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TP53 mutations are implicated in the progression of mucinous borderline tumors (MBOT) to mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MOC). Optimized immunohistochemistry (IHC) for TP53 has been established as a proxy for the TP53 mutation status in other ovarian tumor types. We aimed to confirm the ability of TP53 IHC to predict TP53 mutation status in ovarian mucinous tumors and to evaluate the association of TP53 mutation status with survival among patients with MBOT and MOC. Tumor tissue from an initial cohort of 113 women with MBOT/MOC was stained with optimized IHC for TP53 using tissue microarrays (75.2%) or full sections (24.8%) and interpreted using established criteria as normal or abnormal (overexpression, complete absence, or cytoplasmic). Cases were considered concordant if abnormal IHC staining predicted deleterious TP53 mutations. Discordant tissue microarray cases were re-evaluated on full sections and interpretational criteria were refined. The initial cohort was expanded to a total of 165 MBOT and 424 MOC for the examination of the association of survival with TP53 mutation status, assessed either by TP53 IHC and/or sequencing. Initially, 82/113 (72.6%) cases were concordant using the established criteria. Refined criteria for overexpression to account for intratumoral heterogeneity and terminal differentiation improved concordance to 93.8% (106/113). In the expanded cohort, 19.4% (32/165) of MBOT showed evidence for TP53 mutation and this was associated with a higher risk of recurrence, disease-specific death, and all-cause mortality (overall survival: HR = 4.6, 95% CI 1.5-14.3, p = 0.0087). Within MOC, 61.1% (259/424) harbored a TP53 mutation, but this was not associated with survival (overall survival, p = 0.77). TP53 IHC is an accurate proxy for TP53 mutation status with refined interpretation criteria accounting for intratumoral heterogeneity and terminal differentiation in ovarian mucinous tumors. TP53 mutation status is an important biomarker to identify MBOT with a higher risk of mortality.

Summary Objectives Recent studies have shown that tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are novel regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression. However, the expression profiles and their role in post-transcriptional gene regulation in chondrocytes is unknown. Here, we determined tRFs expression profile and explored tRF-3003a role in post-transcriptional gene regulation in IL-1β stimulated chondrocytes. Methods We used qPCR arrays to determine tRNAs and tRFs expression in age- and sex-matched primary human OA chondrocytes and TC28/I2 cells stimulated with IL-1β. Chondrocytes were transfected with tRNA-CysGCA overexpression plasmid or tRF-3003a mimic and 3′UTR luciferase reporter plasmids of mRNAs harboring predicted tRF target “seed sequence”. The AGO-RNA-induced silencing complex (AGO-RISC)-dependent repressive activity of tRF-3003a was determined by siRNA-mediated knockdown of AGO2. Results IL-1β increased the expression levels of specific tRNAs and of tRF-3003a, a type 3 tRF produced by the cleavage of tRNA-CysGCA. tRF-3003a “seed sequence” was identified in the 3′UTR of JAK3 mRNA and tRNA-CysGCA overexpression or transfection of a tRF-3003a mimic in chondrocytes downregulated JAK3 expression and significantly reduced the activity of the 3′UTR reporter. RIP assay showed enrichment of tRF-3003a into AGO2/RISC in IL-1β treated chondrocytes. The suppressive effect of tRF-3003a on JAK3 3′UTR reporter was abrogated with siRNA-mediated depletion of AGO2. Conclusions We demonstrate that under pathological conditions chondrocytes display perturbations in the expression profile of specific tRNAs and tRFs. Furthermore, a specific tRF namely tRF-3003a can post-transcriptionally regulate JAK3 expression via AGO/RISC formation in chondrocytes. Identification of this novel mechanism may be of value in the design of precision therapies for OA.

An array of 128 CsI(Tl) charged particle detectors providing nearly 4 π coverage has been developed at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and commissioned at TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator center. The new CsI ball array replaces a previous 24-detector array and offers improved charged particle detection efficiency and discrimination between reaction channels due to its increased angular coverage. A technical overview of the CsI ball array, as well as commissioning data including measurements of the charged particle detection efficiency, is presented.

The rate of change in the relative size of SOC pools (sensitivity) due to land management may vary depending on their level of chemical and/or physical protection from decomposition, but has rarely been directly measured. The availability of archived (1975) soils from an abandoned long term tillage treatment experiment provided a unique opportunity to assess the sensitivity of SOC pools with different levels of stability to uniform land management after divergent tillage treatments. There were four initial treatments (1968–1991): 1) deep plough then no till, 2) shallow plough, 3) reduced till then rotary cultivation and 4) no till. The treatments were followed by uniform long-term grassland management (17 years) and subsequent short-term arable (two years). The sensitivity of SOC to land management was assessed by fractionation and direct comparison of archived soils and soils sampled in 2014 from this site. Both reductions and increases in SOC stocks were observed over time in comparable treatments but the overall effect was a trend towards an equilibration of SOC stocks across all plots. The labile fractions (particulate and dissolved organic matter) were sensitive to land management regardless of initial tillage treatment, but were more sensitive in the reduced till + rotary cultivation and no till treatments (2.3–5.3 times more sensitive than the whole soil) than the deep plough + no till and shallow plough treatments (1.12.2 times more sensitive than the whole soil). The chemically resistant fraction of the soils was surprisingly sensitive to land management (0.9–1.3 times more sensitive than the whole soil). This study shows that the degree of sensitivity of SOC fractions to land management can vary significantly depending on previous tillage management practices.

Gamma-Ray Infrastructure For Fundamental Investigations of Nuclei, GRIFFIN, is a new high-efficiency γ -ray spectrometer designed for use in decay spectroscopy experiments with low-energy radioactive ion beams provided by TRIUMF’s Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC-I) facility. GRIFFIN is composed of sixteen Compton-suppressed large-volume clover-type high-purity germanium (HPGe) γ -ray detectors combined with a suite of ancillary detection systems and coupled to a custom digital data acquisition system. The infrastructure and detectors of the spectrometer as well as the performance characteristics and the analysis techniques applied to the experimental data are described.

Health care organizations are obligated to provide safe and effective treatment to their patients and also protect the safety of their workers. This paper analyzes the tensions arising from legislative regimes that, respectively, protect privacy and workplace safety, using a large, tertiary high-secure forensic psychiatric hospital in Ontario, Canada, as an example. In Ontario, the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) prohibits personal health information (PHI) from being disclosed to individuals who fall outside the "circle of care," including nonclinical employees who have direct involvement with patients and may be at risk of violence. PHIPA permits the disclosure of information where there is a risk of violence, but the statute's scheme for privacy protection was not designed to address, and may not be compatible with, the operations and requirements of high-secure forensic and other psychiatric hospitals. At the same time, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) creates a regulatory framework that sets health and safety standards, including an employer's duty to disclose the risk of violence. OHSA prosecutions and proceedings demonstrate how these duties have been enforced against psychiatric hospitals. We examine this regulatory backdrop, explaining that PHIPA provides little guidance to psychiatric hospitals, where the risk of violence is elevated. We also discuss issues of dual compliance that arise from a hospital's legal obligations under PHIPA and OHSA. Finally, we turn to the ongoing clinical and operational challenges, suggesting strategies for increasing staff safety. These include strengthening the therapeutic alliance and providing patients with the option of consenting to disclosure of PHI to those outside the circle of care.

Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a significant comorbidity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may reflect systemic regulatory pathway dysfunction. Low BMD has been identified in several AD mouse models selective for amyloid-β or tau pathology, but these deficits were attributed to diverse mechanisms. In this study, we identified common pathophysiological mechanisms accounting for bone loss and neurodegeneration in the htau mouse, a tauopathy model with an early low BMD phenotype. We investigated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway—a cellular signaling cascade linked to both bone loss and neuropathology. We showed that low BMD persisted in male htau mice aged from 6 to 14 months, remaining significantly lower than tau-null and C57BL/6J controls. Osteogenic gene expression in female and male htau mice was markedly reduced from controls, indicating impaired bone remodeling. In both the bone and brain, htau mice showed alterations in Wnt/β-catenin signaling genes suggestive of increased inhibition of this pathway. These findings implicate dysfunctional Wnt signaling as a potential target for addressing bone loss in AD.

Objective: To evaluate myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression in relation to clinical features of epithelial ovarian cancer, histologic subtypes, and overall survival. Patients and Methods: We conducted centralized immunohistochemical staining, semi-quantitative scoring, and survival analysis in 5263 patients participating in the Ovarian Tumor Tissue Analysis consortium. Patients were diagnosed between January 1, 1978, and December 31, 2014, including 2865 high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSOCs), with more than 12,000 person-years of follow-up time. Tissue microarrays were stained for MyD88 and TLR4, and staining intensity was classified using a 2-tiered system for each marker (weak vs strong). Results: Expression of MyD88 and TLR4 was similar in all histotypes except clear cell ovarian cancer, which showed reduced expression compared with other histotypes (P

The TIGRESS Integrated Plunger device (TIP) has been developed for recoil distance method (RDM) lifetime measurements using the TIGRESS array of HPGe γ -ray detectors at TRIUMF’s ISAC-II facility. A commissioning experiment was conducted utilizing a 250 MeV 84Kr beam at ≈ 2 × 1 0 8 particles per second. The 84Kr beam was Coulomb excited to the 2 1 + state on a movable 27Al target. A thin Cu foil fixed downstream from the target was used as a degrader. Excited nuclei emerged from the target and decayed by γ -ray emission at a distance determined by their velocity and the lifetime of the 2 1 + state. The ratio of decays which occur between the target and degrader to those occurring after traversing the degrader changes as a function of the target–degrader separation distance. Gamma-ray spectra at 13 target–degrader separation distances were measured and compared to simulated lineshapes to extract the lifetime. The result of τ = 5 . 541 ± 0 . 013 (stat.) ± 0 . 063 (sys.) ps is shorter than the literature value of 5 . 84 ± 0 . 18 ps with a reduction in uncertainty by a factor of approximately two. The TIP plunger device, experimental technique, analysis tools, and result are discussed.

Disease risk modeling is a key first step to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of wildlife disease and to direct cost-effective surveillance and management. In Alberta, active surveillance for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild cervids began in 1998 with the first case detected in free-ranging cervids in 2005. Following the detection, a herd reduction program was implemented during 2005-2008 and in 2006 the ongoing hunter-based CWD Surveillance Program became mandatory in high-risk Wildlife Management Units (WMU). We used data collected during the CWD surveillance program to 1) document growth in sex-specific CWD prevalence (proportion of deer in sample that is CWD-positive) in hunter-harvest deer in 6 WMUs consistently monitored from 2006 to 2018, 2) document landscape features associated with where CWD-positive compared to CWD-negative deer were removed during hunter harvest and herd reduction in an early (2005-2012) and in a late period (2013-2017), and 3) to map the spatial risk of harvesting a deer infected with CWD in the prairie parklands of Alberta. In the 6 continuously monitored WMUs, risk of a harvested deer being CWD positive increased from 2006 to 2018 with CWD prevalence remaining highest in male mule deer whereas overall growth rate in CWD prevalence was greater in female mule deer, but similar to male white-tailed deer. We found no evidence that the 3-year herd reduction program conducted immediately after CWD was first detected affected the rate at which CWD grew over the course of the invasion. Risk of deer being CWD-positive was the highest in animals taken near small stream drainages and on soils with low organic carbon content in the early period, whereas risk became highest in areas of agriculture especially when far from large river drainages where deer often concentrate in isolated woody patches. The change in the influence of proximity to known CWD-positive cases suggested the disease was initially patchy but became more spatially homogeneous over time. Our results indicate that a targeted-removal program will remove more CWD positive animals compared to hunter harvest. However, the discontinuation of targeted removals during our research program, restricted our ability to assess its long term impact on CWD prevalence.

Visual soil evaluation techniques have gained popularity and are increasingly used in agriculture and soil science for research, consultancy and teaching purposes. We describe recent applications, developments, opportunities and limitations, mainly of the Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (for topsoil (VESS) and for subsoil (SubVESS)), and of the Visual Soil Assessment (VSA). Data are taken from experiments on compaction and from assessments made in farmer’s fields in the UK, Brazil and New Zealand. The methods are widely used to detect compaction and are well-suited for monitoring changes in compaction status, particularly in relation to weather extremes. VESS proved useful in distinguishing grazing vs wheel compaction in the UK and Brazil by permitting detection of layers at different depths within the topsoil zone. The depths of compact layers are important for scoring management decisions for soil improvement. However the use of scores as limiting thresholds in different soil types needs the support of further soil measurements and/or additional visual assessments of soil and crop. VSA and VESS were also used to estimate the risk of significant soil emissions of nitrous oxide where compaction damage was present and rates of mineral N fertiliser were high. Visual assessments also have the potential to assess the risk of surface water runoff and nutrient loss. The potential role of soil colour was shown for the further development of visual evaluation techniques for a soil carbon storage index. Visual soil evaluation techniques also provide a useful visual aid for improving soil awareness in groups of stakeholders, helping the exchange of knowledge and ideas for innovation in agriculture.

The Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) is a straightforward and practical method for characterising and scoring soil structural and physical quality, ideally suited to evaluate and monitor soil degradation in remote and undeveloped areas. The research presented here tested for the first time the feasibility of using VESS in the Amazon basin, under the specific land uses and soils (Oxisol and “Terra Preta de Indio”) of the region, and its relation with quantitative soil properties commonly used as indicators of soil physical quality. The evaluated areas, which had never been subjected to mechanisation, chemical fertilisation nor tillage, were “Terra Preta de Indio”/Anthropogenic Dark Earth; Regenerating Forest; Slash and Burn; Pasture; and Pristine Forest. The results showed that the quantitative properties were less sensitive at revealing signs of degradation than VESS and that VESS brought to light evidence of historic land use change and limitations to crop productivity. VESS was significantly correlated with soil resistance to penetration. However, VESS had difficulty capturing surface sealing, but the hands on approach to VESS allowed the user to identify these problems, despite not being listed in the reference chart. Overall, VESS was a more integrated soil quality indicator, providing more information about different soil functions than the quantitative properties, it was also a more practical method to perform making it ideal for tracking soil degradation and structural quality in similarly challenging situations. However, more research is required to fully enable VESS to capture structural quality in ‘sandified’ soils, caused by the slash and burn method widely used in the Amazon region.

A method is presented for the determination of gamma-ray energies and transition rates in nuclei populated using the fusion-evaporation reaction mechanism and measured using the Doppler-shift attenuation method (DSAM). This method is applied to data collected for the stable benchmark nucleus 22Ne during a commissioning experiment at TRIUMF, Canada's National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics, employing a 12C(18O,2α)22Ne fusion-evaporation reaction. Gamma-ray energies were determined using offline reconstruction to correct for the Doppler shift. Mean lifetimes of the corresponding transitions were then measured via a comparison to Monte-Carlo lineshape simulations developed using the GEANT4 framework. Best fit lifetimes obtained using χ2 analysis were in general agreement with the existing literature, validating the analysis method used.

Pt 3 Co catalyst nanoparticles of 4.9 nm size present on the cathode side of a PEMFC membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy after 10 K voltage cycles under different operating conditions. The operating conditions include baseline (0.4–0.95 V, 80° C, 100% Relative Humidity (RH)), high potential (0.4–1.05 V, 80° C, 100% RH), high temperature (0.4–0.95 V, 90° C, 100% RH), and low humidity (0.4–0.95 V, 80° C, 30% RH). Particle growth and particle loss to the membrane is more severe in the high potential sample than in the high temperature and baseline MEAs, while no significant particle growth and particle precipitation in the membrane can be observed in the low humidity sample. Particles with different morphologies were seen in the cathode including: 1-Spherical individual particles resulting from modified electro-chemical Ostwald ripening and 2-aggregated and coalesced particles resulting from either necking of two or more particles or preferential deposition of Pt between particles with consequent bridging. The difference in the composition of these morphologies results in composition variations through the cathode from cathode/diffusion media (DM) to the cathode/membrane interface.

Low-lying excited states of 122 Xe have been studied via the β + /EC decay of 122 Cs with the 8π γ-ray spectrometer at the TRIUMF Isotope Separator and Accelerator facility. The data collected have enabled the observation of new in-band transitions in the excited 0 + state bands. In addition, the 2 + members of the second 0 + and third 0 + state bands have been firmly confirmed by angular correlation analysis.

Evidence-based home visiting (EBHV) programs for pregnant women and families of young children prevent child maltreatment and improve maternal and child health outcomes. However, home visiting programs often struggle to retain families long enough to achieve positive outcomes. The current study (N = 1,032) sought to understand how home visitor relationship building skills and screening practices predict families’ duration in EBHV. Multilevel modeling revealed that screening practice helped retain families in EBHV programs longer. Interactions between screening practices and home visitors’ relationship building skills further showed screening practices were associated with longer duration in services when home visitor relationship building skills with families were weak. However, when home visitor relationship building skills were strong, screening practices were less influential on duration. Results suggest that screening practices may help build relationships with families which then enhances retention in services and increases the likelihood of achieving positive maternal and child outcomes.

In the present paper, flower-like multimodal porous ZnCo2O4 microspheres, comprised of numerous nanosheets, are synthesized through PVP assist solvothermal self-assembling process. The multimodal porous ZnCo2O4 microspheres are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A possible formation mechanism of two steps self-assemble is proposed. The ZnCo2O4 microspheres are then used as an anode material to fabricate lithium ion batteries. The results based on the evaluation of lithium ion batteries demonstrate that the porous microstructure offers the excellent electrochemical performance with high capacity and long-life cycling stability. It is found that a high reversible capacity of 940 and 919 mAh g−1 is maintained after 100 cycles at a low charge–discharge rate of 0.1C and 0.2C (100 and 200 mA g−1), respectively. Meanwhile, the remaining discharging capacity reaches as high as 856 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles subject to the large current density up to 1C. MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)

Mysis diluviana is an important mid-trophic level omnivore in many lakes, but studies of Mysis in Lake Champlain are rare. We used an unpublished 1975 study as a baseline to test for changes in contemporary Mysis populations in Lake Champlain. Invasive zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) were first reported in 1993 and 2003, respectively. Based on the negative relationships of these two species with Mysis and Mysis prey in the Great Lakes, we hypothesized a decline in Mysis in Lake Champlain since 1975 and tested this by repeating the 1975 study in 2012. We found a nearly ten-fold decrease in mean density (± SD) between 1975 (712 ± 373 individuals/m2) and 2012 (82 ± 48 individuals/m2; p = 0.002). Despite the decline, Mysis growth rates appeared similar between the two studies, although fecundity significantly increased by 3 embryos/female in 2012 (p = 0.002). Mysis vertical distribution appeared similar in both years, while the horizontal distribution appeared limited to deeper bathymetric strata in 2012 compared to 1975. Data from a long-term monitoring program from 1992 to 2008 indicate the decline occurred abruptly in the mid-1990s, which coincided with zebra mussel establishment although a direct link between the two is not evident. Alewife did not invade Lake Champlain until 2003 and can be ruled out as a contributing factor to the decline. We hypothesize that the combination of predation by alewife and smelt and shifts in the planktonic food web may prevent Mysis from recovering to pre-1995 densities.

A new type of gaseous micropattern particle detector based on a closed-cell microcavity plasma panel sensor is reported. The first device was fabricated with 1 x 1 x 2 mm cells. It has shown very clean signals of 0.6 to 2.5 volt amplitude, fast rise time of approximately 2 ns and FWHM of about 2 ns with very uniform signal shapes across all pixels. From initial measurements with beta particles from a radioactive source, a maximum pixel efficiency of greater than 95% is calculated, for operation of the detector over a 100V wide span of high voltages (HV). Over this same HV range, the background rate per pixel was measured to be 3 to 4 orders of magnitude lower than the rate with the cell illuminated by the beta source. Pixel-to-pixel count rate uniformity is within 3% and stable within 3% for many days. The time resolution is 2.4 ns, and a very low cell-to-cell crosstalk has been measured between cells separated by 2 mm., Comment: Submitted to NIM

Electromagnetic transition rate measurements play an important role in characterizing the evolution of nuclear structure with increasing proton-neutron asymmetry. At TRIUMF, the TIGRESS Integrated Plunger device and its suite of ancillary detector systems have been implemented for charged-particle tagging and light-ion identification in coincidence with gamma-ray spectroscopy for Doppler-shift lifetime studies and low-energy Coulomb excitation measurements. Digital pulse-shape analysis of signals from these ancillary detectors for particle identification improves the signal-to-noise ratio of gamma-ray energy spectra. Here, we illustrate the reaction-channel selectivity achieved by utilizing digital rise-time discrimination of waveforms from alpha particles and carbon ions detected with silicon PIN diodes, thereby enhancing gamma-ray line-shape signatures for precision lifetime studies.

This article reports on the development and experimental results of commercial plasma display panels adapted for their potential use as micropattern gas radiation detectors. The plasma panel sensors (PPS) design an materials include glass substrates, metal electrodes and inert gas mixtures which provide a physically robust, hermetically-sealed device. Plasma display panels used as detectors were tested with cosmic ray muons, beta rays and gamma rays, protons and thermal neutrons. The results demonstrated rise times and time resolution of a few nanoseconds, as well as sub-millimeter spatial resolution compatible with the pixel pitch., Submitted to NIM

Snow cover protects alpine plants from winter frost damage, keeping them under warmer and more stable temperatures than if there were no snow. Future climate scenarios predict less snow cover and earlier snow melt due to warming, causing paradoxically colder winters in a warmer climate. We compared intraspecific variation in cold tolerance between early snow melt (ESM) and late snow melt (LSM) populations of Aciphylla glacialis. Seedlings grown under common conditions were found to differ in cold tolerance consistent with their habitat of origin. ESM seedlings were more frost resistant and had a greater capacity to increase frost resistance in response to low temperatures than LSM seedlings. These results emphasise the relevance of microclimatic heterogeneity in driving physiological differences that might buffer some effects of climate change. Loss of snow cover could increase vulnerability of A. glacialis to lethal freezing in LSM sites whereas plants with greater frost tolerance in adjacent colder habitats (ESM sites) would be protected. Thus, intraspecific differentiation in tolerance of climatic stresses in combination with microclimatic refuges provided by topographic variation could enhance survival of some alpine species as climate warming progresses.

The SPICE spectrometer is a new in-beam electron spectrometer designed to operate in conjunction with the TIGRESS HPGe Clover array at TRIUMF-ISAC. The spectrometer consists of a large area, annular, segmented lithium-drifted silicon electron detector shielded from the target by a photon shield. A permanent magnetic lens directs electrons around the photon shield to the detector. Experiments will be performed utilising Coulomb excitation, inelastic-scattering, transfer and fusion–evaporation reactions using stable and radioactive ion beams with suitable heavy-ion detection. Good detection efficiency can be achieved in a large energy range up to 3500 keV electron energy using several magnetic lens designs which are quickly interchangeable. COMSOL and Geant4 simulations have been used to maximise the detection efficiency. In addition, the simulations have guided the design of components to minimise the contributions from various sources of backgrounds.

The TIGRESS Integrated Plunger device is a new experimental tool for nuclear structure investigations via gamma-ray spectroscopy with post-accelerated beams from the ISAC-II facility at TRIUMF. Several ancillary detection systems integral to the device׳s capabilities for charged-particle tagging and light-ion identification following a variety of nuclear reaction mechanisms have been constructed and characterized. In particular, a silicon PIN diode wall, an annular silicon segmented detector, and a CsI(Tl) scintillator wall have together enabled particle-gamma correlations for reaction channel selectivity and precision kinematic reconstruction in recent measurements. We highlight the construction, characteristics, and implementation of the device׳s ancillary detectors as they enable a rich set of electromagnetic transition rate measurements via Doppler-shift lifetime techniques and low-energy Coulomb excitation.

Soil management practices shown to increase carbon sequestration include reduced tillage, amendments of carbon and mixed rotations. As a means to mitigate greenhouse gases, however, the success of these practices will be strongly influenced by nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions that vary with soil wetness. Few seasonal data are available on N 2 O under different soil managements so we measured seasonal N 2 O emission in three field experiments between 2006 and 2009 in eastern Scotland. The experimental treatments at the three sites were (1) tillage: no-tillage, minimum tillage, ploughing to 20 cm with or without compaction and deep ploughing to 40 cm, (2) organic residue amendment: application of municipal green-waste compost or cattle slurry and (3) rotations: stocked and stockless (without manure) organic arable farming rotations. Most seasons were wetter than average with 2009 the wettest, receiving 20–40% more rainfall than average. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured using static closed chambers. There was no statistical evidence, albeit with low statistical power, that reduced tillage affected N 2 O emissions compared to normal depth ploughing. With organic residue amendments, only in the wet season in 2008 were emissions significantly increased by high rates of green-waste compost (4.5 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ) and cattle slurry (5.2 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ) compared to the control (1.9 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ). In the organic rotations, N 2 O emissions were greatest after incorporation of the grass/clover treatments, especially during conversion of a stocked rotation to stockless. Emissions from the organic arable crops (1.9 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2006, 3.0 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2007) generally exceeded those from the organic grass/clover (0.8 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2006, 1.1 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 in 2007) except in 2008 when the wet weather delayed manure applications and increased emissions from the grass/clover (2.8 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 ). Nevertheless, organic grassland was the land use providing the most effective overall mitigation. Although the magnitude of fluxes did not relate particularly well to rainfall differences between seasons, greater rainfall received during some growing seasons increased the differences between tillage, organic residue and crop rotation phase treatments, negating any possible mitigation by timing management operations in dry periods. This was partly attributed to applying tillage and manures late and/or in wet conditions. Of benefit would be different sampling strategies including closed chambers or eddy covariance with standardised methodology. Controlled soil management experiments with a wide geographic spread to specify land management for mitigation also important.

The electromagnetic dipole strength in Be 11 between the bound states has been measured using low-energy projectile Coulomb excitation at bombarding energies of 1.73 and 2.09 MeV/nucleon on a Pt 196 target. An electric dipole transition probability B ( E 1 ; 1 / 2 − → 1 / 2 + ) = 0.102 ( 2 ) e 2 fm 2 was determined using the semi-classical code Gosia, and a value of 0.098 ( 4 ) e 2 fm 2 was determined using the Extended Continuum Discretized Coupled Channels method with the quantum mechanical code FRESCO. These extracted B ( E 1 ) values are consistent with the average value determined by a model-dependent analysis of intermediate energy Coulomb excitation measurements and are approximately 14 % lower than that determined by a lifetime measurement. The much-improved precisions of 2% and 4% in the measured B ( E 1 ) values between the bound states deduced using Gosia and the Extended Continuum Discretized Coupled Channels method, respectively, compared to the previous accuracy of ∼ 10 % will help in our understanding of and better improve the realistic inter-nucleon interactions.

The low-energy identification station at SPIRAL (Systeme de Production d'Ions Radioactifs Acceleres en Ligne) has been upgraded for studying the β decays of short-lived radioactive isotopes and to perform high-precision half-life and branching-ratio measurements for superallowed Fermi and isospin T= 1 / 2 mirror β decays. These new capabilities, combined with an existing Paul trap setup for measurements of β–ν angular-correlation coefficients, provide a powerful facility for investigating fundamental properties of the electroweak interaction through nuclear β decays. A detailed description of the design study, construction, and first results obtained from an in-beam commissioning experiment on the β+ decays 14 O and 17F are presented.

Soil compaction has been estimated to be responsible for 33 million ha of soil degradation in Europe, reducing crop yields, however there is limited data on grassland silage yields loss. Extended grazing periods, increased size and weight of farm vehicles and more extreme weather have fostered concern over the consequences of grassland management on reduced grass yield and soil quality. This work aimed at studying the effect of increased animal trampling and mechanical (tractor) soil compaction on grassland silage mean dry matter (DM) yields and soil structure over a three year period at two UK sites. These sites were on two established perennial ryegrass fields with contrasting soil textures; an imperfectly drained silty clay loam in SW Scotland and a well drained sandy loam from central England. Results showed trampling and tractor compaction decreased mean DM yields over three years and by the third year DM yield for the trampled area was 11.4% less on the soil with greater clay content soil and 12.0% less on the more sandier soil than the no compaction control. DM yield for the tractor compaction, by the third year, was 14.5% less than no compaction DM yield, on both soil types. Compaction treatments gave the greatest reductions for the first silage cut DM yields annually, for both soil types. The largest reductions (19.0% for trampling and 37.7% for tractor) were on the soil with the greater clay content in the second year, with the coolest start to the growing season. Compaction reduced N uptake, decreased drainage and increased water filled pore spaces (WFPS). Linear regression of visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) scores and bulk densities provided evidence that VESS is an effective tool for detecting grassland compaction and would assist with the management of moderately compacted soils where deteriorate soil conditions may result in yield loss.

The assessment of areas at risk from various soil threats is a key task within the proposed EU Soil Framework Directive. Such assessment is, however, hampered by the complex nature of the soil threats, which result from the sometimes poorly understood interaction of various soil physical properties, climatic factors and land management practices. Methodologies for risk assessment of soil threats are needed to protect the soil quality for future generations and to target resources to the areas at greatest risk. We present here a generic risk framework for the development of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to estimate the risk from soil threats. The generic BBN structure follows a standard risk assessment approach, where the risk is quantified by combining assessments of vulnerability and exposure. The soil's vulnerability to a given threat is determined from inherent soil and site characteristics as well as from climatic factors influencing soil characteristics, while the exposure estimate is based on an evaluation of the stresses inflicted by land management and climate. The generic framework is demonstrated by taking soil compaction as an example. Soil compaction is a major threat to soil function particularly in highly managed agricultural systems and is known to have many adverse effects on farming systems including decreased crop yield and soil productivity, increased management costs, increased emissions of greenhouse gases, and decreased water infiltration into the soil leading to accelerated run-off and risk of soil erosion. Existing modelling approaches to predict soil compaction risk either require data on soil mechanical behaviour that are difficult and expensive to collect, or are expert-based systems that are highly subjective and sometimes cannot accommodate the myriad of processes underlying compaction risk. Using the generic framework, a detailed BBN for assessing the risk of soil compaction is developed. The BBN allows for combining available data from standard soil surveys and land use databases with qualitative expert knowledge and explicitly accounts for uncertainties in the assessment of the risk. The BBN is applied to identify the distribution of the compaction risk across Scotland using data from the National Soils Inventory of Scotland.

The Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure is a helpful tool for assessing the physical quality of soil, since it allows detailed examination of the soil structure as well as identification of layers modified by soil management. The Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) method (Ball et al., 2007) has been applied in Brazil because it is simple and relatively objective, giving semi quantitative results quickly. It was used to determine the physical quality of soils under systems of no-tillage. In the present study, the potential for utilization of the VESS method was studied in three field experiments under no-tillage: (i) a comparison between mechanical and biological soil loosening, (ii) a study of changes in soybean yield and soil structural quality along a transect with a soil textural gradient, and (iii) a comparison with Visual Soil Assessment (VS) method (Shepherd, 2009) along the same transect. Overall the use of VESS proved to be an efficient semi quantitative methodology for assessing soil physical quality in Brazilian soils under no-tillage.

The sustainability of agricultural systems depends on the evaluation and monitoring of soil use and tillage in order to mitigate soil degradation. The visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) was developed to provide a quick, simple and easily understood test to enable researchers, farmers and consultants to score soil quality. In this paper we test the hypothesis that soil structural quality, as specified by VESS (Sq), is sensitive enough to identify differences in structure, resulting from soil management, in and between layers of topsoil. The Sq score ranges from 1 (good) to 5 (poor soil structure). Improvements have already been made to this method, but we wished to test the validity of Sq results compared with other indicators of soil physical quality. Our aims were (1) to evaluate the usefulness of VESS to compare layering of topsoil structure under different soil management and (2) to identify which soil physical properties Sq most closely relates to. We chose to work on soils of contrasting texture in response to criticism that the test works well only on medium-textured soils. In our first experiment, we assessed Scottish soil from native forest that had never been cropped and from arable soils just after harvest so where there was a visible difference between soil tracked or not tracked during harvesting operations. Soil qualities measured were soil resistance to penetration (SR), bulk density (Bd) and air permeability (Ka). In our second experiment we compared the least limiting water range (LLWR) with VESS in a Brazilian Oxisol under no-tillage. VESS showed the differences between the treatments and layers of topsoil. Sq increased with SR and Bd but decreased with air permeability. Results for LLWR showed that for Sq ≥ 3.5, the LLWR was zero, indicating soil physical condition highly restrictive to plants. Harvest is a time of significant soil compaction and the VESS test detected compaction even where it was not visible at the surface and as such may prove useful in diagnosing and remediating compaction and assessing suitability for minimum tillage.

Summary Over the past 20 years, research has focused on the writing processes of college students, however, despite recent support for writing as a tool of reflection in nursing education, little is known about how it is that nursing students go about writing papers and assignments as part of their professional education. In order to determine the writing processes of nursing students, the Inventory of Processes in College Composition, a self-response questionnaire, was administered to 169 nursing students. Results support the independence of the writing approaches that nursing students use and similarity to the writing approaches of a general college student population.

With the rapid growth of online social networking for health, health care systems are experiencing an inescapable increase in complexity. This is not necessarily a drawback; self-organising, adaptive networks could become central to future health care delivery. This paper considers whether social networks composed of patients and their social circles can compete with, or complement, professional networks in assembling health-related information of value for improving health and health care. Using the framework of analysis of a two-sided network – patients and providers – with multiple platforms for interaction, we argue that the structure and dynamics of such a network has implications for future health care. Patients are using social networking to access and contribute health information. Among those living with chronic illness and disability and engaging with social networks, there is considerable expertise in assessing, combining and exploiting information. Social networking is providing a new landscape for patients to assemble health information, relatively free from the constraints of traditional health care. However, health information from social networks currently complements traditional sources rather than substituting for them. Networking among health care provider organisations is enabling greater exploitation of health information for health care planning. The platforms of interaction are also changing. Patient-doctor encounters are now more permeable to influence from social networks and professional networks. Diffuse and temporary platforms of interaction enable discourse between patients and professionals, and include platforms controlled by patients. We argue that social networking has the potential to change patterns of health inequalities and access to health care, alter the stability of health care provision and lead to a reformulation of the role of health professionals. Further research is needed to understand how network structure combined with its dynamics will affect the flow of information and potentially the allocation of health care resources.

Leptin is a circulating protein which regulates dietary intake through binding the leptin receptor. Numerous labs have used known structures and mutagenesis to study this binding process in common animal models (human, mouse and rat). Understanding this binding process in other vertebrate species will allow for a better understanding of leptin and leptin receptor function. The binding site between leptin and leptin receptor is highly conserved in mammals as confirmed through sequence alignments mapped onto structures of both leptin and leptin receptor. More variation in this interaction is found in lizard and frog sequences. Using our models, we show that the avian leptin sequences have far less variation in the binding site than does the leptin receptor. This analysis further suggests that avian leptins are artifactual. In fish, gene duplication events have led to the expression of multiple leptin proteins. These multiple leptin proteins have variation in the regions interacting with leptin receptor. In zebrafish and the Japanese rice fish, we propose that leptin A has a higher binding energy than does B. Differing binding energies are evidence of either divergent functions, different binding confirmations, or other protein partners of leptin B.

A radiation detector technology based on plasma display panels (PDPs), the underlying engine of panel plasma television displays, is being investigated. Emerging from this well-established television technology is the Plasma Panel Sensor (PPS), a novel variant of the micro-pattern radiation detector. The PPS is fundamentally a fast, high-resolution detector comprised of an array of plasma discharge cells, operating in a hermetically sealed gas mixture. We report on the PPS development effort, including proof-of-principle results of laboratory signal observations.

To study the sustainability of arable agricultural systems we examined a wide range of biological, physical and chemical properties associated with changes in soil quality. We integrated these using a qualitative multi-attribute model supported by the software tool DEXi to achieve a holistic estimation of soil quality. We tested the relative changes in soil quality attributes resulting from the incorporation of cattle slurry or green-waste compost, or from including a ley phase in the production of arable crops. We measured: abundances and biodiversity of the soil biota, physical properties and nutrient concentrations; twice in 2006 and thrice in 2007. These data were used to generate a model of soil quality, which showed that the addition of organic matter or a ley phase did increase soil quality. However, to fully understand the soil system results should be derived from a number of functionally related observations as there were opposing trends in individual observations. Increases in some beneficial attributes (such as decomposition, soil nutrient status and physical condition) were associated with an increased risk of nutrient losses from leaching and gaseous emissions. Assessing soil quality with only a few indicators may not identify these trade-offs. The multi-attribute modelling approach could identify the pathways responsible for changes in soil quality and identify possible environmentally detrimental effects.

Interactions of leptin and leptin receptors play crucial roles during animal development and regulation of appetite and energy balance. In this study we analyzed expression pattern of a zebrafish leptin receptor gene in both developing and adult zebrafish using in situ hybridization and Q-PCR methods. Zebrafish leptin receptor message (lepr) was detected in all embryonic and larval stages examined, and in adult zebrafish. In embryonic zebrafish, lepr was mainly expressed in the notochord. As development proceeded, lepr expression in the notochord decreased, while its expression in several other tissues, including the trunk muscles and gut, became evident. In both larval and adult brains, large lepr expressing cells were detected in similar regions of the hindbrain. In adult zebrafish, lepr expression was also observed in several other brain regions including the hypothalamic lateral tuberal nucleus, the fish homolog of the arcuate nucleus. Q-PCR experiments confirmed lepr expression in the adult fish brain, and also showed lepr expression in several adult tissues including liver, muscle and gonads. Our results showed that lepr expression was both spatially and temporally regulated.

Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Effects of climate change on health will affect most populations in the next decades and put the lives and wellbeing of billions of people at increased risk. During this century, earthﾒs average surface temperature rises are likely to exceed the safe threshold of 2ﾰC above preindustrial average temperature. Rises will be greater at higher latitudes, with medium-risk scenarios predicting 2ﾖ3ﾰC rises by 2090 and 4ﾖ5ﾰC rises in northern Canada, Greenland, and Siberia. In this report, we have outlined the major threatsﾗboth direct and indirectﾗto global health from climate change through changing patterns of disease, water and food insecurity, vulnerable shelter and human settlements, extreme climatic events, and population growth and migration. Although vector-borne diseases will expand their reach and death tolls, especially among elderly people, will increase because of heatwaves, the indirect effects of climate change on water, food security, and extreme climatic events are likely to have the biggest effect on global health.

The wave-function composition for the low-lying states in 29 Na was explored by measuring their electromagnetic properties using the Coulomb-excitation technique. A beam of 29 Na ions, postaccelerated to 70 MeV, bombarded a 110 Pd target with a rate of up to 600 particles per second at the recently commissioned ISAC-II facility at TRIUMF. Six segmented HPGe clover detectors of the TIGRESS γ -ray spectrometer were used to detect deexcitation γ rays in coincidence with scattered or recoiling charged particles in the segmented silicon detector, BAMBINO. The reduced transition matrix element | 〈 5 2 1 + | | E 2 | | 3 2 gs + 〉 | in 29 Na was derived to be 0.237(21) e b from the measured γ -ray yields for both projectile and target. This first-time measured value is consistent with the most recent Monte Carlo shell-model calculation, indicating a significant admixture of both sd and pf components in the wave function, and also providing evidence for the narrowing of the neutron s d – p f shell gap from ∼ 6 MeV for stable nuclei to ∼ 3 MeV for 29 Na.

Background With evidence of increased levels of obesity in younger children, the child-care setting is an important intervention target. Few environmental interventions exist, and none target both diet and physical activity. The Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) intervention was developed to fill this research and practice gap. Design Randomized controlled. Setting/participants Health professionals (child-care health consultants) serving child-care centers in North Carolina were recruited ( n =30), randomly assigned into intervention or delayed-intervention control groups, and trained to implement the NAP SACC program. Up to three child-care centers were recruited ( n =84) from each consultant's existing caseload. Intervention Implemented in 2005, the NAP SACC intervention includes an environmental self-assessment, selection of areas for change, continuing education workshops, targeted technical assistance, and re-evaluation. Implementation occurred over a 6-month period. Main outcome measures An observational instrument, Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO), provided objective evidence of intervention impact and was completed by trained research staff blinded to study assignment. Data were collected in 2005 and 2006. Statistical analyses were conducted in 2006. Results Intention-to-treat analysis results were nonsignificant. Exploratory analyses using only centers that completed most of the NAP SACC program suggest an intervention effect. Conclusions Factors in the intervention design, the fidelity of implementation, the selection of outcome measure, or a combination of these may have contributed to the lack of intervention effect observed. Because of this study's use of existing public health infrastructure and its potential for implementation, future studies should address strategies for improving effectiveness.

Sharp peaks in nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes under no-tillage in wet conditions appear to be related to near surface soil and crop cover conditions. Here we explored some of the factors influencing tillage effects on short-term variations in gas flux so that we could learn about the mechanisms involved. Field investigations revealed that a cumulative emission of 13 kg N2O–N ha−1 over a 12-week period was possible under no-tillage for spring barley. We investigated how reducing crop cover and changing the structural arrangement of the water-filled pore space (WFPS) by short-term laboratory compaction influenced N2O and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in upward and downward directions in core samples from tilled and untilled soil. Increasing the downward flux of N2O within a soil profile by changing soil or moisture conditions may increase the likelihood of its further reduction to N2 or dissolution. We took undisturbed cores from 3 to 8 cm depth, equilibrated them to −1 or −6 kPa matric potential, incubated them and measured N2O and CO2 fluxes from the upper and lower surfaces in a purpose-designed apparatus before and after compaction in an uniaxial tester. We also measured WFPS, air permeability, bulk density and air-filled porosity before and after compaction. Spring barley was tested in 1999 and winter barley in 2000. Fluxes of N2O were from 1.5 to 35 times higher from no-tilled than ploughed even where the soil was of similar bulk density. Reduction of the crop cover increased CO2 flux and could reduce N2O flux. The effects of structural changes induced by laboratory compaction on the fluxes of N2O and CO2 were not influenced greatly by the tillage and crop cover treatments. Fluxes from the upper surfaces of cores (corresponding to 3 cm soil depth, upwards direction) could be up to ∼100 times greater (N2O) or ∼8 times (CO2) than from the lower surfaces (8 cm depth, downwards direction). These differences between surfaces were greatest when N2O fluxes were very high in no-tilled soil (4.2 mg N2O–N m−2 h−1) as occurred when WFPS exceeded 80% or became blocked with water, an effect that was increased by our compaction treatment. In general N2O fluxes increased with WFPS. The production and emission of N2O were strongly influenced by the soil physical environment, the magnitude of the water-filled pore space and continuity of the air-filled pore space in particular, produced in no-till versus plough cultivation.

The ATLAS Muon Spectrometer incorporates 354 000 drift tubes assembled into 1200 Monitored Drift Tube (MDT) precision chambers, with a total gas volume of 723 m 3 . This MDT gas, Ar 93% and CO 2 7% at 3 bar, is cycled through the spectrometer at a rate of one total detector volume per day. Achieving the 80 μ m drift tube design resolution requires stringent gas quality control as a fundamental component of the MDT calibration program. We report on the design, deployment and performance of a dedicated MDT mini-chamber conceived for continuous monitoring and drift time calibration of the ATLAS MDT operating gas. This chamber enables measurement of the drift spectra from which gas properties relevant to MDT calibrations and stable operating conditions are determined. Located in the ATLAS gas facility at CERN, the mini-chamber produces hourly drift spectra which are automatically analyzed. Results are published online and disseminated to the ATLAS muon system conditions and calibration databases in real time.

The CO2 tolerance exhibited by PtRu/C is known to be greater than that of PtMo/C catalysts in contrast to the trend in CO tolerance. In this manuscript the origins of these differences are investigated in a cyclic voltammetric investigation of the potential dependence of the poisoning of Pt/C, PtRu/C and PtMo/C anode catalyst electrodes in a miniature PEM fuel cell when exposed to pure CO, pure CO2, or 25% CO2 in H2. The results show that the difference in the mechanisms of improved CO tolerance, compared to a Pt/C reference catalyst, of PtRu and PtMo explain the decreased CO2 tolerance of PtMo compared to PtRu; at PtRu the mechanism is intrinsic (water activation at Ru sites), whilst at PtMo the mechanism relies on the turn-over the Mo(IV/VI) redox couple.