Laboratory and telescope use of the NICMOS2 128 x 128 HgCdTe array

The second generation of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) instruments will include a near-infrared instrument. This choice has driven the development of near-infrared arrays to larger sizes and lower read noises. Rockwell International has delivered an array for use in the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) instrument; this array has been dubbed NICMOS2. NICMOS2 is a 128x128 array of HgCdTe diodes In-bonded to a switched MOSFET readout. The readout was specifically designed for astronomical use with the HST requirement of low read noise a prime goal. These arrays use detector material which is similar to that used by Rockwell in previous arrays (e.g., HgCdTe produced on a sapphire substrate), but the NICMOS2 devices differ substantially from other 128x128 arrays produced by Rockwell in having a read noise of only 30 electrons when read out using appropriate correlated sampling. NICMOS2 has now been characterized in the laboratory, and it has been used on groundbased telescopes

From Sandbox to Pandemic: Agile Reform of Canadian Drug Regulation

Public health urgency for emerging COVID-19 treatments and vaccines challenges regulators worldwide to ensure safety and efficacy while expediting approval. In Canada, legislative amendments by 2019 Om- nibus Bill C-97 created a new agile licensing framework known as the Advanced Therapeutic Pathway (ATPathway) and modernized the regulation of clinical trials of drugs, vaccines, and medical devices. Bill C-97′s amendments are worthy of attention in Canada and globally, as health product regulation bends to COVID-19. The amendments follow reforms elsewhere to accommodate health product innovation, how- ever, the Canadian ATPathway is broader and more flexible than its counterparts in other jurisdictions. In addition, Bill C-97 informed Canada’s COVID-19 response in important ways, particularly in relation to clinical trials. The measures adopted by the drug regulatory authority, Health Canada (HC) during COVID- 19 may become the new norm in Canadian regulatory practice insofar as they help achieve the amend- ments introduced by Bill C-97. Finally, despite government rhetoric of transparency, the agenda-setting, formulation, and implementation of the amendments have occurred with little opportunity for scrutiny or public engagement

Gold nanoparticle/polymer nanofibrous composites by laser ablation and electrospinning

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Poly(vinylpyrolidone) (PVP) nanofibers incorporating gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) were produced in combination with laser ablation and electrospinning techniques. The Au-NPs were directly synthesized in PVP solution by laser ablation and then, the electrospinning of PVP/Au-NPs solution was carried out for obtaining nanofibrous composites. The presence of Au-NPs in the PVP nanofibers was confirmed by SEM, TEM and EDX analyses. The SEM imaging elucidated that the electrospun PVP/Au-NPs nanofibers were bead-free having average fiber diameter of 810 ± 480 nm. The TEM imaging indicated that the Au-NPs were in spherical shape having diameters in the range of 5 to 20 nm and the Au-NPs were more or less dispersed homogeneously in the PVP nanofiber matrix. The FTIR study suggested the presence of molecular interactions between PVP matrix and the Au-NPs in the nanofibrous composites. The UV–Vis measurement confirmed the enhancement of the optical properties of the PVP/Au-NPs nanofibers in the solid state due to the surface plasma resonance effect of Au-NPs

İlköğretim öğrencilerinin yaşam kalitesinin toplumsal sınıf değişkeni açısından incelenmesi: Aydın ilinde betimsel bir çalışma

The main purpose of this study is to examine 4th and 5th grade childrens’ quality of life in terms of their social class indicators. Child’s Quality of Life Inventory was used as a data gathering tool in this study. Data were obtained from the study was analyzed in accordance to information about schools’ social economic statues that gathered from The National Education Directorship in Aydın. Number, percentage, frequency, and chi square were used as a statistical method in present study. The finding of the study shows that life quality of children could be mainly revealed with socio economic statues of them. Also the study reveals the most of the children from low socio economic statue are working as a child labor for contributing to the family budget. The most of the families involved in the study explained that they were willing to send their children to the school after the compulsory elementary education. Beside of this finding, some of the families in the sample % 11,9  (n=16)  stated that they were reluctant to send their children to the school after the elementary education. The finding of the study can be considered in terms of public health, school health and general well-being statue of the children in Turkey. ÖzetBu çalışmanın temel amacı Aydın İlinde, ilköğretim 4. ve 5. sınıf öğrencilerinin yaşam kalitesinin sosyo-ekonomik düzey açısından incelenmesidir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen “Çocuk Yaşam Kalitesi Tarama Envanteri” kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada elde edilen veriler, Aydın İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü’nden alınan bilgiler doğrultusunda belirlenen alt, orta ve üst sosyo-ekonomik düzeylerden toplam 6 ilköğretim okulunun 4. ve 5. sınıf öğrencilerinden toplanarak bu veriler üzerinde sayı, yüzde, frekans ve ki kare analizleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın bulguları, çocuk yaşam kalitesinin büyük oranda sosyo-ekonomik düzey ile açıklanabileceğini göstermektedir. Alt sosyo ekonomik düzeyden çocuklar okul dışında gelir getirici bir iş yaparak aile bütçesine katkıda bulunmaktadırlar. Sosyo-ekonomik düzeyi ne olursa olsun ailelerin çoğunluğu çocuklarının eğitimlerine ilköğretimden sonra da devam etmelerini isterken, alt sosyo-ekonomik düzeydeki okullara devam eden öğrenci ailelerinin %11,9 (n=16)’u “çocuğunun ilköğretimden sonra eğitimine devam etmemesini istemektedir. Tüm bu bulgular, toplum sağlığı, okul sağlığı ve çocuğun genel iyi olma durumu üzerine önemli önlemleri gerekli kılmaktadır.Bu çalışmanın temel amacı Aydın İlinde, ilköğretim 4. ve 5. sınıf öğrencilerinin yaşam kalitesinin sosyo-ekonomik düzey açısından incelenmesidir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen “Çocuk Yaşam Kalitesi Tarama Envanteri” kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada elde edilen veriler, Aydın İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü’nden alınan bilgiler doğrultusunda belirlenen alt, orta ve üst sosyo-ekonomik düzeylerden toplam 6 ilköğretim okulunun 4. ve 5. sınıf öğrencilerinden toplanarak bu veriler üzerinde sayı, yüzde, frekans ve ki kare analizleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın bulguları, çocuk yaşam kalitesinin büyük oranda sosyo-ekonomik düzey ile açıklanabileceğini göstermektedir. Alt sosyo ekonomik düzeyden çocuklar okul dışında gelir getirici bir iş yaparak aile bütçesine katkıda bulunmaktadırlar. Sosyo-ekonomik düzeyi ne olursa olsun ailelerin çoğunluğu çocuklarının eğitimlerine ilköğretimden sonra da devam etmelerini isterken, alt sosyo-ekonomik düzeydeki okullara devam eden öğrenci ailelerinin %11,9 (n=16)’u “çocuğunun ilköğretimden sonra eğitimine devam etmemesini istemektedir. Tüm bu bulgular, toplum sağlığı, okul sağlığı ve çocuğun genel iyi olma durumu üzerine önemli önlemleri gerekli kılmaktadır

Relationship between body condition score, blood metabolites and oxidative stress in transition period and reproductive performance of dairy cows

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗThe aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between prepartum body condition score (BCS), blood metabolites (Glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate; BHB), oxidative stress (Malondialdehyde; MDA, Glutathione peroxidase; GSH-Px) in transition period and some reproductive parameters in Holstein dairy cows. Fifty cows were divided into two groups [low-BCS = 2.75-3.0 (n=25); adequate-BCS = 3.25-3.75 (n=25)] according to BCS on the 21st day before expected calving. BCS was also recorded at 0 and +21 days after calving. Blood samples collected at -21, 0 and +21 days from calving for MDA and GSH-Px analysis as well as at -21, +14 and +21 days of postpartum for glucose and BHB. Data on reproductive parameters obtained from farm records were also collected. MDA concentrations were higher in group of low-BCS compared to group of adequate-BCS at -21 and 0 d related to calving (p<0.05). GSH-Px activity was lower in group of low-BCS than adequate one during the transition period (p<0.05). Low-BCS group also showed higher concentrations of BHB at +14 and +21 days after calving. During the transition period, low-BCS group had lower glucose concentrations compared to adequate one (p<0.05). Adequate-BCS group of cows showed shorter intervals of calving to first estrus (p<0.01) and calving to conception (p<0.01). In conclusion, cows with lower BCS at the prepartum period had worse metabolic and oxidative balance during the transition period. This situation also was associated with worse reproductive performance in cows