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The purpose of this study was to examine rates of and relationships between "post-concussive" symptom endorsement and symptom attribution in Veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This cross-sectional, exploratory study included 48 combat-exposed Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans with remote history of mTBI. All Veterans completed clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires assessing sociodemographic factors, injury and combat-related variables, psychiatric distress, self-efficacy, and coping style. To assess symptom endorsement and symptom attribution, a modified version of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory was administered. Results showed that the most commonly endorsed "post-concussive" symptoms were several non-specific symptoms, while the symptoms most frequently attributed to mTBI included forgetfulness, poor concentration, and headaches. Furthermore, although there were some overlapping correlates of both symptom endorsement and symptom attribution, unique variables were associated with each domain. Specifically, symptom endorsement was uniquely associated with measures of psychiatric distress, while symptom attribution was uniquely associated with having a history of loss of consciousness and a greater degree of combat exposure. Taken together, results suggest that endorsement of symptoms may be significantly impacted by the presence of mental health comorbidities, but that perceptions or beliefs as to why symptoms are occurring are related more to mTBI and combat-related characteristics. Findings offer potential avenues for therapeutic intervention, emphasize the importance of psychoeducation, and highlight the need to consider using alternate terminology for these symptoms that promotes recovery and minimizes misattribution of symptoms.

In this work, a long-period fiber grating (LPG) based sensor was evaluated as a sensing device for micro-force measurement, in the order of micro Newtons. It was used an LPG fabricated by arc-inducted technique in a SMF-28 standard optical fiber. The optical fiber was fixed between two clamps with a separation of 150 mm with the middle of the LPG located at the center. Characterizations were performed in terms of temperature, curvature and strain. The grating was then used as a micro-force sensor by means of both curvature and strain, induced by a hung mass in a stretched fiber. Furthermore, the evaluation of a precurvature LPG was performed to assess if an increase of sensitivity is achieved. Micro-force sensitivity achieved with the stretched LPG was 1.41 nm/mN and it was demonstrated that its sensitivity can be enhanced to 5.14 nm/mN with a pre-curvature of 2.2 m–1 applied to the LPG, achieving a spectral resolution of at least 15.6 μN.

Submillimetre and millimetre line and continuum observations are important in probing the morphology, column density, and dynamics of the molecular gas and dust around obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and their mechanical feedback. With very high-resolution (0.′′ ″02 × 0.′′ ″03 (2 × 3 pc)) ALMA 345 GHz observations of CO 3-2, HCO+ 4-3, vibrationally excited HCN 4-3 ν2 = 1f, and continuum we have studied the remarkable, extremely radio-quiet, molecular jet and wind of the lenticular galaxy NGC 1377. The outflow structure is resolved, revealing a 150 pc long, clumpy, high-velocity (∼600 km s-1), collimated molecular jet where the molecular emission is emerging from the spine of the jet with an average diameter of 3-7 pc. The jet widens to 10-15 pc about 25 pc from the centre, which is possibly due to jet-wind interactions. A narrow-angle (50°-70°), misaligned and rotating molecular wind surrounds the jet, and both are enveloped by a larger-scale CO-emitting structure at near-systemic velocity. The jet and narrow wind have steep radial gas excitation gradients and appear turbulent with high gas dispersion (σ > 40 km s-1). The jet shows velocity reversals that we propose are caused by precession, or more episodic directional changes. We discuss the mechanisms powering the outflow, and we find that an important process for the molecular jet and narrow wind is likely magneto-centrifugal driving. In contrast, the large-scale CO-envelope may be a slow wind, or cocoon that stems from jet-wind interactions. An asymmetric, nuclear r ∼ 2 pc dust structure with a high inferred molecular column density N(H2) ∼ 1.8 × 1024 cm-2 is detected in continuum and also shows compact emission from vibrationally excited HCN. The nuclear dust emission is hot (Td > 180 K) and its luminosity is likely powered by a buried AGN. The lopsided structure appears to be a warped disk, which is responsible for a significant part of the nuclear obscuration and possibly formed as a result of uneven gas inflows. The dynamical mass inside r = 1.4 pc is estimated to 9-3+2 × 106 M, implying that the supermassive black hole (SMBH) has a high mass with respect to the stellar velocity dispersion of NGC 1377. We suggest that the SMBH of NGC 1377 is currently in a state of moderate growth, at the end of a more intense phase of accretion and also evolving from a state of more extreme nuclear obscuration. The nuclear growth may be fuelled by low-angular momentum gas inflowing from the gas ejected in the molecular jet and wind. Such a feedback-loop of cyclic outflows and central accretion could explain why there is still a significant reservoir of molecular gas in this ageing, lenticular galaxy. A feedback-loop would be an effective process in growing the nuclear SMBH and thus would constitute an important phase in the evolution of NGC 1377. This also invites new questions as to SMBH growth processes in obscured, dusty galaxies. © 2020 ESO.

Tracheal intubation without neuromuscular blockade may be associated with worse intubating conditions and increased laryngeal morbidity. We hypothesised that tracheal intubation using the McGRATH™ MAC videolaryngoscope would not increase postoperative hoarseness, even without neuromuscular blockade. In this prospective, randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, non-inferiority trial, 248 patients were randomly assigned to tracheal intubation with or without neuromuscular blockade using rocuronium. Hoarseness and sore throat were evaluated at 24 h and 48 h postoperatively. The primary outcome was the incidence of hoarseness at 48 h postoperatively with a pre-defined non-inferiority margin of 10%. Hoarseness at 48 h did not differ between the non-paralysed group and the paralysed group (8.1% vs. 13.6%; absolute difference: -5.4%; 95%CI: -13.3 to 2.4). Also, no significant differences were found between the two groups for hoarseness at 24 h (22.8% vs. 27.1%) or for sore throat at 24 h (12.2% vs. 9.3%) and 48 h postoperatively (1.6% vs. 0.8%). Although more patients in the non-paralysed group showed an adducted position of the vocal cords (29.3% vs. 0%), there were no significant group differences in the ease of laryngoscopy (96.7% vs. 98.3%), Cormack grade laryngeal view 1 (97.6% vs. 96.6%) or first-pass success rate (100% vs. 100%). We conclude that when using the McGRATH MAC videolaryngoscope for tracheal intubation, the incidence of postoperative hoarseness was not inferior if neuromuscular blockade was avoided.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of four levels of intensification of grazing systems: 1) degraded pasture - DP; 2) irrigated pasture with high stocking rate - IHS; 3) dryland pasture with high stocking rate - DHS; 4) dryland pasture with moderate stocking rate - DMS; on growth, muscle development and meat quality of Nellore steers (271±2.2kg of live body weight - BW; 15months old) during two consecutive periods (17 and 15months). The final BW, the average daily BW gain, the hot carcass weight and the dress percentage were greater (P

Enteric methane (CH4) emissions are a natural process in ruminants and can result in up to 12% of energy losses. Hence, decreasing enteric CH4 production constitutes an important step towards improving the feed efficiency of Brazilian cattle herds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between performance, residual feed intake (RFI), and enteric CH4 emission in growing Nellore cattle (Bos indicus). Performance, RFI and CH4 emission data were obtained from 489 animals participating in selection programs (mid-test age and body weight: 414±159 days and 356±135 kg, respectively) that were evaluated in 12 performance tests carried out in individual pens (n = 95) or collective paddocks (n = 394) equipped with electronic feed bunks. The sulfur hexafluoride tracer gas technique was used to measure daily CH4 emissions. The following variables were estimated: CH4 emission rate (g/day), residual methane emission and emission expressed per mid-test body weight, metabolic body weight, dry matter intake (CH4/DMI), average daily gain, and ingested gross energy (CH4/GE). Animals classified as negative RFI (RFIP .0001) and emitted less g CH4/day (P = 0.0022) than positive RFI animals (RFI>0). Nonetheless, more efficient animals emitted more CH4/DMI and CH4/GE (P < 0.0001), suggesting that the difference in daily intake between animals is a determinant factor for the difference in daily enteric CH4 emissions. In addition, animals classified as negative RFI emitted less CH4 per kg mid-test weight and metabolic weight (P = 0.0096 and P = 0.0033, respectively), i.e., most efficient animals could emit less CH4 per kg of carcass. In conclusion, more efficient animals produced less methane when expressed as g/day and per kg mid-test weight than less efficient animals, suggesting lower emissions per kg of carcass produced. However, it is not possible to state that feed efficiency has a direct effect on enteric CH4 emissions since emissions per kg of consumed dry matter and the percentage of gross energy lost as CH4 are higher for more efficient animals.

The present study aimed to investigate whether different lines of a composite breed (5/8 Charolais &times, 3/8 Zebu), formed at different times, and genetically improved, would result in differences in animal performance, enteric methane emissions, and carcass traits. Forty-six Canchim steers (15 months, 280 &plusmn, 33 kg liveweight) from three different lines were used: old, new, and their cross. These three breed lines were considered the treatments (arranged in four randomized blocks based on initial liveweight) and were evaluated under grazing and feedlot conditions in relation to the performance and emission of enteric methane. During the grazing period, the new line was found to be superior to the old only in relation to the average daily liveweight gain (0.692 vs. 0.547 kg/day), and with no differences in relation to the cross line (0.692 vs. 0.620). In the feedlot finishing phase, only the average daily liveweight gain was significantly higher in the new line compared to the cross and old line (1.44 vs. 1.32 and 1.23 kg/day). The new and cross lines demonstrated higher dry matter intake when compared to the old line (10.25 and 10.42 vs. 9.11 kg/day), with the crossline animals demonstrating the best feed conversion. The new line showed higher enteric methane emissions compared to the old line (178 vs. 156 g/day). The line had an effect on the carcass dressing of the animals, with greater fat thickness in carcasses from the new and cross lines than the old line (4.4 and 3.8 vs. 3.2 mm). Canchim cattle selected for improved productive performance characteristics does not guarantee animals with lower methane emissions under grazing conditions, while in feedlots, can lead to increased daily feed consumption, and hence, to higher emissions of methane.

Objective Traumatic brain injury (TBI) research in Veterans is based primarily on non-Hispanic White samples, which does not reflect the diversity of the current military population. We examined the relationship between race/ethnicity and clinical outcomes in a large sample of Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans within the Million Veteran Program. Method Primary outcomes included injury characteristics, neurobehavioral-related symptoms, and employment status gleaned from the Comprehensive TBI Evaluation (CTBIE) for 7006 Veterans with a clinician-confirmed history of TBI. Logistic regressions adjusting for age, sex, and education examined the effect of race/ethnicity on CTBIE outcomes. Results Racial/ethnic groups included non-Hispanic White (n = 4203), Hispanic (¬n = 1302), non-Hispanic Black (n = 951), Asian (¬n = 205), Multiracial (¬n = 157), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (−n = 91), and American Indian/Alaska Native (¬n = 79). Race/ethnicity was significantly associated with 5/10 CTBIE variables after applying Bonferroni-correction: blast exposure, loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), affective neurobehavioral symptoms, and unemployment (p’s Conclusions Results highlight that certain TBI outcomes—particularly those related to injury characteristics and affective symptoms—vary by race/ethnicity. An enhanced understanding of how outcomes are modified by race/ethnicity is vital so that clinical care can be appropriately tailored to the unique needs of racially and ethnically diverse Veterans. Future studies should further elucidate the relationship between race/ethnicity and TBI outcomes.

Objective Although emerging data suggest that women with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may suffer greater neurobehavioral dysfunction in both the post-acute and chronic phases of injury, sex differences have been severely understudied within the context of military TBI. Therefore, we examined sex differences on the Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation (CTBIE) using a diverse sample of Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans enrolled in the VA’s Million Veteran Program. Method 14,378 Veterans (n = 1361 females [9.5%]) completed the CTBIE, a clinician-administered TBI interview. Chi-square analyses and logistic regressions (adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and education) were used to explore associations between sex and CTBIE diagnostics, injury-related characteristics, neurobehavioral symptoms and other psychiatric comorbidities, and functional outcomes. Results Confirmed TBI diagnoses were more frequent among males than females (65% vs. 58%) and significant sex differences were observed across several CTBIE outcomes (p’s ≤ 0.001; $ \phi $/Cramer’s V = 0.03–0.14). Relative to females, a greater proportion of males experienced bullet and blast-related injuries and were employed. In contrast, a greater proportion of females experienced falls, reported clinically significant neurobehavioral symptoms (particularly cognitive and affective-related symptoms as well as symptom interference with daily life), failed symptom validity measures, and endorsed higher comorbid psychiatric symptoms. Conclusions Results indicate that males and females experience differential clinical and functional outcomes on the CTBIE, particularly with respect to injury-related characteristics, symptom endorsement, and employment. Findings underscore the need for female Veteran participation in TBI research in order to improve our understanding of sex-specific experiences with TBI and its sequelae, as well as to improve clinical care targeted to this vulnerable population.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate relationships between multiple mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) and objective and subjective clinical outcomes in a sample of combat-exposed Veterans, adjusting for psychiatric distress and combat exposure. Method In this cross-sectional study, 73 combat-exposed Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans were divided into three groups based on mTBI history: 0 mTBIs (n = 31), 1–2 mTBIs (n = 21), and 3+ mTBIs (n = 21). Veterans with mTBI were assessed, on average, 7.78 years following their most recent mTBI. Participants underwent neuropsychological testing and completed self-report measures assessing neurobehavioral, sleep, and pain symptoms. Results MANCOVAs adjusting for psychiatric distress and combat exposure showed no group differences on objective measures of attention/working memory, executive functioning, memory, and processing speed (all p’s > .05; ηp2 = .00–.06). In contrast, there were significant group differences on neurobehavioral symptoms (p’s = Conclusions History of multiple, remote mTBIs is associated with elevated subjective symptoms but not objective neuropsychological functioning in combat-exposed Veterans. These results advance understanding of the long-term consequences of repetitive mTBI in this population and suggest that Veterans with 3+ mTBIs may especially benefit from tailored treatments aimed at ameliorating specific neurobehavioral, sleep, and pain symptoms.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T17:19:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-09-02 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) The present work concerns with the modeling, development and application of a novel control strategy based on sliding mode control for two beam quadrature interferometers, with the high-gain approach. In this case, by reading the control signal, the demodulation process does not require phase unwrapping algorithms, i.e., the output signal presents a straight-line relationship with the interferometer total phase shift. This system was implemented in a digital platform to control a bulk Michelson interferometer whose performance was experimentally determined, showing its capability on achieving real-time measurement and presenting wider dynamic range and bandwidth (52.5 rad in low frequencies and 5.8 rad up to 500 Hz) when compared with the literature. Moreover, this performance can be improved even further by simply increasing the feedback gain. Department of Electric Engineering São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Natural Sciences and Engineering Division of Photonics Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEAv), Trevo Cel. Av. José A. A. do Amarante no 1 Department of Electric Engineering São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Natural Sciences and Engineering FAPESP: 2017/17235-1 CNPq: 309872/2018-9 CNPq: 420673/2016-4

The aim of this study was to determine the shortest test duration necessary for the evaluation of feed efficiency traits, i.e., dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), mid-test metabolic body weight, residual feed intake (RFI), feed conversion ratio (DMI/ADG), and feed conversion efficiency (ADG/DMI). A total of 313 Nellore bulls with an initial age of 283 ± 23.6 days were evaluated by automated feed intake measurement. The tests were divided into six durations (15, 29, 43, 57, 71, and 84 days), with at least one body weight recording at the beginning and one at the end of each period. Residual variances were estimated per period and correlation coefficients (Pearson and Spearman) were calculated between the 5 test durations and the 84-day test. The results indicated a minimum test duration of 15 days (two weight recordings without fasting) for the measurement of mid-test metabolic body weight, a minimum of 43 days for automated DMI measurement, and a minimum of 71 days for the determination of ADG, RFI, feed conversion ratio, and feed conversion efficiency. Individual analysis of the DMI records obtained with the GrowSafe® and Intergado® automated feeders showed that a test duration of 57 days is sufficient for measurement of this trait. We therefore recommend a test duration of 71 days after a minimum adaptation period of 21 days for the determination of feed efficiency in growing Nellore cattle, with weight recordings without fasting every 15 days.

Background Guidelines recommend treating patients with an internal carotid artery near occlusion (ICANO) with best medical therapy (BMT) based on weak evidence. Consequently, patients with ICANO were excluded from randomized trials. The aim of this individual-patient data (IPD) meta-analysis was to determine the optimal treatment approach. Methods A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases in January 2018. The primary outcome was the occurrence of any stroke or death within the first 30 days of treatment, analysed by multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression. The secondary outcome was the occurrence of any stroke or death beyond 30 days up to 1 year after treatment, evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Results The search yielded 1526 articles, of which 61 were retrieved for full-text review. Some 32 studies met the inclusion criteria and pooled IPD were available from 11 studies, including some 703 patients with ICANO. Within 30 days, any stroke or death was reported in six patients (1·8 per cent) in the carotid endarterectomy (CEA) group, five (2·2 per cent) in the carotid artery stenting (CAS) group and seven (4·9 per cent) in the BMT group. This resulted in a higher 30-day stroke or death rate after BMT than after CEA (odds ratio 5·63, 95 per cent c.i. 1·30 to 24·45; P = 0·021). No differences were found between CEA and CAS. The 1-year any stroke- or death-free survival rate was 96·1 per cent for CEA, 94·4 per cent for CAS and 81·2 per cent for BMT. Conclusion These data suggest that BMT alone is not superior to CEA or CAS with respect to 30-day or 1-year stroke or death prevention in patients with ICANO. These patients do not appear to constitute a high-risk group for surgery, and consideration should made to including them in future RCTs of internal carotid artery interventions.

O aumento das emissões de gases de efeito estufa (GEE) por ações antrópicas vem contribuindo para o aquecimento global que causam as mudanças climáticas. O setor agropecuário tem participação nessas emissões, principalmente devido a produção de alimentos necessária para suprir a demanda crescente da população, sendo a emissão de metano (CH4) entérico pelos bovinos o foco das discussões. Diante desta realidade, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as intensidades de emissão de CH4 de bovinos Nelore em sistemas de pastagem e bovinos cruzados em confinamento na fase de terminação. Foram avaliados 48 animais da raça Nelore de duas safras, sendo 24 por safra, distribuídos nos 4 sistemas de produção em pastagem: sob manejo intensivo irrigado com alta lotação (IAL), sob manejo intensivo de sequeiro com alta lotação (SAL), em recuperação sob manejo de sequeiro com lotação animal moderada (SML) e degradada com baixa lotação animal (DEG). A mensuração de metano foi feita pela técnica do gás traçador hexafluoreto de enxofre (SF6). Também foram avaliados 63 animais cruzados provenientes de vários grupos genéticos, agrupados em proporção de Adaptado de 25,00% e 37,50% (1A), de 43,75% e 50,00% (2A) e de 56,25%, 62,50%, 68,75% e 75% (3A), em proporção de Bos taurus: 31,25%, 50,00%, 56,25% e 75,00%, e segundo a porcentagem de Heterozigose: 50,00% e 62,50% (1H), 81,25% (2H), e 100% (3H). A mensuração do metano foi através dos cochos automatizados (Greenfeed). Todos os animais avaliados eram castrados. Amostras das pastagens foram analisadas e o consumo dos animais Nelore foram estimados, já no confinamento o consumo foi mensurado através do equipamento GrowSafe. Em ambos experimentos foram registrados dados de desempenho animal (peso vivo, ganho de peso, conversão alimentar), de carcaça (área de olho de lombo do músculo Longissimus, espessura de gordura, peso de carcaça quente (PCQ) e rendimentos de carcaça (RendC) e do ganho (RendG)) e variáveis relacionadas ao metano. Foram apresentados também dados por hectare nos sistemas a pasto. Os dados foram analisados pelo procedimento MIXED do programa SAS 9.3. Sistemas mais intensificados apresentaram melhores resultados da qualidade de forragem comparados com o DEG, isto refletiu nos resultados de consumo e desempenho desses animais que apresentaram piores resultados. O DEG foi o menos produtivo de todos. Algumas variáveis relacionadas ao CH4 apresentaram diferenças entre os tratamentos: 1) a emissão em relação ao ganho de peso diário (CH4GPD) foi menor para o sistema IAL (371 g CH4/kg GPD) comparado aos sistemas DEG (478,4) e SAL (484,5), o sistema SML (404,0) não diferenciou dos IAL e DEG; 2) a energia bruta perdida na forma de CH4 (YM) apresentou maiores valores para os sistemas SAL e DEG comparado aos IAL e SML. Os sistemas mais intensificados apresentaram maior taxa de lotação (p

In order to realize superconductivity in cuprates with the ${T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$-type structure, not only chemical substitution (Ce doping) but also postgrowth reduction annealing is necessary. In the case of thin films, however, well-designed reduction annealing alone without Ce doping can induce superconductivity in the ${T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$-type cuprates. In order to unveil the origin of superconductivity in the Ce-undoped ${T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$-type cuprates, we have performed bulk-sensitive hard x-ray photoemission and soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy on superconducting and nonsuperconducting ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ce}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ ($x=0$, 0.15, and 0.19) thin films. By postgrowth annealing, core-level spectra exhibited dramatic changes, which we attributed to the enhancement of core-hole screening in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ plane and the shift of chemical potential along with changes in the band filling. The result suggests that the superconducting ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ film is doped with electrons despite the absence of the Ce substitution.

In Hawaii, seashore dropseed (Sporobolus virginicus), a coastal native grass, has been identified as a useful species for roadside revegetation. Cuttings of seashore dropseed covered with a hydromulch cap, irrigated, and managed to control weeds have greater establishment success. In this study, the efficacy and phytotoxicity of the preemergence herbicide oxadiazon applied as a component of the hydromulch cap over seashore dropseed cut stems was evaluated. Oxadiazon in two formulations, granule and suspension concentrate (SC), was applied at two rates of 2.0 and 4.0 lb/acre, resulting in four chemical treatments. Seashore dropseed response was recorded as numerical counts of new shoots, aboveground biomass, and percent visual coverage. The highest new shoot counts of seashore dropseed, aboveground biomass, and visual canopy coverage were recorded in plots treated with the granular (G) formulation of oxadiazon applied at 2.0 lb/acre. All hydromulch cap treatments containing herbicides reduced weed pressure compared with the untreated control treatment. Granular oxadiazon at 2.0 lb/acre in the hydromulch cap provided commercially acceptable weed control while maintaining high levels of rooting and plant vigor during the establishment period.

Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) is a native Hawaiian grass that has been used in restoration and has potential for expanded re-vegetation use. Although interest and demand for tanglehead re-vegetation has increased, the supply of tanglehead seeds has remained limited as a result of a lack of seed production protocols addressing seed dormancy. Smoke water from burning vegetation may provide an economical and practical seed treatment because aerosol smoke has been reported to stimulate tanglehead seed germination. Dose rate and side-by-side comparison studies were conducted to evaluate the germination stimulation efficacy of food-grade liquid smoke, xylose smoke-infused water, tanglehead smoke-infused water, karrikinolide (KAR1), and cyanide (i.e., mandelonitrile and potassium cyanide). Optimum smoke water dilutions were 1% v/v for food-grade liquid smoke and undiluted for xylose smoke-infused water and tanglehead smoke-infused water. KAR1 was not stimulatory at concentrations between 0.0067 and 66.7 μm. Potassium cyanide stimulated tanglehead seed germination at concentrations between 50 to 500 μm. Germination was promoted to even greater levels with the cyanohydrin, mandelonitrile, indicating a role for benzaldehyde (a byproduct of mandelonitrile decomposition) in stimulating tanglehead seed germination. Benzaldehyde was confirmed to be stimulatory at concentrations between 50 to 100 μm. The presence of cyanide at stimulatory levels was confirmed in tanglehead smoke-infused water (i.e., ≈100 μm), but not in food-grade liquid smoke or xylose smoke-infused water. Germination with non-cyanide-containing smoke waters indicates the presence of other compounds in smoke that can stimulate tanglehead germination. In the side-by-side comparison study, food-grade liquid smoke (1% v/v) and undiluted tanglehead smoke-infused water provided consistent germination stimulation comparable to 500 μm potassium cyanide. Undiluted xylose smoke-infused water did not provide significant germination stimulation in the comparison studies. This may be the result of differences in seed batch sensitivity to the germination stimulant, seed storage duration as well as subtle differences in the preparation of xylose smoke-infused water.

In order to realize superconductivity in cuprates with the T^{'}-type structure, not only chemical substitution (Ce doping) but also postgrowth reduction annealing is necessary. In the case of thin films, however, well-designed reduction annealing alone without Ce doping can induce superconductivity in the T^{'}-type cuprates. In order to unveil the origin of superconductivity in the Ce-undoped T^{'}-type cuprates, we have performed bulk-sensitive hard x-ray photoemission and soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy on superconducting and nonsuperconducting Nd_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4} (x=0, 0.15, and 0.19) thin films. By postgrowth annealing, core-level spectra exhibited dramatic changes, which we attributed to the enhancement of core-hole screening in the CuO_{2} plane and the shift of chemical potential along with changes in the band filling. The result suggests that the superconducting Nd_{2}CuO_{4} film is doped with electrons despite the absence of the Ce substitution.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:34:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-10-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) In this work, we present a double-pass optical beam deflection sensor and its optical design method. To accomplish that, a mathematical model was proposed and computational simulations were performed, in order to obtain the sensor’s characteristic curves and to analyze its behavior as function of design parameters. The mathematical model was validated by comparison with the characteristic curves acquired experimentally. The sensor was employed to detect acoustic pulses generated by a pulsed laser in a sample surface, in order to show its potential for monitoring applications handling high energy input as laser welding or laser ablation. Division of Photonics Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEAv), 1 Trevo Cel. Av. José A. A. do Amarante Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), 1201 Av. Cesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes Department of Electric Engineering School of Natural Sciences and Engineering São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Physics Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA), 50 Praça Marechal Eduardo Gomes Department of Electric Engineering School of Natural Sciences and Engineering São Paulo State University (UNESP) CNPq: 145868/ 2014-1 FAPESP: 2015/08083-8 CNPq: 485147/2013-0

Young Nellore and crossbreed bulls were comparatively slaughtered to generate equation models for predicting the chemical composition of the empty body and carcass from the chemical composition of the Hankins and Howe section (; ). Data were collected from 236 animals from different genetic groups: Nellore, one-half Canchim + one-half Nellore, one-half Angus + one-half Nellore, and one-half Simmental + one-half Nellore, with 48 baseline animals (BW range from 218 to 433 kg) and 188 animals finished in the feedlot (BW range from 356 to 618 kg). The chemical composition prediction equation model was developed for all genetic groups using stepwise regression analysis. Across all animals, the percentages of water and ether extract in the HH section were highly correlated (0.001) with the percentages in the carcass ( = 0.911 and = 0.901, respectively, for water content of the carcass [HOC] and = 0.921 and = 0.921, respectively, for ether extract content of the carcass [EEC]) and empty body ( = 0.937 and = 0.926, respectively, for water content of the empty body [HOEB] and = 0.935 and = 0.939, respectively, for ether extract content of the empty body [EEEB]). The best prediction models were for the traits of empty body weight, HOEB, EEEB, HOC, and EEC. Determination coefficients for predicting the dependent variables obtained from the carcass composition were lower than those obtained from the empty body composition. It was concluded that the chemical composition of the empty body and the carcass can be predicted from the composition of the HH section, using a general equation for different genetic groups.

Mitochondrial respiratory chain disorder (MRCD) can cause liver failure requiring liver transplantation (LT), although it is often difficult to diagnose before LT. From 2005 to 2016, 9 MRCD patients with the median age at LT of 6 months underwent LT in our institute. Their clinical courses were retrospectively reviewed and the laboratory parameters were compared between the MRCD patients and 10 patients with acute liver failure unrelated to MRCD (non-MRCD). Five patients had extrahepatic manifestations, including developmental disorders in 3 and failure to thrive in 3, before LT. Only 3 patients (33.3%) were diagnosed before LT. Between MRCD and non-MRCD, lactate was significantly high and lactate-to-pyruvate ratio (L/P ratio) tended to be higher in MRCD. From the receiver operating characteristic curve, the optimal cutoff value of lactate was 50.0 mg/dL and that of L/P ratio was 23.2. Patient survival rate of MRCD was 77.8%, although 2 patients with mitochondrial depletion syndrome suffered from de novo pulmonary hypertension after LT. Our experiences showed the difficulty of preoperative diagnosis, and preoperative extrahepatic manifestations did not always mean poor outcome. Our study showed that lactate value and L/P ratio can be excellent predictors of MRCD.

Data from 156 Nellore males were used to develop equations for the prediction of retail beef yield and carcass fat content, expressed as kilograms and as a percentage, from live animal and carcass measurements. Longissimus muscle area and backfat and rump fat thickness were measured by ultrasound up to 5 d before slaughter and fasted live weight was determined 1 d before slaughter. The same traits were obtained after slaughter. The carcass edible portion (CEP in kg and CEP% in percentage; n = 116) was calculated by the sum of the edible portions of primal cuts: hindquarter, forequarter, and spare ribs. Trimmable fat from the carcass boning process, with the standardization of about 3 mm of fat on retail beef, was considered to be representative of carcass fat content. Most of the variation in CEP was explained by fasted live weight or carcass weight (R(2) of 0.92 and 0.96); the same occurred for CEP% (R(2) of 0.15 and 0.13), and for CEP, the inclusion of LM area and fat thickness reduced the equation bias (lower value of Mallow's Cp statistics). For trimmable fat, most variation could be explained by weight or rump fat thickness. In general, the equations developed from live animal measurements showed a predictive power similar to the equations using carcass measurements. In all cases, the traits expressed as kilograms were better predicted (R(2) of 0.39 to 0.96) than traits expressed as a percentage (R(2) of 0.08 to 0.42).

CHUVA, meaning “rain” in Portuguese, is the acronym for the Cloud Processes of the Main Precipitation Systems in Brazil: A Contribution to Cloud-Resolving Modeling and to the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM). The CHUVA project has conducted five field campaigns; the sixth and last campaign will be held in Manaus in 2014. The primary scientific objective of CHUVA is to contribute to the understanding of cloud processes, which represent one of the least understood components of the weather and climate system. The five CHUVA campaigns were designed to investigate specific tropical weather regimes. The first two experiments, in Alcantara and Fortaleza in northeastern Brazil, focused on warm clouds. The third campaign, which was conducted in Belém, was dedicated to tropical squall lines that often form along the sea-breeze front. The fourth campaign was in the Vale do Paraiba of southeastern Brazil, which is a region with intense lightning activity. In addition to contributing to the understanding of cloud process evolution from storms to thunderstorms, this fourth campaign also provided a high-fidelity total lightning proxy dataset for the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R program. The fifth campaign was carried out in Santa Maria, in southern Brazil, a region of intense hailstorms associated with frequent mesoscale convective complexes. This campaign employed a multimodel high-resolution ensemble experiment. The data collected from contrasting precipitation regimes in tropical continental regions allow the various cloud processes in diverse environments to be compared. Some examples of these previous experiments are presented to illustrate the variability of convection across the tropics.

Background Utilization of grafts from donors after cardiac death (DCD) greatly expands the organ pool. However, implementation of such a strategy requires the development of novel preservation methods to achieve recovery from changes owing to warm ischemia. Methods To assess potential methods, porcine livers harvested after 60 minutes of warm ischemic time (WIT) were perfused and preserved under the following conditions: Group 1 ( n = 3), 2-hour simple cold storage and 2-hour machine perfusion (MP) at 8°C; group 2 ( n = 3), 2 hours at 25°C and MP at 25°C and group 3 ( n = 3), 2-hour simple cold storage and gradual rewarming to 25°C by MP. The preserved liver grafts were transplanted orthotopically into recipients. Results The aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and hyaluronic acid (HA) levels in recipient blood at 2 hours after reperfusion were significantly lower among group 3: AST, 789 ± 258.8, 1203 ± 217.0, and 421 ± 55.8 IU/L; LDH, 1417 ± 671.2, 2132 ± 483.9, and 634 ± 263.9 IU/L; and HA, 1660 ± 556.5, 1463 ± 332.3, and 575 ± 239.0 ng/mL for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Histologically, necrosis and swelling of hepatocytes were less severe among group 3 than groups 1 and 2. Group 3 animals showed better vital responses and started spontaneous breathing within 2 hours after reperfusion; 1 recipient survived for >24 hours, although all animals in groups 1 and 2 died within 2 to 3 hours after reperfusion. Conclusion Rewarming by MP preservation may facilitate recovery and resuscitation of DCD liver grafts.

The replacement of copper wires by optical fibers for control and monitoring of aircraft systems are gaining more and more acceptance due to weight reductions and their intrinsic reliability. The present investigation proposes a new method for producing fiber optical guidelines in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites using laser texturing and machining. Laser texturing was used to improve the adhesion bonding between the CFRP parts and laser machining is used to create a channel where the optical fiber will be placed and protected. The results show that using only 20 W of a Nd:YAG pulsed laser it is possible to enhance the joint resistance of CFRP composites and also protecting the optical fiber embedded in between two CFRP pieces. Using the proposed technology, the maximum load of a lap joint increased by 85% and the optical fiber remained integral even under severe bending conditions.

Nerve repair in several mm-long nerve gaps often requires an interventional technology. Microchannel scaffolds have proven effective for bridging nerve gaps and guiding axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Nonetheless, fabricating microchannel scaffolds at this length scale remains a challenge and/or is time consuming and cumbersome. In this work, a simple computer-aided microdrilling technique was used to fabricate 10 mm-long agarose scaffolds consisting of 300 µm-microchannels and 85 µm-thick walls in less than an hour. The agarose scaffolds alone, however, did not exhibit adequate stiffness and integrity to withstand the mechanical stresses during implantation and suturing. To provide mechanical support and enable suturing, poly caprolactone (PCL) conduits were fabricated and agarose scaffolds were placed inside. A modified salt-leaching technique was developed to introduce interconnected porosity in PCL conduits to allow for tuning of the mechanical properties such as elastic modulus and strain to failure. It was shown that the PCL conduits were effective in stabilizing the agarose scaffolds in 10 mm-long sciatic nerve gaps of rats for at least 8 weeks. Robust axon ingress and Schwann cell penetration were observed within the microchannel scaffolds without using growth factors. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3392-3399, 2017.

Although fusion of somatic cells with embryonic stem (ES) cells has been shown to induce reprogramming, single-cell level details of the transitory phenotypic changes that occur during fusion-based reprogramming are still lacking. Our group previously reported on the technique of one-to-one electrofusion via micro-slits in a microfluidic platform. In this study, we focused on developing a novel air-lock patterning technique for creating localized adhesion zones around the micro-slits for cell localization and real-time imaging of post fusion events with a single-cell resolution. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) were fused individually with mouse ES cells using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fusion chip consisting of two feeder channels with a separating wall containing an array of micro-slits (slit width ∼3 μm) at a regular spacing. ES cells and MEFs were introduced separately into the channels, juxtaposed on the micro-slits by dielectrophoresis and fused one-to-one by a pulse voltage. To localize fused cells for on-chip culture and time-lapse microscopy, we implemented a two-step approach of air-lock bovine serum albumin patterning and Matrigel coating to create localized adhesion areas around the micro-slits. As a result of time-lapse imaging, we could determine that cell division occurs within 24 h after fusion, much earlier than the 2–3 days reported by earlier studies. Remarkably, Oct4-GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) was confirmed after 25 h of fusion and thereafter stably expressed by daughter cells of fused cells. Thus, integrated into our high-yield electrofusion platform, the technique of air-lock assisted adhesion patterning enables a single-cell level tracking of fused cells to highlight cell-level dynamics during fusion-based reprogramming.

With high resolution (0."25 × 0."18) ALMA CO 3-2 (345 GHz) observations of the nearby (D = 21 Mpc, 1" = 102 pc), extremely radio-quiet galaxy NGC 1377, we have discovered a high-velocity, very collimated nuclear outflow which we interpret as a molecular jet with a projected length of ± 150 pc. The launch region is unresolved and lies inside a radius r < 10 pc. Along the jet axis we find strong velocity reversals where the projected velocity swings from-150km s-1 to +150 km s-1. A simple model of a molecular jet precessing around an axis close to the plane of the sky can reproduce the observations. The velocity of the outflowing gas is difficult to constrain due to the velocity reversals but we estimate it to be between 240 and 850 km s-1 and the jet to precess with a period P = 0.3-1.1 Myr. The CO emission is clumpy along the jet and the total molecular mass in the high-velocity (±(60 to 150 km s-1)) gas lies between 2 × 106M⊙ (light jet) and 2 × 107M⊙ (massive jet). There is also CO emission extending along the minor axis of NGC 1377. It holds > 40% of the flux in NGC 1377 and may be a slower, wide-angle molecular outflow which is partially entrained by the molecular jet. We discuss the driving mechanism of the molecular jet and suggest that it is either powered by a (faint) radio jet or by an accretion disk-wind similar to those found towards protostars. It seems unlikely that a massive jet could have been driven out by the current level of nuclear activity which should then have undergone rapid quenching. The light jet would only have expelled 10% of the inner gas and may facilitate nuclear activity instead of suppressing it. The nucleus of NGC 1377 harbours intense embedded activity and we detect emission from vibrationally excited HCN J = 4-3ν2 = 1f which is consistent with hot gas and dust. We find large columns of H2 in the centre of NGC 1377 which may be a sign of a high rate of recent gas infall. The dynamical age ofthe molecular jet is short (

‘Masked mycotoxins’ (mycotoxin glucosides) derived from type A trichothecenes (T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin) were detected in commercially available maize powder reference material. These novel glucosides were identified as T-2 toxin-glucoside (T2-Glc) and HT-2 toxin-glucoside (HT2-Glc) on the basis of accurate mass measurements of characteristic ions and fragmentation patterns using high-resolution liquid chromatography Orbitrap mass spectrometric analysis. Although their absolute structures were not clarified, 3-OH glucosylation appeared to be the most probable when considering the structure of T-2 toxin and the fragment profiles of each masked mycotoxin. Concomitant detection of deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G) in the same material further supports this probability. According to an extrapolation based on the molar ratio DON-3G/DON (0.059), amounts of T2-Glc and HT2-Glc were estimated to be approximately 24 μg/kg and 41 μg/kg, respectively.

Early diagnosis and treatment of acute cellular rejection (ACR) after intestinal transplantation (ITx) is challenging. We report the outcome of three patients: two presented mild ACR improved with steroids. One presented steroid-resistant severe rejection, improved after rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (r-ATG), but unfortunately died for encephalitis caused by opportunistic infections.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. oxadiazon, oryzalin, aminopyralid, roadside weed management, button sedge, Fimbristylis cymosa SUMMARY. Tropical fimbry (Fimbristylis cymosa) is a salt, wind, and drought tolerant sedge under consideration as a native roadside revegetation species in Hawaii. Multiple rate studies were conducted on transplanted tropical fimbry plugs to identify pre- and postemergence herbicides that are safe for selective weed control during plant establishment. The response of newly transplanted tropical fimbry plugs to applications [1 and 44 days after transplanting (DAT)] of oxadiazon (2.0 and 4.0 lb/acre), oryzalin (2.0 and 4.0 lb/acre), and oxadiazon + oryzalin (2.0 + 2.0 and 4.0 + 4.0 lb/acre) were evaluated at 212 DAT through visual vigor ratings and seedhead counts. Response of established transplants to the postemergence broadleafherbicides,aminopyralid(0.06and0.11lb/acre)sulfosulfuron(0.06lb/ acre), prepackaged mixes of carfentrazone-ethyl + (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (MCPA) + mecoprop + dicamba (0.02 + 1.11 + 0.22 + 0.11 lb/acre), and carfentrazone-ethyl + 2,4-D + mecoprop + dicamba (0.02 + 0.77 + 0.24 + 0.07 lb/ acre) were evaluated through visual vigor ratings 35 days after spraying (DAS). Results of the preemergence study indicate that low rates of oxadiazon and oryzalin provided an acceptable level of growth suppression to the sedge (>60% visual vigor). Postemergence applications of the prepackagedformulations of carfentrazone-ethyl resulted in moderate to high foliar injury (46% to 74%) and plant mortality (17% to 23%). Plants treated with sulfosulfuron showed signs of stunting (visual vigor of 36%), but exhibited the least foliar injury (16%) and no mortality. Plants treated with high and low recommended rates of aminopyralid exhibited very low injury ratings (1% to 2%) at 35 DAS. Results obtained from these preliminary studies identified oxadiazon, oryzalin, and aminopyralid as potentially safe for controlling weed species in transplanted tropical fimbry.

New types of die attach pastes comprising micron-sized Ag particles hybridized with submicron-sized Ag particles were considered as lead-free die attach materials for SiC power semiconductors. Micron-sized Ag particles in alcohol solvent were prepared by mixing the die attach paste with submicron-sized Ag particles. The alcohol vaporizes completely during sintering and no residue exists in the bonding layer. The Ag layer has a uniform porous structure. The electrical resistivity of the printed tracks decreases below 1 × 10 −5 Ω cm when sintered above 200 °C. When sintered at 200 °C for 30 min, the average resistivity reaches 5 × 10 −6 Ω cm, which is slightly higher than the value obtained by using Ag nanoparticle paste. A SiC die was successfully bonded to a direct bonded copper substrate and the die-shear strength gradually increases with the increase in bonding temperature up to 300 °C. The Ag die attach bond layer was stable against thermal cycles between −40 °C and 300 °C.

We investigated remanent field distributions for commercial Bi2223 tapes with length of 1 m and high critical current Ic of 150 A (77 K, self-field) developed by Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) Ltd., by scanning Hall-probe microscopy (SHM) with an active area of 50μm × 50μm. All tapes are prepared by powder-in-tube process and sintered by controlled-over pressure (CT-OP) processing at final sintering stage. A bare tape and a 3-ply reinforced one with stainless tape laminations were used for measurements. The distribution of remanent field Brz in perpendicular to broader face of a magnetized tape was measured using SHM, at a fixed distance of 0.5 mm away from a tape surface. Although absolute Brz values in a reinforced tape were 10% lower than bare one, the shape of Brz profile along a lateral direction of a tape was hardly affected by reinforcement and uniformly distributed along a length of each tape. Moreover, we cut away 15 cm piece sample from each tape and measured Brz profile before and after double-sided bending with a bending diameter of 30 mm. The results indicated that degradation in both intensity and longitudinal uniformity of Brz for a reinforced tape is much smaller than for a bare one.

For AC loss reduction in Bi2223 tapes subjected to an AC external magnetic field, twisting the superconducting filaments and/or introducing oxide layers as highly resistive barriers around each filament are required. However, the structure of barrier tape becomes very complex and longitudinal uniformity of both transport property and tape structure could be easily deteriorated. To improve the current transport capability and its longitudinal uniformity for barrier tape for AC use, simple and non-destructive techniques to characterize them should be indispensable. In this paper, we examined the self-field distributions for Bi2223 tapes with oxide barriers carrying DC transport current by a scanning Hall-probe microscopy (SHM). Non-twisted and twisted 19-filamentary tapes with SrZrO3+Bi2212 barriers were prepared by powder-in-tube process. The distributions of self-field in perpendicular to the broader face of a tape carrying DC current below critical current Ic was measured at 77 K by SHM with an active area of 50 μm × 50 μm, at 0.5 mm away from the tape surface. Based on the measured self-field distributions, longitudinal non-uniformity of transport properties and the presence of local defects to obstruct the current transport in barrier tapes were investigated.

In general, shorter filament twisting should be required for substantial AC loss reduction of Bi2223 tapes under an AC external field. However, the longitudinal uniformity of both transport property and wire structure of a tightly twisted tape could be easily deteriorated. To qualify the uniformity of twisted tape, simple and non-destructive evaluation techniques should be urgently required. In this study, we non-destructively measured the remanent magnetic field distributions for twisted Bi2223 tapes using scanning Hall-probe microscopy (SHM) with an active area of 50 μm × 50 μm. Twist pitch lengths of the tapes used for the measurements were 10 mm and 6 mm. After the tape was fixed on the sample holder at 77 K and zero fields, the magnetic field in perpendicular to the broader face of the tape was applied by a rectangular permanent magnet moving along a tape length. After removing the field, the distributions of remanent field B rz in perpendicular to tape surface were measured by SHM at a fixed distance of 0.5 mm away from a tape surface. For tightly twisted tape with twist pitch length of 6 mm, the longitudinal uniformity of B rz and transport critical current I c were degraded remarkably and the local positions at which B rz greatly drops were well corresponding to low I c region. It was also confirmed that the defects in filaments caused by tight twisting strongly affect on the intensity and shape of B rz profiles. The results suggest that SHM has the potential for simple and non-destructive characterization to qualify the longitudinal uniformity of twisted tapes.