Effects of the correction of particle microbial contamination and particle transit model in the rumen on in situ protein evaluation of grass hays.

Effects of considering the particle comminution rate -kc- in addition to particle rumen outflow -kp- and the ruminal microbial contamination on estimates of by-pass and intestinal digestibility of DM, organic matter and crude protein were examined in perennial ryegrass and oat hays. By-pass kc-kp-based values of amino acids were also determined. This study was performed using particle transit, in situ and 15N techniques on three rumen and duodenum-cannulated wethers. The above estimates were determined using composite samples from rumen-incubated residues representative of feed by-pass. Considering the comminution rate, kc, modified the contribution of the incubated residues to these samples in both hays and revealed a higher microbial contamination, consistently in oat hay and only as a tendency for crude protein in ryegrass hay. Not considering kc or rumen microbial contamination overvalued by-pass and intestinal digestibility in both hays. Therefore, non-microbial-corrected kp-based values of intestinal digested crude protein were overestimated as compared with corrected and kc-kp-based values in ryegrass hay -17.4 vs 4.40%- and in oat hay -5.73 vs 0.19%-. Both factors should be considered to obtain accurate in situ estimates in grasses, as the protein value of grasses is very conditioned by the microbial synthesis derived from their ruminal fermentation. Consistent overvaluations of amino acid by-pass due to not correcting microbial contamination were detected in both hays, with large variable errors among amino acids. A similar degradation pattern of amino acids was recorded in both hays. Cysteine, methionine, leucine and valine were the most degradation-resistant amino acids.

Integrated studies for the evaluation of conservation treatments on buildings materials from archaeological sites: application to the case of Merida (Spain)

The application of conservation treatments, such as consolidation and protection ones, has been demonstrated ineffective in many cases, and even harmful. Evaluation studies should be a mandatory task, ideally before and after the intervention, but both tasks are complex and unusual in the case of archaeological heritage. This study is mainly focused on analyzing changes in petrophysical properties of stone material from archaeological sites of Merida (Spain), evaluating, both on site and in laboratory, effects derived from different conservation treatments applied in past interventions, throughout the integration of different non-destructive techniques (NDT) and portable devices of analysis available at the Institute of Geosciences (CSIC,UCM). These techniques allow, not only assessment of effectiveness and alteration processes, but also monitoring durability of treatments, focused mainly on 1996 intervention in the case of Roman Theater, as well as different punctual interventions from the 90?s until date in the House of Mitreo. Studies carried out on archaeological sites of Merida permit us to compare outcomes and also check limitations in the use of those equipments. In this paper we discuss about the use of some techniques, their integration and limits, for the assessment of conservation treatments, showing some examples of Merida?s case study.

Modified Gutenberg-Richter coefficient for damage evaluation in reinforced concrete structures subjected to seismic simulations on a shaking table

This paper presents analysis and discussion of the b- and ib-values calculated from the acoustic emission (AE) signals recorded during dynamic shake-table tests conducted on a reinforced concrete (RC) frame subjected to several uniaxial seismic simulations of increasing intensity until collapse. The intensity of shaking was controlled by the peak acceleration applied to the shake-table in each seismic simulation, and it ranged from 0.08 to 0.47 times the acceleration of gravity. The numerous spurious signals not related to concrete damage that inevitably contaminate AE measurements obtained from complex dynamic shake-table tests were properly filtered with an RMS filter and the use of guard sensors. Comparing the b- and ib-values calculated through the tests with the actual level of macro-cracking and damage observed during testing, it was concluded that the limit value of 0.05 proposed in previous research to determine the onset of macro-cracks should be revised in the case of earthquake-type dynamic loading. Finally, the b- and ibvalues were compared with the damage endured by the RC frame evaluated both visually and quantitatively in terms of the inter-story drift index.

Integrated Studies for the Evaluation of Conservation Treatments on Stone Material from Archaeological Sites. Application to the Case of Merida (Spain)

The application of conservation treatments, such as consolidation and protection ones, has been demonstrated ineffective in many cases, and even harmful. Evaluation studies should be a mandatory task, ideally before and after the intervention, but both tasks are complex and unusual in the case of archaeological heritage. This study is mainly focused on analyzing changes in petrophysical properties of stone material from archaeological sites of Merida (Spain), evaluating, both on site and in laboratory, effects derived from different conservation treatments applied in past interventions, throughout the integration of different non-destructive techniques (NDT) and portable devices of analysis available at the Institute of Geosciences (CSIC,UCM). These techniques allow, not only assessment of effectiveness and alteration processes, but also monitoring durability of treatments, focused mainly on 1996 intervention in the case of Roman Theater, as well as different punctual interventions from the 90’s until date in the House of Mitreo. Studies carried out on archaeological sites of Merida permit us to compare outcomes and also check limitations in the use of those equipments. In this paper we discuss about the use of some techniques, their integration and limits, for the assessment of conservation treatments, showing some examples of Merida’s case study.

Optimization and evaluation in space conditions of multi-GHz optical modulators

Among the different optical modulator technologies available such as polymer, III-V semiconductors, Silicon, the well-known Lithium Niobate (LN) offers the best trade-off in terms of performances, ease of use, and power handling capability [1-9]. The LN technology is still widely deployed within the current high data rate fibre optic communications networks. This technology is also the most mature and guarantees the reliability which is required for space applications [9].In or der to fulfil the target specifications of opto-microwave payloads, an optimization of the design of a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator working at the 1500nm telecom wavelength was performed in the frame of the ESA-ARTES "Multi GigaHertz Optical Modulator" (MGOM) project in order to reach ultra-low optical insertion loss and low effective driving voltage in the Ka band. The selected modulator configuration was the X-cut crystal orientation, associated to high stability Titanium in-diffusion process for the optical waveguide. Starting from an initial modulator configuration exhibiting 9 V drive voltage @ 30 GHz, a complete redesign of the coplanar microwave electrodes was carried out in order to reach a 6 V drive voltage @ 30GHz version. This redesign was associated to an optimization of the interaction between the optical waveguide and the electrodes. Following the optimisation steps, an evaluation program was applied on a lot of 8 identical modulators. A full characterisation was carried out to compare performances, showing small variations between the initial and final functional characteristics. In parallel, two similar modulators were submitted to both gamma (10-100 krad) and proton irradiation (10.109 p/cm²) with minor performance degradation.

Why do health economists promote technology adoption rather than the search for efficiency? A proposal for a change in our approach to economic evaluation in health care

Acknowledgments Financial Support: HERU and HSRU receive a core grant from the Chief Scientist’s Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, and the Centre for Clinical epidemiology & Evaluation is funded by Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. The model used for the illustrative case study in this paper was developed as part of a NHS Technology Assessment Review, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment Program (project number 09/146/01). The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Scottish Government, NHS, Vancouver Coastal Health, NIHR HTA Program or the Department of Health. The authors wish to thank Kathleen Boyd and members of the audience at the UK Health Economists Study Group, for comments received on an earlier version of this paper. We also wish to thank Cynthia Fraser (University of Aberdeen) for literature searches undertaken to inform the manuscript, and Mohsen Sadatsafavi (University of British Columbia) for comments on an earlier draft

The impact of interindividual variation in NAT2 activity on benzidine urinary metabolites and urothelial DNA adducts in exposed workers.

Several epidemiologic studies indicate that NAT2-related slow N-acetylation increases bladder cancer risk among workers exposed to aromatic amines, presumably because N-acetylation is important for the detoxification of these compounds. Previously, we showed that NAT2 polymorphisms did not influence bladder cancer risk among Chinese workers exposed exclusively to benzidine (BZ), suggesting that NAT2 N-acetylation is not a critical detoxifying pathway for this aromatic amine. To evaluate the biologic plausibility of this finding, we carried out a cross-sectional study of 33 workers exposed to BZ and 15 unexposed controls in Ahmedabad, India, to evaluate the presence of BZ-related DNA adducts in exfoliated urothelial cells, the excretion pattern of BZ metabolites, and the impact of NAT2 activity on these outcomes. Four DNA adducts were significantly elevated in exposed workers compared to controls; of these, the predominant adduct cochromatographed with a synthetic N-(3'- phosphodeoxyguanosin-8-yl)-N'-acetylbenzidine standard and was the only adduct that was significantly associated with total BZ urinary metabolites (r = 0.68, P < 0.0001). To our knowledge this is the first report to show that BZ forms DNA adducts in exfoliated urothelial cells of exposed humans and that the predominant adduct formed is N-acetylated, supporting the concept that monofunctional acetylation is an activation, rather than a detoxification, step for BZ. However, because almost all BZ-related metabolites measured in the urine of exposed workers were acetylated among slow, as well as rapid, acetylators (mean +/- SD 95 +/- 1.9% vs. 97 +/- 1.6%, respectively) and NAT2 activity did not affect the levels of any DNA adduct measured, it is unlikely that interindividual variation in NAT2 function is relevant for BZ-associated bladder carcinogenesis.

Studies on mu and delta opioid receptor selectivity utilizing chimeric and site-mutagenized receptors.

Opioid receptors are members of the guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptor family. Three types of opioid receptors have been cloned and characterized and are referred to as the delta, kappa and mu types. Analysis of receptor chimeras and site-directed mutant receptors has provided a great deal of information about functionally important amino acid side chains that constitute the ligand-binding domains and G-protein-coupling domains of G-protein-coupled receptors. We have constructed delta/mu opioid receptor chimeras that were express in human embryonic kidney 293 cells in order to define receptor domains that are responsible for receptor type selectivity. All chimeric receptors and wild-type delta and mu opioid receptors displayed high-affinity binding of etorphine (an agonist), naloxone (an antagonist), and bremazocine (a mixed agonist/antagonist). In contrast, chimeras that lacked the putative first extracellular loop of the mu receptor did not bind the mu-selective peptide [D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO). Chimeras that lacked the putative third extracellular loop of the delta receptor did not bind the delta-selective peptide, [D-Ser2,D-Leu5]enkephalin-Thr (DSLET). Point mutations in the putative third extracellular loop of the wild-type delta receptor that converted vicinal arginine residues to glutamine abolished DSLET binding while not affecting bremazocine, etorphine, and naltrindole binding. We conclude that amino acids in the putative first extracellular loop of the mu receptor are critical for high-affinity DAMGO binding and that arginine residues in the putative third extracellular loop of the delta receptor are important for high-affinity DSLET binding.

Nutraceutical approach to the modulation of cholesterol metabolism: in vitro and in vivo studies

Negli ultimi anni, si sono diffusi nuove strategie per il trattamento delle malattie cardiovascolari, che possano supportare una terapia medica, o in alcuni casi, sostituirla. Infatti, l’abbandono delle terapie è il più importante problema di salute pubblica del mondo occidentale, soprattutto per le malattie croniche. Ciò è dovuto alla complessità delle terapie farmacologiche e ai numerosi e in alcuni casi gravi effetti collaterali dei farmaci somministrati. Di conseguenza, una riduzione di questi effetti migliorerebbe le condizioni di vita del paziente e quindi diminuirebbe il rischio di abbandono della terapia. Per ottenere ciò, è possibile affiancare al trattamento farmacologico una terapia nutraceutica, consistente nella somministrazione di complessi molecolari o microorganismi, provenienti da piante, latte o cibi funzionali. Lo scopo generale di questo studio è indagare le attività ipolipidemizzanti di un composto nutraceutico e di un ceppo batterio specifico nel modello animale che presenta elevati alti livelli plasmatici di colesterolo. Inoltre, sono stati analizzati gli effetti del trattamento nutraceutico sui meccanismi fisiologici che contrastano la creazione della placca aterosclerotica come l’efflusso di colesterolo dalle “foam cells” presenti nell’ateroma, o la riduzione dell’assorbimento intestinale di colesterolo. La presente tesi è divisa in due parti. Nella prima parte, abbiamo analizzato la capacità dei Bifidobacteria di ridurre i livelli di colesterolo nel medium di crescita. Dall’analisi, si è osservato che vari ceppi del genere Bifidobacteria presentano un’ampia capacità di assimilazione del colesterolo all’interno della cellula batterica, in particolare il Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010. Le analisi di trascrittomica del Bb PRL2010 incubato in presenza di colesterolo, hanno rivelato un significativo aumento dei livelli di trascrizione di geni codificanti trasportatori e riduttasi, responsabili del meccanismo di accumulo all’interno della cellula batterica e della conversione del colesterolo in coprostanolo. L’attività ipolipidemizzante del Bb PRL2010 è stata poi valutata nel modello murino, mostrando la modificazione del microbiota dei topi trattati dopo somministrazione del batterio in questione. Nella seconda parte del progetto di ricerca, abbiamo indagato sugli effetti di un composto coperto da brevetto, chiamato “Ola”, sull’efflusso di colesterolo di criceti trattati con questo composto nutraceutico. L’efflusso di colesterolo è il primo step del meccanismo fisiologico noto come Trasporto Inverso del Colesterolo, che consente l’eliminazione del colesterolo dalle placche aterosclerotiche, attraverso l’interazione fra le HDL, presenti nella circolazione sanguigna, e specifici trasportatori delle foam cells, come ABCA1/G1 e SR-BI. In seguito, le lipoproteine rilasciano il colesterolo alle cellule epatiche, dove è metabolizzato ed escreto attraverso le feci. Per valutare l’effetto dell’Ola sul profilo lipidico dei criceti, sono state condotte analisi in vitro. I risultati mostrano un aumento dell’efflusso di colesterolo in cellule che esprimono il trasportatore ABCA1, comparato con il gruppo controllo. Questi due studi mostrano come l’approccio nutraceutico può essere un importante modo per contrastare l’aterosclerosi. Come mostrato in letteratura, gli effetti dei composti nutraceutici sull’aterosclerosi e su altre malattie croniche, hanno portato a un ampio uso come supporto alle terapie farmacologiche, ed in alcuni casi hanno rimpiazzato la terapia farmacologica stessa.

Program Evaluation of an After-School Socialization Group Program

Use of evidence-based practice is becoming more expected and necessary for mental health practitioners. This allows for proof, accountability, and rigorous standards to be upheld, facilitates healthcare reimbursement, and provides a wider range of services to more clients. Appropriate monitoring and outcome measurement is essential to determine the effectiveness of a given intervention. An organization providing group social skills interventions for children 7-18 years was analyzed to facilitate the best plan for evaluating treatment effectiveness. Measurable goals and objectives consistent with the organizations mission and values were developed. Appropriate social skills measurement tools were identified. Strengths and weaknesses of each measure were compared, and existing literature was reviewed to ensure cohesion between this evaluation and current standards in literature. Parent report, self report, and teacher report on Piers-Harris II, BASC-2, and Skills Improvement System Rating Scales were determined to be the most relevant measures of social skills development. A timeline for administration and plan for how to implement measurement and use data was suggested as well as considerations for future research.

Evidence-Based Practice in the Juvenile Justice System: Balancing Clinical Expertise with Best Available Research and Client Variables

Each year, thousands of adolescents are processed through the juvenile justice system -- a system that is complicated, expensive, and inadequately addressing the needs of the youth in its care. While there is extensive literature available in support of interventions for youthful offenders that are clinically superior to current care and more cost-effective than the existing structure, there is a gap between research and practice that is preventing their implementation. The use of Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology (EBPP) as defined by the American Psychological Association is presented as one method to bridge this gap. This paper identifies and discusses each of five barriers to effective use of EBPP: cost, fragmentation of the mental health system, historical and systemic variables, research methodology, and clinician variables. These barriers are first defined and then illustrated using examples from the author's experience working in the juvenile justice field. Finally, recommendations for the field are presented.