Microhardness of resin cements in the intraradicular environment: Effects of water storage and softening treament

Objectives. To analyze the microhardness of four dual-cure resin cements used for cementing fiber-reinforced posts under the following conditions: after 7 days of storage in water, after additional 24 h of immersion in 75% ethanol, and after 3 months of storage in water. Hardness measurements were taken at the cervical, middle and apical thirds along the cement line. Methods. Root canals of 40 bovine incisors were prepared for post space. Fibrekor (R) glass fiber-reinforced posts (Jeneric/Pentron) of 1 mm in diameter were cemented using Panavia F 2.0 (Kuraray), Variolink (Ivoclar-Vivadent), Rely X Unicem (3M ESPE) or Duolink (Bisco) (N = 10). After 7 days of water storage at 37 degrees C, half the sample (N = 5) was longitudinally sectioned and the initial microhardness measured along the cement line from cervical to apex. These same samples were further immersed in 75% ethanol for 24 h and reassessed. The remaining half (N = 5) was kept unsectioned in deionized water at 37 degrees C for 3 months, followed by sectioning and measuring. Data were analyzed by a series of two-way ANOVA and Tukey tests at alpha = 5%. Results. Statistically significant differences were identified among the cements, thirds and conditions. Significant interactions were also observed between cements and thirds and between cements and conditions. Panavia F exhibited significantly higher initial microhardness than the other three cements, which showed no statistical difference among themselves. Variolink and Duolink showed significantly higher microhardness values in the cervical third, without significant difference among the thirds for the other cements. Immersion in ethanol significantly reduced the hardness values for all cements, regardless of the thirds. Storage in water for 3 months had no influence on the hardness of most of the cements, with the exception of Unicem that showed a significant increase in the hardness values after this period. Results showed heterogeneity in the microhardness of the cements inside the canal. All cements presented some degree of softening after ethanol treatment, which suggests instability of the polymer. The quality of curing of resin cements in the root canal environment seems unpredictable and highly material dependent. (C) 2009 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genotype and environment effects on dynamics of harvest index during grain filling in sorghum

An approach based on a linear rate of increase in harvest index (141) with time after anthesis has been used as a simple means-to predict grain growth and yield in many crop simulation models. When applied to diverse situations, however, this approach has been found to introduce significant error in grain yield predictions. Accordingly, this study was undertaken to examine the stability of the HI approach for yield prediction in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Four field experiments were conducted under nonlimiting water. and N conditions. The experiments were sown at times that ensured a broad range in temperature and radiation conditions. Treatments consisted of two population densities and three genotypes varying in maturity. Frequent sequential harvests were used to monitor crop growth, yield, and the dynamics of 111. Experiments varied greatly in yield and final HI. There was also a tendency for lower HI with later maturity. Harvest index dynamics also varied among experiments and, to a lesser extent, among treatments within experiments. The variation was associated mostly with the linear rate of increase in HI and timing of cessation of that increase. The average rate of HI increase was 0.0198 d(-1), but this was reduced considerably (0.0147) in one experiment that matured in cool conditions. The variations found in IN dynamics could be largely explained by differences in assimilation during grain filling and remobilization of preanthesis assimilate. We concluded that this level of variation in HI dynamics limited the general applicability of the HI approach in yield prediction and suggested a potential alternative for testing.

Evaluating plant breeding strategies by simulating gene action and dryland environment effects

Functional genomics is the systematic study of genome-wide effects of gene expression on organism growth and development with the ultimate aim of understanding how networks of genes influence traits. Here, we use a dynamic biophysical cropping systems model (APSIM-Sorg) to generate a state space of genotype performance based on 15 genes controlling four adaptive traits and then search this spice using a quantitative genetics model of a plant breeding program (QU-GENE) to simulate recurrent selection. Complex epistatic and gene X environment effects were generated for yield even though gene action at the trait level had been defined as simple additive effects. Given alternative breeding strategies that restricted either the cultivar maturity type or the drought environment type, the positive (+) alleles for 15 genes associated with the four adaptive traits were accumulated at different rates over cycles of selection. While early maturing genotypes were favored in the Severe-Terminal drought environment type, late genotypes were favored in the Mild-Terminal and Midseason drought environment types. In the Severe-Terminal environment, there was an interaction of the stay-green (SG) trait with other traits: Selection for + alleles of the SG genes was delayed until + alleles for genes associated with the transpiration efficiency and osmotic adjustment traits had been fixed. Given limitations in our current understanding of trait interaction and genetic control, the results are not conclusive. However, they demonstrate how the per se complexity of gene X gene X environment interactions will challenge the application of genomics and marker-assisted selection in crop improvement for dryland adaptation.

Small particles in Pluto's environment: Effects of the solar radiation pressure

Impacts of micrometeoroids on the surfaces of the plutonian small satellites Nix and Hydra can generate dust particles. Even in this region so far from the Sun these tiny ejected particles are under the effects of the solar radiation pressure. In this work, we investigate the orbital evolution of the escaping ejecta from both the small satellites under the effects of the radiation pressure combined with the gravitational effects of Pluto, Charon, Nix and Hydra. The mass production rate of micron-sized dust particles generated by micrometeoroids hitting the satellites is obtained, and numerical simulations are performed to derive the lifetime of the ejecta. These pieces of information allow us to estimate the optical depth of a putative ring, which extends from the orbits of Nix to Hydra. The ejected particles, between the orbits of Nix and Hydra, form a wide ring of about 16 000 km. Collisions with the massive bodies and escape from the system are mainly determined by the effects of the solar radiation pressure. This is an important loss mechanism, removing 30 per cent of the initial set of 1 μm-sized particles in 1 yr. The surviving particles form a ring too faint to be detectable with the derived maximum optical depth of 4 × 10-11. © 2013 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Seawater acidification by CO2 in a coastal lagoon environment: Effects on life history traits of juvenile mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis

The carbonate chemistry of seawater from the Ria Formosa lagoon was experimentally manipulated, by diffusing pure CO2, to attain two reduced pH levels, by -0.3 and -0.6 pH units, relative to unmanipulated seawater. After 84 days of exposure, no differences were detected in terms of growth (somatic or shell) or mortality of juvenile mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. The naturally elevated total alkalinity of the seawater (= 3550 µmol/kg) prevented under-saturation of CaCO3, even under pCO2 values exceeding 4000 µatm, attenuating the detrimental effects on the carbonate supply-side. Even so, variations in shell weight showed that net calcification was reduced under elevated CO2 and reduced pH, although the magnitude and significance of this effect varied among size-classes. Most of the loss of shell material probably occurred as post-deposition dissolution in the internal aragonitic nacre layer. Our results show that, even when reared under extreme levels of CO2-induced acidification, juvenile M. galloprovincialis can continue to calcify and grow in this coastal lagoon environment. The complex responses of bivalves to ocean acidification suggest a large degree of interspecific and intraspecific variability in their sensitivity to this type of perturbation. Further research is needed to assess the generality of these patterns and to disentangle the relative contributions of acclimation to local variations in seawater chemistry and genetic adaptation.

The 'Healthy Passport' intervention with older people in an English urban environment:effects of incentives and peer-group organisers in promoting healthy living

This paper reports the evaluation of the effectiveness of incentives (viz. points and prizes) and of peer-group organisers ('older people's champions') in the outcomes of a health-improvement programme for people aged 50 + years in a multi-ethnic district of the West Midlands, England. Health promotion activities Were provided, and adherence, outcome variables and barriers to adherence were assessed over six months, using a `passport' format. Those aged in the fifties and of Asian origin Were under represented, but people of Afro-Caribbean origin were well represented and proportionately most likely to stay in the project. Those of greater age and With more illness were most likely to drop out. There were significant improvements in exercise, diet and the uptake of influenza vaccines and eyesight tests, but slighter improvements in wellbeing. Positive outcomes related to the incentives and to liking the format. The number of reported barriers was associated with lower involvement and lack of change, as was finding activities too difficult, the level of understanding, and transport and mobility problems, but when these were controlled, age did not predict involvement. Enjoying the scheme was related to positive changes, and this was associated with support from the older people's champions.

Effects of common origin and common rearing environment on variance in ectoparasite load and phenotype of nestling Alpine swifts

Knowledge of the quantitative genetics of resistance to parasitism is key to appraise host evolutionary responses to parasite selection. Here, we studied effects of common origin (i.e. genetic and pre-hatching parental effects) and common rearing environment (i.e. post-hatching parental effects and other environment effects) on variance in ectoparasite load in nestling Alpine swifts (Apus melba). This colonial bird is intensely parasitized by blood sucking louse-flies that impair nestling development and survival. By cross-fostering half of the hatchlings between pairs of nests, we show strong significant effect of common rearing environment on variance (90.7% in 2002 and 90.9% in 2003) in the number of louse-flies per nestling and no significant effect of common origin on variance in the number of louse-flies per nestling. In contrast, significant effects of common origin were found for all the nestling morphological traits (i.e. body mass, wing length, tail length, fork length and sternum length) under investigation. Hence, our study suggests that genetic and pre-hatching parental effects play little role in the distribution of parasites among nestling Alpine swifts, and thus that nestlings have only limited scope for evolutionary responses against parasites. Our results highlight the need to take into consideration environmental factors, including the evolution of post-hatching parental effects such as nest sanitation, in our understanding of host-parasite relationships.

Effects of genotype and environment on grain yield and quality traits in bread wheat (T. aestivum L.)

Genotype (G), environment (E) and their interaction (GEI) play an important role in the final expression of grain yield and quality attributes. A multi-environment trial in wheat was conducted to evaluate the magnitude of G, E and GEI effects on grain yield and quality of wheat genotypes under the three rainfed locations (hereafter environment) of Central Anatolian Plateau of Turkey, during the 2012-2013 cropping season. Grain yield (GY) and analyses of test weight (TW), protein content (PC), wet gluten content (WGC), grain hardness (GH), thousand kernel weight (TKW) and Zeleny sedimentation volume (ZSV) were determined. Allelic variations of high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS and LMW-GS) and 1B/1R translocation were determined in all genotypes evaluated. Both HMW-Glu-1, 17+18, 5+10 and LMW-Glu-3 b, b, b corresponded to genotypes possessing medium to good quality attributes. Large variability was found among most of the quality attributes evaluated; wider ranges of quality traits were observed in the environments than among the genotypes. The importance of the growing environment effects on grain quality was proved, suggesting that breeders' quality objectives should be adapted to the targeted environments.

Behavior of the PMD coefficient of optical links under influence of mechanical and thermal effects

This papers presents results on the variation of the PMD coefficient of optical links under influence of mechanical tests, such as tensile strength, bending and compression, and also during the application of a thermal cycle. Results revealed that the link coefficient is more influenced by the application of a tension load and also suffers significant variation under strong temperature changes. Copyrigth © SBMO.

Transgenerational effects persist down the maternal line in marine sticklebacks: gene expression matches physiology in a warming ocean, supplementary material

Transgenerational effects can buffer populations against environmental change, yet little is known about underlying mechanisms, their persistence, or the influence of environmental cue timing. We investigated mitochondrial respiratory capacity (MRC) and gene expression of marine sticklebacks that experienced acute or developmental acclimation to simulated ocean warming (21°C) across three generations. Previous work showed that acute acclimation of grandmothers to 21°C led to lower (optimised) offspring MRCs. Here, developmental acclimation of mothers to 21°C led to higher, but more efficient offspring MRCs. Offspring with a 21°Cx17°C grandmother-mother environment mismatch showed metabolic compensation: their MRCs were as low as offspring with a 17°C thermal history across generations. Transcriptional analyses showed primarily maternal but also grandmaternal environment effects: genes involved in metabolism and mitochondrial protein biosynthesis were differentially expressed when mothers developed at 21°C, whereas 21°C grandmothers influenced genes involved in hemostasis and apoptosis. Genes involved in mitochondrial respiration all showed higher expression when mothers developed at 21° and lower expression in the 21°Cx17°C group, matching the phenotypic pattern for MRCs. Our study links transcriptomics to physiology under climate change, and demonstrates that mechanisms underlying transgenerational effects persist across multiple generations with specific outcomes depending on acclimation type and environmental mismatch between generations.

Os efeitos do ambiente térmico: avaliação subjetiva e numérica

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial

Etelä-Karjala asuin- ja elinympäristönä: Korkeasti koulutettujen nuorten näkökulma

Tämän tutkimuksen keskeisenä tarkoituksena on tutkia Etelä-karjalaa asuin- ja työpaikkana. Tutkimuksen päätavoitteena on selvittää asuin- ja elinympäristön laadun merkitystä alueella viihtymiseen. Tutkimus luokitellaan kaupunkitutkimukseksi, jossa tarkastelun kohteena on asuin- ja elinympäristön laatu. Tutkimuksessa hyödynnetään survey-tutkimusmenetelmää. Tutkimuksen teoriaoosassa tarkastellaan globalisaation alueellisia vaikutuksia, alueiden kilpailukyvyn ja kilpailuedun muodostumista sekä alueen imagon merkitystä kilpailussa. Tutkimukseen liittyvä tutkimusaineisto kerättiin kirjekyselyllä Lappeenrannan teknillisestä yliopistosta vuosina 1997-2000 valmistuneiden diblomi-insinöörien ja kauppatieteiden maistereiden keskuudesta. Tutkimuksen empiirisessä osassa mitataan tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat asuinpaikkakunnan valintaan. Lisäksi mitataan Etelä-Karjalan asuin- ja elinympäristön laatua. Aineiston perusteella voidaan todeta, että Etelä-Karjalan asuin- ja elinympäristön laadun fyysiset, toiminnalliset ja sosiaaliset ominaisuudet edesaauttavat yliopistoststa valmistuneita jäämään alueelle. Ongelmatekijäksi nousi alueen kyky tarjota korkeasti koulutetuille nuorille työpaikkoja

Kaatopaikkakaasun hyväksikäyttö lietteen kuivauksessa

Tällä hetkellä suuri osa esikäsiteltyjen jätevesilietteiden loppusijoitusvaihtoehdoista ei pysty kattamaan lopullisesti kasvavien lietemäärien loppusijoitustarvetta, mikä lisää lietteen loppusijoitusta kaatopaikoille. Kuitenkin EU:n tiukentuneen jätehuoltolainsäädännön sekä ilmastonlämpenemisen suurien haasteiden vuoksi, kaatopaikoille sijoitettavien jätteiden määrää täytyy pyrkiä vähentämään. Tämän työn tavoitteena on tutkia jätevedenpuhdistamoilta tulevan lietteen termistä kuivausta yhtenä lietteenkäsittely vaihtoehtona. Tavoitteena on selvittää voidaanko lietettä kuivaamalla saada liete paremmin hyödynnetyksi. Työssä tarkasteltiin yleisesti yhdyskuntalietteen termisessä kuivaamisessa nykyisin käytettäviä menetelmiä, sen ympäristövaikutuksia, energian tarvetta ja kustannuksia sekä siitä saatavaa hyötyä lietteen loppusijoittamisessa. Lisäksi arvioitiin kuinka kaatopaikkakaasun hyödyntäminen soveltuisi lietteen kuivauksessa tarvittavan energian tuotantoon. Työssä tehdyn selvityksen mukaan kaatopaikkakaasua voidaan hyödyntää suhteellisen helposti lämmöntuotannossa ilman merkittäviä laitosmuutoksia tai kaasun puhdistusta. Ongelmana pidettiin kaatopaikkakaasun kuljetuksia, joka on suhteellisen vaikeaa ja taloudellisesti kannattamatonta. Kuitenkin noin 10 km välimatkan säteellä kaatopaikasta sen hyödyntäminen olisi mahdollista. Työn laskelmien mukaan Suomessa hukkaan poltetulla kaatopaikkakaasulla voitaisiin kuivata noin 250 tuhatta tonnia lietettä vuosittain.

Genetic purity certificate in seeds of hybrid maize using molecular markers

One of the main features that confer high quality to the seed is its genetic purity, in which one of the major causes of contamination is the self-pollination of the female parent. Up to date, there is no accurate and fast methods for detecting such contamination. Thus, this work was carried out to certify the genetic purity in seeds of hybrid maize using different biochemical and DNA-based markers. Two single-cross hybrids and their parental lines derived from the maize breeding program at UFLA were evaluated by isoenzymatic pattern of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), esterase (EST), acid phosphatase (ACP), glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), 6-phosphoglucomate dehydrogenase (PGDH), catalase (CAT) and ß-glucosidade (ßGLU) and by microsatellites markers. The enzymatic systems that were able to distinguish the hybrids from their parental line were the catalase, the isocitrate dehydrogenase and the esterase. The esterase showed a Mendelian segregation pattern for UFLA 8/3 hybrid, that enables a safer genetic purity certificate. Microsatellites were able to differentiate the hybrid lines and the respective parental lines. Moreover, this technique was fast, precise and without environment effects. For microsatellites, the amplification pattern was identical when young leaves or seeds were used as DNA source. The possibility of using seeds as DNA source would accelerate and facilitate the role process of the genetic purity analysis.