Leaf-cutting ant attack in initial pine plantations and growth of defoliated plants

The objective of this work was to evaluate the natural attack by Acromyrmex crassispinus in initial Pinus taeda plantations without control measures against ants, as well as the effect of defoliation in seedlings of P. taeda. Evaluations of the attack of leaf-cutting ants on P. taeda plantations were done monthly in the first six months, then 9 and 12 months after planting. The percentages of plants that were naturally attacked by ants were registered. The effect of defoliation was evaluated by artificial defoliation, simulating the natural patterns of attack by A. crassispinus on P. taeda seedlings. The natural attack of A. crassispinus was greater during the first months after planting, being more intense in the first 30 days. Artificial defoliation indicated that there were no significant losses in diameter and height in plants with less than 75% defoliation. However, there were significant losses in diameter and height in plants with 100% defoliation, independently of the cut of the apical meristem, and also plant death. The control of leaf-cutting ants in P. taeda plantings, in which A. crassispinus is the most frequent leaf-cutting ant, should be intense only at the beginning of planting, since the most severe attacks occur during this time.

Methods for assessment of pre-harvest sprouting in wheat cultivars

The objective of this work was to test methods for pre-harvest sprouting assessment in wheat cultivars. Fourteen wheat cultivars were grown in Londrina and Ponta Grossa municipalities, Paraná state, Brazil. They were sampled at 10 and 17 days after physiological maturity and evaluated using the methods of germination by rainfall simulation (in a greenhouse), in-ear grain sprouting, and grains removed from the ears. The in-ear grain sprouting method allowed the differentiation of cultivars, but showed different resistance levels from the available description of cultivars. The sprouting of grain removed from the ears did not allow a reliable distinction of data on germination in any harvest date or location. The method of rainfall simulation is the most suitable for the assessment of cultivars as to pre-harvest sprouting, regardless of the sampling date and evaluated location.

EZ-IO intraosseous device implementation in a pre-hospital emergency service : a prospective study and review of the literature

Introduction : La prise en charge des patients critiques nécessite dans la majorité des situations l'obtention rapide d'un accès vasculaire, afin d'administrer des médicaments, des solutés de remplissage, ou des produits sanguins. La mise en place d'un accès vasculaire peut s'avérer difficile chez ces patients. En cas d'échec de pose d'une voie veineuse périphérique, des abords vasculaires alternatifs existent. Il s'agit essentiellement de la pose d'une voie veineuse centrale, la réalisation d'une dénudation veineuse, ou la pose d'une voie intra-osseuse. Depuis le développement de dispositifs d'insertion « semi-automatique » à la fin des années 90, la voie intra-osseuse, traditionnellement réservée aux cas pédiatriques, est de plus en plus fréquemment utilisée chez les patients adultes. Le Service des Urgences du CHUV a introduit en 2009 les dispositifs d'insertion d'aiguilles intra-osseuses de type EZ-IO® (perceuse électrique), en salle de réanimation des urgences vitales (déchoquage), ainsi qu'au sein du secteur préhospitalier pour les interventions du SMUR de Lausanne et de l'hélicoptère REGA de la base de Lausanne. Par cette étude, nous voulions mettre en évidence les aspects épidémiologiques des patients ayant dû être perfusés par cet abord dans un contexte préhospitalier, ainsi que les circonstances cliniques ayant justifié un tel usage, le taux de succès, les éventuelles complications, les médicaments perfusés et la mortalité des patients ayant bénéficié de ce dispositif. Méthode: Chaque patient ayant bénéficié de la mise en place d'une voie intra-osseuse par EZ-IO® du 1er janvier 2009 au 31 décembre 2011 a été inclus. Les données récoltées étaient l'âge, le sexe, l'indication à la mise en place de l'intra-osseuse, la localisation, le taux de succès, les médicaments et fluides administrés, les complications, la mortalité à 48 heures et à la sortie de l'hôpital. Tous les articles mentionnant l'utilisation de ΙΈΖ-ΙΟ® dans des situations cliniques ont également été analysés par une revue de littérature structurée exhaustive, afin de comparer nos résultats avec les données de la littérature. Résultats : Cinquante-huit patients, représentant 60 intra-osseuses EZ-IO®, ont été inclus. Leur âge moyen (47 ans), le taux de succès (90%), les indications, la localisation de l'aiguille (98% au niveau du tibia proximal) et le taux de complications (0%) correspondent aux valeurs trouvées dans la littérature. Le taux de survie de nos patients est de 38% à 48 heures et de 29% à la sortie de l'hôpital. De nombreux médicaments ou solutés de perfusion ont été administrés; l'adrénaline restant le médicament le plus fréquemment administré par cette voie. Dans 7 cas, les patients ont bénéficié d'une induction d'anesthésie par voie intra-osseuse. La revue de littérature a permis de compiler 30 études distinctes, représentant un total de 1603 accès vasculaires de type EZ-IO®. Conclusion : La voie intra-osseuse s'avère fiable et rapide pour obtenir un accès vasculaire, avec un taux de complications très faible et permet l'administration d'un grand nombre de substances. D'autres études sont nécessaires pour évaluer l'impact de la voie intra osseuse, notamment en termes de mortalité, de complications tardives, ainsi que d'analyse coût/bénéfice de ce matériel.

Recruitment advertising and corporate image : The HRM-marketing interface

Extended abstract.

[Archives de la parole]. , [Valse du Père Cadet] / [Ferdinand Brunot], collecteur ; [Pierre Appaire, 49 ans, cornemuseux], cornemuse ; [Bertrand Appaire, vielleux], vielle ; [Pierre Gerbaud, 61 ans, vielleux], vielle. [Une chasse ancienne] / [Ferdinand Brunot], collecteur ; [Pierre Appaire, 49 ans, cornemuseux], cornemuse

[Traditions. France. Berry]

Subjectively adapted high capacity lossless image data hiding based on prediction errors

This article reports on a lossless data hiding scheme for digital images where the data hiding capacity is either determined by minimum acceptable subjective quality or by the demanded capacity. In the proposed method data is hidden within the image prediction errors, where the most well-known prediction algorithms such as the median edge detector (MED), gradient adjacent prediction (GAP) and Jiang prediction are tested for this purpose. In this method, first the histogram of the prediction errors of images are computed and then based on the required capacity or desired image quality, the prediction error values of frequencies larger than this capacity are shifted. The empty space created by such a shift is used for embedding the data. Experimental results show distinct superiority of the image prediction error histogram over the conventional image histogram itself, due to much narrower spectrum of the former over the latter. We have also devised an adaptive method for hiding data, where subjective quality is traded for data hiding capacity. Here the positive and negative error values are chosen such that the sum of their frequencies on the histogram is just above the given capacity or above a certain quality.

Lossless Image Data Embedding in Plain Areas

This letter presents a lossless data hiding scheme for digital images which uses an edge detector to locate plain areas for embedding. The proposed method takes advantage of the well-known gradient adjacent prediction utilized in image coding. In the suggested scheme, prediction errors and edge values are first computed and then, excluding the edge pixels, prediction error values are slightly modified through shifting the prediction errors to embed data. The aim of proposed scheme is to decrease the amount of modified pixels to improve transparency by keeping edge pixel values of the image. The experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed method is capable of hiding more secret data than the known techniques at the same PSNR, thus proving that using edge detector to locate plain areas for lossless data embedding can enhance the performance in terms of data embedding rate versus the PSNR of marked images with respect to original image.

Threading libraries performance when applied to image acquisition and processing in a forensic application

Peer-reviewed

Body image perception and weight-related behaviour among adolescents of the Seychelles

Background: We examined one's own body image perception and its association with reported weight-related behavior among adolescents of a rapidly developing country in the African region. Methods: We conducted a school-based survey of 1432 students aged 11-17 years in the Seychelles. Weight and height were measured, and thinness, normal weight and overweight were assessed along standard criteria. A self-administered and anonymous questionnaire was administered. Perception of body image was assessed using both a closed-ended question (CEQ) and the Stunkard's pictorial silhouettes (SPS). Finally, a question assessed voluntary attempts to change weight. Results: Overall, 14.1% of the students were thin, 63.9% were normal-weight, and 22.0% were overweight or obese. There was fair agreement between actual weight status and self-perceived body image based on either CEQ or SPS. However, a substantial proportion of the overweight students did not consider themselves as overweight (SPS: 24%, CEQ: 34%) and, inversely, a substantial proportion of the normal-weight students considered themselves as too thin (SPS: 29%, CEQ: 15%). Among the overweight students, an adequate attempt to lose weight was reported more often by boys and girls who perceived themselves as overweight vs. not overweight (72-88% vs. 40-71%, p <0.05 for most comparisons). Among the normal-weight students, an inadequate attempt to gain weight was reported more often by boys and girls who perceived themselves as thin vs. not thin (27-68% vs. 11-19%, p <0.05). Girls had leaner own body ideals than boys. Conclusions: We found that substantial proportions of overweight students did not perceive themselves as overweight and/or did not want to lose weight and, inversely, that many normalweight students perceived themselves as too thin and/or wanted to gain weight: this points to forces that can drive the upwards overweight trends. Appropriate perception of one's weight was associated with adequate weight-control behavior, although not strongly, emphasizing that appropriate weight perception is only one of several factors driving adequate weight-related behavior. These findings emphasize the need to address appropriate perception of one's own weight and adequate weight-related behavior in adolescents for both individual and community weight-related interventions.