distinct differences in plasma lipid composition in healthy, prediabetic, and type 2 diabetic individuals

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Huanzi; Fang, Chao; Fan, Yanqun; Lu, Yan; Wen, Bo; Ren, Huahui; Hou, Guixue; Yang, Fangming; Xie, Hailiang; Jie, Zhuye; Peng, Ye; Ye, Zhiqiang; Wu, Jiegen; Zi, Jin; Zhao, Guoqing; Chen, Jiayu; Bao, Xiao; Hu, Yihe; Gao, Yan; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Huanming; Wang, Jian; Madsen, Lise; Kristiansen, Karsten

2017-01-01

Abstract The relationship between dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) has been extensively reported, but the global lipid profiles, especially in the East Asia population, associated with the development of T2D remain to be characterized. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was applied to detect the global lipidome in the fasting plasma of 293 Chinese individuals, including 114 T2D patients, 81 prediabetic subjects, and 98 individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Both qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed a gradual change in plasma lipid features with T2D patients exhibiting characteristics close to those of prediabetic individuals, whereas they differed significantly from individuals with NGT. We constructed and validated a random forest classifier with 28 lipidomic features that effectively discriminated T2D from NGT or prediabetes. Most of the selected features significantly correlated with diabetic clinical indices. Hydroxybutyrylcarnitine was positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour postprandial glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Lysophosphatidylcholines such as lysophosphatidylcholine (18:0), lysophosphatidylcholine (18:1), and lysophosphatidylcholine (18:2) were all negatively correlated with HOMA-IR. The altered plasma lipidome in Chinese T2D and prediabetic subjects suggests that lipid features may play a role in the pathogenesis of T2D and that such features may provide a basis for evaluating risk and monitoring disease development. PMID:28505362

Electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction of native thin filaments reveal species-specific differences in regulatory strand densities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cammarato, Anthony, E-mail: acammara@burnham.org [Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118 (United States); Craig, Roger [Department of Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States); Lehman, William [Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118 (United States)

2010-01-01

Throughout the animal kingdom striated muscle contraction is regulated by the thin filament troponin-tropomyosin complex. Homologous regulatory components are shared among vertebrate and arthropod muscles; however, unique protein extensions and/or components characterize the latter. The Troponin T (TnT) isoforms of Drosophila indirect flight and tarantula femur muscle for example contain distinct C-terminal extensions and are {approx}20% larger overall than their vertebrate counterpart. Using electron microscopy and three-dimensional helical reconstruction of native Drosophila, tarantula and frog muscle thin filaments we have identified species-specific differences in tropomyosin regulatory strand densities. The strands on the arthropod thin filaments were significantly larger in diameter than those from vertebrates, although not significantly different from each other. These findings reflect differences in the regulatory troponin-tropomyosin complex, which are likely due to the larger TnT molecules aligning and extending along much of the tropomyosin strands' length. Such an arrangement potentially alters the physical properties of the regulatory strands and may help establish contractile characteristics unique to certain arthropod muscles.

Electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction of native thin filaments reveal species-specific differences in regulatory strand densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cammarato, Anthony; Craig, Roger; Lehman, William

2010-01-01

Throughout the animal kingdom striated muscle contraction is regulated by the thin filament troponin-tropomyosin complex. Homologous regulatory components are shared among vertebrate and arthropod muscles; however, unique protein extensions and/or components characterize the latter. The Troponin T (TnT) isoforms of Drosophila indirect flight and tarantula femur muscle for example contain distinct C-terminal extensions and are ∼20% larger overall than their vertebrate counterpart. Using electron microscopy and three-dimensional helical reconstruction of native Drosophila, tarantula and frog muscle thin filaments we have identified species-specific differences in tropomyosin regulatory strand densities. The strands on the arthropod thin filaments were significantly larger in diameter than those from vertebrates, although not significantly different from each other. These findings reflect differences in the regulatory troponin-tropomyosin complex, which are likely due to the larger TnT molecules aligning and extending along much of the tropomyosin strands' length. Such an arrangement potentially alters the physical properties of the regulatory strands and may help establish contractile characteristics unique to certain arthropod muscles.

Project Milestone. Analysis of Range Extension Techniques for Battery Electric Vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neubauer, Jeremy [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wood, Eric [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Pesaran, Ahmad [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2013-07-01

This report documents completion of the July 2013 milestone as part of NREL’s Vehicle Technologies Annual Operating Plan with the U.S. Department of Energy. The objective was to perform analysis on range extension techniques for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This work represents a significant advancement over previous thru-life BEV analyses using NREL’s Battery Ownership Model, FastSim,* and DRIVE.* Herein, the ability of different charging infrastructure to increase achievable travel of BEVs in response to real-world, year-long travel histories is assessed. Effects of battery and cabin thermal response to local climate, battery degradation, and vehicle auxiliary loads are captured. The results reveal the conditions under which different public infrastructure options are most effective, and encourage continued study of fast charging and electric roadway scenarios.

Public extension agents' need for new competencies: evidence from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Small yield differences between Extension service-recipients and non-recipients indicate that Extension support has minimal effect on farmers' production. Agents need new competencies regarding correct application conservation agriculture. The study recommends the involvement of extension agents, scientists and ...

Turning an Extension Aide into an Extension Agent

Science.gov (United States)

Seevers, Brenda; Dormody, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

For any organization to remain sustainable, a renewable source of faculty and staff needs to be available. The Extension Internship Program for Juniors and Seniors in High School is a new tool for recruiting and developing new Extension agents. Students get "hands on" experience working in an Extension office and earn college credit…

Negative extensibility metamaterials: Occurrence and design-space topology

Science.gov (United States)

Karpov, Eduard G.; Danso, Larry A.; Klein, John T.

2017-08-01

A negative extensibility material structure pulls back and contracts when the external tensile load reaches a certain critical level. In this paper, we reveal basic mathematical features of the nonlinear strain energy function responsible for this unusual mechanical property. A systematic discussion leads to a comprehensive phase diagram in terms of design parameters for a simple unit cell structure that provides a panoramic view of all possible nonlinear mechanical behaviors. A negative extensibility region clearly is identified in the diagram. The sought property is seen to be rare, occurring only for a very narrow range of the design parameters. Nonetheless, due to the simplicity of the studied structure we suggest that the negative extensibility should be a more common phenomenon than previously thought. It can appear in simple bistable cells made of only several linearly elastic links, although at some peculiar combinations of their properties. These bistable unit cells can be used to design periodic mechanical metamaterials whose examples are shown as well as innovative architectural metastructures.

Two endogenous proteins that induce cell wall extension in plants

Science.gov (United States)

McQueen-Mason, S.; Durachko, D. M.; Cosgrove, D. J.

1992-01-01

Plant cell enlargement is regulated by wall relaxation and yielding, which is thought to be catalyzed by elusive "wall-loosening" enzymes. By employing a reconstitution approach, we found that a crude protein extract from the cell walls of growing cucumber seedlings possessed the ability to induce the extension of isolated cell walls. This activity was restricted to the growing region of the stem and could induce the extension of isolated cell walls from various dicot stems and the leaves of amaryllidaceous monocots, but was less effective on grass coleoptile walls. Endogenous and reconstituted wall extension activities showed similar sensitivities to pH, metal ions, thiol reducing agents, proteases, and boiling in methanol or water. Sequential HPLC fractionation of the active wall extract revealed two proteins with molecular masses of 29 and 30 kD associated with the activity. Each protein, by itself, could induce wall extension without detectable hydrolytic breakdown of the wall. These proteins appear to mediate "acid growth" responses of isolated walls and may catalyze plant cell wall extension by a novel biochemical mechanism.

How children remember neutral and emotional pictures: boundary extension in children's scene memories.

Science.gov (United States)

Candel, Ingrid; Merckelbach, Harald; Houben, Katrijn; Vandyck, Inne

2004-01-01

Boundary extension is the tendency to remember more of a scene than was actually shown. The dominant interpretation of this memory illusion is that it originates from schemata that people construct when viewing a scene. Evidence of boundary extension has been obtained primarily with adult participants who remember neutral pictures. The current study addressed the developmental stability of this phenomenon. Therefore, we investigated whether children aged 10-12 years display boundary extension for neutral pictures. Moreover, we examined emotional scene memory. Eighty-seven children drew pictures from memory after they had seen either neutral or emotional pictures. Both their neutral and emotional drawings revealed boundary extension. Apparently, the schema construction that underlies boundary extension is a robust and ubiquitous process.

The Effects of Different Aspects of Tourism Services on Travelers' Quality of Life: Model Validation, Refinement, and Extension

OpenAIRE

Neal, Janet Davis

2000-01-01

The Effects of Different Aspects of Tourism Services on Travelers' Quality of Life: Model Validation, Refinement, and Extension by Janet Davis Neal ABSTRACT Numerous satisfaction studies have been conducted in both tourism and marketing which have examined various aspects of travelers and/or consumers. Quality of life satisfaction studies look beyond the types of satisfaction experiences that endure for only a short time to those that "spill over" into individuals' life domains ...

Identifying Assets Associated with Quality Extension Programming at the Local Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Harder

2017-10-01

Full Text Available County Extension offices are responsible for the majority of programming delivered in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore assets influencing the quality of county Extension programs. A basic qualitative research design was followed to conduct constant comparative analysis of five Extension county program review reports. Using the appreciative inquiry process as the lens through which to view the county program review reports revealed multiple assets leading to quality programming. Assets of the reviewed county Extension programs were found to cluster within the following themes: competent and enthusiastic Extension faculty, community partnerships, engaged and supportive stakeholders, effective resource management, sufficient and stable workforce, meeting stakeholder needs, positive reputation, access to facilities, positive relationships between county and state faculty, and innovative practices. The use of both needs-based and assets-based paradigms will provide Extension organizations with a more holistic understanding of its assets and a research-based foundation from which to make decisions about strengthening the organization at all levels.

Comparing expressed and revealed preferences for risk reduction: different hazards and question frames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDaniels, T.L.

1988-01-01

Studies often note the wide differences that exist in costs per death avoided across US federal programs and regulatory contexts. This paper explores two new, related explanations for these differences. First, it argues that the patterns of revealed preferences (public allocations) may be related to public values, which are measured here through subjects' expressed preference responses to a contingent valuation survey regarding risk reduction. Subjects' expressed values are compared to actual (and proposed) costs of safety regulations for a similar set of hazards. The authors discover strong congruence in the ranking of expressed values and actual values. Second, the paper presents the results of a subsequent survey that investigates why the patterns observed in the first survey might occur. It suggests that one reason for the observed similarities between revealed and expressed preferences may be in how choices are framed. The paper hypothesizes that both subjects and decision makers may frame valuation decisions in the same way: as percentage changes from the reference point provided by the base rate of deaths for that hazard

Logic regression and its extensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwender, Holger; Ruczinski, Ingo

2010-01-01

Logic regression is an adaptive classification and regression procedure, initially developed to reveal interacting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genetic association studies. In general, this approach can be used in any setting with binary predictors, when the interaction of these covariates is of primary interest. Logic regression searches for Boolean (logic) combinations of binary variables that best explain the variability in the outcome variable, and thus, reveals variables and interactions that are associated with the response and/or have predictive capabilities. The logic expressions are embedded in a generalized linear regression framework, and thus, logic regression can handle a variety of outcome types, such as binary responses in case-control studies, numeric responses, and time-to-event data. In this chapter, we provide an introduction to the logic regression methodology, list some applications in public health and medicine, and summarize some of the direct extensions and modifications of logic regression that have been proposed in the literature. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aquatic insect ecophysiological traits reveal phylogenetically based differences in dissolved cadmium susceptibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchwalter, David B; Cain, Daniel J; Martin, Caitrin A; Xie, Lingtian; Luoma, Samuel N; Garland, Theodore

2008-06-17

We used a phylogenetically based comparative approach to evaluate the potential for physiological studies to reveal patterns of diversity in traits related to susceptibility to an environmental stressor, the trace metal cadmium (Cd). Physiological traits related to Cd bioaccumulation, compartmentalization, and ultimately susceptibility were measured in 21 aquatic insect species representing the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera. We mapped these experimentally derived physiological traits onto a phylogeny and quantified the tendency for related species to be similar (phylogenetic signal). All traits related to Cd bioaccumulation and susceptibility exhibited statistically significant phylogenetic signal, although the signal strength varied among traits. Conventional and phylogenetically based regression models were compared, revealing great variability within orders but consistent, strong differences among insect families. Uptake and elimination rate constants were positively correlated among species, but only when effects of body size and phylogeny were incorporated in the analysis. Together, uptake and elimination rates predicted dramatic Cd bioaccumulation differences among species that agreed with field-based measurements. We discovered a potential tradeoff between the ability to eliminate Cd and the ability to detoxify it across species, particularly mayflies. The best-fit regression models were driven by phylogenetic parameters (especially differences among families) rather than functional traits, suggesting that it may eventually be possible to predict a taxon's physiological performance based on its phylogenetic position, provided adequate physiological information is available for close relatives. There appears to be great potential for evolutionary physiological approaches to augment our understanding of insect responses to environmental stressors in nature.

Factors Influencing Perceptions of Service Quality in Cooperative Extension Workers

Science.gov (United States)

Anaza, Nwamaka A.; Rutherford, Brian N.; Widdows, Richard

2012-01-01

The authors examined the direct and indirect impact of empowerment on service quality as perceived by Extension staff. Using a sample 283 respondents, the results revealed that along with empowerment, constructs such as job satisfaction and organizational identification positively affected service quality. Undoubtedly, each of these variables…

Different levels of food restriction reveal genotype-specific differences in learning a visual discrimination task.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalina Makowiecki

Full Text Available In behavioural experiments, motivation to learn can be achieved using food rewards as positive reinforcement in food-restricted animals. Previous studies reduce animal weights to 80-90% of free-feeding body weight as the criterion for food restriction. However, effects of different degrees of food restriction on task performance have not been assessed. We compared learning task performance in mice food-restricted to 80 or 90% body weight (BW. We used adult wildtype (WT; C57Bl/6j and knockout (ephrin-A2⁻/⁻ mice, previously shown to have a reverse learning deficit. Mice were trained in a two-choice visual discrimination task with food reward as positive reinforcement. When mice reached criterion for one visual stimulus (80% correct in three consecutive 10 trial sets they began the reverse learning phase, where the rewarded stimulus was switched to the previously incorrect stimulus. For the initial learning and reverse phase of the task, mice at 90%BW took almost twice as many trials to reach criterion as mice at 80%BW. Furthermore, WT 80 and 90%BW groups significantly differed in percentage correct responses and learning strategy in the reverse learning phase, whereas no differences between weight restriction groups were observed in ephrin-A2⁻/⁻ mice. Most importantly, genotype-specific differences in reverse learning strategy were only detected in the 80%BW groups. Our results indicate that increased food restriction not only results in better performance and a shorter training period, but may also be necessary for revealing behavioural differences between experimental groups. This has important ethical and animal welfare implications when deciding extent of diet restriction in behavioural studies.

Knowledge and perception of extension workers towards ict utilization in agricultural extension service delivery in Gazipur district of Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.A. Prodhan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The primary purpose of the study was to assess the extent of knowledge and perception of extension workers towards ICT utilization and to determine the relationship between the selected characteristics of the respondents and knowledge and perception of extension workers towards ICT utilization in extension service delivery. The study was conducted in Gazipur district and comprised proportionate random sample of 90 extension workers from five upazila of Gazipur district. A pre-tested interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents. To measure the knowledge on ICT utilization 35 statements were selected regarding 7 ICT with five possible answer of each tools and a score of one was given to the right answer and zero to the wrong answer alternatively to measure the perception of the respondents rated each of 10 statements ICT utilization in agriculture on a 5-point Likert type scale and the total of these ratings formed perception index. The result of the study showed that out of seven ICT tools the knowledge of extension workers was highest in case of MS Word this was followed by internet/ web service and the lowest knowledge was found in case of Geographical Information System. It is observed that an overwhelming majority (88.9% of agricultural extension workers in the study area had low to medium knowledge towards ICT utilization. Findings reveal that the respondents had top most perception on the ICT utilization in respect of ‘Extension work can be greatly enhanced by ICT’ followed by on ‘The benefits of ICT use outweigh the financial burden involved’. The result also indicated that more than fourth-fifth (84.4% of the respondents had medium to high perception towards ICT utilization. There were significant relationship between service experience and use of the information sources of the respondents with their knowledge towards ICT utilization conversely innovativeness, cosmopoliteness and job satisfaction of the

Competitive differentiation through brand extensions in the era of hyper competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudiu-Catalin Munteanu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In the era of hyper competition, competitive differentiation has become increasingly important. Brand extensions are used by companies across various industries for competitive differentiation. But in the era of hyper competition, a successful differentiation strategy requires that a brand emphasizes on uniqueness rather than commoditization. In this article, we make a case for creating a meaningful differentiation strategy. We emphasize the role of brand extensions for competitive differentiation and highlight the main perils of using brand extensions as a primary differentiation strategy. By using qualitative research, we identify primary objectives for brand extensions in practice. This investigation uses in-depth interviews with 14 senior brand managers across various industries to highlight brand portfolio strategies in relation to the brand differentiation strategy. Findings reveal that for business at the base of the pyramid, in markets such as Romania, brand managers are using brand extensions to increase sales or to boost short-term revenue rather than to implement a coherent differentiation strategy. We conclude with multiple recommendations for improving brand extension usage as a strategic instrument for creating meaningful differentiation in the era of hyper competition.

Estimating Neural Control from Concentric vs. Eccentric Surface Electromyographic Representations during Fatiguing, Cyclic Submaximal Back Extension Exercises

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Gerold R. Ebenbichler

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To investigate the differences in neural control of back muscles activated during the eccentric vs. the concentric portions of a cyclic, submaximal, fatiguing trunk extension exercise via the analysis of amplitude and time-frequency parameters derived from surface electromyographic (SEMG data.Methods: Using back dynamometers, 87 healthy volunteers performed three maximum voluntary isometric trunk extensions (MVC's, an isometric trunk extension at 80% MVC, and 25 cyclic, dynamic trunk extensions at 50% MVC. Dynamic testing was performed with the trunk angular displacement ranging from 0° to 40° and the trunk angular velocity set at 20°/s. SEMG data was recorded bilaterally from the iliocostalis lumborum at L1, the longissimus dorsi at L2, and the multifidus muscles at L5. The initial value and slope of the root mean square (RMS-SEMG and the instantaneous median frequency (IMDF-SEMG estimates derived from the SEMG recorded during each exercise cycle were used to investigate the differences in MU control marking the eccentric vs. the concentric portions of the exercise.Results: During the concentric portions of the exercise, the initial RMS-SEMG values were almost twice those observed during the eccentric portions of the exercise. The RMS-SEMG values generally increased during the concentric portions of the exercise while they mostly remained unchanged during the eccentric portions of the exercise with significant differences between contraction types. Neither the initial IMDF-SEMG values nor the time-course of the IMDF-SEMG values significantly differed between the eccentric and the concentric portions of the exercise.Conclusions: The comparison of the investigated SEMG parameters revealed distinct neural control strategies during the eccentric vs. the concentric portions of the cyclic exercise. We explain these differences by relying upon the principles of orderly recruitment and common drive governing motor unit behavior.

Extension as expression of social responsibility for higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Antonio de Marco

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The National System of Higher Education Assessment 2004 in Axis 2, Institutional Development and its dimensions 1 and 3: Mission and Institutional Development Plan (IDP and the Social Responsibility of the institution highlights the need for universities to incorporate in their activities teaching, research and extension practices that demonstrate their positive involvement in social development. In this sense, this article aims to evaluate the practice of university extension contributes to the consolidation of University Social Responsibility. was used as a method descriptive research and documentary analysis found that the institutional documents of the University of the West of Santa Catarina: mission, vision and values; Institutional Development Plan and the extension project of the University of Chapecó Best Age (UMIC; and the National System of Higher Education Evaluation. From this inference, it was revealed that UNOESC in its constitutive principles and official documents value-oriented civic education for social inclusion. It was found that the consolidation of MSW necessarily involves watchful eye of management to the principles of indivisibility of teaching, research and extension, components and ended the universities, which when not properly executed, counter and violate the legal provision; that inter- and transdisciplinary nature of extension projects, such as UMIC, have strong contribution to the consolidation of MSW; parallel, left clear that isolation Extension projects like UMIC not reach the fullness of the social commitment of universities, suggesting that inseparability is present with the incorporation of actions that promote social development.

[Effects of Meek skin grafting on patients with extensive deep burn at different age groups].

Science.gov (United States)

Di, H P; Niu, X H; Li, Q; Li, X L; Xue, J D; Cao, D Y; Han, D W; Xia, C D

2017-03-20

Objective: To investigate the effect of Meek skin grafting on patients with extensive deep burn at different age groups. Methods: Eighty-four patients with extensive deep burns conforming to the study criteria were hospitalized in our unit from April 2011 to April 2015. Patients were divided into children group (C, with age less than 12 years old), young and middle-aged group (YM, with age more than 18 years and less than 50 years old), and old age group (O, with age more than 55 years old) according to age, with 28 patients in each group. All patients received Meek skin grafting treatment. The use of autologous skin area, operation time, wound healing time, and hospitalization time were recorded. The survival rate of skin graft on post operation day 7, complete wound healing rate in post treatment week 2, and the mortality were calculated. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance, t test, and χ (2) test. Results: The use of autologous skin area of patients in group C was (5.1±1.0)% total body surface area (TBSA), significantly less than (8.3±1.0)%TBSA and (8.3±1.4)%TBSA in groups YM and O, respectively (with t values 32.900 and 52.624, respectively, P values below 0.05). The operation time, wound healing time, and hospitalization time of patients in group C were (1.368±0.562) h, (9.6±0.6) and (32±11) d, significantly shorter than those in group YM [(3.235±0.011) h, (16.9±2.6) and (48±12) d, respectively] and group O [(3.692±0.481) h, (17.3±2.6) and (46±13) d, respectively, with t values from 4.350 to 21.160, P values below 0.05]. The survival rate of skin graft of patients on post operation day 7 in group C was (92±15)%, significantly higher than (81±10)% and (72±12)% in groups YM and O, respectively (with t values 5.509 and 3.229, respectively, P values below 0.05). The above indexes in groups YM and O were similar (with t values from 0.576 to 22.958, P values above 0.05). Complete wound healing rate in post treatment week 2 and the

Handsome wants as handsome does: physical attractiveness and gender differences in revealed sexual preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

McClintock, Elizabeth Aura

2011-01-01

In this article I evaluate the effect of physical attractiveness on young adults' sexual and romantic outcomes to reveal gender differences in acted preferences. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a probability sample of young adults (n = 14,276), I investigate gender differences in desired sexual partner accumulation, relationship status, and timing of sexual intercourse. I find gender differences in sexual and romantic strategies consistent with those predicted by the double standard of sexuality and evolutionary theory. Specifically, compared to men, women pursue more committed relationships, fewer sexual partners, and delayed sexual intercourse.

Optimization of composite tiltrotor wings with extensions and winglets

Science.gov (United States)

Kambampati, Sandilya

Tiltrotors suffer from an aeroelastic instability during forward flight called whirl flutter. Whirl flutter is caused by the whirling motion of the rotor, characterized by highly coupled wing-rotor-pylon modes of vibration. Whirl flutter is a major obstacle for tiltrotors in achieving high-speed flight. The conventional approach to assure adequate whirl flutter stability margins for tiltrotors is to design the wings with high torsional stiffness, typically using 23% thickness-to-chord ratio wings. However, the large aerodynamic drag associated with these high thickness-to-chord ratio wings decreases aerodynamic efficiency and increases fuel consumption. Wingtip devices such as wing extensions and winglets have the potential to increase the whirl flutter characteristics and the aerodynamic efficiency of a tiltrotor. However, wing-tip devices can add more weight to the aircraft. In this study, multi-objective parametric and optimization methodologies for tiltrotor aircraft with wing extensions and winglets are investigated. The objectives are to maximize aircraft aerodynamic efficiency while minimizing weight penalty due to extensions and winglets, subject to whirl flutter constraints. An aeroelastic model that predicts the whirl flutter speed and a wing structural model that computes strength and weight of a composite wing are developed. An existing aerodynamic model (that predicts the aerodynamic efficiency) is merged with the developed structural and aeroelastic models for the purpose of conducting parametric and optimization studies. The variables of interest are the wing thickness and structural properties, and extension and winglet planform variables. The Bell XV-15 tiltrotor aircraft the chosen as the parent aircraft for this study. Parametric studies reveal that a wing extension of span 25% of the inboard wing increases the whirl flutter speed by 10% and also increases the aircraft aerodynamic efficiency by 8%. Structurally tapering the wing of a tiltrotor

Interaction between mantle and crustal detachments: a non-linear system controlling lithospheric extension

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, G.; Regenauer-Lieb, K.; Weinberg, R. F.

2009-12-01

We use numerical modelling to investigate the development of crustal and mantle detachment faults during lithospheric extension. Our models simulate a wide range of rift systems with varying values of crustal thickness and heat flow, showing how strain localization in the mantle interacts with localization in the upper crust and controls the evolution of extensional systems. Model results reveal a richness of structures and deformation styles, which grow in response to a self-organized mechanism that minimizes the internal stored energy of the system by localizing deformation at different levels of the lithosphere. Crustal detachment faults are well developed during extension of overthickened (60 km) continental crust, even when the initial heat flow is relatively low (50 mW/m2). In contrast, localized mantle deformation is most pronounced when the extended lithosphere has a normal crustal thickness (30-40 km) and an intermediate (60-70 mW/m2) heat flow. Results show a non-linear response to subtle changes in crustal thickness or heat flow, characterized by abrupt and sometime unexpected switches in extension modes (e.g. from diffuse rifting to effective lithospheric-scale rupturing) or from mantle- to crust-dominated strain localization. We interpret this non-linearity to result from the interference of doming wavelengths. Disharmony of crust and mantle doming wavelengths results in efficient communication between shear zones at different lithospheric levels, leading to rupturing of the whole lithosphere. In contrast, harmonious crust and mantle doming inhibits interaction of shear zones across the lithosphere and results in a prolonged rifting history prior to continental breakup.

Sociologists in Extension

Science.gov (United States)

Christenson, James A.; And Others

1977-01-01

The article describes the work activities of the extension sociologist, the relative advantage and disadvantage of extension roles in relation to teaching/research roles, and the relevance of sociological training and research for extension work. (NQ)

Velocity of lordosis angle during spinal flexion and extension.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tobias Consmüller

Full Text Available The importance of functional parameters for evaluating the severity of low back pain is gaining clinical recognition, with evidence suggesting that the angular velocity of lordosis is critical for identification of musculoskeletal deficits. However, there is a lack of data regarding the range of functional kinematics (RoKs, particularly which include the changing shape and curvature of the spine. We address this deficit by characterising the angular velocity of lordosis throughout the thoracolumbar spine according to age and gender. The velocity of lumbar back shape changes was measured using Epionics SPINE during maximum flexion and extension activities in 429 asymptomatic volunteers. The difference between maximum positive and negative velocities represented the RoKs. The mean RoKs for flexion decreased with age; 114°/s (20-35 years, 100°/s (36-50 years and 83°/s (51-75 years. For extension, the corresponding mean RoKs were 73°/s, 57°/s and 47°/s. ANCOVA analyses revealed that age and gender had the largest influence on the RoKs (p<0.05. The Epionics SPINE system allows the rapid assessment of functional kinematics in the lumbar spine. The results of this study now serve as normative data for comparison to patients with spinal pathology or after surgical treatment.

Comparative study of human mitochondrial proteome reveals extensive protein subcellular relocalization after gene duplications

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Huang Yong

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene and genome duplication is the principle creative force in evolution. Recently, protein subcellular relocalization, or neolocalization was proposed as one of the mechanisms responsible for the retention of duplicated genes. This hypothesis received support from the analysis of yeast genomes, but has not been tested thoroughly on animal genomes. In order to evaluate the importance of subcellular relocalizations for retention of duplicated genes in animal genomes, we systematically analyzed nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins in the human genome by reconstructing phylogenies of mitochondrial multigene families. Results The 456 human mitochondrial proteins selected for this study were clustered into 305 gene families including 92 multigene families. Among the multigene families, 59 (64% consisted of both mitochondrial and cytosolic (non-mitochondrial proteins (mt-cy families while the remaining 33 (36% were composed of mitochondrial proteins (mt-mt families. Phylogenetic analyses of mt-cy families revealed three different scenarios of their neolocalization following gene duplication: 1 relocalization from mitochondria to cytosol, 2 from cytosol to mitochondria and 3 multiple subcellular relocalizations. The neolocalizations were most commonly enabled by the gain or loss of N-terminal mitochondrial targeting signals. The majority of detected subcellular relocalization events occurred early in animal evolution, preceding the evolution of tetrapods. Mt-mt protein families showed a somewhat different pattern, where gene duplication occurred more evenly in time. However, for both types of protein families, most duplication events appear to roughly coincide with two rounds of genome duplications early in vertebrate evolution. Finally, we evaluated the effects of inaccurate and incomplete annotation of mitochondrial proteins and found that our conclusion of the importance of subcellular relocalization after gene duplication on

The modified Thomas test is not a valid measure of hip extension unless pelvic tilt is controlled

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Andrew D. Vigotsky

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The modified Thomas test was developed to assess the presence of hip flexion contracture and to measure hip extensibility. Despite its widespread use, to the authors’ knowledge, its criterion reference validity has not yet been investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the criterion reference validity of the modified Thomas test for measuring peak hip extension angle and hip extension deficits, as defined by the hip not being able to extend to 0º, or neutral. Twenty-nine healthy college students (age = 22.00 ± 3.80 years; height = 1.71 ± 0.09 m; body mass = 70.00 ± 15.60 kg were recruited for this study. Bland–Altman plots revealed poor validity for the modified Thomas test’s ability to measure hip extension, which could not be explained by differences in hip flexion ability alone. The modified Thomas test displayed a sensitivity of 31.82% (95% CI [13.86–54.87] and a specificity of 57.14% (95% CI [18.41–90.10] for testing hip extension deficits. It appears, however, that by controlling pelvic tilt, much of this variance can be accounted for (r = 0.98. When pelvic tilt is not controlled, the modified Thomas test displays poor criterion reference validity and, as per previous studies, poor reliability. However, when pelvic tilt is controlled, the modified Thomas test appears to be a valid test for evaluating peak hip extension angle.

Epistaxis revealing the rupture of a carotid aneurysm of the cavernous sinus extending into the sphenoid: treatment using an uncovered stent and coils. Review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Pierre; Saliou, Guillaume; Page, Cyril; Balut, Antonia; Le Gars, Daniel; Vallée, Jean Noel

2009-05-01

True carotid aneurysms with sphenoid extension and revealed by epistaxis are rare. A review of the literature shows the mortality risk of this pathology and the different therapeutic options. A 41-year-old female presented with a cavernous carotid aneurysm with sphenoid extension revealed by massive epistaxis. We propose a combined treatment of the affected vessel using coils and an uncovered stent. The first stage to stop the hemorrhages and occlude the aneurysm using the coil and the second stage several days later after anticoagulation using the stent to prevent revascularization. This treatment has been shown to be effective in producing immediate hemostasis and stable long-term occlusion.

Implicit personality theory in evaluation of brand extensions.

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Flaherty, K E; Pappas, J M

2000-06-01

Transference, the extent to which consumers transfer their opinions of a parent brand to a new extension, is critical to the success of any brand-extension strategy. Past research has shown that transference is a complex process that varies among persons depending upon an implicit personality theory, entity versus incremental. In a laboratory experiment analysis of ratings for 100 21-yr.-old undergraduates of attitude, perceived fit and risk, prior product involvement, and implicit personality theory (entity versus incremental) the influence of consumers' implicit personality theory on transference was considered within the brand-extension context. As expected, the amount of transference differed between those espousing entity and incremental theories. "Entity theorists" were much more likely to transfer feelings associated with the parent brand to the new extension than were "incremental theorists" who did not rely on prior brand information when forming evaluations of a new extension. This effect did not occur when perceived fit between the parent brand and the extension was high.

Whole exome sequencing in 342 congenital cardiac left sided lesion cases reveals extensive genetic heterogeneity and complex inheritance patterns

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Alexander H. Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Left-sided lesions (LSLs account for an important fraction of severe congenital cardiovascular malformations (CVMs. The genetic contributions to LSLs are complex, and the mutations that cause these malformations span several diverse biological signaling pathways: TGFB, NOTCH, SHH, and more. Here, we use whole exome sequence data generated in 342 LSL cases to identify likely damaging variants in putative candidate CVM genes. Methods Using a series of bioinformatics filters, we focused on genes harboring population-rare, putative loss-of-function (LOF, and predicted damaging variants in 1760 CVM candidate genes constructed a priori from the literature and model organism databases. Gene variants that were not observed in a comparably sequenced control dataset of 5492 samples without severe CVM were then subjected to targeted validation in cases and parents. Whole exome sequencing data from 4593 individuals referred for clinical sequencing were used to bolster evidence for the role of candidate genes in CVMs and LSLs. Results Our analyses revealed 28 candidate variants in 27 genes, including 17 genes not previously associated with a human CVM disorder, and revealed diverse patterns of inheritance among LOF carriers, including 9 confirmed de novo variants in both novel and newly described human CVM candidate genes (ACVR1, JARID2, NR2F2, PLRG1, SMURF1 as well as established syndromic CVM genes (KMT2D, NF1, TBX20, ZEB2. We also identified two genes (DNAH5, OFD1 with evidence of recessive and hemizygous inheritance patterns, respectively. Within our clinical cohort, we also observed heterozygous LOF variants in JARID2 and SMAD1 in individuals with cardiac phenotypes, and collectively, carriers of LOF variants in our candidate genes had a four times higher odds of having CVM (odds ratio = 4.0, 95% confidence interval 2.5–6.5. Conclusions Our analytical strategy highlights the utility of bioinformatic resources, including human

Diffuse correlation tomography reveals spatial and temporal difference in blood flow changes among murine femoral grafts

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Songfeng; Proctor, Ashley R.; Benoit, Danielle S. W.; Choe, Regine

2017-07-01

Diffuse correlation tomography was utilized to noninvasively monitor 3D blood flow changes in three types of healing mouse femoral grafts. Results reveal the spatial and temporal difference among the groups.

A Proposal for Public and Private Partnership in Extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Krell, Rayda K; Fisher, Marc L; Steffey, Kevin L

2016-01-01

Public funding for Extension in the United States has been decreasing for many years, but farmers' need for robust information on which to make management decisions has not diminished. The current Extension funding challenges provide motivation to explore a different model for developing and delivering extension. The private sector has partnered with the public sector to fund and conduct agricultural research, but partnering on extension delivery has occurred far less frequently. The fundamental academic strength and established Extension network of the public sector combined with the ability of the private sector to encourage and deliver practical, implementable solutions has the potential to provide measurable benefits to farmers. This paper describes the current Extension climate, presents data from a survey about Extension and industry relationships, presents case studies of successful public- and private-sector extension partnerships, and proposes a framework for evaluating the state of effective partnerships. Synergistic public-private extension efforts could ensure that farmers receive the most current and balanced information available to help with their management decisions.

A peptide extension dictates IgM assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasalic, Dzana; Weber, Benedikt; Giannone, Chiara; Anelli, Tiziana; Müller, Roger; Fagioli, Claudio; Felkl, Manuel; John, Christine; Mossuto, Maria Francesca; Becker, Christian F W; Sitia, Roberto; Buchner, Johannes

2017-10-10

Professional secretory cells can produce large amounts of high-quality complex molecules, including IgM antibodies. Owing to their multivalency, polymeric IgM antibodies provide an efficient first-line of defense against pathogens. To decipher the mechanisms of IgM assembly, we investigated its biosynthesis in living cells and faithfully reconstituted the underlying processes in vitro. We find that a conserved peptide extension at the C-terminal end of the IgM heavy (Ig-μ) chains, termed the tailpiece, is necessary and sufficient to establish the correct geometry. Alanine scanning revealed that hydrophobic amino acids in the first half of the tailpiece contain essential information for generating the correct topology. Assembly is triggered by the formation of a disulfide bond linking two tailpieces. This induces conformational changes in the tailpiece and the adjacent domain, which drive further polymerization. Thus, the biogenesis of large and topologically challenging IgM complexes is dictated by a local conformational switch in a peptide extension.

Pricing of brand extensions based on perceptions of brand equity

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Panagiotis Arsenos

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The paper explores the role of brand equity when pricing hypothetical brand extensions. Companies tend to use different pricing techniques for their products, and their pricing decisions are based on many factors, including image and category fit of the product with the existing image and products of the company. Brand extensions are usually investigated from a consumer perspective, focusing on the extension attitude, however, it is essential to understand the corporate decision-making process regarding pricing. Exploring this matter using quantitative research methods, the study provides empirical evidence that companies that have invested heavily in marketing actions in the past and have built strong brand equity over-time, show flexibility in the mark-up during the cost decision-making process of a hypothetical brand extensions. Variations in mark-up percentages are also observed when there is a difference in image and category fit of the extension to the original brand. However, companies characterized by greater brand equity exhibited greater flexibility in the mark-up percentages, even for low fit extensions.

Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Extensive Alternative Splicing Events in the Protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuai; Zhou, Xiaosu; Hao, Lili; Piao, Xianyu; Hou, Nan; Chen, Qijun

2017-01-01

Alternative splicing (AS), as one of the most important topics in the post-genomic era, has been extensively studied in numerous organisms. However, little is known about the prevalence and characteristics of AS in Echinococcus species, which can cause significant health problems to humans and domestic animals. Based on high-throughput RNA-sequencing data, we performed a genome-wide survey of AS in two major pathogens of echinococcosis-Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis. Our study revealed that the prevalence and characteristics of AS in protoscoleces of the two parasites were generally consistent with each other. A total of 6,826 AS events from 3,774 E. granulosus genes and 6,644 AS events from 3,611 E. multilocularis genes were identified in protoscolex transcriptomes, indicating that 33–36% of genes were subject to AS in the two parasites. Strikingly, intron retention instead of exon skipping was the predominant type of AS in Echinococcus species. Moreover, analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway indicated that genes that underwent AS events were significantly enriched in multiple pathways mainly related to metabolism (e.g., purine, fatty acid, galactose, and glycerolipid metabolism), signal transduction (e.g., Jak-STAT, VEGF, Notch, and GnRH signaling pathways), and genetic information processing (e.g., RNA transport and mRNA surveillance pathways). The landscape of AS obtained in this study will not only facilitate future investigations on transcriptome complexity and AS regulation during the life cycle of Echinococcus species, but also provide an invaluable resource for future functional and evolutionary studies of AS in platyhelminth parasites. PMID:28588571

Consumer Perceptions of Fruit and Vegetable Origin, Growing Methods, and Willingness to Pay in Trinidad and Tobago Marketplaces: Implications for Extension Programming

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M’Randa R. Sandlin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Consumer behavior is a complex phenomenon encompassing internal, external, and situational factors. This study examined perceptions of market consumers about fruits and vegetables in Trinidad and Tobago in terms of produce origin, growing method, and willingness to pay. A stratified purposive sample of consumers at 14 unique market locations was surveyed to measure the three constructs and demographics. Descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, a ttest, and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed consumers have positive perceptions of locally grown produce and produce grown without chemicals. Findings also revealed a slight willingness to pay more for such characteristics. There were small to moderate correlations among the three constructs. Male and female perceptions of locally grown produce were significantly different, but no differences were found based on age. Extension educators working with producers who sell directly to consumers can utilize results from this study in working with clientele to tailor marketing and production strategies. Further research into social norms and perceived behavior control is recommended to better understand consumer behavior and help Extension better prepare stakeholders for success in the market places.

Extensive homology of chicken macrochromosomes in the karyotypes of Trachemys scripta elegans and Crocodylus niloticus revealed by chromosome painting despite long divergence times.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasai, F; O'Brien, P C M; Martin, S; Ferguson-Smith, M A

2012-01-01

We report extensive chromosome homology revealed by chromosome painting between chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus, GGA, 2n = 78) macrochromosomes (representing 70% of the chicken genome) and the chromosomes of a turtle, the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans, TSC, 2n = 50), and the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus, CNI, 2n = 32). Our data show that GGA1-8 arms seem to be conserved in the arms of TSC chromosomes, GGA1-2 arms are separated and homologous to CNI1p, 3q, 4q and 5q. In addition to GGAZ homologues in our previous study, large-scale GGA autosome syntenies have been conserved in turtle and crocodile despite hundreds of millions of years divergence time. Based on phylogenetic hypotheses that crocodiles diverged after the divergence of birds and turtles, our results in CNI suggest that GGA1-2 and TSC1-2 represent the ancestral state and that chromosome fissions followed by fusions have been the mechanisms responsible for the reduction of chromosome number in crocodiles. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Preferential mantle lithospheric extension under the South China margin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clift, P.; Jian Lin

2001-01-01

Continental rifting in the South China Sea culminated in seafloor spreading at ∼ 30Ma (Late Oligocene). The basin and associated margins form a classic example of break-up in a relatively juvenile arc crust environment. In this study, we documented the timing, distribution and amount of extension in the crust and mantle lithosphere on the South China Margin during this process. Applying a one-dimensional backstripping modeling technique to drilling data from the Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB) and Beibu Gulf Basin, we calculated subsidence rates of the wells and examined the timing and amount of extension. Our results show that extension of the crust exceeded that in the mantle lithosphere under the South China Shelf, but that the two varied in phase, suggesting depth-dependent extension rather than a lithospheric-scale detachment. Estimates of total crustal extension derived in this way are similar to those measured by seismic refraction, indicating that isostatic compensation is close to being local. Extension in the Beibu Gulf appears to be more uniform with depth, a difference that we attribute to the different style of strain accommodation during continental break-up compared to intra-continental rifting. Extension in PRMB and South China slope continues for ∼ 5m.y. after the onset of seafloor spreading due to the weakness of the continental lithosphere. The timing of major extension is broadly mid-late Eocene to late Oligocene (∼ 45-25Ma), but is impossible to correlate in detail with poorly dated strike-slip deformation in the Red River Fault Zone. (author)

Competency Modeling in Extension Education: Integrating an Academic Extension Education Model with an Extension Human Resource Management Model

Science.gov (United States)

Scheer, Scott D.; Cochran, Graham R.; Harder, Amy; Place, Nick T.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast an academic extension education model with an Extension human resource management model. The academic model of 19 competencies was similar across the 22 competencies of the Extension human resource management model. There were seven unique competencies for the human resource management model.…

Agricultural extension and mass media.

Science.gov (United States)

Perraton, H

1983-12-01

To learn more about the use of the mass media for agricultural extension, the World Bank has considered the efforts of 2 units: INADES-formation in West Africa and the Extension Aids Branch of Malawi. The INADES-formation study focuses on Cameroon but also considers work in Rwanda and the Ivory Coast. Some general conclusions emerge from a comparison of the 2 organizations. Malawi operates an extension service which reaches farmers through extension agents, through farmer training centers, and through mass media. The Extension Aids Branch (EAB) has responsibility for its media work and broadcasts 4 1/2 hours of radio each week. Its 6 regular radio programs include a general program which interviews farmers, a music request program in which the music is interspersed with farming advice, a farming family serial, and a daily broadcast of agricultural news and information. The 17 cinema vans show some agricultural films, made by EAB, some entertainment films, and some government information films from departments other than the ministry of agriculture. EAB also has a well-developed program of research and evaluation of its own work. INADES-formation, the training section of INADES, works towards social and economic development of the population. It teaches peasant farmers and extension agents and does this through running face-to-face seminars, by publishing a magazine, "Agripromo," and through correspondence courses. In 1978-79 INADES-formation enrolled some 4500 farmers and extension agents as students. Both of these organizations work to teach farmers better agriculture techniques, and both were created in response to the fact that agricultural extension agents cannot meet all the farmers in their area. Despite the similarity of objective, there are differences in methods and philosophy. The EAB works in a single country and uses a variety of mass media, with print playing a minor role. INADES-formation is an international and nongovernmental organization and its

Interaction between mantle and crustal detachments: A nonlinear system controlling lithospheric extension

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, Gideon; Regenauer-Lieb, Klaus; Weinberg, Roberto F.

2010-11-01

We use numerical modeling to investigate the development of crustal and mantle detachments during lithospheric extension. Our models simulate a wide range of extensional systems with varying values of crustal thickness and heat flow, showing how strain localization in the mantle interacts with localization in the upper crust and controls the evolution of extensional systems. Model results reveal a richness of structures and deformation styles as a response to a self-organized mechanism that minimizes the internal stored energy of the system by localizing deformation. Crustal detachments, here referred as low-angle normal decoupling horizons, are well developed during extension of overthickened (60 km) continental crust, even when the initial heat flow is relatively low (50 mW m-2). In contrast, localized mantle deformation is most pronounced when the extended lithosphere has a normal crustal thickness (30-40 km) and an intermediate heat flow (60-70 mW m-2). Results show a nonlinear response to subtle changes in crustal thickness or heat flow, characterized by abrupt and sometimes unexpected switches in extension modes (e.g., from diffuse extensional deformation to effective lithospheric-scale rupturing) or from mantle- to crust-dominated strain localization. We interpret this nonlinearity to result from the interference of doming wavelengths in the presence of multiple necking instabilities. Disharmonic crust and mantle doming wavelengths results in efficient communication between shear zones at different lithospheric levels, leading to rupturing of the whole lithosphere. In contrast, harmonic crust and mantle doming inhibits interaction of shear zones across the lithosphere and results in a prolonged history of extension prior to continental breakup.

Tampa Bay Extension Agents’ Views of Urban Extension: Philosophy and Program Strategies

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Amy Harder

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article was to explore the concept of urban Extension as perceived by Extension agents within the Tampa Bay area, one of Florida’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. From a theoretical perspective, it is critical to understand Extension agents’ beliefs about urban Extension because behaviors are directly related to attitudes (Ajzen, 2012. In 2016, a qualitative investigation was undertaken to explore the perspectives of 23 agents working within the Tampa Bay area. Results showed the majority of agents believed that context and client needs are unique for urban Extension, and that to a lesser extent, unique agent expertise is required. Further, these beliefs impacted how agents reported their approach to programming, with an emphasis on providing convenience and seeking partnerships. Difficulties were identified related to identifying the role of Extension in a resource-rich environment of service providers, which contributed to the existence of a perceived disconnect between urban audiences and Extension. Opportunities exist for Extension leadership to provide strategic organizational support that will enhance agents’ abilities to succeed in the metropolitan environment.

The impact of brand extension fit, extension strategy and product exposure on attitudinal responses to brand extensions

OpenAIRE

Farstad, Lena Kvelland; Jabran, Mohammed

2013-01-01

Brand extensions have for decades been one of the most used strategies for growth, but the sad reality is that 8 out of 10 extensions fail, making the likelihood of failure unattractively high. In addition, competition and pressure on margins increases as retailers’ power improves due to proliferation of private labels. As a result, managers are eager for new innovative strategies that can differentiate their extension and improve likelihood of success. The purpose of this paper is therefore ...

Nuclear modification factor using Tsallis non-extensive statistics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tripathy, Sushanta; Garg, Prakhar; Kumar, Prateek; Sahoo, Raghunath [Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Discipline of Physics, School of Basic Sciences, Simrol (India); Bhattacharyya, Trambak; Cleymans, Jean [University of Cape Town, UCT-CERN Research Centre and Department of Physics, Rondebosch (South Africa)

2016-09-15

The nuclear modification factor is derived using Tsallis non-extensive statistics in relaxation time approximation. The variation of the nuclear modification factor with transverse momentum for different values of the non-extensive parameter, q, is also observed. The experimental data from RHIC and LHC are analysed in the framework of Tsallis non-extensive statistics in a relaxation time approximation. It is shown that the proposed approach explains the R{sub AA} of all particles over a wide range of transverse momentum but does not seem to describe the rise in R{sub AA} at very high transverse momenta. (orig.)

Non-Extensive Statistical Analysis of Magnetic Field and SEPs during the March 2012 ICME event, using a multi-spacecraft approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlos, George; Malandraki, Olga; Pavlos, Evgenios; Iliopoulos, Aggelos; Karakatsanis, Leonidas

2017-04-01

As the solar plasma lives far from equilibrium it is an excellent laboratory for testing non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. In this study, we present the highlights of Tsallis non-extensive statistical mechanics as concerns their applications at solar plasma dynamics, especially at solar wind phenomena and magnetosphere. In this study we present some new and significant results concerning the dynamics of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) observed in the near Earth at L1 solar wind environment, as well as its effect in Earth's magnetosphere. The results are referred to Tsallis non-extensive statistics and in particular to the estimation of Tsallis q-triplet, (qstat, qsen, qrel) of SEPs time series observed at the interplanetary space and magnetic field time series of the ICME observed at the Earth resulting from the solar eruptive activity on March 7, 2012 at the Sun. For the magnetic field, we used a multi-spacecraft approach based on data experiments from ACE, CLUSTER 4, THEMIS-E and THEMIS-C spacecraft. For the data analysis different time periods were considered, sorted as "quiet", "shock" and "aftershock", while different space domains such as the Interplanetary space (near Earth at L1 and upstream of the Earth's bowshock), the Earth's magnetosheath and magnetotail, were also taken into account. Our results reveal significant differences in statistical and dynamical features, indicating important variations of the SEPs profile in time, and magnetic field dynamics both in time and space domains during the shock event, in terms of rate of entropy production, relaxation dynamics and non-equilibrium meta-stable stationary states. So far, Tsallis non-extensive statistical theory and Tsallis extension of the Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy principle to the q-entropy entropy principle (Tsallis, 1988, 2009) reveal strong universality character concerning non-equilibrium dynamics (Pavlos et al. 2012a,b, 2014, 2015, 2016; Karakatsanis et al. 2013). Tsallis q

Long segment ileal duplication with extensive gastric heterotopia

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Jacob Sunitha

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Duplications of the alimentary tract are rare congenital anomalies which can be found at all levels of the alimentary tract. Majority of the duplications present as spherical cysts and usually range from a few millimeters to less than ten centimeters in size. Duplications produce complications such as intestinal obstruction or hemorrhage. A two-month-old infant presented with recurrent episodes of bleeding per rectum. Laparotomy revealed a giant ileal duplicated bowel segment which exhibited extensive gastric heterotopia with focal ulceration.

Phosphoproteome analysis of streptomyces development reveals extensive protein phosphorylation accompanying bacterial differentiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manteca, Angel; Ye, Juanying; Sánchez, Jesús

2011-01-01

Streptomycetes are bacterial species that undergo a complex developmental cycle that includes programmed cell death (PCD) events and sporulation. They are widely used in biotechnology because they produce most clinically relevant secondary metabolites. Although Streptomyces coelicolor is one...... events were detected during the presporulation and sporulation stages (80%). Most of these phosphorylations were not reported before in Streptomyces, and included sporulation factors, transcriptional regulators, protein kinases and other regulatory proteins. Several of the identified phosphorylated...... proteins, FtsZ, DivIVA, and FtsH2, were previously demonstrated to be involved in the sporulation process. We thus established for the first time the widespread occurrence and dynamic features of Ser/Thr/Tyr protein phosphorylation in a bacteria species and also revealed a previously unrecognized...

Associations between Trunk Extension Endurance and Isolated Lumbar Extension Strength in Both Asymptomatic Participants and Those with Chronic Low Back Pain

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Rebecca Conway

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Strength and endurance tests are important for both clinical practice and research due to the key role they play in musculoskeletal function. In particular, deconditioning of the lumbar extensor musculature has been associated with low back pain (LBP. Due to the relationship between strength and absolute endurance, it is possible that trunk extension (TEX endurance tests could provide a proxy measure of isolated lumbar extension (ILEX strength and thus represent a simple, practical alternative to ILEX measurements. Though, the comparability of TEX endurance and ILEX strength is presently unclear and so the aim of the present study was to examine this relationship. Methods: Thirty eight healthy participants and nineteen participants with non-specific chronic LBP and no previous lumbar surgery participated in this cross-sectional study design. TEX endurance was measured using the Biering–Sorensen test. A maximal ILEX strength test was performed on the MedX lumbar-extension machine. Results: A Pearson’s correlation revealed no relationship between TEX endurance and ILEX strength in the combined group (r = 0.035, p = 0.793, the chronic LBP group (r = 0.120, p = 0.623 or the asymptomatic group (r = −0.060, p = 0.720. Conclusions: The results suggest that TEX is not a good indicator of ILEX and cannot be used to infer results regarding ILEX strength. However, a combination of TEX and ILEX interpreted together likely offers the greatest and most comprehensive information regarding lumbo-pelvic function during extension.

Rare case of subcutaneous mycosis with intrathoracic extension due to Chaetomium strumarium.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, R; Vasudevan, B; Badwal, S; Sriram, R; Neema, S; Kharayat, V

2015-08-01

A 47-year-old man presented with a 10-year history of multiple lumps over his left upper arm and shoulder and the adjoining left side of his chest and upper back. His medical history included diabetes mellitus type 2. The patient was a farmer and used to lift sacks of grains and fertilizers onto his shoulders as part of his work, although he did not recollect any history of specific trauma. Skin biopsy revealed granulomatous reaction with Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon, while periodic-acid-Schiff and Grocott-Gomori stains confirmed fungal elements. Sabouraud agar grew Chaetomium species, and lactophenol blue mount confirmed the fungus as Chaetomium strumarium. Radiography and computed tomography of the chest revealed intrathoracic extension of the mycetoma. The patient responded well to treatment with oral Itraconazole. Subcutaneous mycosis due to C. strumarium is rarely reported in the literature, and the intrathoracic extension makes it an even rarer entity. © 2015 British Association of Dermatologists.

Application and Assessment of Extension of Time Claim: Findings of Case Studies Conducted in Malaysia

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M.S. Mohd Danuri,

2006-12-01

Full Text Available It is a common phenomenon for construction projects to have applications for extension of time. Many problems are encountered in practice in the application and preparation of extension of time claims. A study was conducted to identify the main problems encountered in the application and assessment of extension of time claim in selected construction projects in Malaysia. Three (3 case studies have been used 10 investigate the extension of time issues. Findings from the study revealed that local contractors usually fail to comply with the contract procedural requirements to submit timely notification of delay and have difficulty in demonstrating their entitlement for extension of time. The main problem faced by contract administrators is that contractors tend to "inflate" their extension of time entitlement with the intention to maximise their claims. Adherence to the agreed procedure in preparing and evaluating of delay claims and the implementation of a set of agreed standardised delay analysis may help to minimize the frequency and impact of such problems.

Curve collection, extension of databases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillemot, F.

1992-01-01

Full text: Databases: generally calculated data only. The original measurements: diagrams. Information loss between them Expensive research eg. irradiation, aging, creep etc. Original curves should be stored for reanalysing. The format of the stored curves: a. Data in ASCII files, only numbers b. Other information in strings in a second file Same name, but different extension. Extensions shows the type of the test and the type of the file. EXAMPLES. TEN is tensile information, TED is tensile data, CHN is Charpy informations, CHD is Charpy data. Storing techniques: digitalised measurements, digitalising old curves stored on paper. Use: making catalogues, reanalysing, comparison with new data. Tools: mathematical software packages like quattro, genplot, exel, mathcad, qbasic, pascal, fortran, mathlab, grapher etc. (author)

In vitro study revealed different size behavior of different nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaudien, Dirk; Knebel, Jan; Creutzenberg, Otto

2012-01-01

Toxicity of nanoparticles is depending not only on the size of the primary particles but on the size of their agglomerates. Therefore, further studies are needed to examine the behavior of nanoparticles after they have gotten in contact with cells. The presented study investigated the change of size of different commercially available nanoparticles after applying them to different cell lines such as A549, Calu-3, 16HBE14o and LK004 representative for the different parts of the human lung. The different nanoparticles exhibited differences in behavior of size. TiO 2 P25 showed a tendency to increase, whereas TiO 2 T805 and Printex ® 90 remained more or less at the same size. In contrast, ZnO < 50 nm particles showed a significant decrease of size.

Prognostic significance of surgical extranodal extension in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Fumihiko; Mori, Taisuke; Matsumura, Satoko; Matsumoto, Yoshifumi; Fukasawa, Masahiko; Teshima, Masanori; Kobayashi, Kenya; Yoshimoto, Seiichi

2017-08-01

Lymph node metastasis with extranodal extension represents one of the most important adverse prognostic factors for survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. We propose that extranodal extension occurs to differing extents. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of extranodal extension in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Two hundred and ninety-eight patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgical resection and neck dissection were included. Cervical lymph nodes were classified into four categories: (i) pathological N negative, (ii) extranodal extension negative, (iii) non-surgical extranodal extension and (iv) surgical extranodal extension. Lymph node metastases were detected in 67.1% of laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer patients and 52.7% of oral cancer patients. The 3-year disease-specific survival rates for patients in the pathological N negative, extranodal extension negative, non-surgical extranodal extension and surgical extranodal extension groups were 90.9%, 79.6%, 63.8% and 48.3%, respectively. In laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer patients, surgical extranodal extension was associated with a significantly poorer disease-specific survival than a pathological N negative, extranodal extension negative or non-surgical extranodal extension status. In oral cancer patients, no significant differences were observed between the non-surgical and surgical extranodal extension groups. However, non-surgical extranodal extension was associated with a poorer disease-specific survival than a pathological N negative or extranodal extension negative status. Surgical extranodal extension was a poor prognostic factor in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The prognostic significance of surgical extranodal extension differed between laryngeal/hypopharyngeal and oral cancer patients. The clinical significance of surgical extranodal extension was much greater for

Muscle activity and masticatory efficiency with bilateral extension base removable partial dentures with different cusp angles.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Omiri, Mahmoud K

2018-03-01

Whether masticatory efficiency and electromyographic activity are influenced by type of artificial teeth and food is unclear. The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the influence of extension base removable partial dentures (RPDs) with different cusp angles: anatomic (33 degrees), semianatomic (20 degrees), and nonanatomic (0 degrees) teeth on masticatory efficiency and muscle activity during the mastication of test foods with different textures. Twelve participants with RPDs were selected to perform masticatory efficiency and electromyographic tests. Surface electromyograms (EMGs) were used to record the activities of the masseter and temporalis muscles during the mastication of different types of test foods. The maximal voltage and duration were measured on the integrated EMG signal in each muscle during food mastication, and the mean reading of both sides was then recorded. Analysis of variance and the Tukey post hoc test were used to perform statistical analyses (α=.05). The masticatory efficiency of RPDs with nonanatomic teeth was significantly inferior to that of RPDs with anatomic and semianatomic teeth (P.05). Also, muscle activity (according to EMG) with RPDs with NA teeth was significantly higher than that with anatomic and semianatomic teeth (P<.05). RPDs with NA teeth were associated with higher EMG muscle activity and reduced masticatory efficiency than anatomic or semianatomic teeth. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cooperative Extension as a Framework for Health Extension: The Michigan State University Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwyer, Jeffrey W; Contreras, Dawn; Eschbach, Cheryl L; Tiret, Holly; Newkirk, Cathy; Carter, Erin; Cronk, Linda

2017-10-01

The Affordable Care Act charged the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to create the Primary Care Extension Program, but did not fund this effort. The idea to work through health extension agents to support health care delivery systems was based on the nationally known Cooperative Extension System (CES). Instead of creating new infrastructure in health care, the CES is an ideal vehicle for increasing health-related research and primary care delivery. The CES, a long-standing component of the land-grant university system, features a sustained infrastructure for providing education to communities. The Michigan State University (MSU) Model of Health Extension offers another means of developing a National Primary Care Extension Program that is replicable in part because of the presence of the CES throughout the United States. A partnership between the MSU College of Human Medicine and MSU Extension formed in 2014, emphasizing the promotion and support of human health research. The MSU Model of Health Extension includes the following strategies: building partnerships, preparing MSU Extension educators for participation in research, increasing primary care patient referrals and enrollment in health programs, and exploring innovative funding. Since the formation of the MSU Model of Health Extension, researchers and extension professionals have made 200+ connections, and grants have afforded savings in salary costs. The MSU College of Human Medicine and MSU Extension partnership can serve as a model to promote health partnerships nationwide between CES services within land-grant universities and academic health centers or community-based medical schools.

Lead isotopes reveal different sources of lead in balsamic and other vinegars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ndung'u, Kuria; Hibdon, Sharon; Veron, Alain; Flegal, A. Russell

2011-01-01

Fifty-eight brands of balsamic vinegars were analyzed for lead concentrations and isotopic compositions ( 204 Pb, 206 Pb, 207 Pb, and 208 Pb) to test the findings of a previous study indicating relatively high levels of lead contamination in some of those vinegars - more than two thirds (70%) of them exceeded California's State Maximum Level (34 μg/L) based on consumption rates ≥ 0.5 μg Pb per day. The Lead isotopic fingerprints of all those vinegars with high lead concentrations were then found to be primarily anthropogenic. This isotopic analysis unquestionably reveals multiple contamination sources including atmospheric pollutant Pb and an unidentified contamination source, likely occurring after grape harvest. Organically grown grape vinegars display the same Pb content and isotopic signatures as other vinegars. This implies that pesticides might not be a significant source of pollutant Pb in vinegars. A significant post-harvest contamination would be inherited from chemicals added during production and/or material used during transport, processing or storage of these vinegars. This is consistent with the highest Pb levels being found in aged vinegars (112 ± 112 μg/L) in contrast to other vinegars (41.6 ± 28.9 μg/L) suggesting contamination during storage. It is, therefore, projected that lead levels in most vinegars, especially aged balsamic and wine vinegars, will decrease with improvements in their manufacture and storage processes consequential to recent concerns of elevated levels of lead in some vinegars. - Highlights: → First extensive study on content and possible sources of lead in balsamic vinegars. → Half of the vinegars exceed California's State Maximum Level for human consumption. → Lead content in vinegars seems to be mainly post-harvest from industrial processes.

Sex differences in functional activation patterns revealed by increased emotion processing demands.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Geoffrey B C; Witelson, Sandra F; Szechtman, Henry; Nahmias, Claude

2004-02-09

Two [O(15)] PET studies assessed sex differences regional brain activation in the recognition of emotional stimuli. Study I revealed that the recognition of emotion in visual faces resulted in bilateral frontal activation in women, and unilateral right-sided activation in men. In study II, the complexity of the emotional face task was increased through tje addition of associated auditory emotional stimuli. Men again showed unilateral frontal activation, in this case to the left; whereas women did not show bilateral frontal activation, but showed greater limbic activity. These results suggest that when processing broader cross-modal emotional stimuli, men engage more in associative cognitive strategies while women draw more on primary emotional references.

Conformal Extensions of the Standard Model with Veltman Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antipin, Oleg; Mojaza, Matin; Sannino, Francesco

2014-01-01

Using the renormalisation group framework we classify different extensions of the standard model according to their degree of naturality. A new relevant class of perturbative models involving elementary scalars is the one in which the theory simultaneously satisfies the Veltman conditions...... and is conformal at the classical level. We term these extensions perturbative natural conformal (PNC) theories. We show that PNC models are very constrained and thus highly predictive. Among the several PNC examples that we exhibit, we discover a remarkably simple PNC extension of the standard model in which...

Agricultural Extension: Farm Extension Services in Australia, Britain and the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Donald B.

By analyzing the scope and structure of agricultural extension services in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States, this work attempts to set guidelines for measuring progress and guiding extension efforts. Extension training, agricultural policy, and activities of national, international, state, and provincial bodies are examined. The…

Role extension and role advancement - Is there a difference? A discussion paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, Maryann; Snaith, Beverly

2006-01-01

The terms 'extended' and 'advanced' practice are commonly used to describe clinical practitioner roles. However, these terms have not been clearly defined within the context of modern radiography practice despite their fundamental importance to establishing the 4 tier structure, implementing Agenda for Change and promoting a coherent clinical radiography career structure. This paper discusses the terms 'extension' and 'advancement' in relation to radiography practice and, using evidence from the debates of other health professions, attempts to offer some clarity to the terminology, presenting one interpretation of its possible application to the radiographer role in the United Kingdom

Glomus jugulare tumor with intra- and extracranial extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morisako, Toshitaka; Goya, Tomokazu; Wakisaka, Shinichiro; Kinoshita, Kazuo

1987-01-01

A case of glomus jugulare tumor with intra- and extracranial extension is described. The patient was a 63-year-old woman who complained of gait and memory disturbances. On admission neurological examination revealed recent memory disturbance, left deafness, left XI, XIIth cranial nerve palsies, and slight ataxic gait. Roentgenogram of the skull showed an enlarged left jugular foramen with bone erosion. Plain X-ray computerized tomography scan (X-CT) indicated obstructive hydrocephalus and X-CT with contrast enhancement revealed a mass lesion in the left posterior cranial fossa extending through enlarged left jugular foramen to the extracranial space toward the level of C 2 . Cerebral angiography demonstrated a large mass with blood supply from branches of left external carotid and vertebral arteries. The tumor stain was not remarkable. Left internal jugular vein was completely obstructed at the level of the second cervical vertebral body. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly showed the tumor extending from the anterolateral portion to the second cervical vertebral body through the enlarged jugular foramen to the posterior cranial fossa. Brain stem and cerebellar hemisphere which were markedly compressed by the mass were clearly visualized. At first a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was made and four weeks later subtotal removal of the tumor was undertaken. Histopathology of tumor specimen showed typical glomus jugulare tumor. MRI was considered to be very useful for the diagnosis and treatment of the glomus jugulare tumor with intra- and extracranial extension. (author)

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Different Silk Yields of Two Silkworm Strains.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Li

Full Text Available Cocoon and silk yields are the most important characteristics of sericulture. However, few studies have examined the genes that modulate these features. Further studies of these genes will be useful for improving the products of sericulture. JingSong (JS and Lan10 (L10 are two strains having significantly different cocoon and silk yields. In the current study, RNA-Seq and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR were performed on both strains in order to determine divergence of the silk gland, which controls silk biosynthesis in silkworms. Compared with L10, JS had 1375 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 738 up-regulated genes and 673 down-regulated genes. Nine enriched gene ontology (GO terms were identified by GO enrichment analysis based on these DEGs. KEGG enrichment analysis results showed that the DEGs were enriched in three pathways, which were mainly associated with the processing and biosynthesis of proteins. The representative genes in the enrichment pathways and ten significant DEGs were further verified by qPCR, the results of which were consistent with the RNA-Seq data. Our study has revealed differences in silk glands between the two silkworm strains and provides a perspective for understanding the molecular mechanisms determining silk yield.

EXTENSION EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM: reinventing extension as a resource--what does the future hold?

Science.gov (United States)

Mirando, M A; Bewley, J M; Blue, J; Amaral-Phillips, D M; Corriher, V A; Whittet, K M; Arthur, N; Patterson, D J

2012-10-01

The mission of the Cooperative Extension Service, as a component of the land-grant university system, is to disseminate new knowledge and to foster its application and use. Opportunities and challenges facing animal agriculture in the United States have changed dramatically over the past few decades and require the use of new approaches and emerging technologies that are available to extension professionals. Increased federal competitive grant funding for extension, the creation of eXtension, the development of smartphone and related electronic technologies, and the rapidly increasing popularity of social media created new opportunities for extension educators to disseminate knowledge to a variety of audiences and engage these audiences in electronic discussions. Competitive grant funding opportunities for extension efforts to advance animal agriculture became available from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and have increased dramatically in recent years. The majority of NIFA funding opportunities require extension efforts to be integrated with research, and NIFA encourages the use of eXtension and other cutting-edge approaches to extend research to traditional clientele and nontraditional audiences. A case study is presented to illustrate how research and extension were integrated to improve the adoption of AI by beef producers. Those in agriculture are increasingly resorting to the use of social media venues such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter to access information required to support their enterprises. Use of these various approaches by extension educators requires appreciation of the technology and an understanding of how the target audiences access information available on social media. Technology to deliver information is changing rapidly, and Cooperative Extension Service professionals will need to continuously evaluate digital technology and social media tools to appropriately integrate them into learning and

Isokinetic profile of elbow flexion and extension strength in elite junior tennis players.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellenbecker, Todd S; Roetert, E Paul

2003-02-01

Descriptive study. To determine whether bilateral differences exist in concentric elbow flexion and extension strength in elite junior tennis players. The repetitive nature of tennis frequently produces upper extremity overuse injuries. Prior research has identified tennis-specific strength adaptation in the dominant shoulder and distal upper extremity musculature of elite players. No previous study has addressed elbow flexion and extension strength. Thirty-eight elite junior tennis players were bilaterally tested for concentric elbow flexion and extension muscle performance on a Cybex 6000 isokinetic dynamometer at 90 degrees/s, 210 degrees/s, and 300 degrees/s. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to test for differences between extremities, muscle groups, and speed. Significantly greater (Pelbow extension peak torque values were measured at 90 degrees/s, 210 degrees/s, and 300 degrees/s for males. Significantly greater (Pelbow flexion muscular performance in males and for elbow flexion or extension peak torque and single-repetition work values in females. No significant difference between extremities was measured in elbow flexion/extension strength ratios in females and significant differences between extremities in this ratio were only present at 210 degrees/s in males (Pelbow in male elite junior tennis players but not females. These data have ramifications for clinicians rehabilitating upper extremity injuries in patients from this population.

Role extension and role advancement - Is there a difference? A discussion paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardy, Maryann [Division of Radiography, School of Health Studies, University of Bradford, Trinity Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD5 0BB (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: m.l.hardy1@bradford.ac.uk; Snaith, Beverly [Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (United Kingdom)

2006-11-15

The terms 'extended' and 'advanced' practice are commonly used to describe clinical practitioner roles. However, these terms have not been clearly defined within the context of modern radiography practice despite their fundamental importance to establishing the 4 tier structure, implementing Agenda for Change and promoting a coherent clinical radiography career structure. This paper discusses the terms 'extension' and 'advancement' in relation to radiography practice and, using evidence from the debates of other health professions, attempts to offer some clarity to the terminology, presenting one interpretation of its possible application to the radiographer role in the United Kingdom.

Wall extensibility: its nature, measurement and relationship to plant cell growth

Science.gov (United States)

Cosgrove, D. J.

1993-01-01

Expansive growth of plant cells is controlled principally by processes that loosen the wall and enable it to expand irreversibly. The central role of wall relaxation for cell expansion is reviewed. The most common methods for assessing the extension properties of plant cell walls ( wall extensibility') are described, categorized and assessed critically. What emerges are three fundamentally different approaches which test growing cells for their ability (a) to enlarge at different values of turgor, (b) to induce wall relaxation, and (c) to deform elastically or plastically in response to an applied tensile force. Analogous methods with isolated walls are similarly reviewed. The results of these different assays are related to the nature of plant cell growth and pertinent biophysical theory. I argue that the extensibilities' measured by these assays are fundamentally different from one another and that some are more pertinent to growth than others.

Extension and origin of parasellar meningiomas. Evaluation on MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hara, Yoshie; Nakamura, Mitsugu; Asada, Masahiro; Tamaki, Norihiko

1997-01-01

We evaluated MRI of forty patients who had histologically confirmed meningiomas around the sella turcica. Coronal section of the spin-echo/fast spin-echo T 1 weighted imaging (with and without GD-DTPA enhancement) were mainly investigated. We precisely examined two points; the location of the bulk of tumor mass, the anatomical relationship between the tumor and the anterior clinoid process, superior orbital fissure, optic nerve, and the internal carotid artery (ICA). Based on MRI findings, we recognized five different tumor origins. Meningiomas originating lateral to the anterior clinoid process never extended medially into the cavernous sinus or the sella turcica, while tumors originating medial to the anterior clinoid process did not migrate laterally beyond the process. Tumors originating from the cavernous sinus tended to invade though the dura into the superior orbital fissure and involved the anterior clinoid process. Based upon the tumor origin and their extension investigated as revealed by MRI, we speculated that the anterior clinoid process and the tough dural folds attached to it (the anterior and posterior petroclinoid ligaments, and the interclinoid ligament) played important roles as barriers against the extension of meningiomas. These dural folds may be the unique part of the dura that most resists invasion of meningiomas from extracavernous regions. Meningiomas originated from the inferomedial surface of the anterior clinoid process may have been misdiagnosed as tuberculum sellae meningiomas; however, the close anatomical relation of the tumor origin and the distal carotid suggests their potential to directly invade the internal carotid artery. (K.H.)

Extensive Left Iliac Veins and Inferior Vena Cava Thrombosis Revealing a Giant Uterine Myoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Cărbunaru, Ana; Herlea; Ionescu, M; Dumitraşcu, T

2016-01-01

A deep vein thrombosis was rarely associated with uterine myomas. Hereby, it is presented the case of a 40-year-old woman in which the clinical manifestation of the deep vein thrombosis revealed the further diagnosis of a large uterine myoma. The diagnosis, management and clinical outcome of the patient are emphasized and discussed. The management of a patient with a uterine myoma and deep vein thrombosis is challenging and implies a multidisciplinary team.

Workplace Issues in Extension--A Delphi Study of Extension Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Kroth, Michael; Peutz, Joey

2011-01-01

Using the Delphi technique, expert Extension educators identified and prioritized those workplace issues they believe will be the most important to attract, motivate, and retain Extension educators/agents over the next 5 to 7 years. Obtaining and then utilizing a talented, highly motivated workforce during a period when many will be retiring will…

Extension of the nuclear power plant lifetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keramsi, Alain

2011-01-01

After a presentation of the French nuclear context (history of the reactor fleet, choice of reactor type, PWR operation principle, competitiveness, environmental performance), this Power Point presentation addresses the context and challenges of the operation lifetime (average fleet age in different countries, examples of extensions, case of the United States, what is at stake with lifetime extension, decennial visits, EDF strategy), discusses the EDF's safety objectives (definition of the three main safety functions, impact of the operation duration and of the coexistence of two generations for the safety functions), discusses how to manage the ageing phenomenon for replaceable and non-replaceable components

Extensive Left Iliac Veins and Inferior Vena Cava Thrombosis Revealing a Giant Uterine Myoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cărbunaru Ana

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A deep vein thrombosis was rarely associated with uterine myomas. Hereby, it is presented the case of a 40-year-old woman in which the clinical manifestation of the deep vein thrombosis revealed the further diagnosis of a large uterine myoma. The diagnosis, management and clinical outcome of the patient are emphasized and discussed. The management of a patient with a uterine myoma and deep vein thrombosis is challenging and implies a multidisciplinary team.

Autolysis and extension of isolated walls from growing cucumber hypocotyls

Science.gov (United States)

Cosgrove, D. J.; Durachko, D. M.

1994-01-01

Walls isolated from cucumber hypocotyls retain autolytic activities and the ability to extend when placed under the appropriate conditions. To test whether autolysis and extension are related, we treated the walls in various ways to enhance or inhibit long-term wall extension ('creep') and measured autolysis as release of various saccharides from the wall. Except for some non-specific inhibitors of enzymatic activity, we found no correlation between wall extension and wall autolysis. Most notably, autolysis and extension differed strongly in their pH dependence. We also found that exogenous cellulases and pectinases enhanced extension in native walls, but when applied to walls previously inactivated with heat or protease these enzymes caused breakage without sustained extension. In contrast, pretreatment of walls with pectinase or cellulase, followed by boiling in methanol to inactivate the enzymes, resulted in walls with much stronger expansin-mediated extension responses. Crude protein preparations from the digestive tracts of snails enhanced extension of both native and inactivated walls, and these preparations contained expansin-like proteins (assessed by Western blotting). Our results indicate that the extension of isolated cucumber walls does not depend directly on the activity of endogenous wall-bound autolytic enzymes. The results with exogenous enzymes suggest that the hydrolysis of matrix polysaccharides may not induce wall creep by itself, but may act synergistically with expansins to enhance wall extension.

Reproducible isolation of lymph node stromal cells reveals site-dependent differences in fibroblastic reticular cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Anne L; Malhotra, Deepali; Acton, Sophie E; Lukacs-Kornek, Veronika; Bellemare-Pelletier, Angelique; Curry, Mark; Armant, Myriam; Turley, Shannon J

2011-01-01

Within lymph nodes, non-hematopoietic stromal cells organize and interact with leukocytes in an immunologically important manner. In addition to organizing T and B cell segregation and expressing lymphocyte survival factors, several recent studies have shown that lymph node stromal cells shape the naïve T cell repertoire, expressing self-antigens which delete self-reactive T cells in a unique and non-redundant fashion. A fundamental role in peripheral tolerance, in addition to an otherwise extensive functional portfolio, necessitates closer study of lymph node stromal cell subsets using modern immunological techniques; however this has not routinely been possible in the field, due to difficulties reproducibly isolating these rare subsets. Techniques were therefore developed for successful ex vivo and in vitro manipulation and characterization of lymph node stroma. Here we discuss and validate these techniques in mice and humans, and apply them to address several unanswered questions regarding lymph node composition. We explored the steady-state stromal composition of lymph nodes isolated from mice and humans, and found that marginal reticular cells and lymphatic endothelial cells required lymphocytes for their normal maturation in mice. We also report alterations in the proportion and number of fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) between skin-draining and mesenteric lymph nodes. Similarly, transcriptional profiling of FRCs revealed changes in cytokine production from these sites. Together, these methods permit highly reproducible stromal cell isolation, sorting, and culture.

Gender differences of sagittal knee and ankle biomechanics during stair-to-ground descent transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Yoon No Gregory; Shin, Choongsoo S

2015-12-01

Falls on stairs often result in severe injury and occur twice as frequently in women. However, gender differences in kinetics and kinematics during stair descent are unknown. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether gender differences of knee and ankle biomechanics exist in the sagittal plane during the stair-to-ground descending transition. It was hypothesized that 1) women would reveal higher ground-toe-trochanter angle and lower ground-toe length during stair-to-ground descent transition than men; and 2) women would reveal lower peak knee extension moment during stair-to-ground descent transition than men. Fifteen men and fifteen women were recruited and performed a stair descent activity. Kinetic and kinematic data were obtained using a force plate and motion capture system. The women performed the stair descent with a lower peak knee extension moment and a peak knee power at the early weight acceptance phase. The women also revealed a higher ground-toe-trochanter angle and a lower ground-toe length, which indicated a more forward position of the lower extremity relative to the toe contact point at both the initial contact and at the time of peak kinematic and kinetic events. This study found that knee and ankle kinematics and kinetics differed significantly between the genders due to differences in ground-toe-trochanter angle. Women have a different stair descending strategy that reduces the demand of the lower extremity muscle function, but this strategy seems to increase the risk of falls. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear plant life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negin, C.A.

1989-01-01

The nuclear power industry's addressing of life extension is a natural trend in the maturation of this technology after 20 years of commercial operation. With increasing emphasis on how plants are operated, and less on how to build them, attention is turning on to maximizing the use of these substantial investments. The first studies of life extension were conducted in the period from 1978 and 1982. These were motivated by the initiation, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), of studies to support decommissioning rulemaking. The basic conclusions of those early studies that life extension is feasible and worth pursuing have not been changed by the much more extensive investigations that have since been conducted. From an engineering perspective, life extension for nuclear plants is fundamentally the same as for fossil plants

Analysis of biostimulated microbial communities from two field experiments reveals temporal and spatial differences in proteome profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callister, S.J.; Wilkins, M.J.; Nicora, C.D.; Williams, K.H.; Banfield, J.F.; VerBerkmoes, N.C.; Hettich, R.L.; NGuessan, A.L.; Mouser, P.J.; Elifantz, H.; Smith, R.D.; Lovley, D.R.; Lipton, M.S.; Long, P.E.

2010-07-15

Stimulated by an acetate-amendment field experiment conducted in 2007, anaerobic microbial populations in the aquifer at the Rifle Integrated Field Research Challenge site in Colorado reduced mobile U(VI) to insoluble U(IV). During this experiment, planktonic biomass was sampled at various time points to quantitatively evaluate proteomes. In 2008, an acetate-amended field experiment was again conducted in a similar manner to the 2007 experiment. As there was no comprehensive metagenome sequence available for use in proteomics analysis, we systematically evaluated 12 different organism genome sequences to generate sets of aggregate genomes, or “pseudo-metagenomes”, for supplying relative quantitative peptide and protein identifications. Proteomics results support previous observations of the dominance of Geobacteraceae during biostimulation using acetate as sole electron donor, and revealed a shift from an early stage of iron reduction to a late stage of iron reduction. Additionally, a shift from iron reduction to sulfate reduction was indicated by changes in the contribution of proteome information contributed by different organism genome sequences within the aggregate set. In addition, the comparison of proteome measurements made between the 2007 field experiment and 2008 field experiment revealed differences in proteome profiles. These differences may be the result of alterations in abundance and population structure within the planktonic biomass samples collected for analysis.

Investigating DIF and extensions using an LLTM approach and also an individual differences approach: an international testing context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YIYU XIE

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This study intends to investigate two ways to generalise differential item functioning (DIF by grouping of items that share a common feature, or an item property as in the Linear Logistic Test Model (LLTM. An item “facet” refers to this type of grouping, and DIF can be expressed in terms of more fundamental parameters that relate to the facet of items. Hence the differential facet functioning (DFF model, a particular version of the LLTM, helps to explain the DIF effects more substantively. Using the mathematics data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2003, this study shows that modeling the DFF effect through an interaction of the group-by-facet parameter rather than DIF effect on the individual item level can be handled easily with the NLMIXED procedure of SAS. We found that the results are more interpretable when the bias is interpreted on the facet level rather than the item level. Analogous to the multidimensional DIF model, one natural extension of the DFF model is to make the model multidimensional when DFF facets (i.e., LLTM facets are considered as dimensions. This extension, multidimensional DFF (MDFF, is also investigated. The MDFF model allows individual differences to be modeled on the dimension that exhibits a DFF effect. However, it is always recommended to check the individual DIF estimates and construct a substantive analysis first before conducting DFF and MDFF analysis.

Mixed periapical lesion: an atypical radicular cyst with extensive calcifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos-Perez, Flávia Maria de Moraes; Pontual, Andréa dos Anjos; França, Talita Ribeiro Tenório de; Pontual, Maria Luiza dos Anjos; Beltrão, Ricardo Villar; Perez, Danyel Elias da Cruz

2014-01-01

The radicular cyst is an inflammatory odontogenic cyst of endodontic origin. Radiographically, the lesion appears as a periapical radiolucent image. This report describes a very rare case of a mixed periapical radiographic image diagnosed as a radicular cyst. A 37-year-old female patient presented a mixed, well-circumscribed image located in the periapical region of the left maxillary central incisor, which presented unsatisfactory endodontic treatment. Microscopic examination revealed a cavity lined by non-keratinized squamous epithelium and extensive calcifications in the cystic lumen and lining epithelium. Diagnosis of radicular cyst with extensive calcifications was established. Endodontic retreatment was performed and no radiographic signs of recurrence were observed 18 months after treatment. Although very rare, a radicular cyst should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a mixed periapical image associated to teeth with pulp necrosis.

Outcome of combination chemotherapy in extensive stage small-cell lung cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lassen, U N; Hirsch, F R; Osterlind, K

1998-01-01

During the past two decades many different treatment regimens of combination chemotherapy have been applied in extensive stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). This study was carried out to identify whether these modifications have resulted in an improved overall survival for extensive stage during...

Information Search Behaviors of Indian Farmers: Implications for Extension Services

Science.gov (United States)

Glendenning, Claire J.; Babu, Suresh C.; Asenso-Okyere, Kwadwo

2012-01-01

Purpose: In India, a national survey conducted in 2003 showed that only 40% of farmers accessed extension. But little is known of the characteristics of farmers who did not access extension. However, this understanding is needed in order to target approaches to farmers, who differ in their access and use of information, that is their information…

Analyzing the natural resource extension needs of Spanish-speakers: A perspective from Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Miriam Wyman; Francisco Escobedo; Sebastian Varela; Cesar Asuaje; Henry Mayer; Mickie Swisher; Annie Hermansen

2011-01-01

Hispanics are the country's fastest growing minority group. The study reported here surveyed and assessed Extension agents from two demographically different regions in Florida on perceptions and attitudes about the need, quality, and dissemination of Spanish Extension materials. Results showed Extension programs are important sources of information for Spanish-...

Conventional and technical diving surveys reveal elevated biomass and differing fish community composition from shallow and upper mesophotic zones of a remote United States coral reef.

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz, Roldan C; Buckel, Christine A; Whitfield, Paula E; Viehman, Shay; Clark, Randy; Taylor, J Christopher; Degan, Brian P; Hickerson, Emma L

2017-01-01

The world's coral reefs appear to be in a global decline, yet most previous research on coral reefs has taken place at depths shallower than 30 m. Mesophotic coral ecosystem (depths deeper than ~30 m) studies have revealed extensive, productive habitats and rich communities. Despite recent advances, mesophotic coral ecosystems remain understudied due to challenges with sampling at deeper depths. The few previous studies of mesophotic coral ecosystems have shown variation across locations in depth-specific species composition and assemblage shifts, potentially a response to differences in habitat or light availability/water clarity. This study utilized scuba to examine fish and benthic communities from shallow and upper mesophotic (to 45 m) zones of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS, 28°0'N; 93°50'W) from 2010-2012. Dominant planktivores were ubiquitous in shallow and upper mesophotic habitats, and comparisons with previous shallow research suggest this community distribution has persisted for over 30 years. Planktivores were abundant in shallow low-relief habitats on the periphery of the coral reef, and some of these sites that contained habitat transitioning from high to low relief supported high biomass of benthic predators. These peripheral sites at FGBNMS may be important for the trophic transfer of oceanic energy to the benthic coral reef. Distinct differences between upper mesophotic and shallow communities were also observed. These included greater overall fish (as well as apex predator) biomass in the upper mesophotic, differences in apex predator community composition between depth zones, and greater percent cover of algae, rubble, sand, and sponges in the upper mesophotic. Greater fish biomass in the upper mesophotic and similar fish community composition between depth zones provide preliminary support that upper mesophotic habitats at FGBNMS have the capacity to serve as refugia for the shallow-water reefs. Diving surveys of the

Conventional and technical diving surveys reveal elevated biomass and differing fish community composition from shallow and upper mesophotic zones of a remote United States coral reef.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roldan C Muñoz

Full Text Available The world's coral reefs appear to be in a global decline, yet most previous research on coral reefs has taken place at depths shallower than 30 m. Mesophotic coral ecosystem (depths deeper than ~30 m studies have revealed extensive, productive habitats and rich communities. Despite recent advances, mesophotic coral ecosystems remain understudied due to challenges with sampling at deeper depths. The few previous studies of mesophotic coral ecosystems have shown variation across locations in depth-specific species composition and assemblage shifts, potentially a response to differences in habitat or light availability/water clarity. This study utilized scuba to examine fish and benthic communities from shallow and upper mesophotic (to 45 m zones of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS, 28°0'N; 93°50'W from 2010-2012. Dominant planktivores were ubiquitous in shallow and upper mesophotic habitats, and comparisons with previous shallow research suggest this community distribution has persisted for over 30 years. Planktivores were abundant in shallow low-relief habitats on the periphery of the coral reef, and some of these sites that contained habitat transitioning from high to low relief supported high biomass of benthic predators. These peripheral sites at FGBNMS may be important for the trophic transfer of oceanic energy to the benthic coral reef. Distinct differences between upper mesophotic and shallow communities were also observed. These included greater overall fish (as well as apex predator biomass in the upper mesophotic, differences in apex predator community composition between depth zones, and greater percent cover of algae, rubble, sand, and sponges in the upper mesophotic. Greater fish biomass in the upper mesophotic and similar fish community composition between depth zones provide preliminary support that upper mesophotic habitats at FGBNMS have the capacity to serve as refugia for the shallow-water reefs. Diving

Priorities for Extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayward, J. A.

Agricultural extension is one component in an array including research, training, education, marketing, international trade, etc. which develop together to bring about growth, and sustained growth determines the priorities for extension. These priorities depend inevitably on the stage of development of a country or region, and on the current…

A Graph Library Extension of SVG

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørmark, Kurt

2007-01-01

be aggregated as a single node, and an entire graph can be embedded in a single node. In addition, a number of different graph animations are described. The starting point of the SVG extension is a library that provides an exact of mirror of SVG 1.1 in the functional programming language Scheme. Each element...

Evolution and failure of liquid bridges between grains due to evaporation and due to extension

Science.gov (United States)

Hueckel, T.; Mielniczuk, B.; Said El Youssoufi, M.

2012-04-01

Evolution and rupture of liquid bridges between glass spheres during liquid evaporation and during mechanical extension was examined. The latter type of the tests has been widely studied, while a number of pertinent measurements during transient evaporation have not yet been reported. Also the resultant total capillary forces were measured and geometrical characteristics (curvature radii)were recorded with a photo camera and high-speed camera and subsequently digitalized. The obtained results reveal substantial differences in geometry of liquid bridges during extension and evaporation. On the other hand, evaporation and extension of liquid bridgelead to a similar qualitative response in terms of the pressure within the liquid bridge, starting with a significant suction, which initially somewhat increases during evaporation to reach a maximum, followed by a rapid monotonic decrease until zero, to become a sizable positive pressure prior to rupture. Extension same pattern is followed, except that there is no initial suction increase. Hence, in both cases, rupture consistently occurs at a positive fluid pressure. The pressure evolution is a simple resultant of the evolution of radii of curvature, with the neck radius becoming smaller than meridian radius. In terms of resultant capillary force, as the area of the bridge cross-section decreases with the square of the neck radius, the pressure difference is almost entirely negative, in part also due to surface tension component. Nevertheless, the suction decreases nearly monotonically during both processes. Rupture during evaporation of the bridges occurs most abruptly for larger separations, as early as after 25% volume evaporated. It is seen as a bifurcation of the geometry of equilibrium, as demonstrated on a movie with 27, 000 shots per second. The evolution of a bridge between three spheres exhibits a centrally located thin film instability with a circular hole growing within 1/3000th of a second. All these findings

Extensive intestinal metaplasia of renal pelvis: Report of a case and literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prakriti Shukla

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Transformation of the urothelium to the intestinal type of epithelium is rare in the pelvis with very few cases reported in the literature. The present study reports extensive intestinal metaplasia of the pelvi-calyceal system without residual urothelium in a 35-years-old woman with a 2 years history of renal calculi. Right - sided Nephrectomy was undertaken. Immunohistochemistry of the metaplastic epithelium revealed positive expression of CK20, low Ki-67 index and negative expression of p53. In this patient long standing metaplastic changes did not progress to adenocarcinoma which indicates that extensive intestinal metaplasia is not always associated with malignancy.

Gender differences on bioavailability of ofloxacin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, Z.U.; Naseer, R.

2008-01-01

The fluoroquinolones are currently enjoying extensive worldwide clinical applications because of their good bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile. Investigation into several aspects of the pharmacokinetic of all clinically relevant fluoroquinolones, have been carried out notably in Europe, USA and Japan. In view of the geonetical (geographical influences on genetics-pharmacogenetics) differences, it is important that for the optimal therapeutic outcome, biodisposition studies on drugs are better conducted in the population and environments where wide and extensive use of the drug is anticipated. The Objectives of study were to see the pharmacokinetic parameters in healthy young male and female volunteers. This comparative study was conducted King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan, from July 2005 to December 2005. In Pakistan where the use of antibiotics is more frequent by the general practitioners it is important to elucidate certain dose parameters it is also noticed that side effects are more in females than males so present study is conducted to calculate any differences in bioavailability on the basis of sex. The pharmacokinetic parameters of ofloxacin were determined in each of the clinically health eight young girls and boys (mean age 23.9 and 25.1 years, respectively) following a single oral dose of 400 mg tablet. The method adopted was microbiological assay. The blood samples collected at predetermined time intervals after drug administration revealed almost twice as high concentration of the drug in plasma of the girls than that in the boys. The pharmacokinetic parameters revealed significantly (p<0.01) higher values for area under curve (AUC) and Cmax, and lower total body clearance (TBC) and volume of distribution in the girls than in the boys. The gender differences in pharmacokinetic parameters indicate that the dose adjustment should be considered in male and female. (author)

Extensive genetic and DNA methylation variation contribute to heterosis in triploid loquat hybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chao; Wang, Mingbo; Wang, Lingli; Guo, Qigao; Liang, Guolu

2018-04-24

We aim to overcome the unclear origin of the loquat and elucidate the heterosis mechanism of the triploid loquat. Here we investigated the genetic and epigenetic variations between the triploid plant and its parental lines using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism (MSAP) analyses. We show that in addition to genetic variations, extensive DNA methylation variation occurred during the formation process of triploid loquat, with the triploid hybrid having increased DNA methylation compared to the parents. Furthermore, a correlation existed between genetic variation and DNA methylation remodeling, suggesting that genome instability may lead to DNA methylation variation or vice versa. Sequence analysis of the MSAP bands revealed that over 53% of them overlap with protein-coding genes, which may indicate a functional role of the differential DNA methylation in gene regulation and hence heterosis phenotypes. Consistent with this, the genetic and epigenetic alterations were associated closely to the heterosis phenotypes of triploid loquat, and this association varied for different traits. Our results suggested that the formation of triploid is accompanied by extensive genetic and DNA methylation variation, and these changes contribute to the heterosis phenotypes of the triploid loquats from the two cross lines.

An influence of extremal edges on boundary extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Ralph G; Brown, James M; McDunn, Benjamin A; Siddiqui, Aisha P

2015-08-01

Studies have shown that people consistently remember seeing more of a studied scene than was physically present (e.g., Intraub & Richardson Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 15, 179-187, 1989). This scene memory error, known as boundary extension, has been suggested to occur due to an observer's failure to differentiate between the contributing sources of information, including the sensory input, amodal continuation beyond the view boundaries, and contextual associations with the main objects and depicted scene locations (Intraub, 2010). Here, "scenes" made of abstract shapes on random-dot backgrounds, previously shown to elicit boundary extension (McDunn, Siddiqui, & Brown Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21, 370-375, 2014), were compared with versions made with extremal edges (Palmer & Ghose Psychological Science, 19, 77-84, 2008) added to their borders, in order to examine how boundary extension is influenced when amodal continuation at the borders' view boundaries is manipulated in this way. Extremal edges were expected to reduce boundary extension as compared to the same scenes without them, because extremal edge boundaries explicitly indicate an image's end (i.e., they do not continue past the view boundary). A large and a small difference (16 % and 40 %) between the close and wide-angle views shown during the experiment were tested to examine the effects of both boundary extension and normalization with and without extremal edges. Images without extremal edges elicited typical boundary extension for the 16 % size change condition, whereas the 40 % condition showed signs of normalization. With extremal edges, a reduced amount of boundary extension occurred for the 16 % condition, and only normalization was found for the 40 % condition. Our findings support and highlight the importance of amodal continuation at the view boundaries as a component of boundary extension.

A Classification of BPEL Extensions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliver Kopp

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The Business Process Execution Language (BPEL has emerged as de-facto standard for business processes implementation. This language is designed to be extensible for including additional valuable features in a standardized manner. There are a number of BPEL extensions available. They are, however, neither classified nor evaluated with respect to their compliance to the BPEL standard. This article fills this gap by providing a framework for classifying BPEL extensions, a classification of existing extensions, and a guideline for designing BPEL extensions.

PLACE OF EXTENSIVELY HYDROLYZED COW’S MILK FORMULAS IN THE DIET OF CHILDREN WITH DIFFERENT PATHOLOGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. F. Lukushkina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rational nutrition determines optimal growth and development. Special feeding with extensively hydrolised formula is essential for infants with cow’s milk protein allergy, protein-energy malnutrition, food intolerance, chronic gastrointestinal disorders. 

Shelf-life extension of fresh chicken through radurisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemand, J.G.; Van der Linde, H.J.

1982-01-01

The article discusses the shelf-life extension of fresh chicken through radurization. In order to assess the potential of this process on the South African market, a detailed investigation was carried out to determine the shelf-life extension under local conditions. The following aspects were investigated; 1) reduction of bacterial numbers at different radurisation doses; 2) influence of storage temperature on shelf-life and 3) the elimination of Salmonella. Organoleptic testing was carried out on poultry radurised to doses of 3, 5, 7,5 and 10 kGy as well as on non-radurised controls

Unravelling the secret of successful brand extensions: a case study to explore consumer response

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder-Nijkamp, Maaike; Eggink, Wouter; Bohemia, Erik; Rieple, Alison; Liedtka, Jeanne; Cooper, Rachel

2014-01-01

In this paper we try to disentangle the design of successful brand extensions and test this with two case studies. Earlier research revealed that typicality and novelty are related to the aesthetic preference of products. Despite the fact these two predictors are also each other’s suppressors, the

The Effect of Upscaling and Performance Degradation on Onshore Wind Turbine Lifetime Extension Decision Making

Science.gov (United States)

Rubert, T.; McMillan, D.; Niewczas, P.

2017-11-01

Ever greater rated wind turbine generators (WTGs) are reaching their end of design life in the near future. In addition, first research approaches quantified the impact of long-term performance degradation of WTGs. As a consequence, this work is aimed at discussing and analysing the impact of upscaling and performance degradation on the economics of wind turbine lifetime extension. Findings reveal that the lifetime extension levelised cost of energy (LCOE2) of an 18 MW wind farm comprising of 0.5 MW rated WTGs are within the order of £23.52 per MWh. Alternatively, if the same wind farm consists of fewer 2 or 3 MW WTGs, the LCOE2 reduces to £16.56 or £15.49 per MWh, respectively. Further, findings reveal that an annual performance degradation of 1.6% (0.2%) increases LCOE2 by 34-41% (3.6-4.3%).

Stable Extensions with(out) Gravity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antipin, Oleg; Krog, Jens; Mojaza, Matin

2014-01-01

We investigate the vacuum stability as well as the gravitational corrections in extensions of the Standard Model featuring a new complex scalar, and two Dirac fermions for different choices of the hypercharge of the scalar and one of the two fermions. The neutral fermion acquires loop-induced mag...... and discover that the models can be compatible with the asymptotically safe gravity scenario at the price of a heavier Higgs and lighter top mass...

Extension through Partnerships: Research and Education Center Teams with County Extension to Deliver Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Mullahey, J. Jeffrey

2011-01-01

Budget reductions have severely affected resources available to deliver agriculture and natural resource Extension programs in Florida. University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences delivers Extension programming through a unique partnership between research and education centers and county Extension. Science-based information…

Sequence analysis of serum albumins reveals the molecular evolution of ligand recognition properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Fanali, Gabriella; Ascenzi, Paolo; Bernardi, Giorgio; Fasano, Mauro

2012-01-01

Serum albumin (SA) is a circulating protein providing a depot and carrier for many endogenous and exogenous compounds. At least seven major binding sites have been identified by structural and functional investigations mainly in human SA. SA is conserved in vertebrates, with at least 49 entries in protein sequence databases. The multiple sequence analysis of this set of entries leads to the definition of a cladistic tree for the molecular evolution of SA orthologs in vertebrates, thus showing the clustering of the considered species, with lamprey SAs (Lethenteron japonicum and Petromyzon marinus) in a separate outgroup. Sequence analysis aimed at searching conserved domains revealed that most SA sequences are made up by three repeated domains (about 600 residues), as extensively characterized for human SA. On the contrary, lamprey SAs are giant proteins (about 1400 residues) comprising seven repeated domains. The phylogenetic analysis of the SA family reveals a stringent correlation with the taxonomic classification of the species available in sequence databases. A focused inspection of the sequences of ligand binding sites in SA revealed that in all sites most residues involved in ligand binding are conserved, although the versatility towards different ligands could be peculiar of higher organisms. Moreover, the analysis of molecular links between the different sites suggests that allosteric modulation mechanisms could be restricted to higher vertebrates.

Reproducible isolation of lymph node stromal cells reveals site-dependent differences in fibroblastic reticular cells

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Anne L Fletcher

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Within lymph nodes, non-hematopoietic stromal cells organize and interact with leukocytes in an immunologically important manner. In addition to organizing T and B cell segregation and expressing lymphocyte survival factors, several recent studies have shown that lymph node stromal cells shape the naïve T cell repertoire, expressing self-antigens which delete self-reactive T cells in a unique and non-redundant fashion. A fundamental role in peripheral tolerance, in addition to an otherwise extensive functional portfolio, necessitates closer study of lymph node stromal cell subsets using modern immunological techniques; however this has not routinely been possible in the field, due to difficulties reproducibly isolating these rare subsets. Techniques were therefore developed for successful ex vivo and in vitro manipulation and characterization of lymph node stroma. Here we discuss and validate these techniques in mice and humans, and apply them to address several unanswered questions regarding lymph node composition. We explored the steady-state stromal composition of lymph nodes isolated from mice and humans, and found that marginal reticular cells and lymphatic endothelial cells required lymphocytes for their normal maturation in mice. We also report alterations in the proportion and number of fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs between skin-draining and mesenteric lymph nodes. Similarly, transcriptional profiling of FRCs revealed changes in cytokine production from these sites. Together, these methods permit highly reproducible stromal cell isolation, sorting, and culture.

Another extension of Orlicz-Sobolev spaces to metric spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noureddine Aïssaoui

2004-01-01

Full Text Available We propose another extension of Orlicz-Sobolev spaces to metric spaces based on the concepts of the Φ-modulus and Φ-capacity. The resulting space NΦ1 is a Banach space. The relationship between NΦ1 and MΦ1 (the first extension defined in Aïssaoui (2002 is studied. We also explore and compare different definitions of capacities and give a criterion under which NΦ1 is strictly smaller than the Orlicz space LΦ.

Cellular potts models multiscale extensions and biological applications

CERN Document Server

Scianna, Marco

2013-01-01

A flexible, cell-level, and lattice-based technique, the cellular Potts model accurately describes the phenomenological mechanisms involved in many biological processes. Cellular Potts Models: Multiscale Extensions and Biological Applications gives an interdisciplinary, accessible treatment of these models, from the original methodologies to the latest developments. The book first explains the biophysical bases, main merits, and limitations of the cellular Potts model. It then proposes several innovative extensions, focusing on ways to integrate and interface the basic cellular Potts model at the mesoscopic scale with approaches that accurately model microscopic dynamics. These extensions are designed to create a nested and hybrid environment, where the evolution of a biological system is realistically driven by the constant interplay and flux of information between the different levels of description. Through several biological examples, the authors demonstrate a qualitative and quantitative agreement with t...

Comparative analysis of fungal genomes reveals different plant cell wall degrading capacity in fungi

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Fungi produce a variety of carbohydrate activity enzymes (CAZymes) for the degradation of plant polysaccharide materials to facilitate infection and/or gain nutrition. Identifying and comparing CAZymes from fungi with different nutritional modes or infection mechanisms may provide information for better understanding of their life styles and infection models. To date, over hundreds of fungal genomes are publicly available. However, a systematic comparative analysis of fungal CAZymes across the entire fungal kingdom has not been reported. Results In this study, we systemically identified glycoside hydrolases (GHs), polysaccharide lyases (PLs), carbohydrate esterases (CEs), and glycosyltransferases (GTs) as well as carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) in the predicted proteomes of 103 representative fungi from Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota. Comparative analysis of these CAZymes that play major roles in plant polysaccharide degradation revealed that fungi exhibit tremendous diversity in the number and variety of CAZymes. Among them, some families of GHs and CEs are the most prevalent CAZymes that are distributed in all of the fungi analyzed. Importantly, cellulases of some GH families are present in fungi that are not known to have cellulose-degrading ability. In addition, our results also showed that in general, plant pathogenic fungi have the highest number of CAZymes. Biotrophic fungi tend to have fewer CAZymes than necrotrophic and hemibiotrophic fungi. Pathogens of dicots often contain more pectinases than fungi infecting monocots. Interestingly, besides yeasts, many saprophytic fungi that are highly active in degrading plant biomass contain fewer CAZymes than plant pathogenic fungi. Furthermore, analysis of the gene expression profile of the wheat scab fungus Fusarium graminearum revealed that most of the CAZyme genes related to cell wall degradation were up-regulated during plant infection. Phylogenetic analysis also

Pituitary adenoma with extensive calcaficcations mimicking crainopharyngioma: a case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Sung Chan; Lee, Seoung Ro; Kwon, Bae Ju; Moon, Won Jin; Jeon, Eui Yong [Hanyang Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-01-01

A 27-year-old man presented with complaints of headache and visual disturbance, first noted six months earlier. Simple radiographs of skull sellar widening and calcification. Brian CT revealed a 3 x 3 x 4 cm-sized sellar suprasellar mass with heavy calcification. T1-weighted MR images showed that the signal intencity of the mass was slightly lower than that of the gray matter, while T2-weighted images showed heterogeneous high signal intensity with centrl low-signal-intensity foci, suggesting calcification After contrast infusion, enancement was irregular. Surgery revealed a 4 x 5 cm sized, well-demarcated, lobulated mass adhering to the meninges. Papillary-type pituitary adenoma was histologically confirmed. We report the CT and MR findings of atypical pituitary adenoma with extensive internal calcification mimicking craniopharyngioma.

Extensions to the coupled chemical equilibria and migration code CHEQMATE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haworth, A.; Sharland, S.M.; Tasker, P.W.; Tweed, C.J.

1988-08-01

The CHEQMATE program was developed to model the evolution of spatially inhomogeneous aqueous chemical systems. The original CHEQMATE models one-dimensional diffusion and electromigration of ionic species with chemical equilibration provided by the geochemical program PHREEQE. CHEQMATE has principally been used to study the evolution of the chemical environment in and around a nuclear waste repository. In this paper, we describe extensions to CHEQMATE to increase the range of situations that can be modelled. These extensions are the addition of advection of species in a constant groundwater flow, the facility to model migration of species through a series of media with different transport properties and migration in a spherical geometry which allows investigation of dilution effects. For each extension, we describe the alterations in the transport part of the code and consider how the model is set up. An example of a problem using the different versions is given. (author)

Tyrannosauroid integument reveals conflicting patterns of gigantism and feather evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Phil R; Campione, Nicolás E; Persons, W Scott; Currie, Philip J; Larson, Peter L; Tanke, Darren H; Bakker, Robert T

2017-06-01

Recent evidence for feathers in theropods has led to speculations that the largest tyrannosaurids, including Tyrannosaurus rex , were extensively feathered. We describe fossil integument from Tyrannosaurus and other tyrannosaurids ( Albertosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus and Tarbosaurus ), confirming that these large-bodied forms possessed scaly, reptilian-like skin. Body size evolution in tyrannosauroids reveals two independent occurrences of gigantism; specifically, the large sizes in Yutyrannus and tyrannosaurids were independently derived. These new findings demonstrate that extensive feather coverings observed in some early tyrannosauroids were lost by the Albian, basal to Tyrannosauridae. This loss is unrelated to palaeoclimate but possibly tied to the evolution of gigantism, although other mechanisms exist. © 2017 The Author(s).

Development of procedural requirements for life extension of nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Hun; Son, Moon Kyu [Korea Association for Nuclear Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Ham, Cheol Hun [The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Keun Sun [Sunmoon Univ., Asan (Korea, Republic of); Paek, Won Phil [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Cheong, Ji Hwan [Baekseok College Cultural Studies, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

2001-03-15

Current status of regulatory aspects of life extension and upgrading of NPPs is reviewed for major foreign countries. Most countries require similar technical requirements; however, procedural aspects differ country by country. Regulatory systems suitable for NPP life extension is investigated. The procedure and requirements for reassessment of design life should be established first; then it can be incorporated into the PSR system. The concept of 'Current Licensing Basis (CLB)' can be adopted in Korea, but further elaboration for terms and definitions is needed for common understanding between interested groups. The procedure for maintenance and backfitting should also be improved. The Systems, Structures, and Components (SSCs) that require development of regulatory requirements for life extension are identified based on extensive analysis of foreign experiences. By analyzing the rules and regulations related to life extension. Basic directions are suggested to harmonize or establish regulatory systems for life extension, two-step licensing, PSR, and backfitting.

CalfScience: Extension Education at Many Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Dale A.; Tellessen, Kathlyn; Sischo, William M.

2010-01-01

The issue of antimicrobial resistance in food animal agriculture was addressed by conducting clinical trials to assess alternatives to antimicrobials in dairy calf-raising and developing outreach to three different audiences. Current research was integrated into Extension programs for calf-raisers, animal science and veterinary students, and food…

Improving Generation Y Volunteerism in Extension Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Kevin B.; Lockett, Landry L.

2013-01-01

Members of Generation Y have many positive attributes that make them attractive to Extension volunteer administrators as a potential source of labor. However, they think differently, have unique needs, require new management styles, and have less tolerance for unpleasant working conditions than previous generations. Additionally, they are engaged…

Molecular markers reveal infestation dynamics of the bed bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) within apartment buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, Warren; Saenz, Virna L; Santangelo, Richard G; Wang, Changlu; Schal, Coby; Vargo, Edward L

2012-05-01

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), has experienced an extraordinary global resurgence in recent years, the reasons for which remain poorly understood. Once considered a pest of lower socioeconomic classes, bed bugs are now found extensively across all residential settings, with widespread infestations established in multiapartment buildings. Within such buildings, understanding the population genetic structure and patterns of dispersal may prove critical to the development of effective control strategies. Here, we describe the development of 24 high-resolution microsatellite markers through next generation 454 pyrosequencing and their application to elucidate infestation dynamics within three multistory apartment buildings in the United States. Results reveal contrasting characteristics potentially representative of geographic or locale differences. In Raleigh, NC, an infestation within an apartment building seemed to have started from a single introduction followed by extensive spread. In Jersey City, NJ, two or more introductions followed by spread are evident in two buildings. Populations within single apartments in all buildings were characterized by high levels of relatedness and low levels of diversity, indicative of foundation from small, genetically depauperate propagules. Regardless of the number of unique introductions, genetic data indicate that spread within buildings is extensive, supporting both active and human-mediated dispersal within and between adjacent rooms or apartments spanning multiple floors.

RURAL EXTENSION EPISTEMOLOGY AND THE TIME OF TOTAL EXTENSION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvio Calgaro Neto

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This article is dedicated to explore the field of knowledge related to rural extension. In general, a three complementary perspective is used as theoretical strategy to present this epistemological study. The first perspective, seeks to accomplish a brief archeology of rural extension, identifying the remarkable historical passages. At the second, we look to some theoretical models through the modern epistemological platform. Finally, the third perspective, aims to present a methodological proposal that contemplate this epistemic characteristics, relating with the contemporary transformations observed in the knowledge construction and technological transference for a rural development. Keywords: Total institutions. University.

From Extension to Shortening: Tectonic Inversion Distributed in Time and Space in the Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-García, Pedro; Comas, Menchu; Lonergan, Lidia; Watts, Anthony B.

2017-12-01

2D seismic reflection data tied to biostratigraphical and log information from wells in the central and southeastern Alboran Sea have allowed us to constrain the spatial and temporal distribution of rifting and inversion. Normal faults, tilted basement blocks, and growth wedges reveal a thinned continental crust that formed in response to NW-SE extension. To the east, a secondary SW-NE trend of extension affects the transitional crust adjacent to the oceanic Algerian Basin. The maximum thickness of syn-rift sediments is 3.5 km, and the oldest recorded deposits are Serravallian. The WNW-ESE Yusuf fault formed a buttress separating and accommodating variable extension between two different tectonic domains: the thinned continental crust of Alboran and the oceanic spreading of the Algerian Basin. Late Tortonian to present-day NW-SE Africa/Eurasia plate convergence drove shortening and reactivation of some of the earlier extensional structures as reverse and strike-slip faults, forming complex, compartmentalised subbasins. Tectonic inversion coexisted with the formation of new faults and folds. Inversion was partial along the Habibas Basin and Al-Idrisi fault, but complete along the Alboran Ridge, where some SW-NE trending faults were perpendicular to the recent NW-SE plate convergence and were reactivated as thrusts. The WNW-ESE Yusuf fault is oblique to the convergence vector, and therefore, reactivation is mainly expressed as transpressional deformation. Volcanic rocks intruded along the Alboran Ridge and Yusuf faults during the latest stages of extension formed rheological anisotropies that localised the later inversion.

Grip strength measurements at two different wrist extension positions in chronic lateral epicondylitis-comparison of involved vs. uninvolved side in athletes and non athletes: a case-control study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhargava Arti S

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lateral epicondylitis is a common sports injury of the elbow caused due to altered muscle activation during repetitive wrist extension in many athletic and non-athletic endeavours. The amount of muscle activity and timing of contraction eventually is directly dependent upon joint position during the activity. The purpose of our study was to compare the grip strength in athletes with lateral epicondylalgia in two different wrist extension positions and compare them between involved and uninvolved sides of athletes and non-athletes. Methods An assessor-blinded case-control study of eight athletes and twenty-two non-athletes was done. The grip strength was measured using JAMAR® hand dynamometer in kilograms-force at 15 degrees (slightly extended and 35 degrees (moderately extended wrist extension positions (maintained by wrist splints on both involved and uninvolved sides of athletes and non-athletes with unilateral lateral epicondylitis of atleast 3 months duration. Their pain was to be elicited with local tenderness and two of three tests being positive- Cozen's, Mill's manoeuvre, resisted middle finger extension tests. For comparisons of grip strength, Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for within-group comparison (between 15 and 35 degrees wrist extension positions and Mann-Whitney U test was used for between-group (athletes vs. non-athletes comparisons at 95% confidence interval and were done using SPSS 11.5 for Windows. Results Statistically significant greater grip strength was found in 15 degrees (27.75 ± 4.2 kgms in athletes; 16.45 ± 4.2 kgms in non-athletes wrist extension than at 35 degrees (25.25 ± 3.53 kgm in athletes and 14.18 ± 3.53 kgm in non-athletes. The athletes had greater grip strength than non-athletes in each of test positions (11.3 kgm at 15 degrees and 11.07 kgm at 35 degrees measured. There was also a significant difference between involved and uninvolved sides' grip strength at both wrist

Extension of Cherenkov Light LDF Parametrization for Tunka and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... The Cherenkov light Lateral Distribution Function (LDF) from particles initiated Extensive Air Showers (EAS) with ultrahigh energies ( > 1016 eV) was simulated using CORSIKA program for configuration of Tunka and Yakutsk EAS arrays for different primary particles (p, Fe and O2) and different zenith ...

Back-arc extension in the Andaman Sea: Tectonic and magmatic processes imaged by high-precision teleseismic double-difference earthquake relocation

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Diehl, T.; Waldhauser, F.; Cochran, J. R.; KameshRaju, K.A.; Seeber, L.; Schaff, D.; Engdahl, E.R.

-Plate) by the � � underthrusting Indian-Australian plate, ‘pull-apart’ basins develop along the plate ��� boundary, resulting in NE-SW extension of the Andaman Sea [e.g., Curray, 2005; ��� McCaffrey, 2009]. While the term ‘pull-apart’ usually refers to intracrustal extension...

Extensions and applications of degradation modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, F.; Subudhi, M.; Samanta, P.K.; Vesely, W.E.

1991-01-01

Component degradation modeling being developed to understand the aging process can have many applications with potential advantages. Previous work has focused on developing the basic concepts and mathematical development of a simple degradation model. Using this simple model, times of degradations and failures occurrences were analyzed for standby components to detect indications of aging and to infer the effectiveness of maintenance in preventing age-related degradations from transforming to failures. Degradation modeling approaches can have broader applications in aging studies and in this paper, the authors discuss some of the extensions and applications of degradation modeling. The extensions and applications of the degradation modeling approaches discussed are: (a) theoretical developments to study reliability effects of different maintenance strategies and policies, (b) relating aging-failure rate to degradation rate, and (c) application to a continuously operating component

Geometric extension through Schwarzschild r = 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynden-Bell, D.; Katz, J.; Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem

1990-01-01

Singularities in space-time are not necessarily cancers in the manifold but can herald interesting topological change in the space-time at places where there are several different tangent Minkowski spaces. Most discussions of gravitational collapse cease when space-time becomes singular. In the 'hour-glass' universe we have an example where the singularity develops in empty space; here we give a geometrical extension through the singularity in which geodesics that enter it emerge into a new space. The result extends Schwarzschild space and is periodic in 'extended' Penrose coordinates. There is a topological singularity but no mass at r = 0. The extension is mildly nonanalytic but unique. It is based on the concept that time does not stop and that empty space-times which develop singularities must still have zero Ricci tensors even where the Riemann tensor becomes infinite. (author)

Metatranscriptomics reveal differences in in situ energy and nitrogen metabolism among hydrothermal vent snail symbionts.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, J G; Beinart, R A; Stewart, F J; Delong, E F; Girguis, P R

2013-08-01

Despite the ubiquity of chemoautotrophic symbioses at hydrothermal vents, our understanding of the influence of environmental chemistry on symbiont metabolism is limited. Transcriptomic analyses are useful for linking physiological poise to environmental conditions, but recovering samples from the deep sea is challenging, as the long recovery times can change expression profiles before preservation. Here, we present a novel, in situ RNA sampling and preservation device, which we used to compare the symbiont metatranscriptomes associated with Alviniconcha, a genus of vent snail, in which specific host-symbiont combinations are predictably distributed across a regional geochemical gradient. Metatranscriptomes of these symbionts reveal key differences in energy and nitrogen metabolism relating to both environmental chemistry (that is, the relative expression of genes) and symbiont phylogeny (that is, the specific pathways employed). Unexpectedly, dramatic differences in expression of transposases and flagellar genes suggest that different symbiont types may also have distinct life histories. These data further our understanding of these symbionts' metabolic capabilities and their expression in situ, and suggest an important role for symbionts in mediating their hosts' interaction with regional-scale differences in geochemistry.

Limitations and Extensions of the Lock-and-Key Principle: Differences between Gas State, Solution and Solid State Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans-Jörg Schneider

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The lock-and-key concept is discussed with respect to necessary extensions. Formation of supramolecular complexes depends not only, and often not even primarily on an optimal geometric fit between host and guest. Induced fit and allosteric interactions have long been known as important modifications. Different binding mechanisms, the medium used and pH effects can exert a major influence on the affinity. Stereoelectronic effects due to lone pair orientation can lead to variation of binding constants by orders of magnitude. Hydrophobic interactions due to high-energy water inside cavities modify the mechanical lock-and-key picture. That optimal affinities are observed if the cavity is only partially filled by the ligand can be in conflict with the lock-and-key principle. In crystals other forces than those between host and guest often dominate, leading to differences between solid state and solution structures. This is exemplified in particular with calixarene complexes, which by X-ray analysis more often than other hosts show guest molecules outside their cavity. In view of this the particular problems with the identification of weak interactions in crystals is discussed.

Extension of lifespan in C. elegans by naphthoquinones that act through stress hormesis mechanisms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piper R Hunt

Full Text Available Hormesis occurs when a low level stress elicits adaptive beneficial responses that protect against subsequent exposure to severe stress. Recent findings suggest that mild oxidative and thermal stress can extend lifespan by hormetic mechanisms. Here we show that the botanical pesticide plumbagin, while toxic to C. elegans nematodes at high doses, extends lifespan at low doses. Because plumbagin is a naphthoquinone that can generate free radicals in vivo, we investigated whether it extends lifespan by activating an adaptive cellular stress response pathway. The C. elegans cap'n'collar (CNC transcription factor, SKN-1, mediates protective responses to oxidative stress. Genetic analysis showed that skn-1 activity is required for lifespan extension by low-dose plumbagin in C. elegans. Further screening of a series of plumbagin analogs identified three additional naphthoquinones that could induce SKN-1 targets in C. elegans. Naphthazarin showed skn-1dependent lifespan extension, over an extended dose range compared to plumbagin, while the other naphthoquinones, oxoline and menadione, had differing effects on C. elegans survival and failed to activate ARE reporter expression in cultured mammalian cells. Our findings reveal the potential for low doses of naturally occurring naphthoquinones to extend lifespan by engaging a specific adaptive cellular stress response pathway.

Subring Depth, Frobenius Extensions, and Towers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Kadison

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The minimum depth d(B,A of a subring B⊆A introduced in the work of Boltje, Danz and Külshammer (2011 is studied and compared with the tower depth of a Frobenius extension. We show that d(B,A < ∞ if A is a finite-dimensional algebra and Be has finite representation type. Some conditions in terms of depth and QF property are given that ensure that the modular function of a Hopf algebra restricts to the modular function of a Hopf subalgebra. If A⊇B is a QF extension, minimum left and right even subring depths are shown to coincide. If A⊇B is a Frobenius extension with surjective Frobenius, homomorphism, its subring depth is shown to coincide with its tower depth. Formulas for the ring, module, Frobenius and Temperley-Lieb structures are noted for the tower over a Frobenius extension in its realization as tensor powers. A depth 3 QF extension is embedded in a depth 2 QF extension; in turn certain depth n extensions embed in depth 3 extensions if they are Frobenius extensions or other special ring extensions with ring structures on their relative Hochschild bar resolution groups.

Two Extension Block Kirschner Wires’ Technique for Bony Mallet Thumb

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yutaka Mifune

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mallet fingers with an avulsion fracture of the distal phalanx or rupture of the terminal tendon of the extensor mechanism is known as a common injury, while mallet thumb is very rare. In this paper, the case of a 19-year-old woman with a sprained left thumb sustained while playing basketball is presented. Plain radiographs and computed tomography revealed an avulsion fracture involving more than half of the articular surface at the base of the distal phalanx. Closed reduction and percutaneous fixation were performed using the two extension block Kirschner wires’ technique under digital block anesthesia. At 4 months postoperatively, the patient had achieved excellent results according to Crawford’s evaluation criteria and had no difficulties in working or playing basketball. Various conservative and operative treatment strategies have been reported for management of mallet thumb. We chose the two extension block Kirschner wires’ technique to minimize invasion of the extensor mechanism and nail bed and to stabilize the large fracture fragment.

Challenges for extension service to render efficient post-transformer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

LPhidza

there were socio-economic differences between the hybrid user and non-hybrid users. These factors ... through extension strategies, but also through government policies. ..... seed procurement and transportation. .... An Integrated Approach.

Occlusion and Temporomandibular Function among Subjects with Mandibular Distal Extension Removable Partial Dentures

Science.gov (United States)

Creugers, N. H. J.; Witter, D. J.; Van 't Spijker, A.; Gerritsen, A. E.; Kreulen, C. M.

2010-01-01

Objective. To quantify effects on occlusion and temporomandibular function of mandibular distal extension removable partial dentures in shortened dental arches. Methods. Subjects wearing mandibular extension removable partial dentures (n = 25) were compared with subjects with shortened dental arches without extension (n = 74) and with subjects who had worn a mandibular extension removable partial denture in the past (n = 19). Subjects with complete dentitions (n = 72) were controls. Data were collected at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-year observations. Results. Occlusal activity in terms of reported awareness of bruxism and occlusal tooth wear of lower anterior teeth did not differ significantly between the groups. In contrast, occlusal tooth wear of premolars in shortened dental arches with or without extension dentures was significantly higher than in the controls. Differences amongst groups with respect to signs and symptoms related to temporomandibular disorders were not found. Occlusal support of the dentures did not influence anterior spatial relationship. Occlusal contacts of the denture teeth decreased from 70% for second premolars via 50% for first molars, to 30% for second molars. Conclusions. Mandibular distal extension removable partial dentures in moderate shortened dental arches had no effects on occlusion and temporomandibular function. PMID:20671961

Monitoring in extensions: From principles to practical implementation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Against the background assumption that effective monitoring, currently seriously lacking in most countries, can significantly contribute towards improvement of current and future extension, this paper explores different indicators as possible monitoring criteria. This is done by identifying important conditions and then

Common brain regions underlying different arithmetic operations as revealed by conjunct fMRI-BOLD activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fehr, Thorsten; Code, Chris; Herrmann, Manfred

2007-10-03

The issue of how and where arithmetic operations are represented in the brain has been addressed in numerous studies. Lesion studies suggest that a network of different brain areas are involved in mental calculation. Neuroimaging studies have reported inferior parietal and lateral frontal activations during mental arithmetic using tasks of different complexities and using different operators (addition, subtraction, etc.). Indeed, it has been difficult to compare brain activation across studies because of the variety of different operators and different presentation modalities used. The present experiment examined fMRI-BOLD activity in participants during calculation tasks entailing different arithmetic operations -- addition, subtraction, multiplication and division -- of different complexities. Functional imaging data revealed a common activation pattern comprising right precuneus, left and right middle and superior frontal regions during all arithmetic operations. All other regional activations were operation specific and distributed in prominently frontal, parietal and central regions when contrasting complex and simple calculation tasks. The present results largely confirm former studies suggesting that activation patterns due to mental arithmetic appear to reflect a basic anatomical substrate of working memory, numerical knowledge and processing based on finger counting, and derived from a network originally related to finger movement. We emphasize that in mental arithmetic research different arithmetic operations should always be examined and discussed independently of each other in order to avoid invalid generalizations on arithmetics and involved brain areas.

The bladed Bangiales (Rhodophyta) of the South Eastern Pacific: Molecular species delimitation reveals extensive diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Guillemin, Marie-Laure; Contreras-Porcia, Loretto; Ramírez, María Eliana; Macaya, Erasmo C; Contador, Cristian Bulboa; Woods, Helen; Wyatt, Christopher; Brodie, Juliet

2016-01-01

A molecular taxonomic study of the bladed Bangiales of the South Eastern Pacific (coast of Chile) was undertaken based on sequence data of the mitochondrial COI and chloroplast rbcL for 193 specimens collected from Arica (18°S) in the north to South Patagonia (53°S) in the south. The results revealed for the first time that four genera, Porphyra, Pyropia, Fuscifolium and Wildemania were present in the region. Species delimitation was determined based on a combination of a General Mixed Yule Coalescence model (GMYC) and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) coupled with detection of monophyly in tree reconstruction. The overall incongruence between the species delimitation methods within each gene was 29%. The GMYC method led to over-splitting groups, whereas the ABGD method had a tendency to lump groups. Taking a conservative approach to the number of putative species, at least 18 were recognized and, with the exception of the recently described Pyropia orbicularis, all were new to the Chilean flora. Porphyra and Pyropia were the most diverse genera with eight 'species' each, whereas only a 'single' species each was found for Fuscifolium and Wildemania. There was also evidence of recently diverging groups: Wildemania sp. was distinct but very closely related to W. amplissima from the Northern Hemisphere and raises questions in relation to such disjunct distributions. Pyropia orbicularis was very closely related to two other species, making species delimitation very difficult but provides evidence of an incipient speciation. The difference between the 'species' discovered and those previously reported for the region is discussed in relation to the difficulty of distinguishing species based on morphological identification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robotic hand with modular extensions

Science.gov (United States)

Salisbury, Curt Michael; Quigley, Morgan

2015-01-20

A robotic device is described herein. The robotic device includes a frame that comprises a plurality of receiving regions that are configured to receive a respective plurality of modular robotic extensions. The modular robotic extensions are removably attachable to the frame at the respective receiving regions by way of respective mechanical fuses. Each mechanical fuse is configured to trip when a respective modular robotic extension experiences a predefined load condition, such that the respective modular robotic extension detaches from the frame when the load condition is met.

How sedimentation affects rift segment interaction during oblique extension: a 4D analogue modelling study

Science.gov (United States)

Zwaan, Frank; Schreurs, Guido; Adam, Jürgen

2017-04-01

prevents the viscous sand/silicone layer from isostatic rising as observed in the models without sedimentation. In models with syn-rift sedimentation, the rift wedge sinks into the viscous seed below. Analysis of surface structures indicates that sedimentation also results in differences in internal fault structures within the rift. In order to validate our first experimental results, we will (re)run various models in a X-Ray CT-scanner to reveal their internal structure in detail. Combined with high-resolution surface scanning of the model topography, a thorough 4D surface and internal evolution assessment will be possible, including tomographic strain analysis using Digital Volume Correlation techniques (DVC). REFERENCES Bialas and Buck, 2009, How sediment promotes narrow rifting: Application to the Gulf of California. Tectonics 28, TC4014 Brune, Popov and Sobolev, 2012, Modeling suggests that oblique extension facilitates rifting and continental break-up. Journal of Geophysical Research 117, B08402 Zwaan, Naliboff, Schreurs and Buiter, 2016, Insights into the effects of oblique extension on continental rift interaction from 3D analogue and numerical models. Tectonophysics 693, Part B, 239-260

An extensive characterization study of different Bacillus thuringiensis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative study between sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and DNA hybridization was performed on 25 chosen different strains of B. ... The crystal proteins were quantified and then separated using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophresis (SDS-PAGE).

Use of reiterative primer extension methodology to map UV-induced photoproducts at the nucleotide level in the laci gene from genomic DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandrasekhar, D.; Houten, B. Van

1994-01-01

A newly developed reiterative primer extension assay has been employed to examine photoproduct formation and repair at the nucleotide level. Analysis of UV-induced DNA photoproduct hotspots in the first 184 base pairs of the laci genes of genomic E. coli DNA has revealed that photoproducts are formed linearly with dose and display a sequence-dependent increase. Generally, pyrimdine dimers were twice as frequent as all other UV-induced photoproducts. However, specific sites showed differing distributions. A post-irradiation recovery period revealed differences in the repair efficiency at individual nucleotides. Repair of photoproducts on the transcribed strand was generally twice as efficient as repair of photoproducts on the nontranscribed strand, indicating that strand-specific DNA repair occurs in the constitutively transcribed laci gene of E. coli. The UV-induced DNA photoproduct distribution following repair was well correlated with an established UV-induced mutation spectrum for wild-type E. coli cells. This analysis revealed that photoproduct hotspots on the efficiently repaired transcribed strand did not correlate with mutagenic hotspots. These data strongly support the hypothesis that mutations arise at inefficiently repaired sites on the nontranscribed strand

Energy Efficiency Evaluation of RSVP-TE Extensions for Survivable Translucent WSON Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruepp, Sarah Renée; Fagertun, Anna Manolova

2012-01-01

Energy consumption in communication networks is ever increasing. The target of reducing the energy can be approached from different points: еnergy usage reduction of different hardware components, sleep mode, energy efficient routing and signalling protocol extensions. Another interesting aspect...... and wavelength converters. Furtheron signaling extensions that can reduce the energy usage by reducing the usage of electrical ports can be designed. In this paper, we use GMPLS extensions to integrate energyefficiency considerations into the network protection paradigm; and we use OPNET Modeler to evaluate our...... in communication networks is that connections must be protected against failures. The backup resources are normally connected and powered on, which also contributes to the energy budget. Using Shared Path Protection (SPP) minimizes the protection resources by efficient sharing of wavelengths, regenerators...

Journal of Agricultural Extension submitted to Agricultural Extension ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF. MADUKWE

... typically confront narrower range of labour markets than men, and lower wage ... capabilities of women and by extension the household, female household ..... gap in accessibility to productive resources between male and female heads of.

Causal Genetic Variation Underlying Metabolome Differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Swain-Lenz, Devjanee; Nikolskiy, Igor; Cheng, Jiye; Sudarsanam, Priya; Nayler, Darcy; Staller, Max V; Cohen, Barak A

2017-08-01

An ongoing challenge in biology is to predict the phenotypes of individuals from their genotypes. Genetic variants that cause disease often change an individual's total metabolite profile, or metabolome. In light of our extensive knowledge of metabolic pathways, genetic variants that alter the metabolome may help predict novel phenotypes. To link genetic variants to changes in the metabolome, we studied natural variation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae We used an untargeted mass spectrometry method to identify dozens of metabolite Quantitative Trait Loci (mQTL), genomic regions containing genetic variation that control differences in metabolite levels between individuals. We mapped differences in urea cycle metabolites to genetic variation in specific genes known to regulate amino acid biosynthesis. Our functional assays reveal that genetic variation in two genes, AUA1 and ARG81 , cause the differences in the abundance of several urea cycle metabolites. Based on knowledge of the urea cycle, we predicted and then validated a new phenotype: sensitivity to a particular class of amino acid isomers. Our results are a proof-of-concept that untargeted mass spectrometry can reveal links between natural genetic variants and metabolome diversity. The interpretability of our results demonstrates the promise of using genetic variants underlying natural differences in the metabolome to predict novel phenotypes from genotype. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

The Effects of Leader-Member Exchanges on the Relationships Between Extension Agents and County Extension Directors in Florida

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Benge

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The relationship between a supervisor and employee has a direct effect on the employee’s job satisfaction, work productivity, and efficiency. Understanding the interactions between Extension agents and County Extension Directors is critical to maintaining positive relationships and providing adequate support to Extension supervisors through professional development and training opportunities. This article examined the dyadic relationships between Extension agents and County Extension Directors in Florida. The majority of Florida Extension agents have high-quality relationship with their County Extension Directors. In addition, over half of relationships of five years or less are in the partner phase, suggesting new employees of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service progress through the leadership making process in a relatively short amount of time. UF/IFAS Extension Administration should provide increased leadership training for County Extension Directors to ensure all dyads progress through the leadership-making process to the partner phase, such as relationship building, and management and supervisory training.

EST analysis on pig mitochondria reveal novel expression differences between developmental and adult tissues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheibye-Alsing, Karsten; Cirera, Susanna; Gilchrist, Michael J.

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: The mitochondria are involved in many basic functions in cells of vertebrates, and can be considered the power generator of the cell. Though the mitochondria have been extensively studied there appear to be only few expression studies of mitochondrial genes involving a large number...

Postobductional extension along and within the Frontal Range of the Eastern Oman Mountains

Science.gov (United States)

Mattern, Frank; Scharf, Andreas

2018-04-01

The Oman Mountains formed by late Cretaceous obduction of the Tethys-derived Semail Ophiolite. This study concerns the postobductional extension on the northern flank of the mountain belt. Nine sites at the northern margins of the Jabal Akhdar/Nakhl and Saih Hatat domes of the Eastern Oman ("Hajar") Mountains were investigated. The northern margins are marked by a system of major interconnected extensional faults, the "Frontal Range Fault". While the vertical displacements along the Saih Hatat and westerly located Jabal Nakhl domes measure 2.25-6.25 km, 0.5-4.5 km and 4-7 km, respectively, it amounts to 1-5 km along the Jabal Akhdar Dome. Extension had started during the late Cretaceous, towards the end of ophiolite emplacement. Two stages of extension can be ascertained (late Cretaceous to early Eocene and probably Oligocene) at the eastern part of the Frontal Range Fault System (Wadi Kabir and Fanja Graben faults of similar strike). Along the intervening and differently striking fault segments at Sad and Sunub the same two stages of deformation are deduced. The first stage is characterized again by extension. The second stage is marked by dextral motion, including local transtension. Probable Oligocene extension affected the Batinah Coast Fault while it also affected the Wadi Kabir Fault and the Fanja Graben. It is unclear whether the western portion of the Frontal Range Fault also went through two stages of deformation. Bedding-parallel ductile and brittle deformation is a common phenomenon. Hot springs and listwaenite are associated with dextral releasing bends within the fault system, as well as a basalt intrusion of probable Oligocene age. A structural transect through the Frontal Range along the superbly exposed Wadi Bani Kharous (Jabal Akhdar Dome) revealed that extension affected the Frontal Range at least 2.5 km south of the Frontal Range Fault. Also here, bedding-parallel shearing is important, but not exclusive. A late Cretaceous thrust was

Mediterranean extension and the Africa-Eurasia collision

Science.gov (United States)

Jolivet, Laurent; Faccenna, Claudio

2000-12-01

A number of tectonic events occurred contemporaneously in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East 30-25 Myr ago. These events are contemporaneous to or immediately followed a strong reduction of the northward absolute motion of Africa. Geological observations in the Neogene extensional basins of the Mediterranean region reveal that extension started synchronously from west to east 30-25 Myr ago. In the western Mediterranean it started in the Gulf of Lion, Valencia trough, and Alboran Sea as well as between the Maures massif and Corsica between 33 and 27 Ma ago. It then propagated eastward and southward to form to Liguro-Provençal basin and the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the eastern Mediterranean, extension started in the Aegean Sea before the deposition of marine sediments onto the collapsed Hellenides in the Aquitanian and before the cooling of high-temperature metamorphic core complexes between 20 and 25 Ma. Foundering of the inner zones of the Carpathians and extension in the Panonnian basin also started in the late Oligocene-early Miocene. The body of the Afro-Arabian plate first collided with Eurasia in the eastern Mediterranean region progressively from the Eocene to the Oligocene. Extensional tectonics was first recorded in the Gulf of Aden, Afar triple junction, and Red Sea region also in the Oligocene. A general magmatic surge occurred above all African hot spots, especially the Afar one. We explore the possibility that these drastic changes in the stress regime of the Mediterranean region and Middle East and the contemporaneous volcanic event were triggerred by the Africa/Arabia-Eurasia collision, which slowed down the motion of Africa. The present-day Mediterranean Sea was then locked between two collision zones, and the velocity of retreat of the African slab increased and became larger than the velocity of convergence leading to backarc extension. East of the Caucasus and northern Zagros collision zone the Afro-Arabian plate was still pulled by the slab

Transcriptome sequencing of different narrow-leafed lupin tissue types provides a comprehensive uni-gene assembly and extensive gene-based molecular markers

Science.gov (United States)

Kamphuis, Lars G; Hane, James K; Nelson, Matthew N; Gao, Lingling; Atkins, Craig A; Singh, Karam B

2015-01-01

Narrow-leafed lupin (NLL; Lupinus angustifolius L.) is an important grain legume crop that is valuable for sustainable farming and is becoming recognized as a human health food. NLL breeding is directed at improving grain production, disease resistance, drought tolerance and health benefits. However, genetic and genomic studies have been hindered by a lack of extensive genomic resources for the species. Here, the generation, de novo assembly and annotation of transcriptome datasets derived from five different NLL tissue types of the reference accession cv. Tanjil are described. The Tanjil transcriptome was compared to transcriptomes of an early domesticated cv. Unicrop, a wild accession P27255, as well as accession 83A:476, together being the founding parents of two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations. In silico predictions for transcriptome-derived gene-based length and SNP polymorphic markers were conducted and corroborated using a survey assembly sequence for NLL cv. Tanjil. This yielded extensive indel and SNP polymorphic markers for the two RIL populations. A total of 335 transcriptome-derived markers and 66 BAC-end sequence-derived markers were evaluated, and 275 polymorphic markers were selected to genotype the reference NLL 83A:476 × P27255 RIL population. This significantly improved the completeness, marker density and quality of the reference NLL genetic map. PMID:25060816

Non-Extensive Statistical Analysis of Solar Wind Electric, Magnetic Fields and Solar Energetic Particle time series.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlos, G. P.; Malandraki, O.; Khabarova, O.; Livadiotis, G.; Pavlos, E.; Karakatsanis, L. P.; Iliopoulos, A. C.; Parisis, K.

2017-12-01

In this work we study the non-extensivity of Solar Wind space plasma by using electric-magnetic field data obtained by in situ spacecraft observations at different dynamical states of solar wind system especially in interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), Interplanetary shocks, magnetic islands, or near the Earth Bow shock. Especially, we study the energetic particle non extensive fractional acceleration mechanism producing kappa distributions as well as the intermittent turbulence mechanism producing multifractal structures related with the Tsallis q-entropy principle. We present some new and significant results concerning the dynamics of ICMEs observed in the near Earth at L1 solar wind environment, as well as its effect in Earth's magnetosphere as well as magnetic islands. In-situ measurements of energetic particles at L1 are analyzed, in response to major solar eruptive events at the Sun (intense flares, fast CMEs). The statistical characteristics are obtained and compared for the Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) originating at the Sun, the energetic particle enhancements associated with local acceleration during the CME-driven shock passage over the spacecraft (Energetic Particle Enhancements, ESPs) as well as the energetic particle signatures observed during the passage of the ICME. The results are referred to Tsallis non-extensive statistics and in particular to the estimation of Tsallis q-triplet, (qstat, qsen, qrel) of electric-magnetic field and the kappa distributions of solar energetic particles time series of the ICME, magnetic islands, resulting from the solar eruptive activity or the internal Solar Wind dynamics. Our results reveal significant differences in statistical and dynamical features, indicating important variations of the magnetic field dynamics both in time and space domains during the shock event, in terms of rate of entropy production, relaxation dynamics and non-equilibrium meta-stable stationary states.

Type extension trees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jaeger, Manfred

2006-01-01

We introduce type extension trees as a formal representation language for complex combinatorial features of relational data. Based on a very simple syntax this language provides a unified framework for expressing features as diverse as embedded subgraphs on the one hand, and marginal counts...... of attribute values on the other. We show by various examples how many existing relational data mining techniques can be expressed as the problem of constructing a type extension tree and a discriminant function....

Late Miocene extension partitioning in the eastern Betics: from W- to E-directed extension between the Sorbas and Vera basins (SE Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Giaconia, Flavio; Booth-Rea, Guillermo; Martínez-Martínez, Jose Miguel; Azañon, Jose Miguel

2014-05-01

basin. This westward migration of extension followed very closely the apatite fission track cooling ages obtained from Nevado-Filabride samples exhumed at the Sierra de Filabres core-complex, to the north. These ages range between 15 and 11 Ma, to the east, and between 9.5 and 7.5 Ma, to the west. The westward migration of extension continued during the Messinian and the Quaternary affecting the Níjar basin where a SW-directed normal-fault system occurs. Heterogeneous extension in the region resulted in different extensional domains both in extension direction and style. These domains are separated by transfer faults as the North Cabrera dextral fault, which accommodated opposite tilted-block domains at the southern margin of the Vera basin. Similarly, the Carboneras sinistral fault separates the Níjar tilted-block domain, to the north, from the Cabo de Gata domain characterized by magmatic accretion upon previously thinned continental crust, to the south.

Revealing metabolomic variations in Cortex Moutan from different root parts using HPLC-MS method.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Chaoni; Wu, Man; Chen, Yongyong; Zhang, Yajun; Zhao, Xinfeng; Zheng, Xiaohui

2015-01-01

The distribution of metabolites in the different root parts of Cortex Moutan (the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews) is not well understood, therefore, scientific evidence is not available for quality assessment of Cortex Moutan. To reveal metabolomic variations in Cortex Moutan in order to gain deeper insights to enable quality control. Metabolomic variations in the different root parts of Cortex Moutan were characterised using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and multivariate data analysis. The discriminating metabolites in different root parts were evaluated by the one-way analysis of variance and a fold change parameter. The metabolite profiles of Cortex Moutan were largely dominated by five primary and 41 secondary metabolites . Higher levels of malic acid, gallic acid and mudanoside-B were mainly observed in the second lateral roots, whereas dihydroxyacetophenone, benzoyloxypaeoniflorin, suffruticoside-A, kaempferol dihexoside, mudanpioside E and mudanpioside J accumulated in the first lateral and axial roots. The highest contents of paeonol, galloyloxypaeoniflorin and procyanidin B were detected in the axial roots. Accordingly, metabolite compositions of Cortex Moutan were found to vary among different root parts. The axial roots have higher quality than the lateral roots in Cortex Moutan due to the accumulation of bioactive secondary metabolites associated with plant physiology. These findings provided important scientific evidence for grading Cortex Moutan on the general market. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How to make agricultural extension demand-driven?: The case of India's agricultural extension policy

OpenAIRE

Birner, Regina; Anderson, Jock R.

2007-01-01

"Many countries have recognized the need to revive agricultural advisory or extension services (the terms are used interchangeably here) as a means of using agriculture as an engine of pro-poor growth; reaching marginalized, poor, and female farmers; and addressing new challenges, such as environmental degradation and climate change. In spite of ample experience with extension reform worldwide, identifying the reform options most likely to make extension more demand-driven remains a major cha...

Journal of Agricultural Extension

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Scope of journal The Journal of Agricultural Extension" is devoted to the advancement of knowledge of agricultural extension services and practice through the publication of original and empirically based research, ... Vol 22, No 1 (2018) ... Symbol recognition and interpretation of HIV/AIDS pictorial messages among rural ...

Two-stage categorization in brand extension evaluation: electrophysiological time course evidence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingguo Ma

Full Text Available A brand name can be considered a mental category. Similarity-based categorization theory has been used to explain how consumers judge a new product as a member of a known brand, a process called brand extension evaluation. This study was an event-related potential study conducted in two experiments. The study found a two-stage categorization process reflected by the P2 and N400 components in brand extension evaluation. In experiment 1, a prime-probe paradigm was presented in a pair consisting of a brand name and a product name in three conditions, i.e., in-category extension, similar-category extension, and out-of-category extension. Although the task was unrelated to brand extension evaluation, P2 distinguished out-of-category extensions from similar-category and in-category ones, and N400 distinguished similar-category extensions from in-category ones. In experiment 2, a prime-probe paradigm with a related task was used, in which product names included subcategory and major-category product names. The N400 elicited by subcategory products was more significantly negative than that elicited by major-category products, with no salient difference in P2. We speculated that P2 could reflect the early low-level and similarity-based processing in the first stage, whereas N400 could reflect the late analytic and category-based processing in the second stage.

Occlusion and Temporomandibular Function among Subjects with Mandibular Distal Extension Removable Partial Dentures

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N. H. J. Creugers

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To quantify effects on occlusion and temporomandibular function of mandibular distal extension removable partial dentures in shortened dental arches. Methods. Subjects wearing mandibular extension removable partial dentures (n=25 were compared with subjects with shortened dental arches without extension (n=74 and with subjects who had worn a mandibular extension removable partial denture in the past (n=19. Subjects with complete dentitions (n=72 were controls. Data were collected at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-year observations. Results. Occlusal activity in terms of reported awareness of bruxism and occlusal tooth wear of lower anterior teeth did not differ significantly between the groups. In contrast, occlusal tooth wear of premolars in shortened dental arches with or without extension dentures was significantly higher than in the controls. Differences amongst groups with respect to signs and symptoms related to temporomandibular disorders were not found. Occlusal support of the dentures did not influence anterior spatial relationship. Occlusal contacts of the denture teeth decreased from 70% for second premolars via 50% for first molars, to 30% for second molars. Conclusions. Mandibular distal extension removable partial dentures in moderate shortened dental arches had no effects on occlusion and temporomandibular function.

The extensive writing. Teaching writing in high school

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Daniel Cassany Comas

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Following the distinction between intensive and extensive reading, we introduce the extensive written tasks to promote the following learning objectives: 1 bringing writing closer to the learner’s personal life; 2 practicing the epistemic and communicative language functions; 3 giving the learner full responsibility for the creative act; 4 facilitating the development of cognitive processes, and 5 developing habits of written production in a variety of situations. As a consequence, extensive writing assignments produce longer texts, last longer, are self-directed by the learner-author, treat interdisciplinary topics and are not in the textbook. These tasks markedly differ from the more frequent written exercises in the classroom, which are teacher-led, contain shorter texts, work on executive or instrumental functions, and their correction is focused on spelling and grammar. We propose several educational tools in order to develop this type of tasks: portfolios (to save drafts, corrections and final versions of each text, formats (such as reading logs, lecture notes and laboratory protocols and contexts (common communicative tasks. We also discuss some basic parameters of extensive tasks, such as the length of the text, the use of several working sessions for text production, the practice of composition processes and the use of peer review, in pairs or teams.

Evaluation of Lactococcus lactis Isolates from Nondairy Sources with Potential Dairy Applications Reveals Extensive Phenotype-Genotype Disparity and Implications for a Revised Species.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Daniel; Casey, Aidan; Altermann, Eric; Cotter, Paul D; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; McAuliffe, Olivia

2015-06-15

Lactococcus lactis is predominantly associated with dairy fermentations, but evidence suggests that the domesticated organism originated from a plant niche. L. lactis possesses an unusual taxonomic structure whereby strain phenotypes and genotypes often do not correlate, which in turn has led to confusion in L. lactis classification. A bank of L. lactis strains was isolated from various nondairy niches (grass, vegetables, and bovine rumen) and was further characterized on the basis of key technological traits, including growth in milk and key enzyme activities. Phenotypic analysis revealed all strains from nondairy sources to possess an L. lactis subsp. lactis phenotype (lactis phenotype); however, seven of these strains possessed an L. lactis subsp. cremoris genotype (cremoris genotype), determined by two separate PCR assays. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) showed that strains with lactis and cremoris genotypes clustered together regardless of habitat, but it highlighted the increased diversity that exists among "wild" strains. Calculation of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and tetranucleotide frequency correlation coefficients (TETRA), using the JSpecies software tool, revealed that L. lactis subsp. cremoris and L. lactis subsp. lactis differ in ANI values by ∼14%, below the threshold set for species circumscription. Further analysis of strain TIFN3 and strains from nonindustrial backgrounds revealed TETRA values of lactis taxonomy. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Age-Related Differences in Motor Coordination during Simultaneous Leg Flexion and Finger Extension: Influence of Temporal Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Hussein, Tarek; Yiou, Eric; Larue, Jacques

2013-01-01

Although the effect of temporal pressure on spatio-temporal aspects of motor coordination and posture is well established in young adults, there is a clear lack of data on elderly subjects. This work examined the aging-related effects of temporal pressure on movement synchronization and dynamic stability. Sixteen young and eleven elderly subjects performed series of simultaneous rapid leg flexions in an erect posture paired with ipsilateral index-finger extensions, minimizing the difference between heel and finger movement onsets. This task was repeated ten times under two temporal conditions (self-initiated [SI] vs. reaction-time [RT]). Results showed that, first, temporal pressure modified movement synchronization; the finger extension preceded swing heel-off in RT, and inversely in SI. Synchronization error and associated standard deviation were significantly greater in elderly than in young adults in SI only, i.e. in the condition where proprioception is thought to be crucial for temporal coordination. Secondly, both groups developed a significantly shorter mediolateral (ML) anticipatory postural adjustment duration in RT (high temporal pressure) than in SI. In both groups, this shortening was compensated by an increase in the anticipatory peak of centre-of-gravity (CoG) acceleration towards the stance-leg so that ML dynamic stability at foot-off, quantified with the “extrapolated centre-of-mass”, remained unchanged across temporal conditions. This increased CoG acceleration was associated with an increased anticipatory peak of ML centre-of-pressure shift towards the swing-leg in young adults only. This suggested that the ability to accelerate the CoG with the centre-of-pressure shift was degraded in elderly, probably due to weakness in the lower limb muscles. Dynamic stability at foot-off was also degraded in elderly, with a consequent increased risk of ML imbalance and falling. The present study provides new insights into the ability of elderly adults to

Age-related differences in motor coordination during simultaneous leg flexion and finger extension: influence of temporal pressure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarek Hussein

Full Text Available Although the effect of temporal pressure on spatio-temporal aspects of motor coordination and posture is well established in young adults, there is a clear lack of data on elderly subjects. This work examined the aging-related effects of temporal pressure on movement synchronization and dynamic stability. Sixteen young and eleven elderly subjects performed series of simultaneous rapid leg flexions in an erect posture paired with ipsilateral index-finger extensions, minimizing the difference between heel and finger movement onsets. This task was repeated ten times under two temporal conditions (self-initiated [SI] vs. reaction-time [RT]. Results showed that, first, temporal pressure modified movement synchronization; the finger extension preceded swing heel-off in RT, and inversely in SI. Synchronization error and associated standard deviation were significantly greater in elderly than in young adults in SI only, i.e. in the condition where proprioception is thought to be crucial for temporal coordination. Secondly, both groups developed a significantly shorter mediolateral (ML anticipatory postural adjustment duration in RT (high temporal pressure than in SI. In both groups, this shortening was compensated by an increase in the anticipatory peak of centre-of-gravity (CoG acceleration towards the stance-leg so that ML dynamic stability at foot-off, quantified with the "extrapolated centre-of-mass", remained unchanged across temporal conditions. This increased CoG acceleration was associated with an increased anticipatory peak of ML centre-of-pressure shift towards the swing-leg in young adults only. This suggested that the ability to accelerate the CoG with the centre-of-pressure shift was degraded in elderly, probably due to weakness in the lower limb muscles. Dynamic stability at foot-off was also degraded in elderly, with a consequent increased risk of ML imbalance and falling. The present study provides new insights into the ability of

Age-related differences in motor coordination during simultaneous leg flexion and finger extension: influence of temporal pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussein, Tarek; Yiou, Eric; Larue, Jacques

2013-01-01

Although the effect of temporal pressure on spatio-temporal aspects of motor coordination and posture is well established in young adults, there is a clear lack of data on elderly subjects. This work examined the aging-related effects of temporal pressure on movement synchronization and dynamic stability. Sixteen young and eleven elderly subjects performed series of simultaneous rapid leg flexions in an erect posture paired with ipsilateral index-finger extensions, minimizing the difference between heel and finger movement onsets. This task was repeated ten times under two temporal conditions (self-initiated [SI] vs. reaction-time [RT]). Results showed that, first, temporal pressure modified movement synchronization; the finger extension preceded swing heel-off in RT, and inversely in SI. Synchronization error and associated standard deviation were significantly greater in elderly than in young adults in SI only, i.e. in the condition where proprioception is thought to be crucial for temporal coordination. Secondly, both groups developed a significantly shorter mediolateral (ML) anticipatory postural adjustment duration in RT (high temporal pressure) than in SI. In both groups, this shortening was compensated by an increase in the anticipatory peak of centre-of-gravity (CoG) acceleration towards the stance-leg so that ML dynamic stability at foot-off, quantified with the "extrapolated centre-of-mass", remained unchanged across temporal conditions. This increased CoG acceleration was associated with an increased anticipatory peak of ML centre-of-pressure shift towards the swing-leg in young adults only. This suggested that the ability to accelerate the CoG with the centre-of-pressure shift was degraded in elderly, probably due to weakness in the lower limb muscles. Dynamic stability at foot-off was also degraded in elderly, with a consequent increased risk of ML imbalance and falling. The present study provides new insights into the ability of elderly adults to deal

Coral Cores for selected locations in the Pacific Ocean obtained to determine calcification and extension rates of Porites spp. corals

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Laboratory experiments reveal calcification and extension rates of corals are strongly correlated to seawater aragonite saturation state. Predictions of reduced...

Dimension and extensions

CERN Document Server

Aarts, JM

1993-01-01

Two types of seemingly unrelated extension problems are discussed in this book. Their common focus is a long-standing problem of Johannes de Groot, the main conjecture of which was recently resolved. As is true of many important conjectures, a wide range of mathematical investigations had developed, which have been grouped into the two extension problems. The first concerns the extending of spaces, the second concerns extending the theory of dimension by replacing the empty space with other spaces. The problem of de Groot concerned compactifications of spaces by means of an adjunction of a set of minimal dimension. This minimal dimension was called the compactness deficiency of a space. Early success in 1942 lead de Groot to invent a generalization of the dimension function, called the compactness degree of a space, with the hope that this function would internally characterize the compactness deficiency which is a topological invariant of a space that is externally defined by means of compact extensions of a...

The Effects of Leader-Member Exchanges on the Relationships Between Extension Agents and County Extension Directors in Florida

OpenAIRE

Matt Benge; Amy Harder

2017-01-01

The relationship between a supervisor and employee has a direct effect on the employee’s job satisfaction, work productivity, and efficiency. Understanding the interactions between Extension agents and County Extension Directors is critical to maintaining positive relationships and providing adequate support to Extension supervisors through professional development and training opportunities. This article examined the dyadic relationships between Extension agents and County Extension Direc...

Decision support for life extension of technical systems through virtual age modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez Ramírez, Pedro A.; Utne, Ingrid Bouwer

2013-01-01

This article presents a virtual age model for decision support regarding life extension of ageing repairable systems. The aim of the model is to evaluate different life extension decision alternatives and their impact on the future performance of the system. The model can be applied to systems operated continuously (e.g., process systems) and systems operated on demand (e.g., safety systems). Deterioration and efficiency of imperfect maintenance is assessed when there is limited or no degradation data, and only failure and maintenance data is available. Systems that are in operation can be studied, meaning that the systems may be degraded. The current degradation is represented by a “current virtual age”, which is calculated from recorded maintenance data. The model parameters are estimated with the maximum likelihood method. A case study illustrates the application of the model for life extension of two fire water pumps in an oil and gas facility. The performance of the pump system is assessed with respect to number of failures, safety unavailability and costs during the life extension period. -- Highlights: ► Life extension assessment of technical systems using virtual age model is proposed. ► A virtual age model is generalised for systems in stand-by and continuous operation. ► The concept of current virtual age describes technical condition of the system. ► Different decision alternatives for life extension can be easily analysed. ► The decision process is improved even when only scarce failure data is available

Secretomes of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Mycoplasma flocculare reveal differences associated to pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Paes, Jéssica A; Lorenzatto, Karina R; de Moraes, Sofia N; Moura, Hercules; Barr, John R; Ferreira, Henrique B

2017-02-10

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Mycoplasma flocculare cohabit the porcine respiratory tract. However, M. hyopneumoniae causes the porcine enzootic pneumonia, while M. flocculare is a commensal bacterium. Comparative analyses demonstrated high similarity between these species, which includes the sharing of all predicted virulence factors. Nevertheless, studies related to soluble secretomes of mycoplasmas were little known, although they are important for bacterial-host interactions. The aim of this study was to perform a comparative analysis between the soluble secreted proteins repertoires of the pathogenic Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and its closely related commensal Mycoplasma flocculare. For that, bacteria were cultured in medium with reduced serum concentration and secreted proteins were identified by a LC-MS/MS proteomics approach. Altogether, 62 and 26 proteins were identified as secreted by M. hyopneumoniae and M. flocculare, respectively, being just seven proteins shared between these bacteria. In M. hyopneumoniae secretome, 15 proteins described as virulence factors were found; while four putative virulence factors were identified in M. flocculare secretome. For the first time, clear differences related to virulence were found between these species, helping to elucidate the pathogenic nature of M. hyopneumoniae to swine hosts. For the first time, the secretomes of two porcine respiratory mycoplasmas, namely the pathogenic M. hyopneumoniae and the commensal M. flocculare were compared. The presented results revealed previously unknown differences between these two genetically related species, some of which are associated to the M. hyopneumoniae ability to cause porcine enzootic pneumonia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of extension access and cooperative membership on technology adoption and household welfare.

Science.gov (United States)

Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Alene, Arega; Haile, Mekbib G; Feleke, Shiferaw; Olanrewaju, Adetunji; Manyong, Victor

2017-08-01

This paper examines the impacts of access to extension services and cooperative membership on technology adoption, asset ownership and poverty using household-level data from rural Nigeria. Using different matching techniques and endogenous switching regression approach, we find that both extension access and cooperative membership have a positive and statistically significant effect on technology adoption and household welfare. Moreover, we find that both extension access and cooperative membership have heterogeneous impacts. In particular, we find evidence of a positive selection as the average treatment effects of extension access and cooperative membership are higher for farmers with the highest propensity to access extension and cooperative services. The impact of extension services on poverty reduction and of cooperatives on technology adoption is significantly stronger for smallholders with access to formal credit than for those without access. This implies that expanding rural financial markets can maximize the potential positive impacts of extension and cooperative services on farmers' productivity and welfare.

Characteristics, Views Held of Agricultural Extension Activities, and Communication Behavior of Hsien Extension Supervisors in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Pi-Feng

Government agencies in Taiwan have carried out agricultural extension programs since 1910, with the assistance of Farmers' Associations. Programs have been expanded since 1953, and now include both general extension (subsidy programs) and educational extension. Comparison of personal characteristics of hsien (county) Farmers' Association…

Primary extramammary Paget′s disease with extensive skeletal metastases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indukooru Subrayalu Reddy

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Extramammary Paget′s disease (EMPD is an uncommon malignancy that is most commonly seen in the vulval area in postmenopausal women. Pruritus is the predominant symptom. The clinical presentation can be so nonspecific that it can be misdiagnosed as an inflammatory or infective condition. We report an elderly male patient with EMPD over the pubic area, which remained asymptomatic for 5 years; he presented with severe low backache of 5 months′ duration. Skin biopsy and immunohistochemistry showed the typical epidermal changes and deep dermal invasion. Positron emission tomography scan revealed involvement of regional lymph nodes as well as extensive skeletal metastases.

Sex differences in neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation revealed by fNIRS hyperscanning

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Joseph M.; Liu, Ning; Cui, Xu; Vrticka, Pascal; Saggar, Manish; Hosseini, S. M. Hadi; Reiss, Allan L.

2016-01-01

Researchers from multiple fields have sought to understand how sex moderates human social behavior. While over 50 years of research has revealed differences in cooperation behavior of males and females, the underlying neural correlates of these sex differences have not been explained. A missing and fundamental element of this puzzle is an understanding of how the sex composition of an interacting dyad influences the brain and behavior during cooperation. Using fNIRS-based hyperscanning in 111 same- and mixed-sex dyads, we identified significant behavioral and neural sex-related differences in association with a computer-based cooperation task. Dyads containing at least one male demonstrated significantly higher behavioral performance than female/female dyads. Individual males and females showed significant activation in the right frontopolar and right inferior prefrontal cortices, although this activation was greater in females compared to males. Female/female dyad’s exhibited significant inter-brain coherence within the right temporal cortex, while significant coherence in male/male dyads occurred in the right inferior prefrontal cortex. Significant coherence was not observed in mixed-sex dyads. Finally, for same-sex dyads only, task-related inter-brain coherence was positively correlated with cooperation task performance. Our results highlight multiple important and previously undetected influences of sex on concurrent neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation. PMID:27270754

Morphometric differences in planum temporale in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder revealed by statistical analysis of Labeled Cortical Depth Maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Tilak eRatnanather

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Differences in cortical thickness in the lateral temporal lobe, including the planum temporale (PT, have been reported in MRI studies of schizophrenia (SCZ and bipolar disorder (BPD patients. Most of these studies have used a single-valued global or local measure for thickness. However, additional and complementary information can be obtained by generating Labelled Cortical Depth Maps (LCDMs, which are distances of labeled gray matter voxels from the nearest point on the gray/white matter (inner cortical surface. Statistical analyses of pooled and censored LCDM distances reveal subtle differences in PT between SCZ and BPD groups from data generated by Ratnanather et al. (Schizophrenia Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2013.08.014. These results confirm that the left PT (LPT is more sensitive than the right PT in distinguishing between SCZ, BPD and healthy controls. Also confirmed is a strong gender effect, with a thicker PT seen in males than in females. The differences between groups at smaller distances in the LPT revealed by pooled and censored LCDM analysis suggest that SCZ and BPD have different effects on the cortical mantle close to the gray/white matter surface. This is consistent with reported subtle changes in the cortical mantle observed in postmortem studies.

Longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis with cervical epidural haematoma following dengue virus infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Choong Yi; Hlaing, Chaw Su; Tay, Chee Geap; Kadir, Khairul Azmi Abdul; Goh, Khean Jin; Ong, Lai Choo

2016-05-01

Longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis associated with dengue infection is rare with no reported paediatric cases. We report a 12-year-old girl who presented with flaccid quadriplegia 8 days after onset of acute dengue fever. MRI spine showed T2 hyperintensity associated with epidural hematoma at C3-C6 level of the spinal cord. Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation revealed absent motor evoked potentials bilaterally. We also summarise and compare the reported cases of transverse myelitis associated with dengue infection. Immunomodulatory treatment was given which included pulse methylprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapharesis. Six months post-admission, there was a good (near-complete) clinical recovery with the repeat MRI showing mild residual hyperintensity at C4 level and complete resolution of epidural haematoma. This is the first reported paediatric case of longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis following dengue infection. It is also the first to illustrate that in patients with concomitant epidural haematoma a good outcome is possible despite not having surgical decompression. Clinicians should be aware of parainfectious dengue-related longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis in children and consider prompt immunomodulatory treatment. Copyright © 2016 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collaboration of Extension and Grape Industry Members to Create a New Extension Publication

Science.gov (United States)

Stafne, Eric T.; Ingels, George; Ingels, Jane; Carroll, Becky

2016-01-01

Collaboration is an important part of the interaction between Extension and industry. Successful sharing of workload can provide benefits for both parties. A project to create a workbook to address vineyard sustainability was initiated by members of the Oklahoma grape industry with assistance from land-grant university Extension. Productive…

Extensional-wave stopband broadening across the joint of pipes of different thickness.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yuanda; Tang, Xiaoming; Liu, Yukai; Xu, Song; Zhuang, Chunxi

2015-11-01

The stopband of pipe extensional waves is an interesting natural phenomenon. This study demonstrates an important extension of this phenomenon. That is, the stopband can be effectively broadened by transmitting the waves across the joint of pipes of different thickness. The theoretical and experimental results reveal the detailed process of stopband forming along the pipe and the band broadening across the pipe joint. The result can be utilized to provide a method for logging while drilling acoustic isolation design.

The Brazilian Experience with Agroecological Extension: A Critical Analysis of Reform in a Pluralistic Extension System

Science.gov (United States)

Diesel, Vivien; Miná Dias, Marcelo

2016-01-01

Purpose: To analyze the Brazilian experience in designing and implementing a recent extension policy reform based on agroecology, and reflect on its wider theoretical implications for extension reform literature. Design/methodology/approach: Using a critical public analysis we characterize the evolution of Brazilian federal extension policy…

Extension properties of states on operator algebras

Science.gov (United States)

Hamhalter, Jan

1995-08-01

We summarize and deepen some recent results concerning the extension problem for states on operator algebras and general quantum logics. In particular, we establish equivalence between the Gleason extension property, the Hahn-Banach extension property, and the universal state extension property of projection logics. Extensions of Jauch-Piron states are investigated.

Neural correlates reveal sub-lexical orthography and phonology during reading aloud: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalinka eTimmer

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The sub-lexical conversion of graphemes-to-phonemes (GPC during reading has been investigated extensively with behavioral measures, as well as event-related potentials (ERPs. Most research utilizes silent reading (e.g., lexical decision task for which phonological activation is not a necessity. However, recent research employed reading aloud to capture sub-lexical GPC. The masked priming paradigm avoids strategic processing and is therefore well suitable for capturing sub-lexical processing instead of lexical effects. By employing ERPs, the on-line time course of sub-lexical GPC can be observed before the overt response. ERPs have revealed that besides phonological activation, as revealed by behavioral studies, there is also early orthographic activation. This review describes studies in one’s native language, in one’s second language, and in a cross-language situation. We discuss the implications the ERP results have on different (computational models. First, the ERP results show that computational models should assume an early locus of the grapheme-to-phoneme-conversion (GPC. Second, cross-language studies reveal that the phonological representations from both languages of a bilingual become activated automatically and the phonology belonging to the context is selected rapidly. Therefore, it is important to extend the scope of computational models of reading (aloud to multiple lexicons.

Selective localization of different types of opiate receptors in hippocampus as revealed by in vitro autoradiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duka, T.; Wuester, M.; Schubert, P.; Stoiber, R.; Herz, A.

1981-01-01

The visualization of opiate binding sites within the hippocampus of the rat has been achieved by means of an in vitro autoradiography. In line with the concept of multiple opiate receptors, different opioid agonists revealed a particular distribution pattern. Whereas the selective delta-receptor agonist [ 3 H]D-Ala 2 , D-Leu 5 -enkephalin specifically labelled binding sites in the CA 2 area, [ 3 H]etorphine grains displayed a uniform dense distribution throughout the pyramidal cell layers from CA 1 to CA 4 . (Auth.)

Analyzing the Extensive Reading Approach: Benefits and Challenges in the Mexican Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurora Varona Archer

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Some scholars have highlighted the benefits of using extensive reading as a way to motivate students to learn a second language (L2. This article is derived from a study that aimed at implementing extensive reading in an action research project in a public University in Mexico. Therefore, the following article examines some arguments of different researchers who have carried out extensive reading studies in contexts of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL. The implementation issues of this reading approach are also analyzed by the approach’s constraints and educational practices in the Mexican TEFL context. The concluding remarks are an attempt to contribute to the growth of future research in the field of extensive reading in Mexico.

Biodegradation of creosote compounds: Comparison of experiments at different scales

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm, K.; Arvin, Erik

2001-01-01

of the pyrroles on the biodegradation of benzene, and the biodegradation of benzothiophene occurs only in the presence of a primary substrate. The experiments show that some biodegradation processes of organic compounds may be common to different microorganisms.......This paper compares the results of biodegradation experiments with creosote compounds performed at different scales. The experiments include field observations, field experiments, large-scale intact laboratory column experiments, model fracture experiments, and batch experiments. Most...... of the experiments were conducted with till or ground water from the field site at Ringe on the island of Funen. Although the experiments were conducted on different scales, they revealed that some phenomena-e.g., an extensive biodegradation potential of several of the creosote compounds, the inhibitory influence...

Brief Report: An Independent Replication and Extension of Psychometric Evidence Supporting the Theory of Mind Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenslade, Kathryn J; Coggins, Truman E

2016-08-01

This study presents an independent replication and extension of psychometric evidence supporting the Theory of Mind Inventory (ToMI). Parents of 20 children with ASD (4; 1-6; 7 years; months) and 20 with typical development (3; 1-6; 5), rated their child's theory of mind abilities in everyday situations. Other parent report and child behavioral assessments included the Social Responsiveness Scale-2, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-2, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4, and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool, 2. Results revealed high internal consistency, expected developmental changes in children with typical development, expected group differences between children with and without ASD, and strong correlations with other measures of social and communication abilities. The ToMI demonstrates strong psychometrics, suggesting considerable utility in identifying theory of mind deficits in children with ASD.

Assessment of extensive surgery for locally advanced lung cancer. Safety and efficacy of induction therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niwa, Hiroshi; Nakamae, Katsumi; Yamada, Takeshi; Kani, Hisanori; Maemoto, Katsutoshi; Mizuno, Takeo

1999-01-01

Locally advanced lung cancer has a poor prognosis, despite extensive surgery conducted in an effort to improve survival. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of induction therapy prior to extensive surgery for locally advanced lung cancer. Primary resection for lung cancer was done in 549 consecutive patients divided into three groups; 446 undergoing standard pulmonary resection (no extensive surgery), 87 undergoing extensive surgery without induction therapy, and 16 undergoing surgery after induction therapy. Morbidity was 23.5%, 28.6%, and 43.8%, respectively. The rate was significantly higher in the induction group compared with the no extensive surgery group (P<0.05). Surgical mortality was 0.67%, 3.4%, and 6.3%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant between the no extensive surgery and extensive surgery groups (P<0.02), and between the no extensive surgery and induction groups (P<0.02). Hospital mortality was 2.2%, 9.2%, and 6.3%, respectively. The rates were significantly higher in the extensive surgery (P<0.01) and induction (P<0.05) groups compared to the no extensive surgery group. Five-year survival was 50.3% for the patients who received induction therapy, and 14.7% for the patients who did not receive induction therapy. Survival differences between the induction and non induction groups were not significant, but some patients with T3 or T4 disease may benefit from induction therapy. The high morbidity of induction treatment should be recognized, and strict candidate selection and careful postoperative care used to help prevent increased mortality. (author)

Extensive Mobilome-Driven Genome Diversification in Mouse Gut-Associated Bacteroides vulgatus mpk.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Anna; Beier, Sina; Steimle, Alex; Autenrieth, Ingo B; Huson, Daniel H; Frick, Julia-Stefanie

2016-04-25

Like many other Bacteroides species, Bacteroides vulgatus strain mpk, a mouse fecal isolate which was shown to promote intestinal homeostasis, utilizes a variety of mobile elements for genome evolution. Based on sequences collected by Pacific Biosciences SMRT sequencing technology, we discuss the challenges of assembling and studying a bacterial genome of high plasticity. Additionally, we conducted comparative genomics comparing this commensal strain with the B. vulgatus type strain ATCC 8482 as well as multiple other Bacteroides and Parabacteroides strains to reveal the most important differences and identify the unique features of B. vulgatus mpk. The genome of B. vulgatus mpk harbors a large and diverse set of mobile element proteins compared with other sequenced Bacteroides strains. We found evidence of a number of different horizontal gene transfer events and a genome landscape that has been extensively altered by different mobilization events. A CRISPR/Cas system could be identified that provides a possible mechanism for preventing the integration of invading external DNA. We propose that the high genome plasticity and the introduced genome instabilities of B. vulgatus mpk arising from the various mobilization events might play an important role not only in its adaptation to the challenging intestinal environment in general, but also in its ability to interact with the gut microbiota. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Laser-excited luminescence of trace Nd3+ impurity in LaBr3 revealed by Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jinqiu; Cui, Lei; He, Huaqiang; Hu, Yunsheng; Wu, Hao; Zeng, Jia; Liu, Yuzhu

2012-10-01

Unexpected additional bands with obvious non-vibrational features were observed in Raman spectra of LaBr3. Extensive study was carried out to reveal the origin of these bands. Results indicate that the additional bands correspond to laser-excited luminescence of trace Nd3+ impurity unintentionally introduced from the La2O3 raw material, which was further confirmed by Raman spectra of specially prepared Nd3+-doped LaBr3 and LaOBr samples. The luminescence properties of Nd3+ in different matrix were compared and discussed. The ultrasensitivity of Raman spectroscopy in detecting trace luminescent lanthanide ions shows good potential for analytical applications.

'Ogura'-based 'CMS' lines with different nuclear backgrounds of cabbage revealed substantial diversity at morphological and molecular levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkash, Chander; Kumar, Sandeep; Singh, Rajender; Kumar, Ajay; Kumar, Satish; Dey, Shyam Sundar; Bhatia, Reeta; Kumar, Raj

2018-01-01

A comprehensive study on characterization and genetic diversity analysis was carried out in 16 'Ogura'-based 'CMS' lines of cabbage using 14 agro-morphological traits and 29 SSR markers. Agro-morphological characterization depicted considerable variations for different horticultural traits studied. The genotype, ZHA-2, performed better for most of the economically important quantitative traits. Further, gross head weight (0.76), head length (0.60) and head width (0.83) revealed significant positive correlation with net head weight. Dendrogram based on 10 quantitative traits exhibited considerable diversity among different CMS lines and principle component analysis (PCA) indicated that net and gross head weight, and head length and width are the main components of divergence between 16 CMS lines of cabbage. In molecular study, a total of 58 alleles were amplified by 29 SSR primers, averaging to 2.0 alleles in each locus. High mean values of Shannon's Information index (0.62), expected (0.45) and observed (0.32) heterozygosity and polymorphic information content (0.35) depicted substantial polymorphism. Dendrogram based on Jaccard's similarity coefficient constructed two major groups and eight sub-groups, which revealed substantial diversity among different CMS lines. In overall, based on agro-morphological and molecular studies genotype RRMA, ZHA-2 and RCA were found most divergent. Hence, they have immense potential in future breeding programs for the high-yielding hybrid development in cabbage.

Solutions to Burnout and Retention as Perceived by County Extension Agents of the Colorado State University Extension System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Benge

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This study explored solutions to the issue of burnout and retention of Extension agents. Extension agents experience burnout for reasons such as long hours, stress, and organizational factors. As Extension administration addresses job satisfaction and performance of Extension employees, burnout and retention issues identified in this study can facilitate efforts to enhance the effectiveness of a statewide Extension program. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory was the theoretical framework for this study. Researchers used the constant-comparative method of analysis to identify recurring themes from the open-ended items of an online-administered survey. Twelve primary themes emerged, including (a compensation, (b hiring practices, (c promotion and advancement within Extension, (d organizational support regarding agent development, (e organizational support regarding administration, (f organizational support regarding colleagues, (g reporting, (h recognition, (i resources, (j personnel and staffing, (k evaluation of administration and specialists, and (l workload. Results suggest that Extension administration should focus on the maintenance factors of compensation, workload, and internal promotion and advancement, as well as motivating factors, to improve retention of Extension agents.

Challenges for extension service to render efficient post-transformer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ben Stevens

agriculture in South Africa and to make it more attractive and a profitable venture. ... Successful entrepreneurship requires a strong enabling environment of ... business. Many small-scale farmers and extension organisations understand ... entrepreneurs are not the same and there are obviously major differences between.

Dynamic thermal simulation on retrofitting scenarios for semi-extensive sheep farms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria E. Menconi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Sheep and goat have a high adaptability to different climatic conditions. Nevertheless, even in extensive farming, these species benefit from the presence of structures that can mitigate stress from heat, cold and humidity changes. These shelters are used at night or for limited periods during the year. These are characterised by a low engineering and make extensive use of recycled material. Interesting innovation in rural areas could be represented by the re-development of these buildings in order to improve their internal microclimate. This work develops a thermal dynamic simulation model aimed at identifying the best solution to retrofit the envelope of existing livestock buildings. In this paper, three different solutions have been tested: insulation of vertical surfaces, insulation of roof and window type. Eight different materials have been considered for roof and vertical surfaces and four for the different kind of window glazing, analysing the building microclimate responses. As a reference building to compare the different solutions adopted has been chosen an extensive sheep farm located in the Italian Apennines. The results suggest that the best solution is to insulate the roof. The other elements offer negligible results in term of improving the internal microclimate conditions. For coating the roof it can also be considered a good response of all the analysed insulating materials, in order to increase the period of maintaining the temperature of comfort and not exceeding its critical values within the building.

Prevention of distal extension cantilever fracture in mandibular overdentures.

Science.gov (United States)

Quirynen, Thomas; Quirynen, Marc; Duyck, Joke

2015-09-01

Fractures of distal bar extensions, supporting a mandibular overdenture, do occur with significant functional and economic consequences for the patient. This study therefore aims to evaluate the effect of different bar cross-sectional shapes and surfaces, bar extension lengths and the placement of a support rib under the distal bar extension on fracture resistance. The 2nd moment area and static strength were calculated for 11 frequently used bar designs using finite element analysis (FEA). For two specific designs (Ackermann round Ø 1.8mm and Dolder-Y macro, the former with and without a support rib) additional physical static and fatigue strength tests were included. The FEA static strength data corresponded well to the 2nd moment area (a similar ranking when maximum allowed force was considered). The application of a rib support (Ackermann Ø 1.8mm) and limitations of the bar extension length (6mm for the Ackermann Ø 1.8mm, 8mm for the Dolder-Y macro) allowed the bars to exceed 5 × 10(6) cycles of 120 and 250N, respectively, before fracture. The region of highest stresses in FEA corresponded well with the locations of the fractures observed in static- and fatigue-testing. With some simple guidelines/modifications, the number of bar extension fractures can be reduced significantly. This study focusses on distal bar extensions which improve the positioning of an implant supported overdenture. By combining laboratory testing and finite element simulations we aim to: (1) explain why fractures occur (dependent on physical characteristics of the bar), and (2) give clinical guidelines on how to prevent such fractures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extensive occurrence and genesis of authigenic carbonates from Krishna-Godavari offshore basin (Bay of Bengal): Possible influence of methane hydrates occurrences.

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Kocherla, M.; Pillai, S.; Patil, D.J.

We report here the extensive occurrences of authigenic carbonate nodules/concretions from gas hydrate bearing sediments. Bulk mineralogical compositions by X-Ray diffractometry and EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrum) analysis revealed...

Second Harmonic Generation Reveals Subtle Fibrosis Differences in Adult and Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng; Zhao, Jing-Min; Rao, Hui-Ying; Yu, Wei-Miao; Zhang, Wei; Theise, Neil D; Wee, Aileen; Wei, Lai

2017-11-20

Investigate subtle fibrosis similarities and differences in adult and pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using second harmonic generation (SHG). SHG/two-photon excitation fluorescence imaging quantified 100 collagen parameters and determined qFibrosis values by using the nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) Clinical Research Network (CRN) scoring system in 62 adult and 36 pediatric NAFLD liver specimens. Six distinct parameters identified differences among the NASH CRN stages with high accuracy (area under the curve, 0835-0.982 vs 0.885-0.981, adult and pediatric). All portal region parameters showed similar changes across early stages 0, 1C, and 2, in both groups. Parameter values decreased in adults with progression from stage 1A/B to 2 in the central vein region. In children, aggregated collagen parameters decreased, but nearly all distributed collagen parameters increased from stage 1A/B to 2. SHG analysis accurately reproduces NASH CRN staging in NAFLD, as well as reveals differences and similarities between adult and pediatric collagen deposition not captured by currently available quantitative methods. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Probabilistic Inference: Task Dependency and Individual Differences of Probability Weighting Revealed by Hierarchical Bayesian Modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Boos, Moritz; Seer, Caroline; Lange, Florian; Kopp, Bruno

2016-01-01

Cognitive determinants of probabilistic inference were examined using hierarchical Bayesian modeling techniques. A classic urn-ball paradigm served as experimental strategy, involving a factorial two (prior probabilities) by two (likelihoods) design. Five computational models of cognitive processes were compared with the observed behavior. Parameter-free Bayesian posterior probabilities and parameter-free base rate neglect provided inadequate models of probabilistic inference. The introduction of distorted subjective probabilities yielded more robust and generalizable results. A general class of (inverted) S-shaped probability weighting functions had been proposed; however, the possibility of large differences in probability distortions not only across experimental conditions, but also across individuals, seems critical for the model's success. It also seems advantageous to consider individual differences in parameters of probability weighting as being sampled from weakly informative prior distributions of individual parameter values. Thus, the results from hierarchical Bayesian modeling converge with previous results in revealing that probability weighting parameters show considerable task dependency and individual differences. Methodologically, this work exemplifies the usefulness of hierarchical Bayesian modeling techniques for cognitive psychology. Theoretically, human probabilistic inference might be best described as the application of individualized strategic policies for Bayesian belief revision.

Probabilistic inference: Task dependency and individual differences of probability weighting revealed by hierarchical Bayesian modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moritz eBoos

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Cognitive determinants of probabilistic inference were examined using hierarchical Bayesian modelling techniques. A classic urn-ball paradigm served as experimental strategy, involving a factorial two (prior probabilities by two (likelihoods design. Five computational models of cognitive processes were compared with the observed behaviour. Parameter-free Bayesian posterior probabilities and parameter-free base rate neglect provided inadequate models of probabilistic inference. The introduction of distorted subjective probabilities yielded more robust and generalizable results. A general class of (inverted S-shaped probability weighting functions had been proposed; however, the possibility of large differences in probability distortions not only across experimental conditions, but also across individuals, seems critical for the model’s success. It also seems advantageous to consider individual differences in parameters of probability weighting as being sampled from weakly informative prior distributions of individual parameter values. Thus, the results from hierarchical Bayesian modelling converge with previous results in revealing that probability weighting parameters show considerable task dependency and individual differences. Methodologically, this work exemplifies the usefulness of hierarchical Bayesian modelling techniques for cognitive psychology. Theoretically, human probabilistic inference might be best described as the application of individualized strategic policies for Bayesian belief revision.

EXTENSION EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM: Getting the most out of your extension appointment and still having a life.

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, W; Cockett, N; Lardy, G

2017-04-01

Managing the demands of an academic appointment in extension can be a challenging task. Demands from constituent groups, expectations of supervisors, and rigors of promotion and tenure processes can create pressures that young faculty did not expect. Throw in spousal and family duties and you have created a situation that many will find hard to navigate. However, there are ways to cope and, even better news, there are ways to excel in meeting the demands of an academic appointment and enjoying life. Because many new extension faculty members do not have prior experience in extension, best practices in documenting programs and extension scholarship over the pretenure period are provided in this paper. Appointments that include both research and extension are quite common at many land grant universities. The advantages of joint appointments are numerous and include the fact that more and more grant agencies are seeking integrated research, teaching, and/or extension projects. However, the time demands of joint appointments can be challenging. Joint appointments can be designed to help faculty members conduct important translational research and have it be applied in a production setting. By seeking commonalities in research and extension efforts, joint appointments can be very synergistic. Development of highly successful programs requires planning on the front end with an emphasis on an in-depth needs assessment to determine stakeholder needs for both research and extension. Impact assessment should be part of this planning effort. Performing as a successful extension faculty member while maintaining relationships outside of work is challenging and requires deliberate effort on the part of employees and supervisors to realize there is more to life than work. Some authors have referred to this as work-life balance, but it may be more helpful to think of it as work-life effectiveness. To do this, one needs to 1) define what success looks like, 2) set boundaries and

Radar reflection off extensive air showers

CERN Document Server

Stasielak, J; Bertaina, M; Blümer, J; Chiavassa, A; Engel, R; Haungs, A; Huege, T; Kampert, K -H; Klages, H; Kleifges, M; Krömer, O; Ludwig, M; Mathys, S; Neunteufel, P; Pekala, J; Rautenberg, J; Riegel, M; Roth, M; Salamida, F; Schieler, H; Šmída, R; Unger, M; Weber, M; Werner, F; Wilczyński, H; Wochele, J

2012-01-01

We investigate the possibility of detecting extensive air showers by the radar technique. Considering a bistatic radar system and different shower geometries, we simulate reflection of radio waves off the static plasma produced by the shower in the air. Using the Thomson cross-section for radio wave reflection, we obtain the time evolution of the signal received by the antennas. The frequency upshift of the radar echo and the power received are studied to verify the feasibility of the radar detection technique.

Trigeminocardiac reflex by mandibular extension on rat pial microcirculation: role of nitric oxide.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominga Lapi

Full Text Available In the present study we have extended our previous findings about the effects of 10 minutes of passive mandibular extension in anesthetized Wistar rats. By prolonging the observation time to 3 hours, we showed that 10 minutes mandibular extension caused a significant reduction of the mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate respect to baseline values, which persisted up to 160 minutes after mandibular extension. These effects were accompanied by a characteristic biphasic response of pial arterioles: during mandibular extension, pial arterioles constricted and after mandibular extension dilated for the whole observation period. Interestingly, the administration of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone abolished the vasoconstriction observed during mandibular extension, while the administration of Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, abolished the vasodilation observed after mandibular extension. Either drug did not affect the reduction of mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate induced by mandibular extension. By qRT-PCR, we also showed that neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene expression was significantly increased compared with baseline conditions during and after mandibular extension and endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene expression markedly increased at 2 hours after mandibular extension. Finally, western blotting detected a significant increase in neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein expression. In conclusion mandibular extension caused complex effects on pial microcirculation involving opioid receptor activation and nitric oxide release by both neurons and endothelial vascular cells at different times.

Extensions of the Standard Model

CERN Document Server

Zwirner, Fabio

1996-01-01

Rapporteur talk at the International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics, Brussels (Belgium), July 27-August 2, 1995. This talk begins with a brief general introduction to the extensions of the Standard Model, reviewing the ideology of effective field theories and its practical implications. The central part deals with candidate extensions near the Fermi scale, focusing on some phenomenological aspects of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. The final part discusses some possible low-energy implications of further extensions near the Planck scale, namely superstring theories.

Building and Managing Makerspaces in Extension

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Dave; Hill, Paul; Graham, Dallini; Swadley, Emy; Esplin, Kaleb

2017-01-01

As traditional face-to-face Extension office interactions are supplanted by online education options, the makerspace offers a venue for authentic engagement between Extension and the community. In makerspaces, learners make and learn from one another in a cooperative learning environment. Through involvement in the maker movement, Extension has an…

Genomewide mapping reveals a combination of different genetic ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

could not investigate all kinds of genetic effects, especially epistatic effects, simultaneously on the whole genome. ... consistent with different loci affecting heterosis for different ...... Jones D. F. 1917 Dominance of linked factors as a means of.

Structural Analyses of Avocado sunblotch viroid Reveal Differences in the Folding of Plus and Minus RNA Strands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clémentine Delan-Forino

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Viroids are small pathogenic circular single-stranded RNAs, present in two complementary sequences, named plus and minus, in infected plant cells. A high degree of complementarities between different regions of the RNAs allows them to adopt complex structures. Since viroids are naked non-coding RNAs, interactions with host factors appear to be closely related to their structural and catalytic characteristics. Avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd, a member of the family Avsunviroidae, replicates via a symmetric RNA-dependant rolling-circle process, involving self-cleavage via hammerhead ribozymes. Consequently, it is assumed that ASBVd plus and minus strands adopt similar structures. Moreover, by computer analyses, a quasi-rod-like secondary structure has been predicted. Nevertheless, secondary and tertiary structures of both polarities of ASBVd remain unsolved. In this study, we analyzed the characteristic of each strand of ASBVd through biophysical analyses. We report that ASBVd transcripts of plus and minus polarities exhibit differences in electrophoretic mobility under native conditions and in thermal denaturation profiles. Subsequently, the secondary structures of plus and minus polarities of ASBVd were probed using the RNA-selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE method. The models obtained show that both polarities fold into different structures. Moreover, our results suggest the existence of a kissing-loop interaction within the minus strand that may play a role in in vivo viroid life cycle.

Self-Brand Personality Differences and Attitudes towards Electric Cars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingrid Moons

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In two representative Belgian samples, by means of an online survey, we investigate the effect of self-brand personality differences on car brand evaluation, the evaluation of an eco-friendly branded electric car extension and the evaluation of car brands after electric extension. We show that self-brand personality differences influence the attitude towards car brands. The relative importance of personality dimensions that drive extension judgment and parent brand attitudes after electric extension is different from that of brand evaluation without extension. More particularly, perceptions of a brand being more responsible than one’s self is a much more important driver of brand evaluation after electric extension than without extension. Car personality characteristics, such as activity and sophistication, drive brand evaluations before, as well as after electric extension. These effects are moderated by brand ownership in that the relative importance of brand personality dimensions is different for brand owners than for consumers who do not own a specific brand. Car manufacturers can fine-tune their marketing approach when launching eco-friendly extensions, taking into account that, in this context, partly different self-brand personality fit considerations are used by consumers than for car brands without electric extension.

Improving Disability Awareness among Extension Agents

Science.gov (United States)

Mahadevan, Lakshmi; Peterson, Rick L.; Grenwelge, Cheryl

2014-01-01

Increasing prevalence rates and legislative mandates imply that educators, parents, and Extension agents will need better tools and resources to meet the needs of special populations. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service addresses this issue by using e-learning tools. Extension agents can take advantage of these courses to gain critical…

LC-MS Proteomics Analysis of the Insulin/IGF-1 Deficient Caenorhabditis elegans daf-2(e1370) Mutant Reveals Extensive Restructuring of Intermediary Metabolism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Depuydt, Geert G.; Xie, Fang; Petyuk, Vladislav A.; Smolders, Arne; Brewer, Heather M.; Camp, David G.; Smith, Richard D.; Braeckman, Bart P.

2014-02-20

The insulin/IGF-1 receptor is a major known determinant of dauer formation, stress resistance, longevity and metabolism in C. elegans. In the past, whole-genome transcript profiling was used extensively to study differential gene expression in response to reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling, including expression levels of metabolism-associated genes. Taking advantage of the recent developments in quantitative liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry (LC-MS) based proteomics, we profiled the proteomic changes that occur in response to activation of the DAF-16 transcription factor in the germline-less glp-4(bn2); daf-2(e1370) receptor mutant. Strikingly, the daf-2 profile suggests extensive reorganization of intermediary metabolism, characterized by the up-regulation of many core intermediary metabolic pathways. These include, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, glycogenesis, pentose phosphate cycle, citric acid cycle, glyoxylate shunt, fatty acid β-oxidation, one-carbon metabolism, propionate and tyrosine catabolism, and complex I, II, III and V of the electron transport chain. Interestingly, we found simultaneous activation of reciprocally regulated metabolic pathways, which is indicative for spatio-temporal coordination of energy metabolism and/or extensive post-translational regulation of these enzymes. This restructuring of daf-2 metabolism is reminiscent to that of hypometabolic dauers, allowing the efficient and economical utilization of internal nutrient reserves, possibly also shunting metabolites through alternative energy-generating pathways, in order to sustain longevity.

LC–MS Proteomics Analysis of the Insulin/IGF-1-Deficient Caenorhabditis elegans daf-2(e1370) Mutant Reveals Extensive Restructuring of Intermediary Metabolism

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

The insulin/IGF-1 receptor is a major known determinant of dauer formation, stress resistance, longevity, and metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans. In the past, whole-genome transcript profiling was used extensively to study differential gene expression in response to reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling, including the expression levels of metabolism-associated genes. Taking advantage of the recent developments in quantitative liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS)-based proteomics, we profiled the proteomic changes that occur in response to activation of the DAF-16 transcription factor in the germline-less glp-4(bn2);daf-2(e1370) receptor mutant. Strikingly, the daf-2 profile suggests extensive reorganization of intermediary metabolism, characterized by the upregulation of many core intermediary metabolic pathways. These include glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, glycogenesis, pentose phosphate cycle, citric acid cycle, glyoxylate shunt, fatty acid β-oxidation, one-carbon metabolism, propionate and tyrosine catabolism, and complexes I, II, III, and V of the electron transport chain. Interestingly, we found simultaneous activation of reciprocally regulated metabolic pathways, which is indicative of spatiotemporal coordination of energy metabolism and/or extensive post-translational regulation of these enzymes. This restructuring of daf-2 metabolism is reminiscent to that of hypometabolic dauers, allowing the efficient and economical utilization of internal nutrient reserves and possibly also shunting metabolites through alternative energy-generating pathways to sustain longevity. PMID:24555535

Thyroid transcriptome analysis reveals different adaptive responses to cold environmental conditions between two chicken breeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Shanshan; Yang, Xukai; Wang, Dehe; Zhu, Feng; Yang, Ning; Hou, Zhuocheng; Ning, Zhonghua

2018-01-01

Selection for cold tolerance in chickens is important for improving production performance and animal welfare. The identification of chicken breeds with higher cold tolerance and production performance will help to target candidates for the selection. The thyroid gland plays important roles in thermal adaptation, and its function is influenced by breed differences and transcriptional plasticity, both of which remain largely unknown in the chicken thyroid transcriptome. In this study, we subjected Bashang Long-tail (BS) and Rhode Island Red (RIR) chickens to either cold or warm environments for 21 weeks and investigated egg production performance, body weight changes, serum thyroid hormone concentrations, and thyroid gland transcriptome profiles. RIR chickens had higher egg production than BS chickens under warm conditions, but BS chickens produced more eggs than RIRs under cold conditions. Furthermore, BS chickens showed stable body weight gain under cold conditions while RIRs did not. These results suggested that BS breed is a preferable candidate for cold-tolerance selection and that the cold adaptability of RIRs should be improved in the future. BS chickens had higher serum thyroid hormone concentrations than RIRs under both environments. RNA-Seq generated 344.3 million paired-end reads from 16 sequencing libraries, and about 90% of the processed reads were concordantly mapped to the chicken reference genome. Differential expression analysis identified 46-1,211 genes in the respective comparisons. With regard to breed differences in the thyroid transcriptome, BS chickens showed higher cell replication and development, and immune response-related activity, while RIR chickens showed higher carbohydrate and protein metabolism activity. The cold environment reduced breed differences in the thyroid transcriptome compared with the warm environment. Transcriptional plasticity analysis revealed different adaptive responses in BS and RIR chickens to cope with the cold

Programming Reactive Extensions and LINQ

CERN Document Server

Liberty, Jesse

2011-01-01

Pro Reactive Extensions and LINQ is a deep dive into the next important technology for .NET developers: Reactive Extensions. This in-depth tutorial goes beyond what is available anywhere else to teach how to write WPF, Silverlight, and Windows Phone applications using the Reactive Extensions (Rx) to handle events and asynchronous method calls. Reactive programming allows you to turn those aspects of your code that are currently imperative into something much more event-driven and flexible. For this reason, it's sometimes referred to as LINQ for Events. Reactive programming hinges on the concep

Quotient semigroups and extension semigroups

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Introduction. Abelian groups and semigroups play an important role in the classification of C. ∗. -algebras and their extensions. ... -algebra extension theory and K K-theory, it is crucial to study the theory of quotient semigroups from the ...

Radurisation of broilers for shelf life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bok, H.E.; Holzapfel, W.H.; Van der Linde, H.J.

1982-01-01

Radurization is discussed as a method for the shelf life extension of refrigerated chicken carcasses. One of the advantages is that radurization eliminates potential food pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella in the chicken carcasses. Materials and methods for the radurization of chicken are discussed. The objective of the investigation was to determine the influence of different irradiation doses and storage conditions on the microbiological shelf life and organoleptic quality of fresh broilers

Marka Yayma Stratejilerinde Ürün Benzerliğinin Etkisi ve Üç Ayrı Marka Üzerinde Bir Uygulama = The Effects of Product Sımilarities on Brand Extension Strategies and a Practice on Three Different Brands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeşim UZUN

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Brand extension strategy is an effort to extend a succesfull brand name to launch new or modified products or lines. Brand extension attitudes are influenced by the percieved quality of the core brand and the fit between the extended products. The similarity is important for brand extension because the greater perceived similarity between the current and new product leads to a greater transfer of positive or negative effect to the new product. Furthermore, higher levels of perceived fit between core brand and extension will lead to more favorable evaluations of the extension. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of brand extension strategies on consumers' attitudes regarding the product similarity. Three different brands are used for the statistical analysis. According to the results, there is a relationship between the favorable opinion about core brand and the evaluation of similarity for extended products. Furthermore, there is a relationship between the similarity of extended products and extension evaluations.

Spacetime extensions Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Racz, I.

1991-09-01

The problem of the existence of local extensions of spacetime is considered. It is shown that for a spacetime including an incomplete inextendible non-coiling causal geodesic curve there exists a particular C k (resp. C k- ) local extension provided that the curvature and its covariant derivatives are well behaved up to order k + 1 (resp. k) along a family of causal geodetics (around the chosen one). (R.P.) 15 refs

GALE: a generic open source extensible adaptation engine

Science.gov (United States)

De Bra, Paul; Knutov, Evgeny; Smits, David; Stash, Natalia; Ramos, Vinicius F. C.

2013-06-01

This paper motivates and describes GALE, the Generic Adaptation Language and Engine that came out of the GRAPPLE EU FP7 project. The main focus of the paper is the extensible nature of GALE. The purpose of this description is to illustrate how a single core adaptation engine can be used for different types of adaptation, applied to different types of information items and documents. We illustrate the adaptive functionality on some examples of hypermedia documents. In April 2012, David Smits defended the world's first adaptive PhD thesis on this topic. The thesis, available for download and direct adaptive access at http://gale.win.tue.nl/thesis, shows that a single source of information can serve different audiences and at the same time also allows more freedom of navigation than is possible in any paper or static hypermedia document. The same can be done for course texts, hyperfiction, encyclopedia, museum, or other cultural heritage websites, etc. We explain how to add functionality to GALE if desired, to adapt the system's behavior to whatever the application requires. This stresses our main objective: to provide a technological base for adaptive (hypermedia) system researchers on which they can build extensions for the specific research they have in mind.

What is Unique About Extension Personnel in the City?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie Fox

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Extension’s pursuit to better attract, develop, retain, and structure competent personnel in the city requires new strategies to build on the knowledge base established through previous research and practice. With the support of numerous national organizations, this study utilized a Competency Framework Development (CFD process to systematically tap into the knowledge of County Extension Directors serving in large urban communities. Findings indicated these local leaders need specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that are both similar and unique when compared with results from other Extension competency studies. Competencies identified included building social and financial capital, strategic planning and organizing, resource attraction and management, advocacy and impact accountability with multiple stakeholders, and others. A primary difference was that diversity, complexity, and scale in urban communities influenced the extent to which competencies are demonstrated. Research results can be applied to a competency model that incorporates intentional recruiting and hiring practices that reflect the diversity and priorities of the community, competency-based professional development, competitive compensation and retention tactics, and staffing structure and strategies. Further research can include CFD with various types of Extension personnel and perspectives. Extension leaders can continue learning alongside others who can help inform administrators about human capital policies and practices.

A Temporal Extension to Traditional Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Hilger, Klaus Baggesen; Andersen, Ole Baltazar

2002-01-01

(EOF) analysis, which provides a non-temporal analysis of one variable over time. The temporal extension proves its strength in separating the signals at different periods in an analysis of relevant oceanographic properties related to one of the largest El Niño events ever recorded....

Nectar resource limitation affects butterfly flight performance and metabolism differently in intensive and extensive agricultural landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebeau, Julie; Wesselingh, Renate A; Van Dyck, Hans

2016-05-11

Flight is an essential biological ability of many insects, but is energetically costly. Environments under rapid human-induced change are characterized by habitat fragmentation and may impose constraints on the energy income budget of organisms. This may, in turn, affect locomotor performance and willingness to fly. We tested flight performance and metabolic rates in meadow brown butterflies (Maniola jurtina) of two contrasted agricultural landscapes: intensively managed, nectar-poor (IL) versus extensively managed, nectar-rich landscapes (EL). Young female adults were submitted to four nectar treatments (i.e. nectar quality and quantity) in outdoor flight cages. IL individuals had better flight capacities in a flight mill and had lower resting metabolic rates (RMR) than EL individuals, except under the severest treatment. Under this treatment, RMR increased in IL individuals, but decreased in EL individuals; flight performance was maintained by IL individuals, but dropped by a factor 2.5 in EL individuals. IL individuals had more canalized (i.e. less plastic) responses relative to the nectar treatments than EL individuals. Our results show significant intraspecific variation in the locomotor and metabolic response of a butterfly to different energy income regimes relative to the landscape of origin. Ecophysiological studies help to improve our mechanistic understanding of the eco-evolutionary impact of anthropogenic environments on rare and widespread species. © 2016 The Author(s).

Radar reflection off extensive air showers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Werner F.

2013-06-01

Full Text Available We investigate the possibility of detecting extensive air showers by the radar technique. Considering a bistatic radar system and different shower geometries, we simulate reflection of radio waves off the static plasma produced by the shower in the air. Using the Thomson cross-section for radio wave reflection, we obtain the time evolution of the signal received by the antennas. The frequency upshift of the radar echo and the power received are studied to verify the feasibility of the radar detection technique.

Proteomic profiles reveal age-related changes in coelomic fluid of sea urchin species with different life spans.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodnar, Andrea

2013-05-01

Sea urchins have a different life history from humans and traditional model organisms used to study the process of aging. Sea urchins grow indeterminately, reproduce throughout their life span and some species have been shown to exhibit negligible senescence with no increase in mortality rate at advanced ages. Despite these properties, different species of sea urchins are reported to have very different natural life spans providing a unique model to investigate cellular mechanisms underlying life span determination and negligible senescence. To gain insight into the biological changes that accompany aging in these animals, proteomic profiles were examined in coelomic fluid from young and old sea urchins of three species with different life spans: short-lived Lytechinus variegatus, long-lived Strongylocentrotus franciscanus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus which has an intermediate life span. The proteomic profiles of cell-free coelomic fluid were complex with many proteins exhibiting different forms and extensive post-translational modifications. Approximately 20% of the protein spots on 2-D gels showed more than two-fold change with age in each of the species. Changes that are consistent with age in all three species may prove to be useful biomarkers for age-determination for these commercially fished marine invertebrates and also may provide clues to mechanisms of negligible senescence. Among the proteins that change with age, the ectodomain of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) was significantly increased in the coelomic fluid of all three sea urchin species suggesting that the Wnt signaling pathway should be further investigated for its role in negligible senescence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Change Oriented Extension of EOF Analysis Applied to the 1996-1997 AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Conradsen, Knut; Andersen, Ole Baltazar

2002-01-01

correlation analysis, and maximum autocorrelation factors (MAFs). The method described can be considered as an extension to EOF analysis that is specially tailored for change detection in spatial data since it first maximises differences in the data between two points in time and then maximises...... autocorrelation between neighbouring observations. The results show that the large scale ocean events associated with the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related changes are concentrated in the first SST MAF/MAD mode and the two first SSH MAF/MAD modes. The MAD/MAF analysis also revealed a spatially...... correlated structure in the Western Mediterranean Sea that turned out to be related to a strong semi-annual variation in the SST for 1997 which was difficult to resolve from a traditional principal component analysis....

Social Factors That Influence Use of ICT in Agricultural Extension in Southern Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joyous S. Tata

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Farmbook is a novel information communication technology (ICT tool for agricultural extension that is currently being field tested by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS in Southern and East Africa. Farmbook enables extension agents to assess productivity and profitability of farming enterprises in a faster and more reliable manner, so as to increase farmer incomes and achieve food security. This study looked at the relationship between challenges faced by extension agents testing the Farmbook application and select socio-economic indicators influencing their work. Specific objectives were to identify and categorize the challenges facing extension agents in the field as they used Farmbook, assess gender differences in the use of Farmbook by extension agents, understand the relationship between socio-economic status of extension agents and the challenges faced in using Farmbook. Data were collected through document reviews, administration of a structured questionnaire and focus group meetings with field agents. Descriptive statistics and multivariate techniques were used to analyze data. The results show that personal and wider socio-economic conditions do have an impact on the proficiency of extension agents using Farmbook. The study goes on to recommend measures to improve the training and ICT proficiency of extension agents adopting Farmbook.

11 CFR 100.55 - Extension of credit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... substantially similar to extensions of credit to nonpolitical debtors that are of similar risk and size of... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Extension of credit. 100.55 Section 100.55... Contribution (2 U.S.C. 431(8)) § 100.55 Extension of credit. The extension of credit by any person is a...

Scintigraphic characteristics of experimental myocardial infarct extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kronenberg, M.W.; Wooten, N.E.; Friesinger, G.C.; Page, D.L.; Higgins, S.B.; Collins, J.C.; O'Connor, J.L.; Price, R.R.; Brill, A.B.

1979-01-01

Technetium-99m-stannous pyrophosphate scintiphotos were evaluated for diagnosing and quantitating myocardial infarct (MI) extension in sedated dogs. Infarction and extension were produced by serial left anterior descending coronary artery ligations at 0 and 48 hours. We compared serial scintiphoto data with regional myocardial blood flow (MBF) (microsphere technique) and infarct histopathology. In eight control dogs, the scintigraphic MI area was stable at 24, 48, and 72 hours. In each of 11 dogs undergoing extension, the MI area increased after the 48-hour occlusion, averaging a 48.9% increase (p < 0.001). Grossly, most extensions were mixtures of confluent necrosis and moderate (patchy) necrosis. MBF to confluent infarct tissue decreased significantly, allowing the documentation of extension by totaling the grams of newly flow-deprived tissue, but patchy infarct tissue had little flow deprivation, making it difficult to quantitate this type of extension accurately by flow criteria alone. Rarely, extension could be diagnosed using conventional histologic criteria. We concluded that the scintiphoto MI area was related quantitatively to infarct weight in both control and extension. However, it was not possible to determine that an increase in the MI scintiphoto area was an accurate predictor of the degree of extension using independent flow or pathologic criteria

Universal extensions to simulate specifications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hesselink, Wim H.

A previous paper introduced eternity variables as an alternative to the prophecy variables of Abadi and Lamport and proved the formalism to be semantically complete: every simulation F. K -> L that preserves quiescence contains a composition of a history extension, an extension with eternity

Why Do Extension Agents Resign?

Science.gov (United States)

Manton, Linda Nunes; van Es, J. C.

1985-01-01

Past and current Illinois extension agents were surveyed via mail questionnaires as to reasons for staying or leaving extension programs. Reasons for leaving included family changes, family moves, opportunity to advance, better salary/benefits, dissatisfaction with administration, and too much time away from family. (CT)

Students’ performance in the different clinical skills assessed in OSCE: what does it reveal?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joong Hiong Sim

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare students’ performance in the different clinical skills (CSs assessed in the objective structured clinical examination. Methods: Data for this study were obtained from final year medical students’ exit examination (n=185. Retrospective analysis of data was conducted using SPSS. Means for the six CSs assessed across the 16 stations were computed and compared. Results: Means for history taking, physical examination, communication skills, clinical reasoning skills (CRSs, procedural skills (PSs, and professionalism were 6.25±1.29, 6.39±1.36, 6.34±0.98, 5.86±0.99, 6.59±1.08, and 6.28±1.02, respectively. Repeated measures ANOVA showed there was a significant difference in the means of the six CSs assessed [F(2.980, 548.332=20.253, p<0.001]. Pairwise multiple comparisons revealed significant differences between the means of the eight pairs of CSs assessed, at p<0.05. Conclusions: CRSs appeared to be the weakest while PSs were the strongest, among the six CSs assessed. Students’ unsatisfactory performance in CRS needs to be addressed as CRS is one of the core competencies in medical education and a critical skill to be acquired by medical students before entering the workplace. Despite its challenges, students must learn the skills of clinical reasoning, while clinical teachers should facilitate the clinical reasoning process and guide students’ clinical reasoning development.

Extensive and every day risk in the Bolivian Chaco: Sources of crisis and disaster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lilian R. Reyes Pando

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Disaster risk comprises a continuum, ranging from primary-structural (pre-impact, through contingent (resulting from impact to future or reconstructed risk (resulting from inadequate recovery or reconstruction practices. At the same time these categories are many times constructed on the basis of existing chronic risk. These different categories are employed to demonstrate how the 2009-2011 disasters associated with the drought and freezing that affected the Bolivian Chaco region evolved and were perpetuated in cyclical manner. Additionally, the article demonstrates how preconceived notions of causal factors and post impact needs analysis, associated with large scale, rapid onset hazards, belies an understanding of the needs in slow onset and lifestyle based extensive risk crises. It also reveals how any attempt to deal with the successive, apparently sequenced categories of risk, using independent mechanisms and institutional frameworks is doomed to failure due to the relations that exist between primary, contingent and future risk and the disaster risk management and development mechanisms required to reduce them.

Quantitative 1H NMR metabolomics reveals extensive metabolic reprogramming of primary and secondary metabolism in elicitor-treated opium poppy cell cultures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vogel Hans J

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum produces a diverse array of bioactive benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and has emerged as a model system to study plant alkaloid metabolism. The plant is cultivated as the only commercial source of the narcotic analgesics morphine and codeine, but also produces many other alkaloids including the antimicrobial agent sanguinarine. Modulations in plant secondary metabolism as a result of environmental perturbations are often associated with the altered regulation of other metabolic pathways. As a key component of our functional genomics platform for opium poppy we have used proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR metabolomics to investigate the interplay between primary and secondary metabolism in cultured opium poppy cells treated with a fungal elicitor. Results Metabolite fingerprinting and compound-specific profiling showed the extensive reprogramming of primary metabolic pathways in association with the induction of alkaloid biosynthesis in response to elicitor treatment. Using Chenomx NMR Suite v. 4.6, a software package capable of identifying and quantifying individual compounds based on their respective signature spectra, the levels of 42 diverse metabolites were monitored over a 100-hour time course in control and elicitor-treated opium poppy cell cultures. Overall, detectable and dynamic changes in the metabolome of elicitor-treated cells, especially in cellular pools of carbohydrates, organic acids and non-protein amino acids were detected within 5 hours after elicitor treatment. The metabolome of control cultures also showed substantial modulations 80 hours after the start of the time course, particularly in the levels of amino acids and phospholipid pathway intermediates. Specific flux modulations were detected throughout primary metabolism, including glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, nitrogen assimilation, phospholipid/fatty acid synthesis and the shikimate pathway, all of which

Frontal intradiploic epidomoid cyst with orbital and out cerebral extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez Latorre, F.; Revert Ventura, A.; Diaz Ramon, C.; Arana, E.; Esteban Masanet, J.M.; Tortosa Giner, A.

1995-01-01

We studied six patients with exophthalmos and inferior displacement of the eyeball produced by orbital extension of a frontal intradiploic epidermoid cyst. All the patients were studied by conventional radiography five with CT and three with MR. Plain x-ray disclosed a single, well-defined lytic lesion with sclerosis margin, located in the outer supraorbital region of the frontal bone in all cases. CT revealed the intradiploic site of the lesion, its expansive nature, the state of the bone tables and demonstrated the existence of an intra orbital mass. MR showed a lesion with a greater signal intensity than LCR, similar to the white matter in T1-weighted sequences in two cases and hyperintense in a third. The lesions were hyperintense in T2-weighted sequences. The preoperative presumed diagnosis was established by means of plain radiography on the basis of site and the sclerosis ring surrounding the lesion. CT disclosed the bone structures and confirmed the existence of an intra orbital mass containing soft portions. The basic contribution of MR was in the assessment of the intracranial extension and in ruling out cerebral involvement.(Author)

Extension of frequency-based dissimilarity for retrieving similar plasma waveforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hochin, Teruhisa; Koyama, Katsumasa; Nakanishi, Hideya; Kojima, Mamoru

2008-01-01

Some computer-aided assistance in finding the waveforms similar to a waveform has become indispensable for accelerating data analysis in the plasma experiments. For the slowly-varying waveforms and those having time-sectional oscillation patterns, the methods using the Fourier series coefficients of waveforms in calculating the dissimilarity have successfully improved the performance in retrieving similar waveforms. This paper treats severely-varying waveforms, and proposes two extensions to the dissimilarity of waveforms. The first extension is to capture the difference of the importance of the Fourier series coefficients of waveforms against frequency. The second extension is to consider the outlines of waveforms. The correctness of the extended dissimilarity is experimentally evaluated by using the metrics used in evaluating that of the information retrieval, i.e. precision and recall. The experimental results show that the extended dissimilarity could improve the correctness of the similarity retrieval of plasma waveforms

Comparative Genomics Revealed Genetic Diversity and Species/Strain-Level Differences in Carbohydrate Metabolism of Three Probiotic Bifidobacterial Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshitaka Odamaki

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Strains of Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium animalis are widely used as probiotics in the food industry. Although numerous studies have revealed the properties and functionality of these strains, it is uncertain whether these characteristics are species common or strain specific. To address this issue, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of 49 strains belonging to these three bifidobacterial species to describe their genetic diversity and to evaluate species-level differences. There were 166 common clusters between strains of B. breve and B. longum, whereas there were nine common clusters between strains of B. animalis and B. longum and four common clusters between strains of B. animalis and B. breve. Further analysis focused on carbohydrate metabolism revealed the existence of certain strain-dependent genes, such as those encoding enzymes for host glycan utilisation or certain membrane transporters, and many genes commonly distributed at the species level, as was previously reported in studies with limited strains. As B. longum and B. breve are human-residential bifidobacteria (HRB, whereas B. animalis is a non-HRB species, several of the differences in these species’ gene distributions might be the result of their adaptations to the nutrient environment. This information may aid both in selecting probiotic candidates and in understanding their potential function as probiotics.

The significance of the NPT extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amano, Yukiya

1996-01-01

The Non-proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference, held in New York in April 1995, decided by consensus to extend the NPT indefinitely. It also adopted by consensus the documents entitled 'principles and Objectives' and ' The Strengthening of the Review process'. Many governments and individuals have already expressed a wide range of views on this subject. The following observations are added to theirs in the belief that the consideration of this important and complex issue can benefit from the different insights and nuances that those concerned can bring to it

Helping Hand: The Salin Kaalaman Tungo sa Kaunlaran Extension Program of Polytechnic University of the Philippines Among the Beneficiaries of the Pilot Centers in Sta. Mesa, Manila, Philippines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junnette B. Hasco

2016-11-01

Full Text Available One of the four-fold functions of State Universities and Colleges in accordance by their mandates was to provide assistance to communities; this was achieved thru conducting different skills and development trainings in partnership with Local Government Units (LGU’s. This study was conducted to assess the current Extension program of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP. Some 74 beneficiaries from the 23 centers of Sta. Mesa, Manila were identified through the use of purposive sampling. The data gathering made use of aided surveys. Weighted Mean and Pearson Product Moment of Correlation was used to treat and process statistical data. Findings revealed that the Extension Services conducted by the PUP Salin Kaalaman Tungo sa Kaunlaran Extension Program (SALIN were highly effective regarding Information Dissemination, Staff and Officials, Trainings and Programs, Trainers and Speakers, Programs, Accommodation and Venue and the personal impact of the Extension Program to the Beneficiaries. Satisfaction rating on the extension program was also high. Further, this study found out that as respondents are satisfied with the implementation of SALIN, the greater the chance of positive assessment on the effectiveness of the project. The study also disclosed problems and recommendations identified by the respondents. In addressing the research gaps, this study further identified recommendations to enhance capabilities of program implementers such as better execution in the delivery of extension services, fund sourcing and forging linkages or networking.

Comparative Analysis of Dengue and Zika Outbreaks Reveals Differences by Setting and Virus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Funk

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The pacific islands of Micronesia have experienced several outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases over the past decade. In outbreaks on small islands, the susceptible population is usually well defined, and there is no co-circulation of pathogens. Because of this, analysing such outbreaks can be useful for understanding the transmission dynamics of the pathogens involved, and particularly so for yet understudied pathogens such as Zika virus. Here, we compared three outbreaks of dengue and Zika virus in two different island settings in Micronesia, the Yap Main Islands and Fais, using a mathematical model of transmission dynamics and making full use of commonalities in disease and setting between the outbreaks. We found that the estimated reproduction numbers for Zika and dengue were similar when considered in the same setting, but that, conversely, reproduction number for the same disease can vary considerably by setting. On the Yap Main Islands, we estimated a reproduction number of 8.0-16 (95% Credible Interval (CI for the dengue outbreak and 4.8-14 (95% CI for the Zika outbreak, whereas for the dengue outbreak on Fais our estimate was 28-102 (95% CI. We further found that the proportion of cases of Zika reported was smaller (95% CI 1.4%-1.9% than that of dengue (95% CI: 47%-61%. We confirmed these results in extensive sensitivity analysis. They suggest that models for dengue transmission can be useful for estimating the predicted dynamics of Zika transmission, but care must be taken when extrapolating findings from one setting to another.

Learning Joomla! 3 extension development

CERN Document Server

Plummer, Tim

2013-01-01

A practical guide with step-by-step examples that build on each other so you can learn by doing and get hands-on knowledge about creating your plugins, modules, and components in Joomla.""Learning Joomla! 3 Extension Development, Third Edition"" is for developers who want to create their own Joomla extensions. It is assumed you will have some basic PHP, HTML, and CSS knowledge, but you don't need any prior Joomla programming experience. This book will also be useful to people who just want to make minor customizations to existing Joomla extensions and build on the work of others in the open so

Effects of trunk stability on isometric knee extension muscle strength measurement while sitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirano, Masahiro; Gomi, Masahiro; Katoh, Munenori

2016-09-01

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effect of trunk stability on isometric knee extension muscle strength measurement while sitting by performing simultaneous measurements with a handheld dynamometer (HHD) and an isokinetic dynamometer (IKD) in the same seated condition. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 30 healthy volunteers. Isometric knee extension muscle strength was simultaneously measured with a HHD and an IKD by using an IKD-specific chair. The measurement was performed twice. Measurement instrument variables and the number of measurements were examined by using the analysis of variance and correlation tests. [Results] The measurement instrument variables and the number of measurements were not significantly different. The correlation coefficients between the HHD and IKD measurements were ≥0.96. [Conclusion] Isometric knee extension muscle strength measurement using the HHD in the sitting position resulted in a lower value than that using the IKD, presumably because of the effect of trunk stability on the measurement. In the same seated posture with trunk stability, no significant difference in measurement values was observed between the HHD and IKD. The present findings suggest that trunk stability while seated during isometric knee extension muscle strength measurement influenced the HHD measurement.

Impact of an aquaculture extension project in Bangladesh

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rand, John; Tarp, Finn

2009-01-01

productivity and the value of fish production per capita among participants. However, in the long run no similar well-determined effect emerges. Second, MAEP appears to have had no significant impact on socioeconomic status as measured by consumption expenditure of participating households. The authors argue......This paper is an impact study of key short- and long-run effects of the Danida supported Mymensingh Aquaculture Extension Project (MAEP) in Bangladesh, applying different matching and double difference estimators. Results are mixed. First, the paper finds a positive short-run impact on pond...

Repeat Customer Success in Extension

Science.gov (United States)

Bess, Melissa M.; Traub, Sarah M.

2013-01-01

Four multi-session research-based programs were offered by two Extension specialist in one rural Missouri county. Eleven participants who came to multiple Extension programs could be called "repeat customers." Based on the total number of participants for all four programs, 25% could be deemed as repeat customers. Repeat customers had…

Boiler-turbine life extension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natzkov, S. [TOTEMA, Ltd., Sofia (Bulgaria); Nikolov, M. [CERB, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1995-12-01

The design life of the main power equipment-boilers and turbines is about 105 working hours. The possibilities for life extension are after normatively regulated control tests. The diagnostics and methodology for Boilers and Turbines Elements Remaining Life Assessment using up to date computer programs, destructive and nondestructive control of metal of key elements of units equipment, metal creep and low cycle fatigue calculations. As well as data for most common damages and some technical decisions for elements life extension are presented.

Considerations for Applying Design Extension Conditions to Domestic Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Yongho

2013-01-01

The concept is designed to include more serious accidents than the existing design basis accidents considering additional failures. Design extension conditions can be derived based on engineering judgments, deterministic analysis or probabilistic analysis of the nuclear power plants. They are used to secure practical response capabilities to prevent or mitigate accidents. They may also require the deployment of additional safety equipment for existing nuclear power plants currently in operation. Though the general requirements of design extension conditions are described under the IAEA standards, no specific guidelines have been presented as required for their actual application to the nuclear power plant design. Furthermore, there is great variation between countries in implementing the requirements of design extension conditions. Therefore, for the actual application, considerable effort should be made among relevant organizations to establish detailed requirements of the design extension conditions. Such activities could constitute a part of the efforts of the nuclear community to meet the general public's expectations concerning the safety of nuclear power plants. The introduction of design extension conditions is expected to be a means of systematically enhancing the safety of nuclear power plants. Yet, there exists great differences in terms of the scope of analysis and the acceptance criteria, as no uniform practices have yet been established in applying the specific requirements for design extension conditions. A careful review is required in terms of the technical basis for setting the requirements, including those pertaining to the scope of analysis and the acceptance criteria. The introduction of these new requirements to Korean nuclear power plants may cause unexpected problems. Therefore, it is desirable for the regulatory agency to systematically assess the impact of design extension conditions and to discuss the arising issues with the stake holder

Imaging techniques in evaluation of juvenile angiofibroma with lateral extension in the pterygopalatine and infratemporal fossa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szymanska, A.; Pietura, R.; Drelich-Zbroja, A.; Trojanowski, P.

2004-01-01

Juvenile angiofibroma is a benign tumour arising in the nasopharynx and penetrating laterally into the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa and orbit. Precise preoperative evaluation of the presence and extension of its lateral spread is crucial for choosing the best surgical approach and performing radical operation. The aim of the study was to assess usefulness of imaging methods in diagnosis and evaluation of lateral extension of juvenile angiofibroma. In a group of 39 patients operated on from 1973 to 2002 due to juvenile angiofibroma in 21 (54%) cases a lateral extension of the tumor was diagnosed. All patients underwent carotid angiography (CA) and lateral plain skull X-ray. Computed tomography (CT) was performed in 18,and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 4 patients. In all cases the extension of the tumor and its lateral spread was verified during surgery. A widening of the pterygopalatine fossa on lateral plain X-ray was present in 13 (62%) patients. CT and MRI demonstrated the presence of lateral extension in all patients diagnosed with these methods. In 9 cases, lateral CA revealed dislodgement of the internal maxillary artery by the tumor in the pterygopalatine fossa. The presence of big lateral extension of the juvenile angiofibroma is demonstrated on lateral plain X-ray as anterior bowing of the posterior wall of the maxillary sinus (Holman-Miller sign). MRI shows better than CT the extent and margins of the tumor in soft tissues. Lateral CA shows dislodgement of the internal maxillary artery and its course in relation to the lateral extension of the tumor, which is important for surgical planning. (author)

Frames and extension problems I

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Ole

2014-01-01

In this article we present a short survey of frame theory in Hilbert spaces. We discuss Gabor frames and wavelet frames and set the stage for a discussion of various extension principles; this will be presented in the article Frames and extension problems II (joint with H.O. Kim and R.Y. Kim)....

needs assessments in extension: results and implications of different ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ian

land user whose behaviour or management is critical for sustainable production. It is in this .... probably created the impression that different responses were expected. Table 1: .... respondents retaining less than half of their initial list of five needs after group interaction is more than .... Motivation and personality. New York: ...

Expected role of psychologists in rural extension in the Argentine Northeast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Pablo Landini

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Rural extension is a complex practice that involves the provision of technical assistance and advisory services to farmers and other rural actors with the aim of improving agricultural production as well as organizational and commercial dynamics. Thus, it is clear that rural extension as an interdisciplinary practice that requires contributions from different social sciences. In consequence, it can be argued that psycholog y has a great potential to contribute to rural extension. Nonetheless, it has been mentioned that its contributions to the topic have been scarce. Aiming to understand the potential role of psychologists in the context of rural extension, a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research was conducted. A total of 40 extensionists from the Argentine northeast provinces were interviewed. Interviews were recorded and latter analyzed following grounded theory’s guidelines and using Atlas Ti software. The findings allow concluding that most rural extensionists consider that psycholog y could contribute to their practice, but without being able to clarify its specificities. Additionally, exten-sionists highlight potential contributions in the area of group dynamics, conflict management and the understanding of farmers’ behavior.

Gender differences of brain glucose metabolic networks revealed by FDG-PET: evidence from a large cohort of 400 young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yuxiao; Xu, Qiang; Li, Kai; Zhu, Hong; Qi, Rongfeng; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming

2013-01-01

Gender differences of the human brain are an important issue in neuroscience research. In recent years, an increasing amount of evidence has been gathered from noninvasive neuroimaging studies supporting a sexual dimorphism of the human brain. However, there is a lack of imaging studies on gender differences of brain metabolic networks based on a large population sample. FDG PET data of 400 right-handed, healthy subjects, including 200 females (age: 25:45 years, mean age ± SD: 40.9 ± 3.9 years) and 200 age-matched males were obtained and analyzed in the present study. We first investigated the regional differences of brain glucose metabolism between genders using a voxel-based two-sample t-test analysis. Subsequently, we investigated the gender differences of the metabolic networks. Sixteen metabolic covariance networks using seed-based correlation were analyzed. Seven regions showing significant regional metabolic differences between genders, and nine regions conventionally used in the resting-state network studies were selected as regions-of-interest. Permutation tests were used for comparing within- and between-network connectivity between genders. Compared with the males, females showed higher metabolism in the posterior part and lower metabolism in the anterior part of the brain. Moreover, there were widely distributed patterns of the metabolic networks in the human brain. In addition, significant gender differences within and between brain glucose metabolic networks were revealed in the present study. This study provides solid data that reveal gender differences in regional brain glucose metabolism and brain glucose metabolic networks. These observations might contribute to the better understanding of the gender differences in human brain functions, and suggest that gender should be included as a covariate when designing experiments and explaining results of brain glucose metabolic networks in the control and experimental individuals or patients.

Exploring the musical taste of expert listeners: musicology students reveal tendency toward omnivorous taste.

Science.gov (United States)

Elvers, Paul; Omigie, Diana; Fuhrmann, Wolfgang; Fischinger, Timo

2015-01-01

Musicology students are engaged with music on an academic level and usually have an extensive musical background. They have a considerable knowledge of music history and theory and listening to music may be regarded as one of their primary occupations. Taken together, these factors qualify them as ≫expert listeners≪, who may be expected to exhibit a specific profile of musical taste: interest in a broad range of musical styles combined with a greater appreciation of ≫sophisticated≪ styles. The current study examined the musical taste of musicology students as compared to a control student group. Participants (n = 1003) completed an online survey regarding the frequency with which they listened to 22 musical styles. A factor analysis revealed six underlying dimensions of musical taste. A hierarchical cluster analysis then grouped all participants, regardless of their status, according to their similarity on these dimensions. The employed exploratory approach was expected to reveal potential differences between musicology students and controls. A three-cluster solution was obtained. Comparisons of the clusters in terms of musical taste revealed differences in the listening frequency and variety of appreciated music styles: the first cluster (51% musicology students/27% controls) showed the greatest musical engagement across all dimensions although with a tendency toward ≫sophisticated≪ musical styles. The second cluster (36% musicology students/46% controls) exhibited an interest in ≫conventional≪ music, while the third cluster (13% musicology students/27% controls) showed a strong liking of rock music. The results provide some support for the notion of specific tendencies in the musical taste of musicology students and the contribution of familiarity and knowledge toward musical omnivorousness. Further differences between the clusters in terms of social, personality, and sociodemographic factors are discussed.

Characteristics and Motivational Factors of Effective Extension Advisory Leaders: Implications for Building Strong Extension Advisory Councils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joy Kish

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics and motivational factors of effective Extension advisory leaders. This Delphi study was conducted with a selected group of County Extension Directors and a group of Extension State Advisory Leaders. The study identified 10 characteristics that distinguish an effective Extension advisory leader. Some of these characteristics are explicit and easy to observe, while others are implicit and difficult to directly observe. Therefore, it is practical to use directly observable characteristics of effective advisory leaders when selecting volunteers. Once potential volunteers are spotted in the community, implicit characteristics of effective advisory leaders should be used to further screen them before they are selected. The study also identified the eight most important factors motivating individuals to volunteer as effective advisory leaders. Understanding these motivational factors is helpful for creating an environment for attracting and retaining effective volunteers. Understanding their motivation for volunteer work and creating an environment for them to meet the motivating factors for volunteering will lead to volunteer satisfaction and retention. The findings of this study can be used to build strong Extension advisory councils.

Is boundary extension emotionally selective?

Science.gov (United States)

Ménétrier, Emmanuelle; Didierjean, André; Vieillard, Sandrine

2013-01-01

When they have to memorize a picture, people usually build a memory trace including more extensive boundaries than the original picture, a phenomenon known as boundary extension or BE. This article looks at whether the emotion category expressed (i.e., happiness, pleasure, irritation, or anger) by actors in short films could have an influence on the BE effect. The results showed that positively valenced emotions (happiness, pleasure) led to an extension effect, while the negatively valenced ones (anger, irritation) did not produce any significant memory distortion. The arousal dimension of emotions had no significant effect on BE. The current results were discussed in the light of previous studies on the links between BE and emotions.

Corrigan-Ramond Extension of QCD at Nonzero Baryon Density

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

T. Frandsen, M.; Kouvaris, Christoforos; Sannino, F.

2006-01-01

We investigate the Corrigan-Ramond extension of one massless flavor Quantum Chromo Dynamics at nonzero quark chemical potential. Since the extension requires the fermions to transform in the two index antisymmetric representation of the gauge group, one finds that the number of possible channels ......-Grigoriev-Rubakov chiral waves. We discover, differently from the 't Hooft limit, the possibility of a colored chiral wave breaking the color symmetry as well as translation invariance....... is richer than in the 't Hooft limit. We first discuss the diquark channels and show that for a number of colors larger than three a new diquark channel appears. We then study the infinite number of color limit and show that the Fermi surface is unstable to the formation of the Deryagin...

verbal extensions: valency decreasing extensions in the basà ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Finance

London: Hodder. Education. Imoh, P.M., 2013. Verbal extensions: Valency increasing operations in Basà verbal system. Paper presented at the West African Languages Congress (WALC) and 26th Annual. Conference of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (26th CLAN), 29th July to 2nd August. 2013, University of Ibadan, ...

Electromyographic Analysis of the Hip Extension Pattern in Visually Impaired Athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halski Tomasz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to determine the order of muscle recruitment during the active hip joint extension in particular positions in young visually impaired athletes. The average recruitment time (ART of the gluteus maximus (GM and the hamstring muscle group (HMG was assessed by the means of surface electromyography (sEMG. The sequence of muscle recruitment in the female and male group was also taken into consideration. This study followed a prospective, cross – sectional, randomised design, where 76 visually impaired athletes between the age of 18–25 years were enrolled into the research and selected on chosen inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, 64 young subjects (32 men and 32 women were included in the study (age: 21.1 ± 1.05 years; body mass: 68.4 ± 12.4 kg; body height: 1.74 ± 0.09 m; BMI: 22.20 ± 2.25 kg/m2. All subjects were analysed for the ART of the GM and HMG during the active hip extension performed in two different positions, as well as resting and functional sEMG activity of each muscle. Between gender differences were comprised and the correlations between the ART of the GM and HMG with their functional sEMG activity during hip extension in both positions were shown. No significant differences between the ART of the GM and HMG were found (p>0.05. Furthermore, there was no significant difference of ART among both tested positions, as well in male as female subjects (p>0.05.

Sex differences in nicotine intravenous self-administration: A meta-analytic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, Rodolfo J; Uribe, Kevin P; Swalve, Natashia; O'Dell, Laura E

2017-11-21

This report reflects a meta-analysis that systematically reviewed the literature on intravenous self-administration (IVSA) of nicotine in female and male rats. The goal was to determine if sex differences in nicotine IVSA exist, estimate the magnitude of the effect, and identify potential moderators of the relationship between sex differences and nicotine consumption. Extensive search procedures identified 20 studies that met the inclusion criteria of employing both female and male rats in nicotine IVSA procedures. The meta-analysis was conducted on effect size values that were calculated from mean total intake or nicotine deliveries using the Hedges' unbiased g u statistic. A random effects analysis revealed that overall females self-administered more nicotine than males (weighted g u =0.18, 95% CI [0.003, 0.34]). Subsequent moderator variable analyses revealed that certain procedural conditions influenced the magnitude of sex differences in nicotine IVSA. Specifically, higher reinforcement requirements (>FR1) and extended-access sessions (23h) were associated with greater nicotine IVSA in females versus males. Females also displayed higher nicotine intake than males when the experiment included a light cue that signaled nicotine delivery. Sex differences were not influenced by the diurnal phase of testing, dose of nicotine, or prior operant training. Overall, the results revealed that female rats display higher levels of nicotine IVSA than males, suggesting that the strong reinforcing effects of nicotine promote tobacco use in women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nomadic lifestyle of Lactobacillus plantarum revealed by comparative genomics of 54 strains isolated from different habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Martino, Maria Elena; Bayjanov, Jumamurat R; Caffrey, Brian E; Wels, Michiel; Joncour, Pauline; Hughes, Sandrine; Gillet, Benjamin; Kleerebezem, Michiel; van Hijum, Sacha A F T; Leulier, François

2016-12-01

The ability of bacteria to adapt to diverse environmental conditions is well-known. The process of bacterial adaptation to a niche has been linked to large changes in the genome content, showing that many bacterial genomes reflect the constraints imposed by their habitat. However, some highly versatile bacteria are found in diverse habitats that almost share nothing in common. Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium that is found in a large variety of habitat. With the aim of unravelling the link between evolution and ecological versatility of L. plantarum, we analysed the genomes of 54 L. plantarum strains isolated from different environments. Comparative genome analysis identified a high level of genomic diversity and plasticity among the strains analysed. Phylogenomic and functional divergence studies coupled with gene-trait matching analyses revealed a mixed distribution of the strains, which was uncoupled from their environmental origin. Our findings revealed the absence of specific genomic signatures marking adaptations of L. plantarum towards the diverse habitats it is associated with. This suggests fundamentally similar trends of genome evolution in L. plantarum, which occur in a manner that is apparently uncoupled from ecological constraint and reflects the nomadic lifestyle of this species. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Molecular characterization of a rice mutator-phenotype derived from an incompatible cross-pollination reveals transgenerational mobilization of multiple transposable elements and extensive epigenetic instability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Chunming

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Inter-specific hybridization occurs frequently in plants, which may induce genetic and epigenetic instabilities in the resultant hybrids, allopolyploids and introgressants. It remains unclear however whether pollination by alien pollens of an incompatible species may impose a "biological stress" even in the absence of genome-merger or genetic introgression, whereby genetic and/or epigenetic instability of the maternal recipient genome might be provoked. Results We report here the identification of a rice mutator-phenotype from a set of rice plants derived from a crossing experiment involving two remote and apparently incompatible species, Oryza sativa L. and Oenothera biennis L. The mutator-phenotype (named Tong211-LP showed distinct alteration in several traits, with the most striking being substantially enlarged panicles. Expectably, gel-blotting by total genomic DNA of the pollen-donor showed no evidence for introgression. Characterization of Tong211-LP (S0 and its selfed progenies (S1 ruled out contamination (via seed or pollen or polyploidy as a cause for its dramatic phenotypic changes, but revealed transgenerational mobilization of several previously characterized transposable elements (TEs, including a MITE (mPing, and three LTR retrotransposons (Osr7, Osr23 and Tos17. AFLP and MSAP fingerprinting revealed extensive, transgenerational alterations in cytosine methylation and to a less extent also genetic variation in Tong211-LP and its immediate progenies. mPing mobility was found to correlate with cytosine methylation alteration detected by MSAP but not with genetic variation detected by AFLP. Assay by q-RT-PCR of the steady-state transcript abundance of a set of genes encoding for the various putative DNA methyltransferases, 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylases, and small interference RNA (siRNA pathway-related proteins showed that, relative to the rice parental line, heritable perturbation in expression of 12 out of

Whole-genome characterization of Uruguayan strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus reveals extensive recombination between the two major South American lineages.

Science.gov (United States)

Marandino, Ana; Tomás, Gonzalo; Panzera, Yanina; Greif, Gonzalo; Parodi-Talice, Adriana; Hernández, Martín; Techera, Claudia; Hernández, Diego; Pérez, Ruben

2017-10-01

Infectious bronchitis virus (Gammacoronavirus, Coronaviridae) is a genetically variable RNA virus that causes one of the most persistent respiratory diseases in poultry. The virus is classified in genotypes and lineages with different epidemiological relevance. Two lineages of the GI genotype (11 and 16) have been widely circulating for decades in South America. GI-11 is an exclusive South American lineage while the GI-16 lineage is distributed in Asia, Europe and South America. Here, we obtained the whole genome of two Uruguayan strains of the GI-11 and GI-16 lineages using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The strains here sequenced are the first obtained in South America for the infectious bronchitis virus and provide new insights into the origin, spreading and evolution of viral variants. The complete genome of the GI-11 and GI-16 strains have 27,621 and 27,638 nucleotides, respectively, and possess the same genomic organization. Phylogenetic incongruence analysis reveals that both strains have a mosaic genome that arose by recombination between Euro Asiatic strains of the GI-16 lineage and ancestral South American GI-11 viruses. The recombination occurred in South America and produced two viral variants that have retained the full-length S1 sequences of the parental lineages but are extremely similar in the rest of their genomes. These recombinant virus have been extraordinary successful, persisting in the continent for several years with a notorious wide geographic distribution. Our findings reveal a singular viral dynamics and emphasize the importance of complete genomic characterization to understand the emergence and evolutionary history of viral variants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The initiation and tectonic regimes of the Cenozoic extension in the Bohai Bay Basin, North China revealed by numerical modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lu; Qiu, Nansheng

2017-06-01

In this study the dynamic aspects of the Cenozoic extension in the Bohai Bay Basin are considered in the context of initial thickness of the crust and lithosphere, tectonic force, strain rate and thermal rheology, which are directly or indirectly estimated from a pure shear extensional model. It is accordingly reasonable to expect that, in the Bohai Bay Basin, the thickness variation could be present prior to the initiation of extension. The extensional deformation is localized by a thickness variation of the crust and lithosphere and the heterogeneity of the initial thickness plays an important role in rifting dynamics. The onset of rifting requires a critical tectonic force (initial tectonic force) to be applied, which then immediately begins to decay gradually. Rifting will only occur when the total effective buoyancy force of the subducting slab reaches a critical level, after a certain amount of subduction taking place. The magnitude of the tectonic force decreases with time in the early phase of rifting, which indicates the weakening due to the increase in geothermal gradient. In order to deform the continental lithosphere within the currently accepted maximum magnitude of the force derived from subducted slab roll-back, the following conditions should be satisfied: (1) the thickness of the continental lithosphere is significantly thin and less than 125 km and (2) the lithosphere has a wet and hot rheology, which provides implications for rheological layering in continental lithosphere. Our results are strongly supported by the ;crème brûlée; model, in which the lower crust and mantle are relatively ductile.

Effectiveness Of Communication Outreach Strategies Of Extension ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Communication is a major component of agricultural extension and extension agents utilize various methods to deliver messages to their clienteles. The paper focused on the effectiveness of communication outreach strategies of extension agents in Imo State, Nigeria. Data for the study was collected with the aid of ...

User contributions and public extension delivery modes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The high recurrent costs faced by the public extension service constraint the number of visits farmers receive. This study examined a number of extension communication channels through which farmers received farm management services/information from the public extension agent. The idea was, first, to find out the ...

Examining Extension's Capacity in Community Resource and Economic Development: Viewpoints of Extension Administrators on the Role of Community Resource and Economic Development in the Extension Portfolio

Science.gov (United States)

Urbanowitz, Seth C.; Wilcox, Michael D., Jr.

2013-01-01

The survey-based research reported here offers insights on community, resource, and economic development (CRED) Extension programming at the national and regional level. The results present a national picture of CRED programming, research, and potential future programming opportunities that Extension could capitalize on. The research shows that…

Acute NSAID-related transmural duodenitis and extensive duodenal ulceration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashash, Jana G; Atweh, Lamya A; Saliba, Teddy; Chakhachiro, Zaher; Al-Kutoubi, Aghiad; Tawil, Ayman; Barada, Kassem A

2007-11-01

A 40-year-old previously healthy white man presented to the emergency department at American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon, with severe upper abdominal pain of 36-hour duration. The pain started a few hours after the intake of a single tablet of tiaprofenic acid and became more intense after the intake of another tablet 24 hours later. He had no other symptoms. He had no prior upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, ulcer disease, steroidal or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, or ethanol intake. Physical examination revealed mild upper abdominal tenderness. Complete blood count, amylase, lipase, and liver function tests were unremarkable. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed marked thickening of the duodenal wall with surrounding mesenteric streaking. Upper GI endoscopy revealed extensive ulceration involving the duodenal bulb, apex, and proximal D2, as well as a few gastric erosions. Histopathologic examination of duodenal biopsy samples showed extensive epithelial cell necrosis and infiltration of the lamina propria with neutrophils and eosinophils. The patient responded well to rabeprazole 20 mg BID and remains well 5 months later. We performed a literature search of PubMed for all English-language articles published between January 1970 and present (June 2007) using the key words tiaprofenic acid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAID, duodenitis, duodenal erosion, duodenal ulcer, gastritis, gastric erosion, gastric ulcer, or peptic ulcer. We reviewed all randomized controlled trials involving NSAIDs found using PubMed, with a focus on their GI adverse effects. Based on the PubMed search, there were no published reports of acute transmural duodenitis and complicated duodenal ulcers associated with short-term exposure to tiaprofenic acid or other NSAIDs. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction (ADR) probability scale was used and a score of 6 was obtained, indicating a probable ADR from tiaprofenic acid use. We report a patient

PRINCESS: Privacy-protecting Rare disease International Network Collaboration via Encryption through Software guard extensionS.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Feng; Wang, Shuang; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Ding, Sijie; Lu, Yao; Kim, Jihoon; Sahinalp, S Cenk; Shimizu, Chisato; Burns, Jane C; Wright, Victoria J; Png, Eileen; Hibberd, Martin L; Lloyd, David D; Yang, Hai; Telenti, Amalio; Bloss, Cinnamon S; Fox, Dov; Lauter, Kristin; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2017-03-15

We introduce PRINCESS, a privacy-preserving international collaboration framework for analyzing rare disease genetic data that are distributed across different continents. PRINCESS leverages Software Guard Extensions (SGX) and hardware for trustworthy computation. Unlike a traditional international collaboration model, where individual-level patient DNA are physically centralized at a single site, PRINCESS performs a secure and distributed computation over encrypted data, fulfilling institutional policies and regulations for protected health information. To demonstrate PRINCESS' performance and feasibility, we conducted a family-based allelic association study for Kawasaki Disease, with data hosted in three different continents. The experimental results show that PRINCESS provides secure and accurate analyses much faster than alternative solutions, such as homomorphic encryption and garbled circuits (over 40 000× faster). https://github.com/achenfengb/PRINCESS_opensource. shw070@ucsd.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Brand Extension: a Case Study of Starbucks

OpenAIRE

Bokii, Artem

2017-01-01

The thesis investigates the topic of brand extension and its importance in the business practice of companies. The theoretical part of the research outlines the key theoretical aspects related to brand and brand extension. The practical part investigates the case study of Starbucks brand extension and compares it with other famous brand extension cases. The paper illustrates how Starbucks brand extension from coffee onto the ice cream market had been successful on the initial stage, and how i...

Purdue Extension: Employee Engagement and Leadership Style

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Angela R.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the Purdue Extension county directors' level of engagement and leadership style and to examine the relationship between these two variables. The study aimed to inform a professional development training program for all Purdue Extension county extension directors. Survey data were collected from…

Overtopping of Berm Breakwaters Extension of Overtopping Formula

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Burcharth, H. F.

2005-01-01

the formula is improved so it gives reliable estimates also for more stable structures. The extension of the overtopping formula is based on analysis of front slope stability data from many different data sets. In most cases there is only a small difference between the Lykke Andersen & Burcharth (2004......In this paper is presented an improved version of the overtopping formula by Lykke Andersen & Burcharth (2004)valid for berm breakwaters with initial slopes of 1:1.25. In the present paper guidelines is given on how to modify the formula to take into account the initial slope angle. Further...

Perception of Extension Specialists about the Role of Extension in the Production and Adoption of the Genetically Modified Crops in Iran

OpenAIRE

Seyed J.F. Hosseini

2008-01-01

Extension specialists were surveyed in order to explore their perception about the role of extension in the production and adoption of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in Iran. The methodology used in this study involved a combination of descriptive and quantitative research. The total population for this study was 120 extension specialists in Iran. Extension specialists believed that the first priority of extension should be to increase the participation of stakeholders in the development of ...

Seed metabolomic study reveals significant metabolite variations and correlations among different soybean cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hong; Rao, Jun; Shi, Jianxin; Hu, Chaoyang; Cheng, Fang; Wilson, Zoe A; Zhang, Dabing; Quan, Sheng

2014-09-01

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the world's major crops, and soybean seeds are a rich and important resource for proteins and oils. While "omics" studies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have been widely applied in soybean molecular research, fewer metabolomic studies have been conducted for large-scale detection of low molecular weight metabolites, especially in soybean seeds. In this study, we investigated the seed metabolomes of 29 common soybean cultivars through combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. One hundred sixty-nine named metabolites were identified and subsequently used to construct a metabolic network of mature soybean seed. Among the 169 detected metabolites, 104 were found to be significantly variable in their levels across tested cultivars. Metabolite markers that could be used to distinguish genetically related soybean cultivars were also identified, and metabolite-metabolite correlation analysis revealed some significant associations within the same or among different metabolite groups. Findings from this work may potentially provide the basis for further studies on both soybean seed metabolism and metabolic engineering to improve soybean seed quality and yield. © 2014 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Seed metabolomic study reveals significant metabolite variations and correlations among different soybean cultivars

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hong Lin; Jun Rao; Jianxin Shi; Chaoyang Hu; Fang Cheng; Zoe AWilson; Dabing Zhang; Sheng Quan

2014-01-01

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the world’s major crops, and soybean seeds are a rich and important resource for proteins and oils. While “omics”studies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have been widely applied in soybean molecular research, fewer metabolomic studies have been conducted for large-scale detection of low molecular weight metabolites, especial y in soybean seeds. In this study, we investigated the seed metabolomes of 29 common soybean cultivars through combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. One hundred sixty-nine named metabolites were identified and subsequently used to construct a metabolic network of mature soybean seed. Among the 169 detected metabolites, 104 were found to be significantly variable in their levels across tested cultivars. Metabolite markers that could be used to distinguish genetical y related soybean cultivars were also identified, and metabolite-metabolite correlation analysis revealed some significant associations within the same or among different metabolite groups. Findings from this work may potentially provide the basis for further studies on both soybean seed metabolism and metabolic engineering to improve soybean seed quality and yield.

Synchrotron-radiation-based X-ray micro-computed tomography reveals dental bur debris under dental composite restorations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedayat, Assem; Nagy, Nicole; Packota, Garnet; Monteith, Judy; Allen, Darcy; Wysokinski, Tomasz; Zhu, Ning

2016-05-01

Dental burs are used extensively in dentistry to mechanically prepare tooth structures for restorations (fillings), yet little has been reported on the bur debris left behind in the teeth, and whether it poses potential health risks to patients. Here it is aimed to image dental bur debris under dental fillings, and allude to the potential health hazards that can be caused by this debris when left in direct contact with the biological surroundings, specifically when the debris is made of a non-biocompatible material. Non-destructive micro-computed tomography using the BioMedical Imaging & Therapy facility 05ID-2 beamline at the Canadian Light Source was pursued at 50 keV and at a pixel size of 4 µm to image dental bur fragments under a composite resin dental filling. The bur's cutting edges that produced the fragment were also chemically analyzed. The technique revealed dental bur fragments of different sizes in different locations on the floor of the prepared surface of the teeth and under the filling, which places them in direct contact with the dentinal tubules and the dentinal fluid circulating within them. Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy elemental analysis of the dental bur edges revealed that the fragments are made of tungsten carbide-cobalt, which is bio-incompatible.

Consumer Evaluation of a Vertical Brand Extension in the Lodging Industry: Relationships among Brand Trust, Band Loyalty, Brand Distance, and Brand Extension

OpenAIRE

Lim, Yu Mi

2013-01-01

Vertical brand extensions have been used as popular strategies in the lodging industry. Research on brand extension that is related with brand trust and brand loyalty has been useful in making brand extensions successful. However, previous research focused on aggregated relationships among brand trust, brand loyalty, and brand extension. In addition, it has been found that quality and price distance from a core brand of the brand extension has an impact on the success of the brand extension. ...

7 CFR 15b.27 - Extension education.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Extension education. 15b.27 Section 15b.27 Agriculture... Education § 15b.27 Extension education. (a) General. A recipient to which this subpart applies that provides extension education may not, on the basis of handicap, exclude qualified handicapped persons. A recipient...

Anticommutative extension of the Adler map

Science.gov (United States)

Konstantinou-Rizos, S.; Mikhailov, A. V.

2016-07-01

We construct a noncommutative (Grassmann) extension of the well-known Adler Yang-Baxter map. It satisfies the Yang-Baxter equation, it is reversible and birational. Our extension preserves all the properties of the original map except the involutivity.

Life extension economic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smithling, A.P.

1992-01-01

Life extension economic analyses of fossil fueled power plants need the development of consistent methods which consider the capital costs associated with component replacement or repair and estimates of normal station capital expenditures over the units remaining life. In order to link capital and production costs, Niagra Mohawk Power Corp. develops most and worst cases. A most case includes capital components that would definitely need replacement or modification for life extension. The worst case scenario contains must case capital costs plus various components which may need replacement or modification. In addition, two forecasted conditions are used, base case capacity and low capacity

Consistent Conformal Extensions of the Standard Model arXiv

CERN Document Server

Loebbert, Florian; Plefka, Jan

The question of whether classically conformal modifications of the standard model are consistent with experimental obervations has recently been subject to renewed interest. The method of Gildener and Weinberg provides a natural framework for the study of the effective potential of the resulting multi-scalar standard model extensions. This approach relies on the assumption of the ordinary loop hierarchy $\\lambda_\\text{s} \\sim g^2_\\text{g}$ of scalar and gauge couplings. On the other hand, Andreassen, Frost and Schwartz recently argued that in the (single-scalar) standard model, gauge invariant results require the consistent scaling $\\lambda_\\text{s} \\sim g^4_\\text{g}$. In the present paper we contrast these two hierarchy assumptions and illustrate the differences in the phenomenological predictions of minimal conformal extensions of the standard model.

Modelling Dynamic Topologies via Extensions of VDM-RT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Claus Ballegård

Only a few formal methods include descriptions of the network topology that the modelled system is deployed onto. In VDM Real-Time (VDM-RT) this has been enabled for distributed systems that have a static structure. However, when modelling dynamic systems this fixed topology becomes an issue....... Systems with highly distributed and alternating relationships cannot be expressed correctly in a static model. This document describes how VDM-RT can be extended with new language constructs to enable the description of dynamic reconfiguration of the network topology during the runtime execution...... of a model. The extension is developed on the basis of a case study involving a dynamic system that has a constant changing system topology. With a basis in the case study a model is developed that uses the static version of VDM-RT in order to reveal the limitations of the language. The case study...

Condition analysis and operating lifetime extension concepts for wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korzeniewski, Thomas [GMA-Engineering GmbH, Hamburg (Germany). Business Unit Wind Energy

2014-11-01

In Germany the basis for the expansion of wind energy was already laid at the beginning of the 1990s. Hence, the first wind turbines already started to reach the end of their permitted lifetime. At that time as today the different wind turbine types were engineered for an operational lifetime of 20 years. As reliable wind turbines types were already available in the 1990s, it is technically and commercially reasonable to consider the extension of their operational lifetime. Of particular interest is the lifetime extension of wind turbine types installed in the beginning of the 2000s. During that period many wind turbine types were launched which absolutely correspond to state-of-the-art technology.

Glycoprotein profiles of macrophages at different stages of activation as revealed by lectin binding after electrophoretic separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Irimura, T; North, S M; Nicolson, G L

1987-01-01

Glycoprotein profiles of rat macrophages (M phi) at different stages of activation were studied by examining the reactivity of various lectins to the glycoproteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Ricinus communis agglutinin 1 (RCA1) revealed several components including glycoproteins of Mr 160 kDa and 65 kDa prominent in resident M phi. A pokeweed mitogen (PWM) isolectin, Pa-4, recognizes branched poly(N-acetyllactosamine)-type carbohydrate chains, and revealed a significant increase in glycoproteins of Mr ranging from 70 kDa to 150 kDa on thioglycolate-elicited M phi. Increased reactivity of PWM to thioglycolate-elicited M phi was observed by direct binding of 125I-labeled Pa-4 to intact or glutaraldehyde-fixed M phi. Histochemical staining of formaldehyde-fixed M phi in vitro with biotinylated Pa-4 was consistent with the gel analysis, that is, resident M phi had no reactivity while thioglycolate-elicited M phi showed slight reactivity. Alveolar and intratumoral M phi bound more Pa-4 than resident or thioglycolate-elicited M phi. The PWM isolectin may therefore serve as a marker for an early stage of M phi activation.

Le fort I osteotomy approach for advanced nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracranial extension: Report of a case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

"Naraghi M

2002-08-01

Full Text Available Angiofibromas are the most common benign tumors of the nasopharynx, Intracranial extension has been reported in approximately 20-25% of cases. Intracranial extension may be difficult to treat because of poor exposure that may lead to recurrence. A 16-year-old male patient presented with a 6-month history of nasal obstruction, intermittent epistaxis, right superior orbital fissure syndrome, and proptosis. Imaging studies revealed a large right sinonasal mass with significant intracranial and infratemporal extensions. The tumor was resected by Le fort I technique because of dissatisfaction with other approaches. Postoperative period was uneventful and follow-up visits showed marked improvement in proptosis and ophthalmologic symptoms, without the evidence of tumor recurrence. Commonly used to treat facial deformities. The Le Fort I osteotomy with down fracturing of the entire palate has been adopted as a surgical option in the management of some angiofibromas. Compared with other popular techniques, it provides excellent exposure for angiofibromas. The merits and limitations of this approach as well as its details are discussed.

Extensive utilization of training reactor VR-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karel, Matejka; Lubomir, Sklenka

2005-01-01

This paper describes one of the main purposes of the VR-1 training reactor utilisation - i.e. extensive educational programme. The educational programme is intended for the training of university students (all technical universities in Czech Republic) and selected nuclear power plant personnel. At the present, students can go through more than 20 different experimental exercises. An attractive programme including demonstration of reactor operation is prepared also for high school students. Moreover, research and development works and information programmes proceed at the VR-1 reactor as well

Extensive geographical and social structure in the paternal lineages of Saudi Arabia revealed by analysis of 27 Y-STRs.

Science.gov (United States)

Khubrani, Yahya M; Wetton, Jon H; Jobling, Mark A

2018-03-01

Saudi Arabia's indigenous population is organized into patrilineal descent groups, but to date, little has been done to characterize its population structure, in particular with respect to the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. We have used the 27-STR Yfiler ® Plus kit to generate haplotypes in 597 unrelated Saudi males, classified into five geographical regions (North, South, Central, East and West). Overall, Yfiler ® Plus provides a good discrimination capacity of 95.3%, but this is greatly reduced (74.7%) when considering the reduced Yfiler ® set of 17 Y-STRs, justifying the use of the expanded set of markers in this population. Comparison of the five geographical divisions reveals striking differences, with low diversity and similar haplotype spectra in the Central and Northern regions, and high diversity and similar haplotype spectra in the East and West. These patterns likely reflect the geographical isolation of the desert heartland of the peninsula, and the proximity to the sea of the Eastern and Western areas, and consequent historical immigration. We predicted haplogroups from Y-STR haplotypes, testing the performance of prediction by using a large independent set of Saudi Arabian Y-STR + Y-SNP data. Prediction indicated predominance (71%) of haplogroup J1, which was significantly more common in Central, Northern and Southern groups than in East and West, and formed a star-like expansion cluster in a median-joining network with an estimated age of ∼2800 years. Most of our 597 participants were sampled within Saudi Arabia itself, but ∼16% were sampled in the UK. Despite matching these two groups by home sub-region, we observed significant differences in haplotype and predicted haplogroup constitutions overall, and for most sub-regions individually. This suggests social structure influencing the probability of leaving Saudi Arabia, correlated with different Y-chromosome compositions. The UK-recruited sample is an inappropriate proxy for

Influence of a Double-Lumen Extension Tube on Drug Delivery: Examples of Isosorbide Dinitrate and Diazepam.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurélie Maiguy-Foinard

Full Text Available Plastic materials such as polyurethane (PUR, polyethylene (PE, polypropylene (PP and polyvinyl chloride (PVC are widely used in double-lumen extension tubing. The purposes of our study were to 1 compare in vitro drug delivery through the double extension tubes available on the market 2 assess the plastic properties of PUR in infusion devices and their impact on drug delivery.The study compared eight double-lumen extension tubes in PUR, co-extruded (PE/PVC plastic and plasticised PVC from different manufacturers. Isosorbide dinitrate and diazepam were used as model compounds to evaluate their sorption on the internal surface of the infusion device. Control experiments were performed using norepinephrine known not to absorb to plastics. Drug concentrations delivered at the egress of extension tubes were determined over time by an analytical spectrophotometric UV-Vis method. The main characteristics of plastics were also determined.Significant differences in the sorption phenomenon were observed among the eight double-lumen extension tubes and between pairs of extension tubes. Mean concentrations of isosorbide dinitrate delivered at the egress of double-lumen extension tubes after a 150-minute infusion (mean values ± standard deviation in percentage of the initial concentrations in the prepared syringes ranged between 80.53 ± 1.66 (one of the PUR tubes and 92.84 ± 2.73 (PE/PVC tube. The same parameters measured during diazepam infusion ranged between 48.58 ± 2.88 (one of the PUR tubes and 85.06 ± 3.94 (PE/PVC tube. The double-lumen extension tubes in PUR were either thermosetting (resin or thermoplastic according to reference.Clinicians must be aware of potential drug interactions with extension tube materials and so must consider their nature as well as the sterilisation method used before selecting an infusion device.

Fine-scale genetic structure and cryptic associations reveal evidence of kin-based sociality in the African forest elephant.

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Schuttler, Stephanie G; Philbrick, Jessica A; Jeffery, Kathryn J; Eggert, Lori S

2014-01-01

Spatial patterns of relatedness within animal populations are important in the evolution of mating and social systems, and have the potential to reveal information on species that are difficult to observe in the wild. This study examines the fine-scale genetic structure and connectivity of groups within African forest elephants, Loxodonta cyclotis, which are often difficult to observe due to forest habitat. We tested the hypothesis that genetic similarity will decline with increasing geographic distance, as we expect kin to be in closer proximity, using spatial autocorrelation analyses and Tau K(r) tests. Associations between individuals were investigated through a non-invasive genetic capture-recapture approach using network models, and were predicted to be more extensive than the small groups found in observational studies, similar to fission-fusion sociality found in African savanna (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) species. Dung samples were collected in Lopé National Park, Gabon in 2008 and 2010 and genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci, genetically sexed, and sequenced at the mitochondrial DNA control region. We conducted analyses on samples collected at three different temporal scales: a day, within six-day sampling sessions, and within each year. Spatial autocorrelation and Tau K(r) tests revealed genetic structure, but results were weak and inconsistent between sampling sessions. Positive spatial autocorrelation was found in distance classes of 0-5 km, and was strongest for the single day session. Despite weak genetic structure, individuals within groups were significantly more related to each other than to individuals between groups. Social networks revealed some components to have large, extensive groups of up to 22 individuals, and most groups were composed of individuals of the same matriline. Although fine-scale population genetic structure was weak, forest elephants are typically found in groups consisting of kin and based on matrilines

Expanding Agricultural and Rural Extension Roles for Sustainable ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Expanding Agricultural and Rural Extension Roles for Sustainable Extension ... privatization of the public sector of national economies of developing nations has ... include marketing extension, non-farm rural micro enterprise development, ...

DNA polymorphisms revealed by the RAPD technique show differences between radionuclide-contaminated and uncontaminated mosquitofish populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theodorakis, C.W.; Shugart, L.R.

1993-01-01

In 1977, approximately 250 Mosquitofish (Gambusia affines) were transplanted from a relatively uncontaminated site into a small pond on the Oak Ridge Reservation that is heavily contaminated with radionuclides. DNA polymorphisms, using the RAPD technique, were examined in order to determine if any genetic differentiation had occurred between the two populations. Also, fish from another radionuclide-contaminated population (White Oak Lake) and two unrelated non-contaminated populations were also examined. The RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) technique uses the polymerase chain reaction with a short oligonucleotide primer to produce DNA fragments of various lengths. When analyzed by gel electrophoresis, these fragments form banding patterns similar to DNA fingerprints. A total of 26 primers were used to produce DNA band patterns, many of which revealed population differences. In addition several primers revealed banding patterns which differentiated between the Crystal Springs and Pond 3513 populations. Furthermore, bands found at high frequency in Pond 3513 and White Oak Lake populations were absent or present at a lower frequency in the non-contaminated populations. For some primers, the contaminated populations showed more DNA bands per individual, and fish with more bands had fewer DNA strand breaks than the fish with fewer bands. These data will be discussed with relation to biomonitoring programs and evolution of resistance to genotoxins in natural populations

Extensive cortical rewiring after brain injury.

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Dancause, Numa; Barbay, Scott; Frost, Shawn B; Plautz, Erik J; Chen, Daofen; Zoubina, Elena V; Stowe, Ann M; Nudo, Randolph J

2005-11-02

Previously, we showed that the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) underwent neurophysiological remodeling after injury to the primary motor cortex (M1). In the present study, we examined cortical connections of PMv after such lesions. The neuroanatomical tract tracer biotinylated dextran amine was injected into the PMv hand area at least 5 months after ischemic injury to the M1 hand area. Comparison of labeling patterns between experimental and control animals demonstrated extensive proliferation of novel PMv terminal fields and the appearance of retrogradely labeled cell bodies within area 1/2 of the primary somatosensory cortex after M1 injury. Furthermore, evidence was found for alterations in the trajectory of PMv intracortical axons near the site of the lesion. The results suggest that M1 injury results in axonal sprouting near the ischemic injury and the establishment of novel connections within a distant target. These results support the hypothesis that, after a cortical injury, such as occurs after stroke, cortical areas distant from the injury undergo major neuroanatomical reorganization. Our results reveal an extraordinary anatomical rewiring capacity in the adult CNS after injury that may potentially play a role in recovery.

Cultivation-independent methods reveal differences among bacterial gut microbiota in triatomine vectors of Chagas disease.

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Fabio Faria da Mota

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chagas disease is a trypanosomiasis whose agent is the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans by hematophagous bugs known as triatomines. Even though insecticide treatments allow effective control of these bugs in most Latin American countries where Chagas disease is endemic, the disease still affects a large proportion of the population of South America. The features of the disease in humans have been extensively studied, and the genome of the parasite has been sequenced, but no effective drug is yet available to treat Chagas disease. The digestive tract of the insect vectors in which T. cruzi develops has been much less well investigated than blood from its human hosts and constitutes a dynamic environment with very different conditions. Thus, we investigated the composition of the predominant bacterial species of the microbiota in insect vectors from Rhodnius, Triatoma, Panstrongylus and Dipetalogaster genera. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Microbiota of triatomine guts were investigated using cultivation-independent methods, i.e., phylogenetic analysis of 16s rDNA using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE and cloned-based sequencing. The Chao index showed that the diversity of bacterial species in triatomine guts is low, comprising fewer than 20 predominant species, and that these species vary between insect species. The analyses showed that Serratia predominates in Rhodnius, Arsenophonus predominates in Triatoma and Panstrongylus, while Candidatus Rohrkolberia predominates in Dipetalogaster. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The microbiota of triatomine guts represents one of the factors that may interfere with T. cruzi transmission and virulence in humans. The knowledge of its composition according to insect species is important for designing measures of biological control for T. cruzi. We found that the predominant species of the bacterial microbiota in triatomines form a group of low

Cultivation-independent methods reveal differences among bacterial gut microbiota in triatomine vectors of Chagas disease.

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da Mota, Fabio Faria; Marinho, Lourena Pinheiro; Moreira, Carlos José de Carvalho; Lima, Marli Maria; Mello, Cícero Brasileiro; Garcia, Eloi Souza; Carels, Nicolas; Azambuja, Patricia

2012-01-01

Chagas disease is a trypanosomiasis whose agent is the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans by hematophagous bugs known as triatomines. Even though insecticide treatments allow effective control of these bugs in most Latin American countries where Chagas disease is endemic, the disease still affects a large proportion of the population of South America. The features of the disease in humans have been extensively studied, and the genome of the parasite has been sequenced, but no effective drug is yet available to treat Chagas disease. The digestive tract of the insect vectors in which T. cruzi develops has been much less well investigated than blood from its human hosts and constitutes a dynamic environment with very different conditions. Thus, we investigated the composition of the predominant bacterial species of the microbiota in insect vectors from Rhodnius, Triatoma, Panstrongylus and Dipetalogaster genera. Microbiota of triatomine guts were investigated using cultivation-independent methods, i.e., phylogenetic analysis of 16s rDNA using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and cloned-based sequencing. The Chao index showed that the diversity of bacterial species in triatomine guts is low, comprising fewer than 20 predominant species, and that these species vary between insect species. The analyses showed that Serratia predominates in Rhodnius, Arsenophonus predominates in Triatoma and Panstrongylus, while Candidatus Rohrkolberia predominates in Dipetalogaster. The microbiota of triatomine guts represents one of the factors that may interfere with T. cruzi transmission and virulence in humans. The knowledge of its composition according to insect species is important for designing measures of biological control for T. cruzi. We found that the predominant species of the bacterial microbiota in triatomines form a group of low complexity whose structure differs according to the vector genus.

Biodiversity among Lactobacillus helveticus Strains Isolated from Different Natural Whey Starter Cultures as Revealed by Classification Trees

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Gatti, Monica; Trivisano, Carlo; Fabrizi, Enrico; Neviani, Erasmo; Gardini, Fausto

2004-01-01

Lactobacillus helveticus is a homofermentative thermophilic lactic acid bacterium used extensively for manufacturing Swiss type and aged Italian cheese. In this study, the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of strains isolated from different natural dairy starter cultures used for Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Provolone cheeses was investigated by a classification tree technique. A data set was used that consists of 119 L. helveticus strains, each of which was studied for its physiological characters, as well as surface protein profiles and hybridization with a species-specific DNA probe. The methodology employed in this work allowed the strains to be grouped into terminal nodes without difficult and subjective interpretation. In particular, good discrimination was obtained between L. helveticus strains isolated, respectively, from Grana Padano and from Provolone natural whey starter cultures. The method used in this work allowed identification of the main characteristics that permit discrimination of biotypes. In order to understand what kind of genes could code for phenotypes of technological relevance, evidence that specific DNA sequences are present only in particular biotypes may be of great interest. PMID:14711641

Extra-Anatomic Revascularization of Extensive Coral Reef Aorta.

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Gaggiano, Andrea; Kasemi, Holta; Monti, Andrea; Laurito, Antonella; Maselli, Mauro; Manzo, Paola; Quaglino, Simone; Tavolini, Valeria

2017-10-01

Coral reef aorta (CRA) is a rare, potential lethal disease of the visceral aorta as it can cause visceral and renal infarction. Various surgical approaches have been proposed for the CRA treatment. The purpose of this article is to report different extensive extra-anatomic CRA treatment modalities tailored on the patients' clinical and anatomic presentation. From April 2006 to October 2012, 4 symptomatic patients with extensive CRA were treated at our department. Extra-anatomic aortic revascularization with selective visceral vessels clamping was performed in all cases. Technical success was 100%. No perioperative death was registered. All patients remained asymptomatic during the follow-up period (62, 49, 25, and 94 months, respectively), with bypasses and target vessels patency. The extra-anatomic bypass with selective visceral vessels clamping reduces the aortic occlusion time and the risk of organ ischemia. All approaches available should be considered on a case-by-case basis and in high-volume centers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extensions of the standard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramond, P.

1983-01-01

In these lectures we focus on several issues that arise in theoretical extensions of the standard model. First we describe the kinds of fermions that can be added to the standard model without affecting known phenomenology. We focus in particular on three types: the vector-like completion of the existing fermions as would be predicted by a Kaluza-Klein type theory, which we find cannot be realistically achieved without some chiral symmetry; fermions which are vector-like by themselves, such as do appear in supersymmetric extensions, and finally anomaly-free chiral sets of fermions. We note that a chiral symmetry, such as the Peccei-Quinn symmetry can be used to produce a vector-like theory which, at scales less than M/sub W/, appears to be chiral. Next, we turn to the analysis of the second hierarchy problem which arises in Grand Unified extensions of the standard model, and plays a crucial role in proton decay of supersymmetric extensions. We review the known mechanisms for avoiding this problem and present a new one which seems to lead to the (family) triplication of the gauge group. Finally, this being a summer school, we present a list of homework problems. 44 references

In-situ metallography for damage assessment and life extension in power plants- a few case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghu, N.; Muralidharan, N.G.; Jayakumar, T.; Kasiviswanathan, K.V.

1996-01-01

In-service inspection of components in power plants is necessary for damage assessment, life prediction and extension. The useful life of some of the components like pipelines are most crucial in case they are exposed to the conditions of high temperature and pressure. Periodic inservice inspection by means of non-destructive testing to obtain information on damage assessment is carried out as a routine and mandatory procedure. During these inspections, only reduction in localised and uniform wall thickness are measured. However, the microstructural degradation due to both normal and abnormal temperatures occurring conditions are not revealed by conventional non-destructive test methods during this routine inspection. For life prediction and extension programme, the information on microstructural degradation is essential and the same can be studies in an effective manner through in-situ metallography technique. (author)

Cytogenetical and morphological features reveal significant differences among Venezuelan and Brazilian samples of Mugil curema (Teleostei: Mugilidae

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Mauro Nirchio

Full Text Available Karyotype of M. curema from the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil have been reported as possessing chromosome complement with 2n=28 and FN=48, whereas specimens from Venezuela has been reported as possessing a diploid number 2n=24 and a conserved FN (48. Although at first sight this variation suggests the presence of a chromosomal intraspecific (interpopulational variability, the possibility that we are dealing with two different species was examined. This work revisit the karyotypes of M. curema from Venezuela and Brazil, including new data on C-banding, and NOR localization, and compares morphologic characteristics of samples from both localities. Thus, besides diploid number, the constitutive heterochromatin distribution and NORs location, mark other differences between M. curema Cytotype 1 (2n=28; FN=48 and Cytotype 2 (2n=24; NF=48. Moreover, morphologic comparison revealed differences in the scale counts and pectoral fin rays: 35 scales in the middle body line and 15 pectoral fin rays in specimens possessing the karyotype 2n=28, compared with 37-39 scales in the middle body line and 17 pectoral fin rays in specimens with the karyotype 2n=24. These differences lead us to suggest that both cytotypes are not related merely to geographic polytipic variations but could correspond to different species.

Extension versus Bending for Continuum Robots

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George Grimes

2008-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we analyze the capabilities of a novel class of continuous-backbone ("continuum" robots. These robots are inspired by biological "trunks, and tentacles". However, the capabilities of established continuum robot designs, which feature controlled bending but not extension, fall short of those of their biological counterparts. In this paper, we argue that the addition of controlled extension provides dual and complementary functionality, and correspondingly enhanced performance, in continuum robots. We present an interval-based analysis to show how the inclusion of controllable extension significantly enhances the workspace and capabilities of continuum robots.

Android Access Control Extension

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Anton Baláž

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this work is to analyze and extend security model of mobile devices running on Android OS. Provided security extension is a Linux kernel security module that allows the system administrator to restrict program's capabilities with per-program profiles. Profiles can allow capabilities like network access, raw socket access, and the permission to read, write, or execute files on matching paths. Module supplements the traditional Android capability access control model by providing mandatory access control (MAC based on path. This extension increases security of access to system objects in a device and allows creating security sandboxes per application.

Experimental evolution reveals differences between phenotypic and evolutionary responses to population density.

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McNamara, K B; Simmons, L W

2017-09-01

Group living can select for increased immunity, given the heightened risk of parasite transmission. Yet, it also may select for increased male reproductive investment, given the elevated risk of female multiple mating. Trade-offs between immunity and reproduction are well documented. Phenotypically, population density mediates both reproductive investment and immune function in the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella. However, the evolutionary response of populations to these traits is unknown. We created two replicated populations of P. interpunctella, reared and mated for 14 generations under high or low population densities. These population densities cause plastic responses in immunity and reproduction: at higher numbers, both sexes invest more in one index of immunity [phenoloxidase (PO) activity] and males invest more in sperm. Interestingly, our data revealed divergence in PO and reproduction in a different direction to previously reported phenotypic responses. Males evolving at low population densities transferred more sperm, and both males and females displayed higher PO than individuals at high population densities. These positively correlated responses to selection suggest no apparent evolutionary trade-off between immunity and reproduction. We speculate that the reduced PO activity and sperm investment when evolving under high population density may be due to the reduced population fitness predicted under increased sexual conflict and/or to trade-offs between pre- and post-copulatory traits. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Integrated Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease and Schizophrenia Dataset Revealed Different Expression Pattern in Learning and Memory.

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Li, Wen-Xing; Dai, Shao-Xing; Liu, Jia-Qian; Wang, Qian; Li, Gong-Hua; Huang, Jing-Fei

2016-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are both accompanied by impaired learning and memory functions. This study aims to explore the expression profiles of learning or memory genes between AD and SZ. We downloaded 10 AD and 10 SZ datasets from GEO-NCBI for integrated analysis. These datasets were processed using RMA algorithm and a global renormalization for all studies. Then Empirical Bayes algorithm was used to find the differentially expressed genes between patients and controls. The results showed that most of the differentially expressed genes were related to AD whereas the gene expression profile was little affected in the SZ. Furthermore, in the aspects of the number of differentially expressed genes, the fold change and the brain region, there was a great difference in the expression of learning or memory related genes between AD and SZ. In AD, the CALB1, GABRA5, and TAC1 were significantly downregulated in whole brain, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and hippocampus. However, in SZ, only two genes CRHBP and CX3CR1 were downregulated in hippocampus, and other brain regions were not affected. The effect of these genes on learning or memory impairment has been widely studied. It was suggested that these genes may play a crucial role in AD or SZ pathogenesis. The different gene expression patterns between AD and SZ on learning and memory functions in different brain regions revealed in our study may help to understand the different mechanism between two diseases.

DNA entropy reveals a significant difference in complexity between housekeeping and tissue specific gene promoters.

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Thomas, David; Finan, Chris; Newport, Melanie J; Jones, Susan

2015-10-01

The complexity of DNA can be quantified using estimates of entropy. Variation in DNA complexity is expected between the promoters of genes with different transcriptional mechanisms; namely housekeeping (HK) and tissue specific (TS). The former are transcribed constitutively to maintain general cellular functions, and the latter are transcribed in restricted tissue and cells types for specific molecular events. It is known that promoter features in the human genome are related to tissue specificity, but this has been difficult to quantify on a genomic scale. If entropy effectively quantifies DNA complexity, calculating the entropies of HK and TS gene promoters as profiles may reveal significant differences. Entropy profiles were calculated for a total dataset of 12,003 human gene promoters and for 501 housekeeping (HK) and 587 tissue specific (TS) human gene promoters. The mean profiles show the TS promoters have a significantly lower entropy (pentropy distributions for the 3 datasets show that promoter entropies could be used to identify novel HK genes. Functional features comprise DNA sequence patterns that are non-random and hence they have lower entropies. The lower entropy of TS gene promoters can be explained by a higher density of positive and negative regulatory elements, required for genes with complex spatial and temporary expression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LC–MS Proteomics Analysis of the Insulin/IGF-1-Deficient Caenorhabditis elegans daf-2(e1370) Mutant Reveals Extensive Restructuring of Intermediary Metabolism

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Depuydt, Geert; Xie, Fang; Petyuk, Vladislav A.; Smolders, Arne; Brewer, Heather M.; Camp, David G.; Smith, Richard D.; Braeckman, Bart P.

2014-04-04

The insulin/IGF-1 receptor is a major known determinant of dauer formation, stress resistance, longevity, and metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans. In the past, whole-genome transcript profiling was used extensively to study differential gene expression in response to reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling, including the expression levels of metabolism-associated genes. Taking advantage of the recent developments in quantitative liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS)-based proteomics, we profiled the proteomic changes that occur in response to activation of the DAF-16 transcription factor in the germline-less glp-4(bn2);daf-2(e1370) receptor mutant. Strikingly, the daf-2 profile suggests extensive reorganization of intermediary metabolism, characterized by the upregulation of many core intermediary metabolic pathways. These include glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, glycogenesis, pentose phosphate cycle, citric acid cycle, glyoxylate shunt, fatty acid β-oxidation, one-carbon metabolism, propionate and tyrosine catabolism, and complexes I, II, III, and V of the electron transport chain. Interestingly, we found simultaneous activation of reciprocally regulated metabolic pathways, which is indicative of spatiotemporal coordination of energy metabolism and/or extensive post-translational regulation of these enzymes. Finally, this restructuring of daf-2 metabolism is reminiscent to that of hypometabolic dauers, allowing the efficient and economical utilization of internal nutrient reserves and possibly also shunting metabolites through alternative energy-generating pathways to sustain longevity.

Extension of adrenocortical carcinoma into the right atrium – echocardiographic diagnosis: A case report

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Rozenman Yoseph

2003-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare, highly malignant tumor. Cardiac involvement of the tumor is very rare. Echocardiography facilitates the evaluation of the cardiac involvement of the tumor. Case Presentation We describe a patient with an adrenal tumor. Transthoracic echo showed its extension into the right atrium. Accordingly, a combined abdominal and cardiac operation was performed, monitored by transesophageal echocardiography. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of echocardiography in revealing the cardiac involvement by this tumor and in planning the operative procedure.

Perceptions of 4-H Extension Educators and Volunteer Leaders toward the Inclusion of Youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder(s in 4-H Programs

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Chido Mpofu

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The challenges, attitudes, training and support systems needed by 4-H extension educators and volunteer leaders in order to successfully and effectively include youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD in their programs are discussed within this article. Data were collected from extension educators and volunteer leaders in a Northeastern state. The results revealed that 4-H extension educators and volunteer leaders are not adequately trained to include youth with ADHD despite the fact that they may have one or two children with these symptoms in their clubs. For inclusion to be meaningful for youth with ADHD we recommend training for extension educators and volunteer leaders on characteristics of ADHD, its implication for youth involvement as well as techniques/ways of meeting the learning styles of youth with ADHD.

DOES BRAND EXTENSION IMPACT PARENT BRAND: A CASE OF JOHNSON, UK

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Muhammad Shakil AHMAD

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose of study: The main purpose of this study is to check the impact ofbrand extensions on brand image. For this purpose Johnson is selected asparent brand for current research. The targeted brand extensions areJohnson shampoo, Johnson’s isotonic drinks, Johnson’s sports wear andJohnson’s suntan lotion. Research Methodology: sample was selected fromBradford, UK. Sample consists of graduate students including males as wellas female. Total sample size is 60 and data was collected through selfadministered questionnaires. For each brand 15 respondents were selected.Convenient sampling was selected as sampling technique. Results: Resultsshow that Johnson’s have high brand awareness and perceived quality.While there is negative correlation results for brand fit on brand image forthose product extensions which are not in same brand category i.e.Johnson’s sportswear and Johnson’s isotonic drinks. Conclusion: It isconcluded from study results that launching new product in same parentbrand category have high chance of success while in different category isrisk.

Open-label extension studies: do they provide meaningful information on the safety of new drugs?

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Day, Richard O; Williams, Kenneth M

2007-01-01

The number of open-label extension studies being performed has increased enormously in recent years. Often it is difficult to differentiate between these extension studies and the double-blind, controlled studies that preceded them. If undertaken primarily to gather more patient-years of exposure to the new drug in order to understand and gain confidence in its safety profile, open-label extension studies can play a useful and legitimate role in drug development and therapeutics. However, this can only occur if the open-label extension study is designed, executed, analysed and reported competently. Most of the value accrued in open-label extension studies is gained from a refinement in the perception of the expected incidence of adverse effects that have most likely already been identified as part of the preclinical and clinical trial programme. We still have to rely heavily on post-marketing safety surveillance systems to alert us to type B (unpredictable) adverse reactions because open-label extension studies are unlikely to provide useful information about these types of often serious and relatively rare adverse reactions. Random allocation into test and control groups is needed to produce precise incidence data on pharmacologically expected, or type A, adverse effects. Some increased confidence about incidence rates might result from the open-label extension study; however, as these studies are essentially uncontrolled and biased, the data are not of great value. Other benefits have been proposed to be gained from open-label extension studies. These include ongoing access to an effective but otherwise unobtainable medicine by the volunteers who participated in the phase III pivotal trials. However, there are unappreciated ethical issues about the appropriateness of enrolling patients whose response to previous treatment is uncertain, largely because treatment allocation in the preceding randomised, double-blind, controlled trial has not been revealed at the

Portfolio selection problem with liquidity constraints under non-extensive statistical mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Pan; Xiao, Qingxian

2016-01-01

In this study, we consider the optimal portfolio selection problem with liquidity limits. A portfolio selection model is proposed in which the risky asset price is driven by the process based on non-extensive statistical mechanics instead of the classic Wiener process. Using dynamic programming and Lagrange multiplier methods, we obtain the optimal policy and value function. Moreover, the numerical results indicate that this model is considerably different from the model based on the classic Wiener process, the optimal strategy is affected by the non-extensive parameter q, the increase in the investment in the risky asset is faster at a larger parameter q and the increase in wealth is similar.

Correction: Comparative analysis of fungal genomes reveals different plant cell wall degrading capacity in fungi

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Abstract The version of this article published in BMC Genomics 2013, 14: 274, contains 9 unpublished genomes (Botryobasidium botryosum, Gymnopus luxurians, Hypholoma sublateritium, Jaapia argillacea, Hebeloma cylindrosporum, Conidiobolus coronatus, Laccaria amethystina, Paxillus involutus, and P. rubicundulus) downloaded from JGI website. In this correction, we removed these genomes after discussion with editors and data producers whom we should have contacted before downloading these genomes. Removing these data did not alter the principle results and conclusions of our original work. The relevant Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6; and Table 1 have been revised. Additional files 1, 3, 4, and 5 were also revised. We would like to apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused. Background Fungi produce a variety of carbohydrate activity enzymes (CAZymes) for the degradation of plant polysaccharide materials to facilitate infection and/or gain nutrition. Identifying and comparing CAZymes from fungi with different nutritional modes or infection mechanisms may provide information for better understanding of their life styles and infection models. To date, over hundreds of fungal genomes are publicly available. However, a systematic comparative analysis of fungal CAZymes across the entire fungal kingdom has not been reported. Results In this study, we systemically identified glycoside hydrolases (GHs), polysaccharide lyases (PLs), carbohydrate esterases (CEs), and glycosyltransferases (GTs) as well as carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) in the predicted proteomes of 94 representative fungi from Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota. Comparative analysis of these CAZymes that play major roles in plant polysaccharide degradation revealed that fungi exhibit tremendous diversity in the number and variety of CAZymes. Among them, some families of GHs and CEs are the most prevalent CAZymes that are distributed in all of the fungi analyzed

Extension Learners' Use of Electronic Technology

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Guenthner, Joseph F.; Swan, Benjamin G.

2011-01-01

Extension clientele use electronic technology for entertainment, communication, and business. Educational programs that use electronic technology can enhance learning. To learn more about use of electronic technology among Extension clientele, we surveyed 80 university students and 135 potato farmers. We found that the farmers were likely to use…

Incision extension is the optimal method of difficult gallbladder extraction at laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

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Bordelon, B M; Hobday, K A; Hunter, J G

1992-01-01

An unsolved problem of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the optimal method of removing the gallbladder with thick walls and a large stone burden. Proposed solutions include fascial dilatation, stone crushing, and ultrasonic, high-speed rotary, or laser lithotripsy. Our observation was that extension of the fascial incision to remove the impacted gallbladder was time efficient and did not increase postoperative pain. We reviewed the narcotic requirements of 107 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Fifty-two patients required extension of the umbilical incision, and 55 patients did not have their fascial incision enlarged. Parenteral meperidine use was 39.5 +/- 63.6 mg in the patients requiring fascial incision extension and 66.3 +/- 79.2 mg in those not requiring fascial incision extension (mean +/- standard deviation). Oral narcotic requirements were 1.1 +/- 1.5 doses vs 1.3 +/- 1.7 doses in patients with and without incision extension, respectively. The wide range of narcotic use in both groups makes these apparent differences not statistically significant. We conclude that protracted attempts at stone crushing or expensive stone fragmentation devices are unnecessary for the extraction of a difficult gallbladder during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Extensive management of field margins enhances their potential for off-site soil erosion mitigation.

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Ali, Hamada E; Reineking, Björn

2016-03-15

Soil erosion is a widespread problem in agricultural landscapes, particularly in regions with strong rainfall events. Vegetated field margins can mitigate negative impacts of soil erosion off-site by trapping eroded material. Here we analyse how local management affects the trapping capacity of field margins in a monsoon region of South Korea, contrasting intensively and extensively managed field margins on both steep and shallow slopes. Prior to the beginning of monsoon season, we equipped a total of 12 sites representing three replicates for each of four different types of field margins ("intensive managed flat", "intensive managed steep", "extensive managed flat" and "extensive managed steep") with Astroturf mats. The mats (n = 15/site) were placed before, within and after the field margin. Sediment was collected after each rain event until the end of the monsoon season. The effect of management and slope on sediment trapping was analysed using linear mixed effects models, using as response variable either the sediment collected within the field margin or the difference in sediment collected after and before the field margin. There was no difference in the amount of sediment reaching the different field margin types. In contrast, extensively managed field margins showed a large reduction in collected sediment before and after the field margins. This effect was pronounced in steep field margins, and increased with the size of rainfall events. We conclude that a field margin management promoting a dense vegetation cover is a key to mitigating negative off-site effects of soil erosion in monsoon regions, particularly in field margins with steep slopes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extension of the renormalizability criterion to the case of arbitrary unperturbed Lagrangian

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grozin, A.G.

1979-01-01

Extension of the renormalizability criterium of the perturbation theory is generalized in the case, when an unperturbed lagrangian is not a lagrangian of free fields L 0 . The derivating functional of the Green function, written in the form of a function integral is disintegrated by the perturbed lagrangian L 1 when building the perturbation theory. Described are ultraviolet divergences and possibilities of their elimination in eucledian space. The criterion permits to state extension renormalizability of the perturbation theory for eVery point L 0 and the direction L 1 assigned in this point in linear space of different lagrangians. According to the Weinberg theorem the grade asymptotics of Green functions is not changed at slight shift from the initial point in the supernormalized direction. For any point and any direction the extension of the perturbation theory is supernormalized in this space

NDE and plant life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, S.N.; Ammirato, F.V.; Nottingham, L.D.

1991-01-01

Component life extension is the process of making run-repair-replace decisions for plant components and includes a thorough analysis of the capability of the component to perform throughout the projected lifetime. For many critical plant components, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is essential in determining whether the component can be operated safely and economically in the extended life period and to help utilities determine safe and economic inspection intervals. NDE technology is required for not only detecting defects that could grow to a size of concern during extended lifetimes, but also will be called upon to measure and monitor accumulating material degradation that strongly affects component reliability. This paper discusses the role of NDE in life extension by reviewing three examples--a reactor pressure vessel, steam turbine-generator rotors, and generator retaining rings. In each example, the contribution of NDE to life extension decisions is described. (author)

Influence of hamstring muscles extensibility on spinal curvatures and pelvic tilt in highly trained cyclists.

Science.gov (United States)

Muyor, José M; Alacid, Fernando; López-Miñarro, Pedro A

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of hamstring muscles extensibility in standing, maximal trunk flexion with knees extended and on the bicycle in lower handlebar-hands position of highly trained cyclists. Ninety-six cyclists were recruited for the study (mean ± SD, age: 30.36 ± 5.98 years). Sagittal spinal curvatures and pelvic tilt were measured in the standing position, maximal trunk flexion with knees extended (sit-and-reach test) and while sitting on a bicycle in lower handlebar-hand position using a Spinal Mouse system. Hamstring muscles extensibility was determined in both legs by passive straight leg raise test (PSLR). The sample was divided into three groups according to PSLR angle: (1) reduced extensibility (PSLR hamstring extensibility group (PSLR = 80º - 90º; n = 35), and (3) high hamstring extensibility (PSLR = > 90º; n = 31). ANOVA analysis showed significant differences among groups for thoracic (p hamstring muscles extensibility influence the thoracic and pelvic postures when maximal trunk flexion with knees extended is performed, but not when cyclists are seated on their bicycles.

Revealing the structure of the world airline network

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, T.; Araújo, N. A. M.; Herrmann, H. J.

2014-07-01

Resilience of most critical infrastructures against failure of elements that appear insignificant is usually taken for granted. The World Airline Network (WAN) is an infrastructure that reduces the geographical gap between societies, both small and large, and brings forth economic gains. With the extensive use of a publicly maintained data set that contains information about airports and alternative connections between these airports, we empirically reveal that the WAN is a redundant and resilient network for long distance air travel, but otherwise breaks down completely due to removal of short and apparently insignificant connections. These short range connections with moderate number of passengers and alternate flights are the connections that keep remote parts of the world accessible. It is surprising, insofar as there exists a highly resilient and strongly connected core consisting of a small fraction of airports (around 2.3%) together with an extremely fragile star-like periphery. Yet, in spite of their relevance, more than 90% of the world airports are still interconnected upon removal of this core. With standard and unconventional removal measures we compare both empirical and topological perceptions for the fragmentation of the world. We identify how the WAN is organized into different classes of clusters based on the physical proximity of airports and analyze the consequence of this fragmentation.

Extensive expansion of A1 family aspartic proteinases in fungi revealed by evolutionary analyses of 107 complete eukaryotic proteomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Revuelta, M.V.; Kan, van J.A.L.; Kay, J.; Have, ten A.

2014-01-01

The A1 family of eukaryotic aspartic proteinases (APs) forms one of the 16 AP families. Although one of the best characterized families, the recent increase in genome sequence data has revealed many fungal AP homologs with novel sequence characteristics. This study was performed to explore the

Hamstring Muscle Use in Females During Hip-Extension and the Nordic Hamstring Exercise: An fMRI Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Messer, Daniel J; Bourne, Matthew N; Williams, Morgan D; Al Najjar, Aiman; Shield, Anthony J

2018-04-23

Study Design Cross-sectional study. Background Understanding hamstring muscle activation patterns in resistance training exercises may have implications for the design of strength training and injury prevention programs. Unfortunately, surface electromyography studies have reported conflicting results with regard to hamstring muscle activation patterns in women. Objectives To determine the spatial patterns of hamstring muscle activity during the 45º hip-extension and Nordic hamstring exercises, in females using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Methods Six recreationally active females with no history of lower limb injury underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on both thighs before and immediately after 5 sets of 6 bilateral eccentric contractions of the 45º hip-extension or Nordic exercises. Using fMRI, the transverse (T2) relaxation times were measured from pre- and post- exercise scans and the percentage increase in T2 was used as an index of muscle activation. Results fMRI revealed a significantly higher biceps femoris long head (BF LongHead ) to semitendinosus ratio during the 45° hip-extension than the Nordic exercise (P = .028). The T2 increase after 45° hip-extension was greater for BF LongHead (P Nordic exercise, the T2 increase for semitendinosus was greater than that of BF ShortHead (P Nordic exercise preferentially recruits that muscle while the hip extension more evenly activates all of the biarticular hamstrings. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 23 Apr 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7748.

Commerce, Research and Education: Contributions and Challenges of Marine Extension Work in NOAA Sea Grant Program-Puerto Rico, Michigan and National office

Science.gov (United States)

Aleman Diaz, A.

2006-12-01

The National Sea Grant program represents NOAA's nationwide university-based program in support of coastal resource use and conservation. This program is composed of 30 university-based programs that work with local coastal communities. This study focuses on a historical and multi-sited ethnographic approach that analyzes two Sea Grant Programs and their connection to the overarching NOAA national goals from 1980- 2000.The project aims to offer insight on how the extension agent position facilitates the resolution of coastal and marine management and tourism issues. The extension agents are staff who have an extensive knowledge of available coastal resources and have the role of translating this information to coastal stakeholders. Additionally, these agents assess the needs of coastal communities and report back to the program making their role into a position that can effectively alter and/or contribute to institutional and environmental management programs at broader, cross-country and global levels. The extension programs in Michigan and Puerto Rico were examined to understand how local programs respond to cultural and regional processes shaping marine extension and the management of issues faced by coastal stakeholders. A total of 36 semi- structured in-depth interviews were completed at each site, to address the following questions: (1) How do extension agents view their role at the Puerto Rico and Michigan offices and in the Sea Grant program? How do they view the conditions of their work? (2) How do their views compare to the accomplishments by each Sea Grant administration and internal inquiries? How do their views reveal conditions documented in Puerto Rico and Michigan (e.g., social, cultural, political, economic, etc)? (3) What kind of strategies do agents develop for the management of specific coastal and tourism related projects? (4) How do the Puerto Rico and Michigan offices coordinate their work, and collaborate with other "college" programs and

Perspective of agricultural extension in livestock production in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The extension communication methods used were visits, demonstration, workshop, training and excursion. The benefits of extension services were introduction of livestock species, marketing information, feed and feed ingredient supply, disease and pest control, and liaison services. Constraints to the use of extension ...

Multivariate pattern analysis reveals anatomical connectivity differences between the left and right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Peng; An, Jie; Zeng, Ling-Li; Shen, Hui; Chen, Fanglin; Wang, Wensheng; Qiu, Shijun; Hu, Dewen

2015-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated differences of clinical signs and functional brain network organizations between the left and right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE), but the anatomical connectivity differences underlying functional variance between the left and right mTLE remain uncharacterized. We examined 43 (22 left, 21 right) mTLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis and 39 healthy controls using diffusion tensor imaging. After the whole-brain anatomical networks were constructed for each subject, multivariate pattern analysis was applied to classify the left mTLE from the right mTLE and extract the anatomical connectivity differences between the left and right mTLE patients. The classification results reveal 93.0% accuracy for the left mTLE versus the right mTLE, 93.4% accuracy for the left mTLE versus controls and 90.0% accuracy for the right mTLE versus controls. Compared with the right mTLE, the left mTLE exhibited a different connectivity pattern in the cortical-limbic network and cerebellum. The majority of the most discriminating anatomical connections were located within or across the cortical-limbic network and cerebellum, thereby indicating that these disease-related anatomical network alterations may give rise to a portion of the complex of emotional and memory deficit between the left and right mTLE. Moreover, the orbitofrontal gyrus, cingulate cortex, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, which exhibit high discriminative power in classification, may play critical roles in the pathophysiology of mTLE. The current study demonstrated that anatomical connectivity differences between the left mTLE and the right mTLE may have the potential to serve as a neuroimaging biomarker to guide personalized diagnosis of the left and right mTLE.

Comparison of C. elegans and C. briggsae genome sequences reveals extensive conservation of chromosome organization and synteny.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LaDeana W Hillier

2007-07-01

Full Text Available To determine whether the distinctive features of Caenorhabditis elegans chromosomal organization are shared with the C. briggsae genome, we constructed a single nucleotide polymorphism-based genetic map to order and orient the whole genome shotgun assembly along the six C. briggsae chromosomes. Although these species are of the same genus, their most recent common ancestor existed 80-110 million years ago, and thus they are more evolutionarily distant than, for example, human and mouse. We found that, like C. elegans chromosomes, C. briggsae chromosomes exhibit high levels of recombination on the arms along with higher repeat density, a higher fraction of intronic sequence, and a lower fraction of exonic sequence compared with chromosome centers. Despite extensive intrachromosomal rearrangements, 1:1 orthologs tend to remain in the same region of the chromosome, and colinear blocks of orthologs tend to be longer in chromosome centers compared with arms. More strikingly, the two species show an almost complete conservation of synteny, with 1:1 orthologs present on a single chromosome in one species also found on a single chromosome in the other. The conservation of both chromosomal organization and synteny between these two distantly related species suggests roles for chromosome organization in the fitness of an organism that are only poorly understood presently.

Modes of continental extension in a crustal wedge

KAUST Repository

Wu, Guangliang

2015-07-01

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. We ran numerical experiments of the extension of a crustal wedge as an approximation to extension in an orogenic belt or a continental margin. We study the effects of the strength of the lower crust and of a weak mid-crustal shear zone on the resulting extension styles. A weak mid-crustal shear zone effectively decouples upper crustal extension from lower crustal flow. Without the mid-crustal shear zone, the degree of coupling between the upper and the lower crust increases and extension of the whole crust tends to focus on the thickest part of the wedge. We identify three distinct modes of extension determined by the strength of the lower crust, which are characterized by 1) localized, asymmetric crustal exhumation in a single massif when the lower crust is weak, 2) the formation of rolling-hinge normal faults and the exhumation of lower crust in multiple core complexes with an intermediate strength lower crust, and 3) distributed domino faulting over the weak mid-crustal shear zone when the lower crust is strong. A frictionally stronger mid-crustal shear zone does not change the overall model behaviors but extension occurred over multiple rolling-hinges. The 3 modes of extension share characteristics similar to geological models proposed to explain the formation of metamorphic core complexes: 1) the crustal flow model for the weak lower crust, 2) the rolling-hinge and crustal flow models when the lower crust is intermediate and 3) the flexural uplift model when the lower crust is strong. Finally we show that the intensity of decoupling between the far field extension and lower crustal flow driven by the regional pressure gradient in the wedge control the overall style of extension in the models.

Modes of continental extension in a crustal wedge

KAUST Repository

Wu, Guangliang; Lavier, Luc L.; Choi, Eunseo

2015-01-01

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. We ran numerical experiments of the extension of a crustal wedge as an approximation to extension in an orogenic belt or a continental margin. We study the effects of the strength of the lower crust and of a weak mid-crustal shear zone on the resulting extension styles. A weak mid-crustal shear zone effectively decouples upper crustal extension from lower crustal flow. Without the mid-crustal shear zone, the degree of coupling between the upper and the lower crust increases and extension of the whole crust tends to focus on the thickest part of the wedge. We identify three distinct modes of extension determined by the strength of the lower crust, which are characterized by 1) localized, asymmetric crustal exhumation in a single massif when the lower crust is weak, 2) the formation of rolling-hinge normal faults and the exhumation of lower crust in multiple core complexes with an intermediate strength lower crust, and 3) distributed domino faulting over the weak mid-crustal shear zone when the lower crust is strong. A frictionally stronger mid-crustal shear zone does not change the overall model behaviors but extension occurred over multiple rolling-hinges. The 3 modes of extension share characteristics similar to geological models proposed to explain the formation of metamorphic core complexes: 1) the crustal flow model for the weak lower crust, 2) the rolling-hinge and crustal flow models when the lower crust is intermediate and 3) the flexural uplift model when the lower crust is strong. Finally we show that the intensity of decoupling between the far field extension and lower crustal flow driven by the regional pressure gradient in the wedge control the overall style of extension in the models.

Pontine extension of a tentorial schwannoma without cranial nerve involvement: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D'Urso Pietro

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Intracranial schwannomas unrelated to the cranial nerves are uncommon. We report a new case of tentorial schwannoma unrelated to the cranial nerves, with extension into the pons. A literature review with discussion of the most relevant pathogenetic aspects is also performed. Case presentation A 42-year-old Caucasian man was admitted with right-sided paresthesias and weakness of his upper and lower extremities. The neurological examination revealed right hemiparesis and hemi-hypoesthesia. A brain magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a cerebellopontine lesion, arising from the left free edge of the tentorium, and extending into his pons. A piecemeal removal was performed through a retrosigmoid approach. The lesion was not found to be associated with any cranial nerves. The histological examination revealed a schwannoma Antoni type A. His postoperative course was uneventful. At one year follow-up, the patient was neurologically intact and the magnetic resonance imaging of his brain performed at that time showed complete removal without signs of recurrence. Conclusion Tentorial schwannomas are rare clinical entities. Knowledge of their clinical, radiological and anatomical characteristics is very important for the correct diagnosis and management.

Creating Teams Increases Extension Educator Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Chalker-Scott, Linda; Daniels, Catherine H.; Martini, Nicole

2016-01-01

The Garden Team at Washington State University is a transdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, and students with expertise in applied plant and soil sciences and an interest in Extension education. The team's primary mission is to create current, relevant, and peer-reviewed materials as Extension publications for home gardeners. The average yearly…

A New Funding Model for Extension

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Paul W.; Otto, Daniel M.; Ouart, Michael D.

2006-01-01

The traditional funding model of the Cooperative Extension System has been stretched to its limits by increasing demand for information and programs without concurrent increases in funding by the public sector. As the social, economic, and political environments have evolved and become more complex, extension is often asked to apply the expertise…

An Extensive Evaluation of Portfolio Approaches for Constraint Satisfaction Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Amadini

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In the context of Constraint Programming, a portfolio approach exploits the complementary strengths of a portfolio of different constraint solvers. The goal is to predict and run the best solver(s of the portfolio for solving a new, unseen problem. In this work we reproduce, simulate, and evaluate the performance of different portfolio approaches on extensive benchmarks of Constraint Satisfaction Problems. Empirical results clearly show the benefits of portfolio solvers in terms of both solved instances and solving time.

Capability of Poultry Farmers Association for Extension Services ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dr funmi owolade

information on poultry management techniques and marketing during in-house ... optimum human and material resources for extension services delivery to its .... vii. investigate the constraints to extension services programme in Oyo state. ..... developing countries in Agricultural Extension in Nigeria S.F. Afolayan (ed) Ilorin.

A Comparison of Continental Extension Estimates Across the Margins of the Woodlark Basin, Papua New Guinea

Science.gov (United States)

Nazlim, B.; Goodliffe, A. M.

2016-12-01

Previous studies have shown that depth dependent extension is commonly observed across rifted margins. This has resulted in a discrepancy between the estimates of extension made through whole lithosphere/crust vs fault heave calculations (for example northwest Australia, South China Sea, Galicia). In the Woodlark Basin, the amount of extension estimated from observed subsidence and brittle extension also do not match. Taking into account sub-seismic resolution and poly-phase faulting reduces this mismatch. In the Woodlark Basin continental extension can also be estimated by extending Euler pole kinematics from the oceanic domain. Previous studies show that this predicts almost double the extension calculated from subsidence and brittle extension. Extension in the Woodlark Basin began at 8.4 Ma and transitioned to sea-floor spreading in the east at 6 Ma. The basin is an ideal place to study the extension discrepancy because of its young age and thin sediments. Seismic reflection easily images basement and fault structures. High resolution bathymetry permits tracing of major faults on the seafloor. A previous study focused on the extension discrepancy at the rifting to spreading transition. This study will focus on the discrepancy further east where seafloor spreading began just after 2 Ma and opening rates are faster. Data used in this study include bathymetry, magnetics, gravity, and low-fold 2-D seismic reflection data. Using the available data, extension estimates have been calculated through brittle extension and subsidence. Euler pole derived extension rates from previous studies were used for comparison. Results indicate that Euler pole kinematics predict far more extension than estimates calculated through subsidence and brittle extension. This provides important insights into processes in the low crust and supports earlier hypotheses that the mantle lithosphere and upper crust may be moving at different rates prior to continental breakup.

Economic modeling for life extension decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farber, M.A.; Harrison, D.L.; Carlson, D.D.

1986-01-01

This paper presents a methodology for the economic and financial analysis of nuclear plant life extension under uncertainty and demonstrates its use in a case analysis. While the economic and financial evaluation of life extension does not require new analytical tools, such studies should be based on the following three premises. First, the methodology should examine effects at the level of the company or utility system, because the most important economic implications of life extension relate to the altered generation system expansion plan. Second, it should focus on the implications of uncertainty in order to understand the factors that most affect life extension benefits and identify risk management efforts. Third, the methodology should address multiple objectives, at a minimum, both economic and financial objectives

Timeability in Extensive-Form Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Sune K.; Sørensen, Troels Bjerre; Conitzer, Vincent

2016-01-01

Extensive-form games constitute the standard representation scheme for games with a temporal component. But do all extensive-form games correspond to protocols that we can implement in the real world? We often rule out games with imperfect recall, which prescribe that an agent forget something...... that she knew before. In this paper, we show that even some games with perfect recall can be problematic to implement. Specifically, we show that if the agents have a sense of time passing (say, access to a clock), then some extensive-form games can no longer be implemented; no matter how we attempt...... to time the game, some information will leak to the agents that they are not supposed to have. We say such a game is not exactly timeable. We provide easy-to-check necessary and sufficient conditions for a game to be exactly timeable. Most of the technical depth of the paper concerns how to approximately...

Elbow arthroscopy: valgus extension overload.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Christopher S; Conway, John E

2011-01-01

Valgus torque combined with deceleration produces high compression and shear forces acting on the posteromedial olecranon and the posteromedial trochlea. This valgus extension overload process may cause posteromedial trochlea chondromalacia, chondral flap formation, osteochondrosis, subchondral erosion, a subchondral insufficiency fracture, and marginal exostosis formation. Olecranon pathologies include proximal stress reaction, a posteromedial tip stress fracture, a transverse proximal process stress fracture, exostosis formation, exostosis fragmentation, and intra-articular loose bodies. Symptoms include posteromedial elbow pain during the deceleration phase of the throwing motion. The extension impingement test reproduces posterior or posteromedial pain similar to that experienced while throwing. Special radiographic techniques and CT scans can show loose bodies and osteophyte fragmentation. Surgical treatment is indicated when symptoms persist despite nonsurgical management. Based on clinical and basic science research, all patients with valgus extension overload should be comprehensively evaluated for medial ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency. Surgical treatment is limited to the resection of osteophytes only; normal olecranon should not be resected.

Phenotypic diversity of diploid and haploid Emiliania huxleyi cells and of cells in different growth phases revealed by comparative metabolomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Mausz, Michaela A; Pohnert, Georg

2015-01-01

In phytoplankton a high species diversity of microalgae co-exists at a given time. But diversity is not only reflected by the species composition. Within these species different life phases as well as different metabolic states can cause additional diversity. One important example is the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Diploid cells play an important role in marine ecosystems since they can form massively abundant algal blooms but in addition the less abundant haploid life phase of E. huxleyi occurs in lower quantities. Both life phases may fulfill different functions in the plankton. We hypothesize that in addition to the functional diversity caused by this life phase transition the growth stage of cells can also influence the metabolic composition and thus the ecological impact of E. huxleyi. Here we introduce a metabolomic survey in dependence of life phases as well as different growth phases to reveal such changes. The comparative metabolomic approach is based on the extraction of intracellular metabolites from intact microalgae, derivatization and analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Automated data processing and statistical analysis using canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) revealed unique metabolic profiles for each life phase. Concerning the correlations of metabolites to growth phases, complex patterns were observed. As for example the saccharide mannitol showed its highest concentration in the exponential phase, whereas fatty acids were correlated to stationary and sterols to declining phase. These results are indicative for specific ecological roles of these stages of E. huxleyi and are discussed in the context of previous physiological and ecological studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Life extension of nuclear power plants. World situation and the USA case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, Pablo T.; Cuesta, Loreto; Serra, Eduardo; Yaguee, Luis

2010-01-01

Life extension of Nuclear Power Plants above 40 years of operation is an important issue in many countries. The Kyoto limits for CO 2 emissions, the security of supply, the costs and predictability of renewable energy, etc., are putting nuclear energy in the agenda of many countries all around the world. The delay, due to the economic crisis, of the new nuclear projects in many countries, push governments to continue operation of nuclear plants above the 40 years design life. This is the case in the USA, where 59 units have obtained the extension of operation license from 40 to 60 years, and currently have 19 units are in the reviewing process. The life extension of these plants permits savings in CO 2 emissions and in the consumption of additional amounts of fossil fuels. In this paper, the position of the different nuclear countries about the Extension of Life will be reviewed, with a special emphasis on the situation in the USA. In this last case, the NRC approach for operation licenses above 40 years will be explained, and actions taken by nuclear companies in the country will be reviewed. In this country, the debate about life extension over 40 years has been surpassed, and the new technical discussion focuses on the operation of nuclear power plants above 60 years. (authors)

Life extension of nuclear power plants. World situation and the USA case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leon, Pablo T.; Cuesta, Loreto; Serra, Eduardo; Yaguee, Luis [Endesa. C/ Ribera del Loira, No.60, 28042 Madrid (Spain)

2010-07-01

Life extension of Nuclear Power Plants above 40 years of operation is an important issue in many countries. The Kyoto limits for CO{sub 2} emissions, the security of supply, the costs and predictability of renewable energy, etc., are putting nuclear energy in the agenda of many countries all around the world. The delay, due to the economic crisis, of the new nuclear projects in many countries, push governments to continue operation of nuclear plants above the 40 years design life. This is the case in the USA, where 59 units have obtained the extension of operation license from 40 to 60 years, and currently have 19 units are in the reviewing process. The life extension of these plants permits savings in CO{sub 2} emissions and in the consumption of additional amounts of fossil fuels. In this paper, the position of the different nuclear countries about the Extension of Life will be reviewed, with a special emphasis on the situation in the USA. In this last case, the NRC approach for operation licenses above 40 years will be explained, and actions taken by nuclear companies in the country will be reviewed. In this country, the debate about life extension over 40 years has been surpassed, and the new technical discussion focuses on the operation of nuclear power plants above 60 years. (authors)

Absolutely minimal extensions of functions on metric spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milman, V A

1999-01-01

Extensions of a real-valued function from the boundary ∂X 0 of an open subset X 0 of a metric space (X,d) to X 0 are discussed. For the broad class of initial data coming under discussion (linearly bounded functions) locally Lipschitz extensions to X 0 that preserve localized moduli of continuity are constructed. In the set of these extensions an absolutely minimal extension is selected, which was considered before by Aronsson for Lipschitz initial functions in the case X 0 subset of R n . An absolutely minimal extension can be regarded as an ∞-harmonic function, that is, a limit of p-harmonic functions as p→+∞. The proof of the existence of absolutely minimal extensions in a metric space with intrinsic metric is carried out by the Perron method. To this end, ∞-subharmonic, ∞-superharmonic, and ∞-harmonic functions on a metric space are defined and their properties are established

Proteomic Profiles Reveal the Function of Different Vegetative Tissues of Moringa oleifera.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Zou, Qiong; Wang, Jinxing; Zhang, Junjie; Liu, Zeping; Chen, Xiaoyang

2016-12-01

Moringa oleifera is a rich source of bioactive compounds and is widely used in traditional medicine and food for its nutritional value; however, the protein and peptide components of different tissues are rarely discussed. Here, we describe the first investigation of M. oleifera proteomes using mass spectrometry and bioinformatics methods. We aimed to elucidate the protein profiles of M. oleifera leaves, stem, bark, and root. Totally 202 proteins were identified from four vegetative organs. We identified 101 proteins from leaves, 51 from stem, 94 from bark and 67 from root, finding that only five proteins existed in both four vegetative parts. The calculated pI of most of the proteins is distributed in 5-10 and the molecular weight distributed below 100 kDa. Functional classification analysis revealed that proteins which are involved in catalytic activities are the most abundant both in leaves, stem, bark and root. Identification of several heat shock proteins in four vegetative tissues might be adaptive for resistance to high temperature environmental stresses of tropical or subtropical areas. Some enzymes involved in antioxidant processes were also identified in M. oleifera leaves, stem, bark and root. Among the four tissues studies here, leaves protein content and molecular diversity were the highest. The identification of the flocculating protein MO2.1 and MO2.2 in the bark and root provides clue to clarify the antimicrobial molecular mechanisms of root and bark. This study provides information on the protein compositions of M. oleifera vegetative tissues that will be beneficial for potential drug and food supplement development and plant physiology research.

Hybrid Teaching in Extension: Learning at the Crossroads

Science.gov (United States)

Hino, Jeff; Kahn, Cub

2016-01-01

Extension clients' learning preferences are changing, with many increasingly going online for educational content. In response, Oregon State University Extension pilot tested a training program for Extension educators to explore hybrid teaching--a methodology that could provide more flexible access to a wider audience. Hybrid teaching offers a…

Effect of Privatisation of Agricultural Extension Services on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of ... services of Fadama III project on farmers' productivity in Oyo state, ... Production of poultry meat (r = 0.389, p<0.05) and eggs ... extension staff in non-extension duties; low private sector participation; weak ... Privatization is to enhance efficiency.

Perception of Agricultural Extension as a Career among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Department (χ2=15.184), self-esteem of career in course of study (r=0.217) and constraints to agricultural extension (r=-0.174) were significantly related to respondents' perception of agricultural extension as a career. Respondents are knowledgeable that agricultural extension has many career opportunities and someone ...

Australian National University Science Extension Day

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Sarah

2016-01-01

The first Australian National University (ANU) Science Extension Day was held on September 8, 2015. The ANU Science Extension Day is a project that was initiated by Theodore Primary School (ACT) and developed by Theodore Primary, Calwell High School, Science Educators Association of the ACT (SEA*ACT), and the ANU. The project was developed with a…

Suggesting a new paradigm for agricultural extension policy: the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In terms of approaches and functions, the study found that public sector extension in West Africa is undergoing transformation including decentralization and outsourcing extension services in the context of adopting a pluralistic system of extension delivery. While up to six models of extension are a commonly applied in the ...

Muscle activity during knee-extension strengthening exercise performed with elastic tubing and isotonic resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakobsen, Markus Due; Sundstrup, Emil; Andersen, Christoffer H; Bandholm, Thomas; Thorborg, Kristian; Zebis, Mette K; Andersen, Lars L

2012-12-01

While elastic resistance training, targeting the upper body is effective for strength training, the effect of elastic resistance training on lower body muscle activity remains questionable. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the EMG-angle relationship of the quadriceps muscle during 10-RM knee-extensions performed with elastic tubing and an isotonic strength training machine. 7 women and 9 men aged 28-67 years (mean age 44 and 41 years, respectively) participated. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded in 10 muscles during the concentric and eccentric contraction phase of a knee extension exercise performed with elastic tubing and in training machine and normalized to maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) EMG (nEMG). Knee joint angle was measured during the exercises using electronic inclinometers (range of motion 0-90°). When comparing the machine and elastic resistance exercises there were no significant differences in peak EMG of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM) during the concentric contraction phase. However, during the eccentric phase, peak EMG was significantly higher (ptubing (5.7±0.6) compared with knee extensions performed in training machine (5.9±0.5). Knee extensions performed with elastic tubing induces similar high (>70% nEMG) quadriceps muscle activity during the concentric contraction phase, but slightly lower during the eccentric contraction phase, as knee extensions performed using an isotonic training machine. During the concentric contraction phase the two different conditions displayed reciprocal EMG-angle patterns during the range of motion. 5.

Altered muscular activation during prone hip extension in women with and without low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Arab, Amir M; Ghamkhar, Leila; Emami, Mahnaz; Nourbakhsh, Mohammad R

2011-08-14

Altered movement pattern has been associated with the development of low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this study was to investigate the activity pattern of the ipsilateral erector spinae (IES) and contralateral erectorspinae (CES), gluteus maximus (GM) and hamstring (HAM) muscles during prone hip extension (PHE) test in women with and without LBP. A cross-sectional non-experimental design was used. Convenience sample of 20 female participated in the study. Subjects were categorized into two groups: with LBP (n = 10) and without LBP (n = 10). The electromyography (EMG) signal amplitude of the tested muscles during PHE (normalized to maximum voluntary electrical activity (MVE)) was measured in the dominant lower extremity in all subjects. Statistical analysis revealed greater normalized EMG signal amplitude in women with LBP compared to non-LBP women. There was significant difference in EMG activity of the IES (P = 0.03) and CES (P = 0.03) between two groups. However, no significant difference was found in EMG signals of the GM (P = 0.11) and HAM (P = 0.14) among two groups. The findings of this study demonstrated altered activation pattern of the lumbo-pelvic muscles during PHE in the women with chronic LBP. This information is important for investigators using PHE as either an evaluation tool or a rehabilitation exercise.

Learning investment indicators through data extension

Science.gov (United States)

Dvořák, Marek

2017-07-01

Stock prices in the form of time series were analysed using single and multivariate statistical methods. After simple data preprocessing in the form of logarithmic differences, we augmented this single variate time series to a multivariate representation. This method makes use of sliding windows to calculate several dozen of new variables using simple statistic tools like first and second moments as well as more complicated statistic, like auto-regression coefficients and residual analysis, followed by an optional quadratic transformation that was further used for data extension. These were used as a explanatory variables in a regularized logistic LASSO regression which tried to estimate Buy-Sell Index (BSI) from real stock market data.

Economic modelling for life extension decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farber, M.A.; Harrison, D.L.; Carlson, D.D.

1987-01-01

This paper presents a methodology for the economic and financial analysis of nuclear plant life extension under uncertainty and demonstrates its use in a case analysis. While the economic and financial evaluation of life extension does not require new analytical tools, such studies should be based on the following three premises. First, the methodology should examine effects at the level of the company or utility system, because the most important economic implications of life extension relate to the altered generation system expansion plan. Second, it should focus on the implications of uncertainty in order to understand the factors that most affect life extension benefits and identify risk management efforts. Third, the methodology should address multiple objectives, at a minimum, both economic and financial objectives. An analysis of the role of life extension for Virginia Power's generating system was performed using the MIDAS model, developed by the Electric Power Research Institute. MIDAS is particularly well suited to this type of study because of its decision analysis framework. The model incorporates modules for load analysis, capacity expansion, production costing, financial analysis, and rates. The decision tree structure facilitates the multiple-scenario analysis of uncertainty. The model's output includes many economic and financial measures, including capital expenditures, fuel and purchases power costs, revenue requirements, average rates, external financing requirements, and coverage ratio. Based on findings for Virginia Power's Surry 1 plant, nuclear plant life extension has economic benefits for a utility's customers and financial benefits for the utility's investors. These benefits depend on a number of economic, technical and regulatory factors. The economic analysis presented in this paper identifies many of the key factors and issues relevant to life extension planning

Strategic Directions for Extension Health and Wellness Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, Michelle; Braun, Bonnie

2015-01-01

The new Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health and Wellness is a tool to help Extension systematically address the programmatic area of health and wellness at the individual, community, environmental, and policy levels. Key strategies of the framework tool are provided and suggestions for ways that Extension can use this framework…

Expanding the Reach of Extension through Social Media

Science.gov (United States)

Gharis, Lauri W.; Bardon, Robert E.; Evans, Jennifer L.; Hubbard, William G.; Taylor, Eric

2014-01-01

With increasing numbers of the public using social media applications, Extension professionals have the ability to apply these same tools to connect with their clients. This article demonstrates how a social media toolset can be employed by Extension professionals by identifying how Extension professionals are currently using social media,…

Attention: Reaction Time and Accuracy Reveal Different Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Prinzmetal, William; McCool, Christin; Park, Samuel

2005-01-01

The authors propose that there are 2 different mechanisms whereby spatial cues capture attention. The voluntary mechanism is the strategic allocation of perceptual resources to the location most likely to contain the target. The involuntary mechanism is a reflexive orienting response that occurs even when the spatial cue does not indicate the…

A tobacco cDNA reveals two different transcription patterns in vegetative and reproductive organs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. da Silva

2002-08-01

Full Text Available In order to identify genes expressed in the pistil that may have a role in the reproduction process, we have established an expressed sequence tags project to randomly sequence clones from a Nicotiana tabacum stigma/style cDNA library. A cDNA clone (MTL-8 showing high sequence similarity to genes encoding glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins was chosen for further characterization. Based on the extensive identity of MTL-8 to the RGP-1a sequence of N. sylvestris, a primer was defined to extend the 5' sequence of MTL-8 by RT-PCR from stigma/style RNAs. The amplification product was sequenced and it was confirmed that MTL-8 corresponds to an mRNA encoding a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein. Two transcripts of different sizes and expression patterns were identified when the MTL-8 cDNA insert was used as a probe in RNA blots. The largest is 1,100 nucleotides (nt long and markedly predominant in ovaries. The smaller transcript, with 600 nt, is ubiquitous to the vegetative and reproductive organs analyzed (roots, stems, leaves, sepals, petals, stamens, stigmas/styles and ovaries. Plants submitted to stress (wounding, virus infection and ethylene treatment presented an increased level of the 600-nt transcript in leaves, especially after tobacco necrosis virus infection. In contrast, the level of the 1,100-nt transcript seems to be unaffected by the stress conditions tested. Results of Southern blot experiments have suggested that MTL-8 is present in one or two copies in the tobacco genome. Our results suggest that the shorter transcript is related to stress while the larger one is a flower predominant and nonstress-inducible messenger.

Segment-Specific Adhesion as a Driver of Convergent Extension

Science.gov (United States)

Vroomans, Renske M. A.; Hogeweg, Paulien; ten Tusscher, Kirsten H. W. J.

2015-01-01

Convergent extension, the simultaneous extension and narrowing of tissues, is a crucial event in the formation of the main body axis during embryonic development. It involves processes on multiple scales: the sub-cellular, cellular and tissue level, which interact via explicit or intrinsic feedback mechanisms. Computational modelling studies play an important role in unravelling the multiscale feedbacks underlying convergent extension. Convergent extension usually operates in tissue which has been patterned or is currently being patterned into distinct domains of gene expression. How such tissue patterns are maintained during the large scale tissue movements of convergent extension has thus far not been investigated. Intriguingly, experimental data indicate that in certain cases these tissue patterns may drive convergent extension rather than requiring safeguarding against convergent extension. Here we use a 2D Cellular Potts Model (CPM) of a tissue prepatterned into segments, to show that convergent extension tends to disrupt this pre-existing segmental pattern. However, when cells preferentially adhere to cells of the same segment type, segment integrity is maintained without any reduction in tissue extension. Strikingly, we demonstrate that this segment-specific adhesion is by itself sufficient to drive convergent extension. Convergent extension is enhanced when we endow our in silico cells with persistence of motion, which in vivo would naturally follow from cytoskeletal dynamics. Finally, we extend our model to confirm the generality of our results. We demonstrate a similar effect of differential adhesion on convergent extension in tissues that can only extend in a single direction (as often occurs due to the inertia of the head region of the embryo), and in tissues prepatterned into a sequence of domains resulting in two opposing adhesive gradients, rather than alternating segments. PMID:25706823

Clinicopathologic Analysis of Microscopic Extension in Lung Adenocarcinoma: Defining Clinical Target Volume for Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grills, Inga S.; Fitch, Dwight L.; Goldstein, Neal S.; Yan Di; Chmielewski, Gary W.; Welsh, Robert J.; Kestin, Larry L.

2007-01-01

Purpose: To determine the gross tumor volume (GTV) to clinical target volume margin for non-small-cell lung cancer treatment planning. Methods: A total of 35 patients with Stage T1N0 adenocarcinoma underwent wedge resection plus immediate lobectomy. The gross tumor size and microscopic extension distance beyond the gross tumor were measured. The nuclear grade and percentage of bronchoalveolar features were analyzed for association with microscopic extension. The gross tumor dimensions were measured on a computed tomography (CT) scan (lung and mediastinal windows) and compared with the pathologic dimensions. The potential coverage of microscopic extension for two different lung stereotactic radiotherapy regimens was evaluated. Results: The mean microscopic extension distance beyond the gross tumor was 7.2 mm and varied according to grade (10.1, 7.0, and 3.5 mm for Grade 1 to 3, respectively, p < 0.01). The 90th percentile for microscopic extension was 12.0 mm (13.0, 9.7, and 4.4 mm for Grade 1 to 3, respectively). The CT lung windows correlated better with the pathologic size than did the mediastinal windows (gross pathologic size overestimated by a mean of 5.8 mm; composite size [gross plus microscopic extension] underestimated by a mean of 1.2 mm). For a GTV contoured on the CT lung windows, the margin required to cover microscopic extension for 90% of the cases would be 9 mm (9, 7, and 4 mm for Grade 1 to 3, respectively). The potential microscopic extension dosimetric coverage (55 Gy) varied substantially between the stereotactic radiotherapy schedules. Conclusion: For lung adenocarcinomas, the GTV should be contoured using CT lung windows. Although a GTV based on the CT lung windows would underestimate the gross tumor size plus microscopic extension by only 1.2 mm for the average case, the clinical target volume expansion required to cover the microscopic extension in 90% of cases could be as large as 9 mm, although considerably smaller for high-grade tumors

Multivariate pattern analysis reveals anatomical connectivity differences between the left and right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Fang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have demonstrated differences of clinical signs and functional brain network organizations between the left and right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE, but the anatomical connectivity differences underlying functional variance between the left and right mTLE remain uncharacterized. We examined 43 (22 left, 21 right mTLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis and 39 healthy controls using diffusion tensor imaging. After the whole-brain anatomical networks were constructed for each subject, multivariate pattern analysis was applied to classify the left mTLE from the right mTLE and extract the anatomical connectivity differences between the left and right mTLE patients. The classification results reveal 93.0% accuracy for the left mTLE versus the right mTLE, 93.4% accuracy for the left mTLE versus controls and 90.0% accuracy for the right mTLE versus controls. Compared with the right mTLE, the left mTLE exhibited a different connectivity pattern in the cortical-limbic network and cerebellum. The majority of the most discriminating anatomical connections were located within or across the cortical-limbic network and cerebellum, thereby indicating that these disease-related anatomical network alterations may give rise to a portion of the complex of emotional and memory deficit between the left and right mTLE. Moreover, the orbitofrontal gyrus, cingulate cortex, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, which exhibit high discriminative power in classification, may play critical roles in the pathophysiology of mTLE. The current study demonstrated that anatomical connectivity differences between the left mTLE and the right mTLE may have the potential to serve as a neuroimaging biomarker to guide personalized diagnosis of the left and right mTLE.

Boson and fermion degrees of freedom in the orthosymplectic extension of the IVBM: Odd-odd nuclear spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganev, H. G.; Georgieva, A. I.

2008-01-01

The dynamical symmetry group Sp(12, R) of the Interacting Vector Boson Model (IVBM) is extended to the orthosymplectic group OSp(2Ω/12, R) in order to incorporate fermion degrees of freedom. The structure of even-even nuclei is used as a core on which the collective excitations of the neighboring odd-mass and odd-odd nuclei are build on. Hence, the spectra of odd-mass and odd-odd nuclei arise as a result of the coupling of the fermion degrees of freedom, specified by the fermion sector SOF (2Ω) to the boson core, whose states belong to an Sp(12, R) irreducible representation. The orthosymplectic dynamical symmetry is applied for the simultaneous description of the spectra of some neighboring nuclei from rare earth region. The theoretical predictions for different low-lying collective bands with positive and negative parity are compared with the experiment. The obtained results reveal the applicability of the model and its boson-fermion extension.

Proteomic amino-termini profiling reveals targeting information for protein import into complex plastids.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pitter F Huesgen

Full Text Available In organisms with complex plastids acquired by secondary endosymbiosis from a photosynthetic eukaryote, the majority of plastid proteins are nuclear-encoded, translated on cytoplasmic ribosomes, and guided across four membranes by a bipartite targeting sequence. In-depth understanding of this vital import process has been impeded by a lack of information about the transit peptide part of this sequence, which mediates transport across the inner three membranes. We determined the mature N-termini of hundreds of proteins from the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana, revealing extensive N-terminal modification by acetylation and proteolytic processing in both cytosol and plastid. We identified 63 mature N-termini of nucleus-encoded plastid proteins, deduced their complete transit peptide sequences, determined a consensus motif for their cleavage by the stromal processing peptidase, and found evidence for subsequent processing by a plastid methionine aminopeptidase. The cleavage motif differs from that of higher plants, but is shared with other eukaryotes with complex plastids.

Experimental measurement of flexion-extension movement in normal and corpse prosthetic elbow joint.

Science.gov (United States)

TarniŢă, Daniela; TarniŢă, DănuŢ Nicolae

2016-01-01

This paper presents a comparative experimental study of flexion-extension movement in healthy elbow and in the prosthetic elbow joint fixed on an original experimental bench. Measurements were carried out in order to validate the functional morphology and a new elbow prosthesis type ball head. The three-dimensional (3D) model and the physical prototype of our experimental bench used to test elbow endoprosthesis at flexion-extension and pronation-supination movements is presented. The measurements were carried out on a group of nine healthy subjects and on the prosthetic corpse elbow, the experimental data being obtained for flexion-extension movement cycles. Experimental data for the two different flexion-extension tests for the nine subjects and for the corpse prosthetic elbow were acquired using SimiMotion video system. Experimental data were processed statistically. The corresponding graphs were obtained for all subjects in the experimental group, and for corpse prosthetic elbow for both flexion-extension tests. The statistical analysis has proved that the flexion angles of healthy elbows were significantly close to the values measured at the prosthetic elbow fixed on the experimental bench. The studied elbow prosthesis manages to re-establish the mobility for the elbow joint as close to the normal one.

EGG PRODUCTION AND HATCHABILITY OF LOCAL DUCKS UNDER SEMI INTENSIVE VS EXTENSIVE MANAGEMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Widiyaningrum

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The study aimed to compare the egg production and hatchability of local ducks under different management systems, namely semi-intensive and extensive. The research conducted was an experimental one-way classification with two treatments. Each treatment used 15 male and 120 females (mating ratio 1:8, and ducks aged 13-14 months. Eggs production was recorded during three weeks period. About 300 eggs were selected from each treatment to be hatched. Fertility was observed at 4th days of hatching process using egg candler. Data of eggs production, eggs weight, fertility, and hatchability were analyzed using unpaired two sample Student’s t-test. The results showed that average of egg weight, fertility and hatchability were not different under two management system, but egg production in the semi-intensive maintenance was significantly higher (P<0.05 than those in the extensive system. Egg production in the semi-intensive was 12.3% higher than those in the extensive. In conclusion, the semi-intensive system that is applied in this study the number of eggs production but did not affect the average of egg weight, fertility and hatchability.

Lubin-Tate extensions, an elementary approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ershov, Yu L

2007-01-01

We give an elementary proof of the assertion that the Lubin-Tate extension L≥K is an Abelian extension whose Galois group is isomorphic to U K /N L/K (U L ) for arbitrary fields K that have Henselian discrete valuation rings with finite residue fields. The term 'elementary' only means that the proofs are algebraic (that is, no transcedental methods are used)

The Evolution of Two-Component Systems in Bacteria RevealsDifferent Strategies for Niche Adaptation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alm, Eric; Huang, Katherine; Arkin, Adam

2006-09-13

Two-component systems including histidine protein kinasesrepresent the primary signal transduction paradigm in prokaryoticorganisms. To understand how these systems adapt to allow organisms todetect niche-specific signals, we analyzed the phylogenetic distributionof nearly 5000 histidine protein kinases from 207 sequenced prokaryoticgenomes. We found that many genomes carry a large repertoire of recentlyevolved signaling genes, which may reflect selective pressure to adapt tonew environmental conditions. Both lineage-specific gene family expansionand horizontal gene transfer play major roles in the introduction of newhistidine kinases into genomes; however, there are differences in howthese two evolutionary forces act. Genes imported via horizontal transferare more likely to retain their original functionality as inferred from asimilar complement of signaling domains, while gene family expansionaccompanied by domain shuffling appears to be a major source of novelgenetic diversity. Family expansion is the dominantsource of newhistidine kinase genes in the genomes most enriched in signalingproteins, and detailed analysis reveals that divergence in domainstructure and changes in expression patterns are hallmarks of recentexpansions. Finally, while these two modes of gene acquisition arewidespread across bacterial taxa, there are clear species-specificpreferences for which mode is used.

Evidence of extensive diversity in bacterial adherence mechanisms that exploit unanticipated stainless steel surface structural complexity for biofilm formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Elisabeth M; Li, Dongyang; Shahrooei, Mohammad; Yu, Bin; Muruve, Daniel; Irvin, Randall T

2013-04-01

Three protease-resistant bioorganic 304 stainless steel surfaces were created through the reaction of synthetic peptides consisting of the D-enantiomeric isomer (D-K122-4), the retro-inverso D-enantiomeric isomer (RI-K122-4), and a combination of the two peptides (D+RI) of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PilA receptor binding domain with steel surfaces. The peptides used to produce the new materials differ only in handedness of their three-dimensional structure, but they reacted with the steel to yield materials that differed in their surface electron work function (EWF) while displaying an identical chemical composition and equivalent surface adhesive force properties. These surfaces allowed for an assessment of the relative role of surface EWF in initial biofilm formation. We examined the ability of various bacteria (selected strains of Listeria monocytogenes, L. innocua, Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis) to initiate biofilm formation. The D-K1224 generated surface displayed the lowest EWF (classically associated with greater molecular interactions and more extensive biofilm formation) but was observed to be least effectively colonized by bacteria (>50% decrease in bacterial adherence of all strains). The highest surface EWF with the lowest surface free energy (RI-K122-4 generated) was more extensively colonized by bacteria, with the binding of some strains being equivalent to unmodified steel. The D+RI generated surface was least effective in minimizing biofilm formation, where some strains displayed enhanced bacterial colonization. Fluorescent microscopy revealed that the D and RI peptides displayed similar but clearly different binding patterns, suggesting that the peptides recognized different sites on the steel, and that differential binding of the peptides to the steel surfaces influences the binding of different bacterial strains and species. We have demonstrated that stainless steel surfaces can be easily modified by peptides to generate surfaces with

Prospects for Digital Campus with Extensive Applications of Virtual Collaborative Space

Science.gov (United States)

Nishide, Ryo

2011-01-01

This paper proposes extensive applications of virtual collaborative space in order to enhance the efficiency and capability of Digital Campus. The usability of Digital Campus has been experimented in different learning environments and evaluated by questionnaire as that the presence technology and a sense of solidarity influence the participants'…

Maximum Interconnectedness and Availability for Directional Airborne Range Extension Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-29

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 1 Maximum Interconnectedness and Availability for Directional Airborne Range Extension Networks Thomas...2 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS I. INTRODUCTION Tactical military networks both on land and at sea often have restricted transmission...a standard definition in graph theoretic and networking literature that is related to, but different from, the metric we consider. August 29, 2016

Strengthening Agricultural Research Capacity for Viable Extension ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Strengthening Agricultural Research Capacity for Viable Extension Policies in Nigeria: An Exploration of Ricoeur's Hermeneutic Theory for Analysing Extension Research. ... Progressively more, researchers use hermeneutic philosophy to inform the conduct of interpretive research. Analogy between the philosophical ...

On non-extensive nature of thermal conductivity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. In this paper we study non-extensive nature of thermal conductivity. It is observed that there is similarity between non-extensive entropic index and fractal dimension obtained for the silica aerogel thermal conductivity data at low temperature.

Tsallis non-extensive statistical mechanics in the ionospheric detrended total electron content during quiet and storm periods

Science.gov (United States)

Ogunsua, B. O.; Laoye, J. A.

2018-05-01

In this paper, the Tsallis non-extensive q-statistics in ionospheric dynamics was investigated using the total electron content (TEC) obtained from two Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver stations. This investigation was carried out considering the geomagnetically quiet and storm periods. The micro density variation of the ionospheric total electron content was extracted from the TEC data by method of detrending. The detrended total electron content, which represent the variation in the internal dynamics of the system was further analyzed using for non-extensive statistical mechanics using the q-Gaussian methods. Our results reveals that for all the analyzed data sets the Tsallis Gaussian probability distribution (q-Gaussian) with value q > 1 were obtained. It was observed that there is no distinct difference in pattern between the values of qquiet and qstorm. However the values of q varies with geophysical conditions and possibly with local dynamics for the two stations. Also observed are the asymmetric pattern of the q-Gaussian and a highly significant level of correlation for the q-index values obtained for the storm periods compared to the quiet periods between the two GPS receiver stations where the TEC was measured. The factors responsible for this variation can be mostly attributed to the varying mechanisms resulting in the self-reorganization of the system dynamics during the storm periods. The result shows the existence of long range correlation for both quiet and storm periods for the two stations.

Nutritional and reproductive signaling revealed by comparative gene expression analysis in Chrysopa pallens (Rambur) at different nutritional statuses.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Benfeng; Zhang, Shen; Zeng, Fanrong; Mao, Jianjun

2017-01-01

The green lacewing, Chrysopa pallens Rambur, is one of the most important natural predators because of its extensive spectrum of prey and wide distribution. However, what we know about the nutritional and reproductive physiology of this species is very scarce. By cDNA amplification and Illumina short-read sequencing, we analyzed transcriptomes of C. pallens female adult under starved and fed conditions. In total, 71236 unigenes were obtained with an average length of 833 bp. Four vitellogenins, three insulin-like peptides and two insulin receptors were annotated. Comparison of gene expression profiles suggested that totally 1501 genes were differentially expressed between the two nutritional statuses. KEGG orthology classification showed that these differentially expression genes (DEGs) were mapped to 241 pathways. In turn, the top 4 are ribosome, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, biosynthesis of amino acids and carbon metabolism, indicating a distinct difference in nutritional and reproductive signaling between the two feeding conditions. Our study yielded large-scale molecular information relevant to C. pallens nutritional and reproductive signaling, which will contribute to mass rearing and commercial use of this predaceous insect species.

Transient Side Load Analysis of Out-of-Round Film-Cooled Nozzle Extensions

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ten-See; Lin, Jeff; Ruf, Joe; Guidos, Mike

2012-01-01

There was interest in understanding the impact of out-of-round nozzle extension on the nozzle side load during transient startup operations. The out-of-round nozzle extension could be the result of asymmetric internal stresses, deformation induced by previous tests, and asymmetric loads induced by hardware attached to the nozzle. The objective of this study was therefore to computationally investigate the effect of out-of-round nozzle extension on the nozzle side loads during an engine startup transient. The rocket engine studied encompasses a regeneratively cooled chamber and nozzle, along with a film cooled nozzle extension. The computational methodology is based on an unstructured-grid, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics formulation, and transient inlet boundary flow properties derived from an engine system simulation. Six three-dimensional cases were performed with the out-of-roundness achieved by three different degrees of ovalization, elongated on lateral y and z axes: one slightly out-of-round, one more out-of-round, and one significantly out-of-round. The results show that the separation line jump was the primary source of the peak side loads. Comparing to the peak side load of the perfectly round nozzle, the peak side loads increased for the slightly and more ovalized nozzle extensions, and either increased or decreased for the two significantly ovalized nozzle extensions. A theory based on the counteraction of the flow destabilizing effect of an exacerbated asymmetrical flow caused by a lower degree of ovalization, and the flow stabilizing effect of a more symmetrical flow, created also by ovalization, is presented to explain the observations obtained in this effort.

Power generation options. Rehabilitation for life extension and cogeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The first step in evaluating a life extension or upgrading project is to determine the project's economic benefit to the utility. A screening study should be performed for as many candidate plants as are available; two of the most useful screening tools for rapid economic analysis of life extension possibilities are: Present Worth Revenue Requirements (PWRR) Analysis, and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) Analysis. (Examples of both methods are discussed). PWRR analysis considers only the expenses associated with operation of a plant or electrical system, and the revenue required to meet those expenses. The total revenue that may be received from the system is not considered in the analysis. The estimated costs for a base case (usually no rehabilitation or life extension) is compared to the operating costs of various alternatives, calculated over an operating life span of several years, and reduced to a Present Worth value, usually for the year in which the study started. If the PWRR of any alternative is estimated to be less than the base case, then an investment in the alternative plant equal to or less than this differential is a preferred economic choice. PWRR analysis is useful if future systems development and future gross revenue to the utility is difficult to estimate; it is also useful when comparing like technologies when differences in fuel supply and fuel cost are minimal

Analogue modelling of continental extension: a review focused on the relations between the patterns of deformation and the presence of magma.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corti, G.; Bonini, M.; Conticelli, S.; Innocenti, F.; Manetti, P.; Sokoutis, D.

2003-01-01

Continental extension may occur in two main different modes, narrow and wide rifting, which mainly differ in the width of the deformed region. A third mechanism, the core complex, has been considered either a distinct mode of extension or a local anomaly within wide rifts. In terms of causative

Global Approaches to Extension Practice: A Journal of Agricultural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal Homepage Image ... from all areas of Agricultural Extension: rural sociology, environmental extension, extension communication ... Adoption of improved oil palm processing technology in Umuahia north local government area of Abia ...

Identifying the determinants of South Africa’s extensive and intensive trade margins: A gravity model approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marianne Matthee

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The significance of the paper is twofold. Firstly, it adds to the small but growing body of literature focusing on the decomposition of South Africa’s export growth. Secondly, it identifies the determinants of the intensive and extensive margins of South Africa’s exports – a topic that (as far as the authors are concerned has not been explored before. Aim: This paper aims to investigate a wide range of market access determinants that affect South Africa’s export growth along the intensive and extensive margins. Setting: Export diversification has been identified as one of the critical pillars of South Africa’s much-hoped-for economic revival. Although recent years have seen the country’s export product mix evolving, there is still insufficient diversification into new markets with high value-added products. This is putting a damper on export performance as a whole and, in turn, hindering South Africa’s economic growth. Methods: A Heckman selection gravity model is applied using highly disaggregated data. The first stage of the process revealed the factors affecting the probability of South Africa exporting to a particular destination (extensive margin. The second stage, which modelled trade flows, revealed the variables that affect export volumes (intensive margin. Results: The results showed that South Africa’s export product mix is relatively varied, but the number of export markets is limited. In terms of the extensive margin (or the probability of exporting, economic variables such as the importing country’s GDP and population have a positive impact on firms’ decision to export. Other factors affecting the extensive margin are distance to the market (negative impact, cultural or language fit (positive impact, presence of a South African embassy abroad (positive impact, existing free trade agreement with Southern African Development Community (positive impact and trade regulations and costs (negative

Expression of cytokeratins in odontogenic jaw cysts: monoclonal antibodies reveal distinct variation between different cyst types.

Science.gov (United States)

Hormia, M; Ylipaavalniemi, P; Nagle, R B; Virtanen, I

1987-08-01

Immunostaining with monoclonal antibodies was used to study and compare the cytokeratin content of odontogenic cysts and normal gingival epithelium. Two monoclonal antibodies, PKK2 and KA1, stained the whole epithelium in all cyst samples. In gingiva, PKK2 gave a suprabasal staining and KA1 reacted with all epithelial cell layers. Antibodies PKK1, KM 4.62 and KS 8.12 gave a heterogeneous staining in follicular and radicular cysts. In keratocysts and in gingiva PKK1 and KM 4.62 reacted mainly with basal cells and KS 8.12 gave a suprabasal staining. Antibodies reacting with the simple epithelial cytokeratin polypeptide No. 18 (PKK3, KS 18.18) recognized in gingiva only solitary cells compatible with Merkel cells. In a case of follicular ameloblastoma a distinct staining of tumor epithelium was revealed with these antibodies. In 2 follicular cysts, but not in other cyst types, a layer of cytokeratin 18-positive cells was revealed. KA5 and KK 8.60 antibodies, reacting exclusively with keratinizing epithelia, including normal gingiva, gave no reaction in radicular cysts, keratocysts and ameloblastoma. Two of the follicular cysts, were negative for PKK3 and KS 18.18, but reacted strongly with KA5 and KK 8.60. The present results show that odontogenic jaw cysts have distinct differences in their cytokeratin content. With the exception of some follicular cysts, they lack signs of keratinizing epithelial differentiation. Only follicular cysts appear to share with some types of ameloblastoma the expression of cytokeratin polypeptide No. 18.

Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol.17 (2) December, 2013 ISSN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ONIKOYI

National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Services (NAERGLS), ... agricultural extension, the organization is meant to serve the extension, ... farm families ratio, extension agents (EAs) training, and the likely causes of the problem.

FDG PET imaging of Ela1-myc mice reveals major biological differences between pancreatic acinar and ductal tumours

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abasolo, Ibane [Institut Municipal d' Investigacio Medica-Hospital del Mar, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, Departament de Ciencies Experimentals i de la Salut, Barcelona (Spain); Institut d' Alta Tecnologia - CRC, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); Pujal, Judit; Navarro, Pilar [Institut Municipal d' Investigacio Medica-Hospital del Mar, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); Rabanal, Rosa M.; Serafin, Anna [Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Barcelona (Spain); Millan, Olga [Institut d' Alta Tecnologia - CRC, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); Real, Francisco X. [Institut Municipal d' Investigacio Medica-Hospital del Mar, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona, Departament de Ciencies Experimentals i de la Salut, Barcelona (Spain); Programa de Patologia Molecular, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas, Madrid (Spain)

2009-07-15

The aim was to evaluate FDG PET imaging in Ela1-myc mice, a pancreatic cancer model resulting in the development of tumours with either acinar or mixed acinar-ductal phenotype. Transversal and longitudinal FDG PET studies were conducted; selected tissue samples were subjected to autoradiography and ex vivo organ counting. Glucose transporter and hexokinase mRNA expression was analysed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); Glut2 expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Transversal studies showed that mixed acinar-ductal tumours could be identified by FDG PET several weeks before they could be detected by hand palpation. Longitudinal studies revealed that ductal - but not acinar - tumours could be detected by FDG PET. Autoradiographic analysis confirmed that tumour areas with ductal differentiation incorporated more FDG than areas displaying acinar differentiation. Ex vivo radioactivity measurements showed that tumours of solely acinar phenotype incorporated more FDG than pancreata of non-transgenic littermates despite the fact that they did not yield positive PET images. To gain insight into the biological basis of the differential FDG uptake, glucose transporter and hexokinase transcript expression was studied in microdissected tumour areas enriched for acinar or ductal cells and validated using cell-specific markers. Glut2 and hexokinase I and II mRNA levels were up to 20-fold higher in ductal than in acinar tumours. Besides, Glut2 protein overexpression was found in ductal neoplastic cells but not in the surrounding stroma. In Ela1-myc mice, ductal tumours incorporate significantly more FDG than acinar tumours. This difference likely results from differential expression of Glut2 and hexokinases. These findings reveal previously unreported biological differences between acinar and ductal pancreatic tumours. (orig.)

FDG PET imaging of Ela1-myc mice reveals major biological differences between pancreatic acinar and ductal tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abasolo, Ibane; Pujal, Judit; Navarro, Pilar; Rabanal, Rosa M.; Serafin, Anna; Millan, Olga; Real, Francisco X.

2009-01-01

The aim was to evaluate FDG PET imaging in Ela1-myc mice, a pancreatic cancer model resulting in the development of tumours with either acinar or mixed acinar-ductal phenotype. Transversal and longitudinal FDG PET studies were conducted; selected tissue samples were subjected to autoradiography and ex vivo organ counting. Glucose transporter and hexokinase mRNA expression was analysed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); Glut2 expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Transversal studies showed that mixed acinar-ductal tumours could be identified by FDG PET several weeks before they could be detected by hand palpation. Longitudinal studies revealed that ductal - but not acinar - tumours could be detected by FDG PET. Autoradiographic analysis confirmed that tumour areas with ductal differentiation incorporated more FDG than areas displaying acinar differentiation. Ex vivo radioactivity measurements showed that tumours of solely acinar phenotype incorporated more FDG than pancreata of non-transgenic littermates despite the fact that they did not yield positive PET images. To gain insight into the biological basis of the differential FDG uptake, glucose transporter and hexokinase transcript expression was studied in microdissected tumour areas enriched for acinar or ductal cells and validated using cell-specific markers. Glut2 and hexokinase I and II mRNA levels were up to 20-fold higher in ductal than in acinar tumours. Besides, Glut2 protein overexpression was found in ductal neoplastic cells but not in the surrounding stroma. In Ela1-myc mice, ductal tumours incorporate significantly more FDG than acinar tumours. This difference likely results from differential expression of Glut2 and hexokinases. These findings reveal previously unreported biological differences between acinar and ductal pancreatic tumours. (orig.)

Strains Around Abutment Teeth with Different Attachments Used for Implant-Assisted Distal Extension Partial Overdentures: An In Vitro Study.

Science.gov (United States)

ELsyad, Moustafa Abdou; Omran, Abdelbaset Omar; Fouad, Mohammed Mohammed

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare strain around abutment teeth with different attachments used for implant-assisted distal extension partial overdentures (IADEPODs). A mandibular Kennedy class I acrylic model (remaining teeth from first premolar to first premolar) was constructed. A conventional partial denture was constructed over the model (control, group 1). Two laboratory implants were then placed bilaterally in the first molar areas parallel to each other and perpendicular to the residual ridge. Three additional experimental partial overdentures (PODs) were constructed and connected to the implants using ball (group 2), magnetic (group 3), and Locator (group 4) attachments. Three linear strain gauges were bonded buccal, lingual, and distal to the first premolar abutment tooth at the right (loading) and the left (nonloading) sides. For each group, a universal testing device was used to apply a unilateral vertical static load (50 N) on the first molar area, and the strain was recorded using a multichannel digital strainometer. Significant differences between groups and between sites of strain gauges were detected. Strains recorded for all groups were compressive (negative) in nature. Group 1 demonstrated the highest strain, followed by group 3 and group 4; group 2 recorded the lowest strain. For group 2, the highest strain was recoded at the lingual nonloading side. For group 1, group 3, and group 4, the highest strain was recorded at the buccal loading side. Within the limitation of the present study, ball attachments used to retain IADEPODs to the implants were associated with lower strains around abutment teeth than Locator and magnetic attachments. The highest strain was recorded with conventional partial dentures. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

In Vivo Microscopy Reveals Extensive Embedding of Capillaries within the Sarcolemma of Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Glancy, Brian; Hsu, Li-Yueh; Dao, Lam; Bakalar, Matthew; French, Stephanie; Chess, David J.; Taylor, Joni L.; Picard, Martin; Aponte, Angel; Daniels, Mathew P.; Esfahani, Shervin; Cushman, Samuel; Balaban, Robert S.

2013-01-01

Objective To provide insight into mitochondrial function in vivo, we evaluated the 3D spatial relationship between capillaries, mitochondria, and muscle fibers in live mice. Methods 3D volumes of in vivo murine Tibialis anterior muscles were imaged by multi-photon microscopy (MPM). Muscle fiber type, mitochondrial distribution, number of capillaries, and capillary-to-fiber contact were assessed. The role of myoglobin-facilitated diffusion was examined in myoglobin knockout mice. Distribution of GLUT4 was also evaluated in the context of the capillary and mitochondrial network. Results MPM revealed that 43.6 ± 3.3% of oxidative fiber capillaries had ≥ 50% of their circumference embedded in a groove in the sarcolemma, in vivo. Embedded capillaries were tightly associated with dense mitochondrial populations lateral to capillary grooves and nearly absent below the groove. Mitochondrial distribution, number of embedded capillaries, and capillary-to-fiber contact were proportional to fiber oxidative capacity and unaffected by myoglobin knockout. GLUT4 did not preferentially localize to embedded capillaries. Conclusions Embedding capillaries in the sarcolemma may provide a regulatory mechanism to optimize delivery of oxygen to heterogeneous groups of muscle fibers. We hypothesize that mitochondria locate to paravascular regions due to myofibril voids created by embedded capillaries, not to enhance the delivery of oxygen to the mitochondria. PMID:25279425

Nitrogen fluorescence in air for observing extensive air showers

CERN Document Server

Keilhauer, B; Fraga, M; Matthews, J; Sakaki, N; Tameda, Y; Tsunesada, Y; Ulrich, A

2012-01-01

Extensive air showers initiate the fluorescence emissions from nitrogen molecules in air. The UV-light is emitted isotropically and can be used for observing the longitudinal development of extensive air showers in the atmosphere over tenth of kilometers. This measurement technique is well-established since it is exploited for many decades by several cosmic ray experiments. However, a fundamental aspect of the air shower analyses is the description of the fluorescence emission in dependence on varying atmospheric conditions. Different fluorescence yields affect directly the energy scaling of air shower reconstruction. In order to explore the various details of the nitrogen fluorescence emission in air, a few experimental groups have been performing dedicated measurements over the last decade. Most of the measurements are now finished. These experimental groups have been discussing their techniques and results in a series of \\emph{Air Fluorescence Workshops} commenced in 2002. At the 8$^{\\rm{th}}$ Air Fluoresc...

A functional screen reveals an extensive layer of transcriptional and splicing control underlying RAS/MAPK signaling in Drosophila.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dariel Ashton-Beaucage

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The small GTPase RAS is among the most prevalent oncogenes. The evolutionarily conserved RAF-MEK-MAPK module that lies downstream of RAS is one of the main conduits through which RAS transmits proliferative signals in normal and cancer cells. Genetic and biochemical studies conducted over the last two decades uncovered a small set of factors regulating RAS/MAPK signaling. Interestingly, most of these were found to control RAF activation, thus suggesting a central regulatory role for this event. Whether additional factors are required at this level or further downstream remains an open question. To obtain a comprehensive view of the elements functionally linked to the RAS/MAPK cascade, we used a quantitative assay in Drosophila S2 cells to conduct a genome-wide RNAi screen for factors impacting RAS-mediated MAPK activation. The screen led to the identification of 101 validated hits, including most of the previously known factors associated to this pathway. Epistasis experiments were then carried out on individual candidates to determine their position relative to core pathway components. While this revealed several new factors acting at different steps along the pathway--including a new protein complex modulating RAF activation--we found that most hits unexpectedly work downstream of MEK and specifically influence MAPK expression. These hits mainly consist of constitutive splicing factors and thereby suggest that splicing plays a specific role in establishing MAPK levels. We further characterized two representative members of this group and surprisingly found that they act by regulating mapk alternative splicing. This study provides an unprecedented assessment of the factors modulating RAS/MAPK signaling in Drosophila. In addition, it suggests that pathway output does not solely rely on classical signaling events, such as those controlling RAF activation, but also on the regulation of MAPK levels. Finally, it indicates that core splicing

Arc-parallel extension and fluid flow in an ancient accretionary wedge: The San Juan Islands, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Schermer, Elizabeth R.; Gillaspy, J.R.; Lamb, R.

2007-01-01

Structural analysis of the Lopez Structural Complex, a major Late Cretaceous terrane-bounding fault zone in the San Juan thrust system, reveals a sequence of events that provides insight into accretionary wedge mechanics and regional tectonics. After formation of regional ductile flattening and shear-related fabrics, the area was crosscut by brittle structures including: (1) southwest-vergent thrusts, (2) extension veins and normal faults related to northwest-southeast extension, and (3) conjugate strike-slip structures that record northwest-southeast extension and northeast-southwest shortening. Aragonite-bearing veins are associated with thrust and normal faults, but only rarely with strike-slip faults. High-pressure, low-temperature (HP-LT) minerals constrain the conditions for brittle deformation to ???20 km and formed in an accretionary prism during active subduction, which suggests that these brittle structures record internal wedge deformation at depth and early during uplift of the San Juan nappes. The structures are consistent with orogen-normal shortening and vertical thickening followed by vertical thinning and along-strike extension. The kinematic evolution may be related initially to changes in wedge strength, followed by response to overthickening of the wedge in an unbuttressed, obliquely convergent setting. The change in vein mineralogy indicates that exhumation occurred prior to the strike-slip event. The pressure and temperature conditions and spatial and temporal extent of small faults associated with fluid flow suggest a link between these structures and the silent earthquake process. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America.

Facilitating protein solubility by use of peptide extensions

Science.gov (United States)

Freimuth, Paul I; Zhang, Yian-Biao; Howitt, Jason

2013-09-17

Expression vectors for expression of a protein or polypeptide of interest as a fusion product composed of the protein or polypeptide of interest fused at one terminus to a solubility enhancing peptide extension are provided. Sequences encoding the peptide extensions are provided. The invention further comprises antibodies which bind specifically to one or more of the solubility enhancing peptide extensions.

A novel decision diagrams extension method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Shumin; Si, Shubin; Dui, Hongyan; Cai, Zhiqiang; Sun, Shudong

2014-01-01

Binary decision diagram (BDD) is a graph-based representation of Boolean functions. It is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) based on Shannon's decomposition. Multi-state multi-valued decision diagram (MMDD) is a natural extension of BDD for the symbolic representation and manipulation of the multi-valued logic functions. This paper proposes a decision diagram extension method based on original BDD/MMDD while the scale of a reliability system is extended. Following a discussion of decomposition and physical meaning of BDD and MMDD, the modeling method of BDD/MMDD based on original BDD/MMDD is introduced. Three case studies are implemented to demonstrate the presented methods. Compared with traditional BDD and MMDD generation methods, the decision diagrams extension method is more computationally efficient as shown through the running time

On Central Extensions of Associative Dialgebras

Science.gov (United States)

Rakhimov, Isamiddin S.

2016-03-01

The concept of central extensions plays an important in constructing extensions of algebras. This technique has been successfully used in the classification problem of certain classes of algebras. In 1978 Skjelbred and Sund reduced the classification of nilpotent Lie algebras in a given dimension to the study of orbits under the action of automorphism group on the space of second degree cohomology of a smaller Lie algebra with coefficients in a trivial module. Then W. de Graaf applied the Skjelbred and Sund method to the classification problem of low-dimensional nilpotent Lie and associative algebras over some fields. The main purpose of this note is to establish elementary properties of central extensions of associative dialgebras and apply the above mentioned method to the classification of low dimensional nilpotent associative dialgebras.

supervisory skills of extension managers in sekhukhune district of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p2333147

Although not based on objective measures, it is the perceived assessments of subordinates - the ... province where large-scale poverty and unemployment prevails, extension is faced .... Extension Head's competence in extension. This, in fact ...

Different localization patterns of anthocyanin species in the pericarp of black rice revealed by imaging mass spectrometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yukihiro Yoshimura

Full Text Available Black rice (Oryza sativa L. Japonica contains high levels of anthocyanins in the pericarp and is considered an effective health-promoting food. Several studies have identified the molecular species of anthocyanins in black rice, but information about the localization of each anthocyanin species is limited because methodologies for investigating the localization such as determining specific antibodies to anthocyanin, have not yet been developed Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS is a suitable tool for investigating the localization of metabolites. In this study, we identified 7 species of anthocyanin monoglycosides and 2 species of anthocyanin diglycosides in crude extracts from black rice by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS analysis. We also analyzed black rice sections by MALDI-IMS and found 2 additional species of anthocyanin pentosides and revealed different localization patterns of anthocyanin species composed of different sugar moieties. Anthocyanin species composed of a pentose moiety (cyanidin-3-O-pentoside and petunidin-3-O-pentoside were localized in the entire pericarp, whereas anthocyanin species composed of a hexose moiety (cyanidin-3-O-hexoside and peonidin-3-O-hexoside were focally localized in the dorsal pericarp. These results indicate that anthocyanin species composed of different sugar moieties exhibit different localization patterns in the pericarp of black rice. This is the first detailed investigation into the localization of molecular species of anthocyanins by MALDI-IMS.

Comparison at the peptide level with post-translational modification consideration reveals more differences between two unenriched samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jianrui; Shao, Chen; Jia, Lulu; Gao, Youhe

2014-06-30

In shotgun strategies, peptide sequences are first identified from tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra, and the existence and abundance of the proteins are then inferred from the peptide information. However, the protein inference step can produce errors and a loss of information. To identify the information that is lost using the traditional approaches, this study compared the proteomic data of two leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562) at the peptide level with consideration of post-translational modifications (PTMs). The raw files from the two cell lines were searched against the decoy IPI-human database version 3.68, which contains forward and reverse sequences. Then the observed modification name in the results was matched with the modification classification on the Unimod website by a manual search. Only the peptides with 'post-translational' modifications were compared between the two cell lines. After searching the database with consideration of PTMs, a total of 44046 non-redundant peptides were identified in both the Jurkat and K562 cell lines. Of these peptides, even without specific PTM enrichment, 11.43% of them (with at least two spectra in one cell line) existed in different PTM forms between the two cell lines, and 1.73% of the peptides were modified in both cell lines, but with different modifications or possibly on different sites. Comparing proteomic data at the peptide level with consideration of PTMs can reveal more differences between two unenriched samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

T1 Gd-enhanced compared with CISS sequences in retinoblastoma: superiority of T1 sequences in evaluation of tumour extension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gizewski, Elke R.; Wanke, Isabel; Guengoer, Ali-Riza; Forsting, Michael [University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Essen (Germany); Jurklies, Christine [University Hospital Essen, Department of Ophthalmology (Germany)

2005-01-01

Background As adequate therapy for retinoblastoma in young children depends on infiltration of extra-retinal structures, diagnostic modalities play an essential role. Methods: In this widely extended study, 80 children with retinoblastoma were studied with MRI (standard fat-suppressed Gd-enhanced T1, T2 thin-slice sequences (additionally with small loop surface coil), constructive interference in steady state (CISS) sequence covering the orbita). The images were analysed by two blinded neuroradiologists. Histology was used as the gold standard. MRI assumed infiltration of extra-retinal structures in 13 of 80 patients of which ten were confirmed by histology. Affected extra-retinal structures were: optic nerve (five, of which two were on CISS and three on T1 with higher image resolution using the surface coil), scleral infiltration (five, of which four on CISS and T1) and ciliary body infiltration (one on CISS and T1). Another 61 enucleated patients did not have any extra-retinal infiltration in histology. The CISS sequence with multiplanar reconstruction was mainly helpful in revealing exact three-dimensional tumour extension with excellent clinical acceptance and pre-surgical planning but T1 fat-suppressed Gd-enhanced images were superior in revealing exact tumour extension. CISS sequences allow to produce excellent anatomical images and to perform multiplanar reconstruction to better demonstrate tumour extension. However, T1-weighted sequences after contrast application are more sensitive (60 versus 40%) in detecting infiltration of the optic nerve but equal in detecting scleral infiltration. (orig.)

Monitoring extensions for component-based distributed software

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diakov, N.K.; Papir, Z.; van Sinderen, Marten J.; Quartel, Dick

2000-01-01

This paper defines a generic class of monitoring extensions to component-based distributed enterprise software. Introducing a monitoring extension to a legacy application system can be very costly. In this paper, we identify the minimum support for application monitoring within the generic

On extensions of superconformal algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagi, Jasbir

2005-01-01

Starting from vector fields that preserve a differential form on a Riemann sphere with Grassmann variables, one can construct a superconformal algebra by considering central extensions of the algebra of vector fields. In this paper, the N=4 case is analyzed closely, where the presence of weight zero operators in the field theory forces the introduction of noncentral extensions. How this modifies the existing field theory, representation theory, and Gelfand-Fuchs constructions is discussed. It is also discussed how graded Riemann sphere geometry can be used to give a geometrical description of the central charge in the N=1 theory

Receiver Operator Characteristic Tools Graphic User Interface Extension for R Commander

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Corneliu LEUCUŢA

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC curve, is a graphical plot which presents the performance of a binary classifier when the discrimination cutoff is varied. The aim of this work was to create an extension for R Commander that offers a graphical user interface for Receiver Operator Characteristic tools provided by several existing command line accessible packages like pROC and ROCR. Material and Methods: The extension was built and tested with R version 3.2.0 and R Commander 2.1-7. Results: We built an extension called RcmdrPlugin.ROC that we uploaded on the CRAN servers. The extension adds a new menu called ROC, along with two submenus pROC and ROCR that broadly corresponds to commands available to access the functions of these packages. The pROC menu offers several commands: to plot a ROC curve for a dataset or for a logistic regression model, to compare paired and unpaired ROC curves, each providing the following tabs: General (to select the variables for the analysis, and options for switching cases with controls; Smoothing (allowing the user to select different types of smoothing – binominal, density, distributions like normal, lognormal, ...; AUC (to specify the partial area under the curve (AUC options, CI (to select the options of confidence intervals (CI – the level, computing method: DeLong, bootstrap, ...; Plot (for the plotting options. The ROCR dialogue window offers more options in choosing the performance measures for the plot. Conclusion: The RcmdrPlugin.ROC extension helps less advanced users of R accessing ROC tools in a friendly graphical user interface.

The role of corporate image and extension similarity in service brand extensions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruyter, de J.C.; Wetzels, M.G.M.

2000-01-01

In this article we examine the role of corporate image in extending service brands to new and traditional markets in the telecommunications sector. With regards to corporate image, service brand extensions are primarily associated with innovation-related attributes, such as order of entry (i.e.,

Two General Extension Algorithms of Latin Hypercube Sampling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-zhao Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For reserving original sampling points to reduce the simulation runs, two general extension algorithms of Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS are proposed. The extension algorithms start with an original LHS of size m and construct a new LHS of size m+n that contains the original points as many as possible. In order to get a strict LHS of larger size, some original points might be deleted. The relationship of original sampling points in the new LHS structure is shown by a simple undirected acyclic graph. The basic general extension algorithm is proposed to reserve the most original points, but it costs too much time. Therefore, a general extension algorithm based on greedy algorithm is proposed to reduce the extension time, which cannot guarantee to contain the most original points. These algorithms are illustrated by an example and applied to evaluating the sample means to demonstrate the effectiveness.

Supersymmetric extensions of K field theories

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, C.; Queiruga, J. M.; Sanchez-Guillen, J.; Wereszczynski, A.

2012-02-01

We review the recently developed supersymmetric extensions of field theories with non-standard kinetic terms (so-called K field theories) in two an three dimensions. Further, we study the issue of topological defect formation in these supersymmetric theories. Specifically, we find supersymmetric K field theories which support topological kinks in 1+1 dimensions as well as supersymmetric extensions of the baby Skyrme model for arbitrary nonnegative potentials in 2+1 dimensions.

Intracranial Hemorrhage Revealing Pseudohypoparathyroidism as a Cause of Fahr Syndrome

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Abhijit Swami

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Pseudohypoparathyroidism is an infrequently encountered disease. It is one of the causes of Fahr syndrome which also is a rare clinical entity caused by multiple diseases. A 4-year-old man hospitalized for sudden onset left hemiparesis and hypertension was diagnosed to have right thalamic and midbrain hemorrhage on plain CT scan of the head which also revealed co-existent extensive intracranial calcifications involving the basal ganglia and cerebellum bilaterally. General physical examination revealed features of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy, goitre, hypertension, left hemiparesis, and signs of cerebellar dysfunction. Laboratory findings suggested hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia along with high TSH, low FT4, low FT3, and high anti-TPO antibody. Though bilateral intracranial calcifications are usually encountered as an incidental radiological finding in the CT scan of brain, in this case, the patient admitted for thalamic and midbrain hemorrhage was on investigation for associated intracranial calcification, and goitre was also found to have coexisting pseudohypoparathyroidism and autoimmune hypothyroidism.

Different antipsychotics elicit different effects on magnocellular oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic neurons as revealed by Fos immunohistochemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiss, A; Bundzikova, J; Pirnik, Z

2010-01-01

rats were injected intraperitoneally with haloperidol (1 mg/kg), clozapine (30 mg/kg), olanzapine (30 mg/kg), risperidone (2mg/kg), and vehicle (5% chremophor) and were sacrificed 60 min later by a fixative. Fos, Fos/OXY, and Fos/AVP labelings were visualized by immunohistochemistry in the SON, 5...... accessory (ACS) cell groups, and 4 distinct PVN subdivisions using a computerized light microscope. Most apparent activation of single Fos, Fos/OXY, and Fos/AVP cells was induced by clozapine and olanzapine; effects of risperidone and haloperidol were substantially lower; no colocalizations were revealed...... of risperidone and haloperidol. Variabilities in Fos distribution in the PVN, SON, and ACS induced by antipsychotics may be helpful to understand more precisely the extent of their extra-forebrain actions with possible presumption of their functional impact and side effect consequences....

Safety aspects in life extension of NPPs. Working material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Due to current social and economical framework, in last years many Member States (MS) started a process of Plant Life Extension (PLEX) for their older nuclear facilities. The process followed many different approaches, being intrinsically dependent on the national regulatory framework and technical tradition. This process has many nuclear safety implications, other than strategic and political ones, and therefore a need for tailoring the available safety assessment tools to such applications has become urgent in recent years. Typical safety assessment processes such as the Periodic Safety Review has been used already and can be used in the future as a framework for a PLEX. Also the review of regular maintenance and ageing management programs and the continuous upgrading of the Safety Analysis Report are tools widely used in a life extension context in many MS. However, recently some MS highlighted the need to identify in a clear way the technical aspects more directly affecting the decision for a long-term operation of a nuclear facility. Many Technical Cooperation projects have been requested for the year 2003-2004 on this subject and a generic task in Nuclear Safety proved necessary as a background activity. Therefore, on May 6-10, 2002, a Consultant Meeting dealing with Safety Aspects of life extension for NPPs was convened at the Nuclear Safety Dept. of the IAEA. It was attended by representatives of Regulatory Bodies and Utilities, both from countries with experience of life extension of NPPs and countries where the process is at the beginning. The main application problems were identified and discussed and a first attempt was carried out to define the key elements of the life extension process, isolating peculiar technical items, LTO related, from generic safety related tasks. The result was a preliminary technical document with a collection of basic experience and information for the implementation of a PLEX program. Therefore the draft document was thought

Co-culture microorganisms with different initial proportions reveal the mechanism of chalcopyrite bioleaching coupling with microbial community succession.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Liyuan; Wang, Xingjie; Feng, Xue; Liang, Yili; Xiao, Yunhua; Hao, Xiaodong; Yin, Huaqun; Liu, Hongwei; Liu, Xueduan

2017-01-01

The effect of co-culture microorganisms with different initial proportions on chalcopyrite bioleaching was investigated. Communities were rebuilt by six typical strains isolated from the same habitat. The results indicated, by community with more sulfur oxidizers at both 30 and 40°C, the final copper extraction rate was 19.8% and 6.5% higher, respectively, than that with more ferrous oxidizers. The variations of pH, redox potential, ferrous and copper ions in leachate also provided evidences that community with more sulfur oxidizers was more efficient. Community succession of free and attached cells revealed that initial proportions played decisive roles on community dynamics at 30°C, while communities shared similar structures, not relevant to initial proportions at 40°C. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed different microbial functions on mineral surface. A mechanism model for chalcopyrite bioleaching was established coupling with community succession. This will provide theoretical basis for reconstructing an efficient community in industrial application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Analysis of Membrane Vesicles from Three Piscirickettsia salmonis Isolates Reveals Differences in Vesicle Characteristics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia I Tandberg

Full Text Available Membrane vesicles (MVs are spherical particles naturally released from the membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Bacterial MV production is associated with a range of phenotypes including biofilm formation, horizontal gene transfer, toxin delivery, modulation of host immune responses and virulence. This study reports comparative profiling of MVs from bacterial strains isolated from three widely disperse geographical areas. Mass spectrometry identified 119, 159 and 142 proteins in MVs from three different strains of Piscirickettsia salmonis isolated from salmonids in Chile (LF-89, Norway (NVI 5692 and Canada (NVI 5892, respectively. MV comparison revealed several strain-specific differences related to higher virulence capability for LF-89 MVs, both in vivo and in vitro, and stronger similarities between the NVI 5692 and NVI 5892 MV proteome. The MVs were similar in size and appearance as analyzed by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The MVs from all three strains were internalized by both commercial and primary immune cell cultures, which suggest a potential role of the MVs in the bacterium's utilization of leukocytes. When MVs were injected into an adult zebrafish infection model, an upregulation of several pro-inflammatory genes were observed in spleen and kidney, indicating a modulating effect on the immune system. The present study is the first comparative analysis of P. salmonis derived MVs, highlighting strain-specific vesicle characteristics. The results further illustrate that the MV proteome from one bacterial strain is not representative of all bacterial strains within one species.

The Candida albicans-specific gene EED1 encodes a key regulator of hyphal extension.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Martin, Ronny

2011-04-01

The extension of germ tubes into elongated hyphae by Candida albicans is essential for damage of host cells. The C. albicans-specific gene EED1 plays a crucial role in this extension and maintenance of filamentous growth. eed1Δ cells failed to extend germ tubes into long filaments and switched back to yeast growth after 3 h of incubation during growth on plastic surfaces. Expression of EED1 is regulated by the transcription factor Efg1 and ectopic overexpression of EED1 restored filamentation in efg1Δ. Transcriptional profiling of eed1Δ during infection of oral tissue revealed down-regulation of hyphal associated genes including UME6, encoding another key transcriptional factor. Ectopic overexpression of EED1 or UME6 rescued filamentation and damage potential in eed1Δ. Transcriptional profiling during overexpression of UME6 identified subsets of genes regulated by Eed1 or Ume6. These data suggest that Eed1 and Ume6 act in a pathway regulating maintenance of hyphal growth thereby repressing hyphal-to-yeast transition and permitting dissemination of C. albicans within epithelial tissues.

Life extension of nuclear power plants: world situation and the Usa case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, P.T.; Cuesta, L.; Serra, E.; Yague, L.

2010-01-01

Life extension of nuclear power plants above 40 years of operation is an important issue in many countries. The Kyoto limits for CO 2 emissions, the security of supply, the costs of renewable energies and the economic crisis have pushed governments to continue operation of nuclear plants over the 40 years design life. In the Usa 59 units have obtained the extension of operation license from 40 to 60 years, and currently 19 units are in the reviewing process. The situation in the rest of the world is different. A list of countries, where nuclear units with a service life over 30 years, are still operating has been drawn up. A few countries like Belgium, Germany, Spain and Sweden are opposed to life extension. Some countries like Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, India, Japan and Usa, have adopted a life extension policy for their nuclear fleet. Other countries like France, Russia, United-Kingdom, Pakistan, South-Korea and Argentina have not yet taken any final decision. United-Kingdom and France have a case by case policy. In some countries like Japan, Indian or Pakistan, the legislation makes no reference to a maximum operating time but the reactors are allowed to continue operating as long as they comply with established safety conditions. (A.C.)

Research-extension-farmer linkages

African Journals Online (AJOL)

agricultural research and extension services, Government in 1990 set up a number of ... charged with the role of articulating the most appropriate research and ... production of 1800 copies of NARO bulletin, 1000 copies of Uganda Journal of ...

Sex differences in stress responses: a critical role for corticotropin-releasing factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Bangasser, Debra A; Wiersielis, Kimberly R

2018-03-01

Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and major depression are higher in women than in men. Another shared feature of these disorders is that dysregulation of the stress neuropeptide, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), is thought to contribute to their pathophysiology. Therefore, sex differences in responses to CRF could contribute to this sex bias in disease prevalence. Here, we review emerging data from non-human animal models that reveal extensive sex differences in CRF functions ranging from its presynaptic regulation to its postsynaptic efficacy. Specifically, detailed are sex differences in the regulation of CRF-containing neurons and the amount of CRF that they produce. We also describe sex differences in CRF receptor expression, distribution, trafficking, and signaling. Finally, we highlight sex differences in the processes that mitigate the effects of CRF. In most cases, the identified sex differences can lead to increased stress sensitivity in females. Thus, the relevance of these differences for the increased risk of depression and anxiety disorders in women compared to men is also discussed.

Using Non-Extension Volunteering as an Experiential Learning Activity for Extension Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Kevin B.; Lockett, Landry L.

2013-01-01

Extension professionals can gain much-needed competencies in volunteer administration through experiential learning by participating in volunteer activities. Experiential learning is a means of behavior change that allows the individual learner to reflect on, abstract, and apply their experiences to new situations. This article expands on…

Enzymes and other agents that enhance cell wall extensibility

Science.gov (United States)

Cosgrove, D. J.

1999-01-01

Polysaccharides and proteins are secreted to the inner surface of the growing cell wall, where they assemble into a network that is mechanically strong, yet remains extensible until the cells cease growth. This review focuses on the agents that directly or indirectly enhance the extensibility properties of growing walls. The properties of expansins, endoglucanases, and xyloglucan transglycosylases are reviewed and their postulated roles in modulating wall extensibility are evaluated. A summary model for wall extension is presented, in which expansin is a primary agent of wall extension, whereas endoglucanases, xyloglucan endotransglycosylase, and other enzymes that alter wall structure act secondarily to modulate expansin action.

Involvement in Community Extension Program of Business Administration Students in one Higher Education Institution in the Philippines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jo-Anne May A. Rubio

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Conducting community service is about relationship on building communities. It is designed for personal and social development. The researchers conduct this investigation to assess the Community Extension program of the College of Business Administration (CBA in one Private Higher Education Institution in the Philippines. The descriptive method of research utilizing the normative survey technique was employed in the study. The results of the study revealed that majority of the respondents are first year level and from Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. It also shows that there are students who are not involve in any organization of the college. This study further shows that community extension program of the college was well implemented. Students were well involved in the said activities. The students can expect benefits that will help them grow to a more productive and efficient students and member of the community. Moreover, there are also some expected problems in joining this kind of activity like funds, location and the logistics. The extension programs may continue to move on and reach out for the sustainable development of the students and community.

Extensive Variation in Chromatin States Across Humans

KAUST Repository

Kasowski, M.

2013-10-17

The majority of disease-associated variants lie outside protein-coding regions, suggesting a link between variation in regulatory regions and disease predisposition. We studied differences in chromatin states using five histone modifications, cohesin, and CTCF in lymphoblastoid lines from 19 individuals of diverse ancestry. We found extensive signal variation in regulatory regions, which often switch between active and repressed states across individuals. Enhancer activity is particularly diverse among individuals, whereas gene expression remains relatively stable. Chromatin variability shows genetic inheritance in trios, correlates with genetic variation and population divergence, and is associated with disruptions of transcription factor binding motifs. Overall, our results provide insights into chromatin variation among humans.

WIMS library update project: first stage extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santo, A.C.F. de; Santos Bastos, W. dos.

1994-09-01

This paper reports the results of nine structural lattices obtained through the WIMS-TRACA computer program. This work was performed by request of the managers of the WLU/IAEA project, for the extension of the first stage. These benchmark lattices include regular arrays with heavy water and data of the thorium cycle. Besides K ∞ and K eff (employing the experimental buckling to account for the leakages) spectrum index and ratio at reaction rates are also determined for comparison with the experimental values. The input data for each lattice, are given in the appendix to help exploring possible differences in the results. (author). 4 refs, 1 fig, 11 tabs

Extensive Variation in Chromatin States Across Humans

KAUST Repository

Kasowski, M.; Kyriazopoulou-Panagiotopoulou, S.; Grubert, F.; Zaugg, J. B.; Kundaje, A.; Liu, Y.; Boyle, A. P.; Zhang, Q. C.; Zakharia, F.; Spacek, D. V.; Li, J.; Xie, D.; Olarerin-George, A.; Steinmetz, L. M.; Hogenesch, J. B.; Kellis, M.; Batzoglou, S.; Snyder, M.

2013-01-01

The majority of disease-associated variants lie outside protein-coding regions, suggesting a link between variation in regulatory regions and disease predisposition. We studied differences in chromatin states using five histone modifications, cohesin, and CTCF in lymphoblastoid lines from 19 individuals of diverse ancestry. We found extensive signal variation in regulatory regions, which often switch between active and repressed states across individuals. Enhancer activity is particularly diverse among individuals, whereas gene expression remains relatively stable. Chromatin variability shows genetic inheritance in trios, correlates with genetic variation and population divergence, and is associated with disruptions of transcription factor binding motifs. Overall, our results provide insights into chromatin variation among humans.

Agricultural extension, research, and development for increased ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The challenges of food security and agricultural development in South Africa cannot simply be solved by limiting extension and research development to the public sector. However, if shortcomings arise in the public sector while addressing extension, research and development, the potential involvement of the private sector ...

Job satisfaction of extension agents towards innovation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study assessed job satisfaction of extension agents towards innovation dissemination to fish farmers in Lagos State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 44 extension officers from which data were collected. A structured questionnaire consisting of 6 personal characteristics, 23 management ...

Ultrasonic vocalizations in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) reveal modest sex differences and nonlinear signals of sexual motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Vargas, Marcela; Johnston, Robert E

2015-01-01

Vocal signaling is one of many behaviors that animals perform during social interactions. Vocalizations produced by both sexes before mating can communicate sex, identity and condition of the caller. Adult golden hamsters produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) after intersexual contact. To determine whether these vocalizations are sexually dimorphic, we analyzed the vocal repertoire for sex differences in: 1) calling rates, 2) composition (structural complexity, call types and nonlinear phenomena) and 3) acoustic structure. In addition, we examined it for individual variation in the calls. The vocal repertoire was mainly composed of 1-note simple calls and at least half of them presented some degree of deterministic chaos. The prevalence of this nonlinear phenomenon was confirmed by low values of harmonic-to-noise ratio for most calls. We found modest sexual differences between repertoires. Males were more likely than females to produce tonal and less chaotic calls, as well as call types with frequency jumps. Multivariate analysis of the acoustic features of 1-note simple calls revealed significant sex differences in the second axis represented mostly by entropy and bandwidth parameters. Male calls showed lower entropy and inter-quartile bandwidth than female calls. Because the variation of acoustic structure within individuals was higher than among individuals, USV could not be reliably assigned to the correct individual. Interestingly, however, this high variability, augmented by the prevalence of chaos and frequency jumps, could be the result of increased vocal effort. Hamsters motivated to produce high calling rates also produced longer calls of broader bandwidth. Thus, the sex differences found could be the result of different sex preferences but also of a sex difference in calling motivation or condition. We suggest that variable and complex USV may have been selected to increase responsiveness of a potential mate by communicating sexual arousal and

Ultrasonic vocalizations in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus reveal modest sex differences and nonlinear signals of sexual motivation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Fernández-Vargas

Full Text Available Vocal signaling is one of many behaviors that animals perform during social interactions. Vocalizations produced by both sexes before mating can communicate sex, identity and condition of the caller. Adult golden hamsters produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USV after intersexual contact. To determine whether these vocalizations are sexually dimorphic, we analyzed the vocal repertoire for sex differences in: 1 calling rates, 2 composition (structural complexity, call types and nonlinear phenomena and 3 acoustic structure. In addition, we examined it for individual variation in the calls. The vocal repertoire was mainly composed of 1-note simple calls and at least half of them presented some degree of deterministic chaos. The prevalence of this nonlinear phenomenon was confirmed by low values of harmonic-to-noise ratio for most calls. We found modest sexual differences between repertoires. Males were more likely than females to produce tonal and less chaotic calls, as well as call types with frequency jumps. Multivariate analysis of the acoustic features of 1-note simple calls revealed significant sex differences in the second axis represented mostly by entropy and bandwidth parameters. Male calls showed lower entropy and inter-quartile bandwidth than female calls. Because the variation of acoustic structure within individuals was higher than among individuals, USV could not be reliably assigned to the correct individual. Interestingly, however, this high variability, augmented by the prevalence of chaos and frequency jumps, could be the result of increased vocal effort. Hamsters motivated to produce high calling rates also produced longer calls of broader bandwidth. Thus, the sex differences found could be the result of different sex preferences but also of a sex difference in calling motivation or condition. We suggest that variable and complex USV may have been selected to increase responsiveness of a potential mate by communicating sexual

Economic Impact of e-Velanmai Model of Extension Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)