Synaptic vesicle pool size, release probability and synaptic depression are sensitive to Ca2+ buffering capacity in the developing rat calyx of Held

The calyx of Held, a specialized synaptic terminal in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, undergoes a series of changes during postnatal development that prepares this synapse for reliable high frequency firing. These changes reduce short-term synaptic depression during tetanic stimulation and thereby prevent action potential failures during a stimulus train. We measured presynaptic membrane capacitance changes in calyces from young postnatal day 5-7 (p5-7) or older (p10-12) rat pups to examine the effect of calcium buffer capacity on vesicle pool size and the efficiency of exocytosis. Vesicle pool size was sensitive to the choice and concentration of exogenous Ca2+ buffer, and this sensitivity was much stronger in younger animals. Pool size and exocytosis efficiency in p5-7 calyces were depressed by 0.2 mM EGTA to a greater extent than with 0.05 mM BAPTA, even though BAPTA is a 100-fold faster Ca2+ buffer. However, this was not the case for p10-12 calyces. With 5 mM EGTA, exocytosis efficiency was reduced to a much larger extent in young calyces compared to older calyces. Depression of exocytosis using pairs of 10-ms depolarizations was reduced by 0.2 mM EGTA compared to 0.05 mM BAPTA to a similar extent in both age groups. These results indicate a developmentally regulated heterogeneity in the sensitivity of different vesicle pools to Ca2+ buffer capacity. We propose that, during development, a population of vesicles that are tightly coupled to Ca2+ channels expands at the expense of vesicles more distant from Ca2+ channels.

A modified nominal stress method for fatigue assessment of steel plates with thermally cut edges

Thermal cutting methods, are commonly used in the manufacture of metal parts. Thermal cutting processes separate materials by using heat. The process can be done with or without a stream of cutting oxygen. Common processes are Oxygen, plasma and laser cutting. It depends on the application and material which cutting method is used. Numerically-controlled thermal cutting is a cost-effective way of prefabricating components. One design aim is to minimize the number of work steps in order to increase competitiveness. This has resulted in the holes and openings in plate parts manufactured today being made using thermal cutting methods. This is a problem from the fatigue life perspective because there is local detail in the as-welded state that causes a rise in stress in a local area of the plate. In a case where the static utilization of a net section is full used, the calculated linear local stresses and stress ranges are often over 2 times the material yield strength. The shakedown criteria are exceeded. Fatigue life assessment of flame-cut details is commonly based on the nominal stress method. For welded details, design standards and instructions provide more accurate and flexible methods, e.g. a hot-spot method, but these methods are not universally applied to flame cut edges. Some of the fatigue tests of flame cut edges in the laboratory indicated that fatigue life estimations based on the standard nominal stress method can give quite a conservative fatigue life estimate in cases where a high notch factor was present. This is an undesirable phenomenon and it limits the potential for minimizing structure size and total costs. A new calculation method is introduced to improve the accuracy of the theoretical fatigue life prediction method of a flame cut edge with a high stress concentration factor. Simple equations were derived by using laboratory fatigue test results, which are published in this work. The proposed method is called the modified FAT method (FATmod). The method takes into account the residual stress state, surface quality, material strength class and true stress ratio in the critical place.

Using Tomato Analyzer software to determine embryo size in x-rayed seeds

A primary interest of image analysis of X-rayed seeds is to identify whether the extent of fill in the embryo cavity is associated with to seed physiological quality. The objective of this research was to verify the accuracy of the freely available Tomato Analyzer (TA) software developed at The Ohio State University to determine the ratio of embryo size over total seed area. Seeds of pumpkin, watermelon, cucumber and cotton were X-rayed and analyzed by the software which defines seed and embryo boundaries and automatically generates numerical values to quantify that ratio. Results showed that the TA has the sensitivity to evaluate the extent of embryo growth within the cucurbits and cotton seeds and is a promising alternative for this assessment in other seed species.

Discutindo o papel do Programa Bolsa Família na decisão das eleições presidenciais brasileiras de 2006

This paper investigates the relationship between the impact of Bolsa Família Program in the Brazilian population and the result of the presidential elections of 2006. The database involves municipal information provided by MDS, IBGE and TSE. To control the experiment, the eventual influences of other variables in the determination of this relationship had been studied. All those variables come from specific characteristics of the cities, such as: city with predominant urban or not urban population; size of the city population; among others. The results state that the Bolsa Família was, in fact, a very important factor in the determination of the votes in Lula. It was, in itself, responsible by 45% of the total votes in Lula.

The surficial geology, sedimentology and geochemistry of the late glacial sediments and Paleozoic bedrock in the Campbellford area, Ontario, with special reference to the Dummer Complex /

The Dummer Complex extends 180 km along the Precambrian - Paleozoic contact from Tamworth to Lake Simcoe. It is composed of coarse, angular Paleozoic clasts in discontinuous, pitted, hummocky deposits. Deposits are usually separated by bare or boulder strewn bedrock, but have been found in the southern drumlinized till sheet. Dummer Complex deposits show rough alignment with ice-flow. Eskers cross-cut many of the deposits. Dummer sediment subfacies are defined on the basis of dominant coarse grain size and lithology, which relate directly to the underlying Paleozoic formation. Three subglacial tills are identified based on the degree of comminution and distance of transport; the immature facies of the Dummer Complex; the mature facies of the drumlinized till sheet and; the submature facies which is transitional. Carbonate geochemistry was used for till-bedrock correlation in various grain sizes. Of the 3 Paleozoic formations underlying the Dummer Complex, the Gull River Fm. is geochemically distinctive from the Bobcaygeon and Verulam Formations using Ca, Mg, Sr, Cu, Mn, Fe and Na. The Bobcaygeon Fm. and Verulam Fm. can be differentiated using Ca and the Sr/Ca ratio. The immature facies from 1.0 phi and finer is dominated by the non-carbonate, long distance transported component which decreases slightly downice. The submature till facies contains more long distance material than the immature facies. Sr and Mn can be used to correlate the Gull River immature till facies to the underlying bedrock the other subfacies could not be distinguished from each other or their respective source formation. This method proved to be ineffective for sediments with greater than 35% non-carbonate component, due to leaching of elements by the dissolving acid.The Dummer Complex is produced subglacially , as the compressional ice encounters the permeable Paleozoic carbonates. The increased shear strength of the ice and pore pressures in the carbonates results in the basal ice zones becoming debris ladden. Cleaner ice overrides the basal debris . laden dead ice which then acts as the glacier bed. During retreat, the Simcoe lobe stagnates as flow is cut-off by the Algonquin Highlands.

Study on tropical rain with special reference to rain Drop Size Distribution and integral rain parameters using ground-based and satellite measurements

Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Contribution of size fractions of planktonic algae to primary organic productivity in the coastal waters of Cochin- south west coast of lndia

This thesis entitled “Contribution of size fractions of planktonic algae to primary organic productivity in the coastal waters of cochin,south west coast of india”. Marine ecosystems planktonic algae are the most important primary producers on wliich considerable attention is being given on account of their supreme status in the marine food chain.The study of primary production in the Indian Ocean started With DANA (I928-30),, John Murray t I933-34). Discovery ( I934) and Albatross (I947-48) expeditions which tried to evaluate productivity from nutrients and standing crop of phytoplankton .The bioproductivity of the marine environment is dependent on various primary producers. ranging in size from picoplankton to larger macro phytoplankton. The quantity and quality of various size fractions of planktonic algae at any locality depend mainly on the hydrographic conditions of the area .In the coastal waters of Cochin- south west coast of lndia. Planktonic algal community is composed mainly of the diatoms, the dinoflagellates, the blue-green algae and the silicoflagellates, the former two contributing the major flora and found distributed in the all size fractions. The maximum number of species of diatoms at station 1 and station 2 was found in the pre-monsoon season.. The size groups of planktonic algae greater than 53 um are dominated by filamentous- chain forming and colonial diatoms. The coastal waters of Cochin. planktonic algae less than 53 um in size contribute significantly to primary productivity and the biodiversity of the microflora, indicating the presence of rich fishery resources in the south west coast of india.The study of different size fractions of planktonic algae and their relative contribution to the primary organic production is a useful tool for the estimation of the quantity and quality of fisheries.A deeper investigation on the occurrence of these microalgae and proper identification of their species would be of immense help for the assessment of the specificity and magnitude of fishery resources.

Slave-boson approach to the size-dependent transition from van der Waals to covalent bonding in Hg_n clusters

We use a microscopic theory to describe the dynamics of the valence electrons in divalent-metal clusters. The theory is based on a many-body model Harniltonian H which takes into account, on the same electronic level, the van der Waals and the covalent bonding. In order to study the ground-state properties of H we have developed an extended slave-boson method. We have studied the bonding character and the degree of electronic delocalization in Hg_n clusters as a function of cluster size. Results show that, for increasing cluster size, an abrupt change occurs in the bond character from van der Waals to covalent bonding at a critical cluster size n_c ~ 10-20. This change also involves a transition from localized to delocalized valence electrons, as a consequence of the competition between both bonding mechanisms.

Guia per a l'adaptació a l'espai europeu d'educació superior: 3. El vostre paper, estudiants = Guía para la adaptación al espacio europeo de educación superior: 3. Vuestro papel, estudiantes = Guide to adaptation to the European Higher Education Area: 3. Your role as a student

Aquest quadern forma part de la Guia per a l'adaptació a l'espai europeu d'educació superior

Grain size analyses in tin-lead glazes based on 2d-sections

A problem in the archaeometric classification of Catalan Renaissance pottery is the fact, that the clay supply of the pottery workshops was centrally organized by guilds, and therefore usually all potters of a single production centre produced chemically similar ceramics. However, analysing the glazes of the ware usually a large number of inclusions in the glaze is found, which reveal technological differences between single workshops. These inclusions have been used by the potters in order to opacify the transparent glaze and to achieve a white background for further decoration. In order to distinguish different technological preparation procedures of the single workshops, at a Scanning Electron Microscope the chemical composition of those inclusions as well as their size in the two-dimensional cut is recorded. Based on the latter, a frequency distribution of the apparent diameters is estimated for each sample and type of inclusion. Following an approach by S.D. Wicksell (1925), it is principally possible to transform the distributions of the apparent 2D-diameters back to those of the true three-dimensional bodies. The applicability of this approach and its practical problems are examined using different ways of kernel density estimation and Monte-Carlo tests of the methodology. Finally, it is tested in how far the obtained frequency distributions can be used to classify the pottery

Supervivencia cáncer específica posterior a nefrectomía radical frente a nefrectomía parcial en carcinoma renal t2: revisión sistemática

Introducción: El tratamiento estándar para los tumores renales localizados es la nefrectomía radical, sin embargo debido a la variación el tamaño del tumor renal en el momento del diagnóstico, se ha reemplazado en algunos casos por la nefrectomía parcial. Objetivo: Este estudio busca comparar el resultado oncológico de la nefrectomía parcial en términos de supervivencia cáncer específica, respecto a la nefrectomía radical, en pacientes mayores de 50 años con carcinoma renal estadio II (T2N0M0) Métodos: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura, con inclusión de estudios de casos y controles, cohortes y experimentos clínicos aleatorizados incluidos en las bases de datos de MEDLINE , EMBASE y CENTRAL Resultados: La búsqueda inicial emitió un total de 101 resultados, 11 artículos fueron preseleccionados y sólo un artículo cumplió con los criterios de selección; éste se clasificó como nivel de evidencia II. Conclusión: No fue posible concluir su equivalencia oncológica de la nefrectomía radical con la nefrectomía parcial, dado que no hay diseños de estudios que permitan llegar a esta conclusión.

El papel del Polo Democrático Alternativo en las movilizaciones agrarias de la última década

El interés de esta monografía es analizar el papel que han jugado las organizaciones de izquierda en las recientes movilizaciones agrarias. Para esto, se evaluará la relación entre el Polo Democrático Alternativo y el paro de los corteros de caña del 2008 y las movilizaciones lecheras en contra de los decretos que prohibían la comercialización de leche en cantina. El trabajo aborda un estudio histórico desde mitad del siglo XX que pretende evidenciar la relación gremio-gobierno y su, posterior, decaimiento; a su vez, la táctica que han empleado las organizaciones de izquierda para permear mayores sectores agrarios y, en especial, el mecanismo adoptado en la última década por el Polo Democrático Alternativo.

Sample size planning for multiple correlation : reply to Shieh (2013)

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

A memória do trabalho e os trabalhos da memória : o caso do Museu da Indústria de Chapelaria

O presente trabalho de investigação, realizado no âmbito do Mestrado de Museologia da Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, pretendeu analisar a importância da conservação de objectos e memórias no seio de processos museológicos, tendo tido como base de estudo o caso do Museu da Indústria da Chapelaria de S. João da Madeira. Partindo do princípio chave de que os objectos museológicos são mudos, no sentido em que por si não exprimem mais do que a dimensão da sua materialidade, procurou-se entender qual o papel da conservação de objectos e de memórias (individuais e colectivas) e como se articulam museologicamente a materialidade de uns e a imaterialidade de outros, na construção da(s) Identidade(s) de uma comunidade e o valor dessa identidade no contexto da afirmação cultural e social local, analisando-se desta forma o valor e papel do acto de conservação de objectos e da conservação de memórias individuais, inerentes à criação de um museu e, mais especificamente, do Museu da Indústria da Chapelaria. Para tanto este trabalho estrutura-se em dois momentos fundamentais. O primeiro momento, de carácter teórico, explora quatro conceitos fundamentais, o de conservação, o de memória, o de identidade e o de desenvolvimento local e a sua interligação no processo museológico. O segundo momento, o estudo de caso propriamente dito, analisa estas condicionantes à luz de um caso prático, o da criação de um museu no seio de uma localidade altamente industrializada que teve na produção de chapéus uma das suas maiores fontes de riqueza e afirmação sócio-económica. O objectivo da investigação passa assim por entender qual o papel das memórias individuais, no caso concreto, das memórias individuais de ex-operários da indústria da chapelaria, e a sua articulação com uma significativa colecção material, quer no âmbito restrito da criação do museu quer, de forma mais ampla e abrangente, da construção da identidade colectiva da comunidade, e em que medida o património industrial assim tratado é um meio facilitador para a compreensão dessa mesma identidade.

O contributo do farmacovigilância para o uso racional do medicamento e o papel do farmacêutico

O âmbito deste trabalho reside no contributo da Farmacovigilância para um Uso Racional do Medicamento, focando o relevante papel do farmacêutico nestes dois campos. A Farmacovigilância tem uma actuação a nível mundial, com um objectivo bem claro, o uso seguro do medicamento. Tem-se verificado uma evolução ao longo dos séculos, tendo sido a ocorrência de tragédias o impulso para a implementação de Sistemas de Farmacovigilância, a tragédia que ocorreu com a administração de talidomida a mulheres grávidas foi um dos grandes marcos para a criação do Sistema Internacional de Farmacovigilância. A Reacção Adversa a Medicamento(s) (RAM) é uma consequência do risco subjacente à utilização de fármacos, estando por isso a Notificação Espontânea (NE) de RAMs na base da Farmacovigilância. Todos os que contactam com tratamentos terapêuticos devem notificar, falamos portanto de profissionais de saúde, da indústria e dos utentes. Não menosprezando qualquer efeito adverso que decorra da utilização de um medicamento, deve-se notificar todas as RAMs estando elas já reconhecidas ou não. O Uso Racional do Medicamento pressupõe a intervenção do médico, do farmacêutico e do utente, havendo o objectivo bem claro através de várias medidas implementadas e do apoio dos Estudos de Utilização de Medicamentos (EUM) de uma prescrição, uma dispensa e um uso correctos. O farmacêutico é parte activa da Farmacovigilância e do Uso Racional do Medicamento. O farmacêutico tem contacto não só com a prescrição como com a dispensa e com o evoluir do tratamento terapêutico, sendo portanto um monitorizador. Devido à proximidade do dia-a-dia entre farmacêutico e doente cabe a este profissional de saúde educar para um uso correcto e seguro do medicamento, transmitindo sempre um elevado nível de confiança e fiabilidade.