Voorkom vliegen, voordat je ze ziet vliegen!

Vliegen in de stal zijn hinderlijk en kunnen gezondheidsproblemen bij varkens veroorzaken. Wageningen UR Livestock Research heeft het afgelopen jaar de vliegenoverlast en bestrijdingsmethoden geïnventariseerd op biologische varkensbedrijven. Nu is het onderzoek gericht op het voorkomen en weren van vliegen. Dit bioKennisbericht geeft een overzicht van ontwikkelingsplaatsen van vliegen in de stal en tips om vliegenoverlast te voorkome

Intraoperative high resolution duplex imaging during carotid endarterectomy: Which abnormalities require surgical correction?

Objectives:This study evaluates high resolution, duplex ultrasound imaging for quality control of carotid endarterectomy in order to determine which technical factors were linked to residual stenosis and to define duplex criteria for reexploration.Design, material and methods:A consecutive series of 100 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were evaluated. Duplex imaging was performed prior to wound closure and repeated at 6–8 weeks postoperatively. Stenoses were classified as non-significant, moderate or severe based on duplex criteria. Intimal flaps, shelves, kinks, clamp damage and fronds were identified by ultrasound imaging.Results:Five moderate stenoses were noted in the proximal endarterectomy site (PES), and at follow-up three had resolved. Adherent fronds were detected in 83% of vessels and resolved in all but three cases. At the distal endarterectomy site there were 10 severe and 12 moderate stenoses. Intimal flaps were associated with an increased incidence of residual stenosis (p = 0.010).Conclusions:We conclude that severe stenoses with an intimal flap should be corrected immediately. Further data is required to establish the significance of kinks. Residual intimal flaps in the PES appear to remodel. The role of completion duplex may lie in the modification of surgical technique to eradicate anatomical and haemodynamic imperfections

Ultrasonic Stimulation of Mouse Skin Reverses the Healing Delays in Diabetes and Aging by Activation of Rac1

Chronic skin-healing defects are one of the leading challenges to lifelong well-being, affecting 2–5% of populations. Chronic wound formation is linked to age and diabetes and frequently leads to major limb amputation. Here we identify a strategy to reverse fibroblast senescence and improve healing rates. In healthy skin, fibronectin activates Rac1 in fibroblasts, causing migration into the wound bed, and driving wound contraction. We discover that mechanical stimulation of the skin with ultrasound can overturn healing defects by activating a calcium/CamKinaseII/Tiam1/Rac1 pathway that substitutes for fibronectin-dependent signaling and promotes fibroblast migration. Treatment of diabetic and aged mice recruits fibroblasts to the wound bed and reduces healing times by 30%, restoring healing rates to those observed in young, healthy animals. Ultrasound treatment is equally effective in rescuing the healing defects of animals lacking fibronectin receptors, and can be blocked by pharmacological inhibition of the CamKinaseII pathway. Finally, we discover that the migration defects of fibroblasts from human venous leg ulcer patients can be reversed by ultrasound, demonstrating that the approach is applicable to human chronic samples. By demonstrating that this alternative Rac1 pathway can substitute for that normally operating in the skin, we identify future opportunities for management of chronic wounds

Multibeam Maser Survey of methanol and excited OH in the Magellanic clouds: new detections and maser abundance estimates

‘The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com.’ Copyright Blackwell Publishing DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.12888.xPeer reviewe

Observations of fog‐aerosol interactions over central Greenland

Supercooled fogs can have an important radiative impact at the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet, but they are difficult to detect and our understanding of the factors that control their lifetime and radiative properties is limited by a lack of observations. This study demonstrates that spectrally resolved measurements of downwelling longwave radiation can be used to generate retrievals of fog microphysical properties (phase and particle effective radius) when the fog visible optical depth is greater than ∼0.25. For 12 cases of fog under otherwise clear skies between June and September 2019 at Summit Station in central Greenland, nine cases were mixed-phase. The mean ice particle (optically-equivalent sphere) effective radius was 24.0 ± 7.8 µm, and the mean liquid droplet effective radius was 14.0 ± 2.7 µm. These results, combined with measurements of aerosol particle number concentrations, provide evidence supporting the hypotheses that (a) low surface aerosol particle number concentrations can limit fog liquid water path, (b) fog can act to increase near-surface aerosol particle number concentrations through enhanced mixing, and (c) multiple fog events in quiescent periods gradually deplete near-surface aerosol particle number concentrations

Learning Objects, Learning Objectives and Learning Design.

Educational research and development into e-learning mainly focuses on the inclusion of new technological features without taking into account psycho-pedagogical concerns that are likely to improve a learner's cognitive process in this new educational category. This paper presents an instructional model that combines objectivist and constructivist learning theories. The model is based on the concept of a learning objective which is composed of a set of learning objects. A software tool, called the Instruction Aid System (IAS), has been developed to guide instructors through the development of learning objectives and the execution of the analysis and design phases of the proposed instructional model. Additionally, a blended approach to the learning process in Web-based distance education is also presented. This approach combines various event-based activities: self-paced learning, live e-learning and the use of face-to-face contact in classrooms

Influence of a Uniform Current on Collective Magnetization Dynamics in a Ferromagnetic Metal

We discuss the influence of a uniform current, $\vec{j}$, on the magnetization dynamics of a ferromagnetic metal. We find that the magnon energy $\epsilon(\vec{q})$ has a current-induced contribution proportional to $\vec{q}\cdot \vec{\cal J}$, where $\vec{\cal J}$ is the spin-current, and predict that collective dynamics will be more strongly damped at finite ${\vec j}$. We obtain similar results for models with and without local moment participation in the magnetic order. For transition metal ferromagnets, we estimate that the uniform magnetic state will be destabilized for $j \gtrsim 10^{9} {\rm A} {\rm cm}^{-2}$. We discuss the relationship of this effect to the spin-torque effects that alter magnetization dynamics in inhomogeneous magnetic systems.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Mapping net blotch resistance in ‘Nomini’ and CIho 2291 barley

Net blotch (Pyrenophora teres) is one of the most devastating diseases of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) worldwide. Identification of diagnostic molecular markers associated with genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) for net blotch resistance will facilitate pyramiding of independent genes. Linkage mapping was used to identify chromosomal locations of the independent, dominant genes conditioning net blotch resistance in the winter barley ‘Nomini’ (PI 566929) and spring barley CIho 2291. The F2 populations of 238 and 193 individuals, derived from crosses between the susceptible spring barley parent ‘Hector’ (CIho 15514) and the resistant parents Nomini and CIho 2291, respectively, were used to map the genes governing resistance in the resistant parents. The dominant gene governing resistance in Nomini, temporarily designated Rpt-Nomini, was mapped to a 9.2-cM region of barley chromosome 6H between the flanking microsatellite markers Bmag0344a (r2 = 0.7) and Bmag0103a (r2 = 0.9), which were 6.8 and 2.4 cM away from Rpt-Nomini, respectively. The dominant gene governing resistance in CIho 2291, temporarily designated Rpt-CIho2291, was mapped to a 34.3-cM interval on the distal region of barley chromosome 6H between the flanking microsatellite markers Bmag0173 (r2 = 0.65) and Bmag0500 (r2 = 0.26), which were 9.9 and 24.4 cM away from Rpt-CIho2291, respectively. Identification of the chromosomal location of Rpt-Nomini and Rpt-CIho2291 will facilitate efforts in pyramiding multiple genes for net blotch resistance

Signatures of the slow solar wind streams from active regions in the inner corona

Some of local sources of the slow solar wind can be associated with spectroscopically detected plasma outflows at edges of active regions accompanied with specific signatures in the inner corona. The EUV telescopes (e.g. SPIRIT/CORONAS-F, TESIS/CORONAS-Photon and SWAP/PROBA2) sometimes observed extended ray-like structures seen at the limb above active regions in 1MK iron emission lines and described as "coronal rays". To verify the relationship between coronal rays and plasma outflows, we analyze an isolated active region (AR) adjacent to small coronal hole (CH) observed by different EUV instruments in the end of July - beginning of August 2009. On August 1 EIS revealed in the AR two compact outflows with the Doppler velocities V =10-30 km/s accompanied with fan loops diverging from their regions. At the limb the ARCH interface region produced coronal rays observed by EUVI/STEREO-A on July 31 as well as by TESIS on August 7. The rays were co-aligned with open magnetic field lines expanded to the streamer stalks. Using the DEM analysis, it was found that the fan loops diverged from the outflow regions had the dominant temperature of ~1 MK, which is similar to that of the outgoing plasma streams. Parameters of the solar wind measured by STEREO-B, ACE, WIND, STEREO-A were conformed with identification of the ARCH as a source region at the Wang-Sheeley-Arge map of derived coronal holes for CR 2086. The results of the study support the suggestion that coronal rays can represent signatures of outflows from ARs propagating in the inner corona along open field lines into the heliosphere.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics; 31 Pages; 13 Figure

Ocean forests: breakthrough yields for macroalgae

The US Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) MacroAlgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Research (MARINER) program is encouraging technologies for the sustainable harvest of large funding research of macroalgae for biofuels at less than $80 per dry metric ton (DMT). The Ocean Forests team, led by the University of Southern Mississippi, is developing a complete managed ecosystem where nutrients are transformed and recycled. The team’s designs address major bottlenecks in profitability of offshore aquaculture systems including economical moored structures that can withstand storms, efficient planting, managing and harvesting systems, and sustainable nutrient supply. The work is inspired by Lapointe who reported yields of Gracilaria tikvahiae equivalent to 127 DMT per hectare per year (compared with standard aquaculture systems in the range of 20 to 40 DMT/ha/yr). This approach offers the potential for breakthrough yields for many macroalgae species. Moreover, mini-ecosystems in offshore waters create communities of macroalgae, shellfish, and penned finfish, supplemented by visiting free-range fish that can increase productivity, produce quality products, and create jobs and income for aquafarmers. Additional benefits include reduced disease in fish pens, cleaning contaminated coastal waters, and maximizing nutrient recycling. Cost projections for a successful, intensive, scaled system are competitive with current prices for fossil fuels