Man as a resource on the moon

Human performance at operational lunar bas

L'homme et l'animal dans le bassin du lac Tchad

La diffusion de la traction animale a débuté au Nord-Cameroun dans les années 1950 avec la culture du coton et grâce à la présence de bétail sur place. Les boeufs travaillent surtout pour le labour, moins pour les sarclages et buttages, et fort peu pour le transort. Depuis une quinzaine d'années on assiste à la diffusion rapide de l'âne et du cheval de trait. Ces équidés sont plus économiques pour beaucoup de paysans. Le choix du type d'attelage répond à des contraintes agricoles et à des facteurs historiques et sociaux. Aujourd'hui le développement de la traction animale est une demande forte des cultivateurs, qui doit s'appuyer sur des actions d'accompagnement : crédit, réseau de forgerons, encadrement agricole. (Résumé d'auteur

Genetic mapping of legume orthologs reveals high conservation of synteny between lentil species and the sequenced genomes of Medicago and chickpea.

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a global food crop with increasing importance for food security in south Asia and other regions. Lens ervoides, a wild relative of cultivated lentil, is an important source of agronomic trait variation. Lens is a member of the galegoid clade of the Papilionoideae family, which includes other important dietary legumes such as chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and pea (Pisum sativum), and the sequenced model legume Medicago truncatula. Understanding the genetic structure of Lens spp. in relation to more fully sequenced legumes would allow leveraging of genomic resources. A set of 1107 TOG-based amplicons were identified in L. ervoides and a subset thereof used to design SNP markers for mapping. A map of L. ervoides consisting of 377 SNP markers spread across seven linkage groups was developed using a GoldenGate genotyping array and single SNP marker assays. Comparison with maps of M. truncatula and L. culinaris documented considerable shared synteny and led to the identification of a few major translocations and a major inversion that distinguish Lens from M. truncatula, as well as a translocation that distinguishes L. culinaris from L. ervoides. The identification of chromosome-level differences among Lens spp. will aid in the understanding of introgression of genes from L. ervoides into cultivated L. culinaris, furthering genetic research and breeding applications in lentil

It\u27s A Long, Long Time : Since I\u27ve Been Home

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/1930/thumbnail.jp

A center for research and development in horticulture

Thesis (B. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1956.MIT copy bound with: Low-rent housing scheme, Thamaing, Burma / Aung Myint [1956] Accompanying drawings held by MIT Museum.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 27).Robert E. Vail.B.Arch

Experimentally exploring how the awareness of existential freedom influences support for autocratic leadership styles among individuals high and low in neuroticism

"May 2014."Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Jamie Arndt.Includes vita.The present dissertation builds on classic existential philosophy and psychological theory to suggest that personal freedom can be burdensome to the self and may, ironically, motivate people to displace their freedom to an autocratic (vs. democratic) authority who would make decisions on behalf of such individuals rather than democratically involve them in the decision-making process. The present analysis further suggests that low neurotics are especially likely to actively "escape" their freedom by displacing it, whereas high neurotics instead employ inactive strategies and are unlikely to actively displace their freedom. Three preliminary studies explore and demonstrate these processes. A fourth study then proposes that the process of displacing personal responsibility for one's freedom is an important part of maintaining psychological equanimity, and offers an experiment designed to test whether displacement to autocratic authority helps reduce anxiety among low neurotics perceiving increased personal freedom. Results of this study did not support the hypothesis: displacement did not relieve explicit anxiety--reported anxiety was greater among low neurotics reminded of freedom whether or not they were first allowed to displace to authority. Instead, the displacement effect emerged when leadership style was measured first (replicating the preliminary studies), yet was eliminated when measured after participants reported on their explicit anxiety. The implications of these findings are considered in terms of alternative explanations, theoretical refinements, and future research effort.Includes bibliographical references (pages 52-61)

An appreciative view of the brighter side of terror management processes

Physical death is an inevitable part of life. From the perspective of terror management theory (TMT), people’s efforts to manage the awareness of death can sometimes have harmful social consequences. However, those negative consequences are merely one side of the existential coin. In considering the other side of the coin, the present article highlights the more beneficial trajectories of the terror management process. For example, the awareness of mortality can motivate people to prioritize their physical health; uphold prosocial values; build loving relationships and peaceful, charitable communities; and foster open-mindedness. Further, the article explores the possible balance between defense and growth motivations, including the motivations toward integrative self-expansion, creativity, and well-being. And finally, we tentatively consider the potential positive impacts of direct confrontations with mortality on terror management processes. In sum, the present analysis suggests that although death awareness can sometimes produce some harmful outcomes, at least under certain conditions it can also motivate attitudes and behaviors that have positive personal and social consequences

Exploring the terror management function of basic need-satisfaction

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on July 14, 2011).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Thesis advisor: Dr. Jamie Arndt.Includes bibliographical references.M.A. University of Missouri--Columbia 2011.Self-determination theory suggests that experiencing autonomy, competence, and relatedness are basic psychological needs. Drawing from terror management theory, the present research considers whether need-satisfaction helps protect individuals against the awareness of death. After death reminders, those with higher need-satisfaction displayed lower worldview defense (Study 1) and lower death-thought accessibility (Study 2). Death reminders also increased the desire to experience need-satisfaction (Study 3) and influenced motivation to approach, or avoid, an environment based on whether it was perceived as more, or less, need-supportive than the status quo (Study 4). A fifth study showed that death reminders increased worldview defense among those valuing extrinsic, but not intrinsic (need-satisfying), goals. Study 5 also demonstrated that this effect was eliminated when extrinsically oriented participants were given need-satisfying feedback. Together, these studies demonstrate that need-satisfaction, including need-satisfying social environments and goal orientations, is capable of serving a terror management function. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed

Implementing a perioperative efficiency initiative for orthopedic surgery instrumentation at an academic center: A comparative before-and-after study.

Optimizing surgical instrumentation may contribute to value-based care, particularly in commonly performed procedures. We report our experience in implementing a perioperative efficiency program in 2 types of orthopedic surgery (primary total-knee arthroplasty, TKA, and total-hip arthroplasty, THA).A comparative before-and-after study with 2 participating surgeons, each performing both THA and TKA, was conducted. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of surgical tray optimization on operating and processing time, cost, and waste associated with preparation, delivery, and staging of sterile surgical instruments. The study was designed as a prospective quality improvement initiative with pre- and postimplementation operational measures and a provider satisfaction survey.A total of 96 procedures (38 preimplementation and 58 postimplementation) were assessed using time-stamped performance endpoints. The number and weight of trays and instruments processed were reduced substantially after the optimization intervention, particularly for TKA. Setup time was reduced by 23% (6 minutes, P = .01) for TKA procedures but did not differ for THA. The number of survey respondents was small, but satisfaction was high overall among personnel involved in implementation.Optimizing instrumentation trays for orthopedic procedures yielded reduction in processing time and cost. Future research should evaluate patient outcomes and incremental/additive impact on institutional quality measures

Investigating the Role of Normative Support in Atheists' Perceptions of Meaning Following Reminders of Death

According to terror management theory, humans rely on meaningful and permanence-promising cultural worldviews, like religion, to manage mortality concerns. Prior research indicates that, compared to religious individuals, atheists experience lower levels of meaning in life following reminders of death. The present study investigated whether reminders of death would change atheists' meaning in life after exposure to normative support for atheism. Atheists (N = 222) were either reminded of death or a control topic (dental pain) and exposed to information portraying atheism as either common or rare, and then asked to rate their perceived meaning in life. Results showed that reminders of death reduced meaning in life among atheists who were told that atheism is common. Results were consistent with the view that atheism reflects the rejection of religious faith rather than a meaningful secular terror managing worldview. Discussion considers implications for maintaining healthy existential wellbeing, identifies limitations, and highlights future research directions