Betaine, organic acids and inulin do not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibility or microbial fermentation in piglets

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of betaine alone or combined with organic acids and inulin on ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities and intestinal microbial fermentation characteristics in piglets. In total, 24 four-week-old barrows with an average initial body weight of 6.7 kg were used in two consecutive experiments with 12 piglets each. Betaine, organic acids and inulin at a level of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.2%, respectively, or combinations of these supplements were added to the basal diet. The supplementation of betaine, organic acids and inulin or any of their combinations did not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities. The microbial fermentation products both at the ileal and faecal level were not affected by any of the treatments. In conclusion, combining betaine with organic acids and inulin did not have any associated effects on the variables that were measured

Reversible Fluorination of Graphene: towards a Two-Dimensional Wide Bandgap Semiconductor

We report the synthesis and evidence of graphene fluoride, a two-dimensional wide bandgap semiconductor derived from graphene. Graphene fluoride exhibits hexagonal crystalline order and strongly insulating behavior with resistance exceeding 10 G$\Omega$ at room temperature. Electron transport in graphene fluoride is well described by variable-range hopping in two dimensions due to the presence of localized states in the band gap. Graphene obtained through the reduction of graphene fluoride is highly conductive, exhibiting a resistivity of less than 100 k$\Omega$ at room temperature. Our approach provides a new path to reversibly engineer the band structure and conductivity of graphene for electronic and optical applications.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, revtex, to appear in PR

Ionic conductivity and thermal stability of magnetron-sputtered nanocrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia

Thermally stable, stoichiometric, cubic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin-film electrolytes have been synthesized by reactive pulsed dc magnetron sputtering from a Zr-Y (80/20 at. %) alloy target. Films deposited at floating potential had a ‹111› texture. Single-line profile analysis of the 111 x-ray diffraction peak yielded a grain size of ~20 nm and a microstrain of ~2% regardless of deposition temperature. Films deposited at 400 °C and selected bias voltages in the range from -70 to -200 V showed a reduced grain size for higher bias voltages, yielding a grain size of ~6 nm and a microstrain of ~2.5% at bias voltages of -175 and -200 V with additional incorporation of argon. The films were thermally stable; very limited grain coarsening was observed up to an annealing temperature of 800 °C. Temperature-dependent impedance spectroscopy analysis of the YSZ films with Ag electrodes showed that the in-plane ionic conductivity was within one order of magnitude higher in films deposited with substrate bias corresponding to a decrease in grain size compared to films deposited at floating potential. This suggests that there is a significant contribution to the ionic conductivity from grain boundaries. The activation energy for oxygen ion migration was determined to be between 1.14 and 1.30 eV.  Original Publication:M. Sillassen, Per Eklund, M. Sridharan, N. Pryds, N. Bonanos and J. Bottiger, Ionic conductivity and thermal stability of magnetron-sputtered nanocrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia, 2009, Journal of Applied Physics, (105), 10, 104907.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3130404Copyright: American Institute of Physicshttp://www.aip.org

Edge pixel response studies of edgeless silicon sensor technology for pixellated imaging detectors

Silicon sensor technologies with reduced dead area at the sensor's perimeter are under development at a number of institutes. Several fabrication methods for sensors which are sensitive close to the physical edge of the device are under investigation utilising techniques such as active-edges, passivated edges and current-terminating rings. Such technologies offer the goal of a seamlessly tiled detection surface with minimum dead space between the individual modules. In order to quantify the performance of different geometries and different bulk and implant types, characterisation of several sensors fabricated using active-edge technology were performed at the B16 beam line of the Diamond Light Source. The sensors were fabricated by VTT and bump-bonded to Timepix ROICs. They were 100 and 200 μ m thick sensors, with the last pixel-to-edge distance of either 50 or 100 μ m. The sensors were fabricated as either n-on-n or n-on-p type devices. Using 15 keV monochromatic X-rays with a beam spot of 2.5 μ m, the performance at the outer edge and corners pixels of the sensors was evaluated at three bias voltages. The results indicate a significant change in the charge collection properties between the edge and 5th (up to 275 μ m) from edge pixel for the 200 μ m thick n-on-n sensor. The edge pixel performance of the 100 μ m thick n-on-p sensors is affected only for the last two pixels (up to 110 μ m) subject to biasing conditions. Imaging characteristics of all sensor types investigated are stable over time and the non-uniformities can be minimised by flat-field corrections. The results from the synchrotron tests combined with lab measurements are presented along with an explanation of the observed effects

PIF-independent regulation of growth by an evening complex in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

Previous studies in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha have shown that the putative evening complex (EC) genes LUX ARRHYTHMO (LUX) and ELF4-LIKE (EFL) have a function in the liverwort circadian clock. Here, we studied the growth phenotypes of MpLUX and MpEFL loss-of-function mutants, to establish if PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR (PIF) and auxin act downstream of the M. polymorpha EC in a growth-related pathway similar to the one described for the flowering plant Arabidopsis. We examined growth rates and cell properties of loss-of-function mutants, analyzed protein-protein interactions and performed gene expression studies using reporter genes. Obtained data indicate that an EC can form in M. polymorpha and that this EC regulates growth of the thallus. Altered auxin levels in Mplux mutants could explain some of the phenotypes related to an increased thallus surface area. However, because MpPIF is not regulated by the EC, and because Mppif mutants do not show reduced growth, the growth phenotype of EC-mutants is likely not mediated via MpPIF. In Arabidopsis, the circadian clock regulates elongation growth via PIF and auxin, but this is likely not an evolutionarily conserved growth mechanism in land plants. Previous inventories of orthologs to Arabidopsis clock genes in various plant lineages showed that there is high levels of structural differences between clocks of different plant lineages. Here, we conclude that there is also variation in the output pathways used by the different plant clocks to control growth and development

Matalan hierarkian organisaatioiden johtaminen

Tiivistelmä. Pro gradu -tutkielma tutkii matalaa hierarkiaa ja johtajien johtamistyylejä. Aikaisemmat tutkimukset osoittavat, että nykypäivänä korkea hierarkia organisaatioissa ei enää toimi. Sen sijaan tulisi hyödyntää matalaa hierarkiaa. Aikaisempien tutkimusten tuloksista ei kuitenkaan ilmene, millä tavalla matala hierarkia saadaan toteutettua. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, millä tavalla johtajat käyttäytyvät matalan hierarkian organisaatiossa ja minkälaisia konkreettisia muutoksia johtajan johtamistyylissä matalan hierarkian toteutuminen vaatii. Tarkoituksena on siis saada vastaus siihen, että miten matala hierarkia konkreettisesti saavutetaan johtamistyylien avulla ja käytösmalleja muuttamalla. Kyseessä on kvalitatiivinen tutkimus. Tutkimukseen osallistui kolme organisaation keski- tai ylimmän johdon johtajaa. Aineisto kerättiin teemahaastatteluilla, jotka litteroitiin. Teemahaastattelujen teemat olivat työtyytyväisyys, motivaatio, työn laatu ja tehokkuus, menestys ja tulokset, hyvinvointi, sekä suorituskyky ja sitoutuminen. Aineiston käsittelemisessä hyödynnettiin sisällönanalyysiä. Tärkeimmät tutkimustulokset koskevat organisaatiossa nopeaa viestintää, läpinäkyvyyttä ja johtajan aitoa kiinnostusta ja luottamusta alaisia kohtaan. Lisäksi vapauden antaminen alaisille, johtaminen kohti itseohjautuvuutta sekä johtajan yhteisöllisyyden parantaminen helposti lähestyttävyydellä ovat ominaista matalan hierarkian johtajille. Matalan hierarkian johtajat nähdään pomon sijasta osana tiimiä ja johtajilla on hyvät kuuntelemisen taidot. Tuloksia voi hyödyntää jatkossa matalan hierarkian organisaatioissa, joissa halutaan saavuttaa mahdollisimman hyvä organisaatiokulttuuri. Tutkimuksen tuloksia voi toisaalta hyödyntää myös korkeamman hierarkian omaavissa organisaatioissa, jos tarkoitus on madalluttaa hierarkiaa. Organisaatioiden sisällä tutkimustuloksia voi hyödyntää ylin johto, keskijohto, esimiestaso tai työntekijät koulutus- tai kehitystarkoituksiin. Organisaatioiden lisäksi myös koulutuslaitokset voivat hyödyntää tutkimustuloksia materiaalina

Transformational leadership in sport: current status and future directions

Borrowed from organizational psychology, the concept of transformational leadership has now been applied to a sport context for a decade. Our review covers and critically discusses empirical articles published on this growing topic. However, because the majority of studies used cross-sectional designs and single-source questionnaires to tap what has been a fuzzy construct, current theoretical and methodological issues impede understanding of whether transformational leadership matters for sport outcomes. To make a difference to applied practice and policy, the transformational leadership construct requires a refined definition and stronger empirical tests allowing for robust causal inference. We highlight avenues for advancing research on transformational leadership in the sport context