12,014 research outputs found
Mentoring to reduce antisocial behaviour in childhood
The effects of social interventions need to be examined in real life situations as well as studie
Swiss adolescents' and adults' perceptions of cannabis use: a qualitative study
Few studies have attempted to investigate the nature of adolescents' and adults' conceptions and perceptions of cannabis use. Our objectives were to explore adolescent and adult perception of use and misuse of cannabis, and their opinions and beliefs about the current legal context and preventive strategies. We used focus group discussions with four categories of stakeholders: younger (12-15 year old) adolescents, older (16-19 year old) adolescents, parents of teenagers and professionals working with young people. In some areas (legal framework, role of the media, importance of early preventive interventions), we found consensual attitudes and beliefs across the four groups of participants. In all four groups, participants did not have any consensual vision of the risks of cannabis use or the definition of misuse. In the area of the prevention of cannabis use/misuse, while parents focused on the potential role of professionals and the media, thus minimizing their own educational and preventive role, professionals stressed the importance of parental control and education. Within the Swiss context, we conclude there exists an urgent need for information and clarification of the issues linked with cannabis use and misuse directed at parents and professional
Technological quality of organic wheat in Europe
The demand for high quality organic bread wheat is increasing. The quality level of organic wheat harvested in EU is mainly dependant on variety, environmental conditions and agronomic practices. In some countries, protein content and composition, influencing technological value, are equivalent to those produced under conventional practices. Beside agronomical techniques, technological processes can help to maintain a good quality. Pre-treatments before milling such as debranning were found to be efficient in reducing DON contamination. The project highlighted the necessity to redefine the methods to assess the quality of organic wheat
Physical Study by Surface Characterizations of Sarin Sensor on the Basis of Chemically Functionalized Silicon Nanoribbon Field Effect Transistor
Surface characterizations of an organophosphorus (OP) gas detector based on
chemically functionalized silicon nanoribbon field-effect transistor (SiNR-FET)
were performed by Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) and ToF-SIMS, and
correlated with changes in the current-voltage characteristics of the devices.
KPFM measurements on FETs allow (i) to investigate the contact potential
difference (CPD) distribution of the polarized device as function of the gate
voltage and the exposure to OP traces and, (ii) to analyze the CPD hysteresis
associated to the presence of mobile ions on the surface. The CPD measured by
KPFM on the silicon nanoribbon was corrected due to side capacitance effects in
order to determine the real quantitative surface potential. Comparison with
macroscopic Kelvin probe (KP) experiments on larger surfaces was carried out.
These two approaches were quantitatively consistent. An important increase of
the CPD values (between + 399 mV and + 302 mV) was observed after the OP sensor
grafting, corresponding to a decrease of the work function, and a weaker
variation after exposure to OP (between - 14 mV and - 61 mV) was measured.
Molecular imaging by ToF-SIMS revealed OP presence after SiNR-FET exposure. The
OP molecules were essentially localized on the Si-NR confirming effectiveness
and selectivity of the OP sensor. A prototype was exposed to Sarin vapors and
succeeded in the detection of low vapor concentrations (40 ppm).Comment: Paper and supporting information, J. Phys. Chem. C, 201
On Finite 4D Quantum Field Theory in Non-Commutative Geometry
The truncated 4-dimensional sphere and the action of the
self-interacting scalar field on it are constructed. The path integral
quantization is performed while simultaneously keeping the SO(5) symmetry and
the finite number of degrees of freedom. The usual field theory UV-divergences
are manifestly absent.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, few misprints are corrected; one section is remove
Spores of Clostridium engineered for clinical efficacy and safety cause regression and cure of tumors in vivo.
Spores of some species of the strictly anaerobic bacteria Clostridium naturally target and partially lyse the hypoxic cores of tumors, which tend to be refractory to conventional therapies. The anti-tumor effect can be augmented by engineering strains to convert a non-toxic prodrug into a cytotoxic drug specifically at the tumor site by expressing a prodrug-converting enzyme (PCE). Safe doses of the favored prodrug CB1954 lead to peak concentrations of 6.3 ÎĽM in patient sera, but at these concentration(s) known nitroreductase (NTR) PCEs for this prodrug show low activity. Furthermore, efficacious and safe Clostridium strains that stably express a PCE have not been reported. Here we identify a novel nitroreductase from Neisseria meningitidis, NmeNTR, which is able to activate CB1954 at clinically-achievable serum concentrations. An NmeNTR expression cassette, which does not contain an antibiotic resistance marker, was stably localized to the chromosome of Clostridium sporogenes using a new integration method, and the strain was disabled for safety and containment by making it a uracil auxotroph. The efficacy of Clostridium-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (CDEPT) using this system was demonstrated in a mouse xenograft model of human colon carcinoma. Substantial tumor suppression was achieved, and several animals were cured. These encouraging data suggest that the novel enzyme and strain engineering approach represent a promising platform for the clinical development of CDEPT
AMBER on the VLTI: data processing and calibration issues
We present here the current performances of the AMBER / VLTI instrument for
standard use and compare these with the offered modes of the instrument. We
show that the instrument is able to reach its specified precision only for
medium and high spectral resolution modes, differential observables and bright
objects. For absolute observables, the current achievable accuracy is strongly
limited by the vibrations of the Unit Telescopes, and also by the observing
procedure which does not take into account the night-long transfer function
monitoring. For low-resolution mode, the current limitation is more in the data
reduction side, since several effects negligible at medium spectral resolution
are not taken into account in the current pipeline. Finally, for faint objects
(SNR around 1 per spectral channel), electromagnetic interferences in the VLTI
interferometric laboratory with the detector electronics prevents currently to
get unbiased measurements. Ideas are under study to correct in the data
processing side this effect, but a hardware fix should be investigated
seriously since it limits seriously the effective limiting magnitude of the
instrument.Comment: 10 page
Techniques to improve technological and sanitary quality
Agronomical ways for better quality and safety
Choice of cultivar is an efficient way to obtain higher grain quality. Intercropping legumes (grain or forage) improves weed competition and N availability for wheat crop or succeeding crop. Green manure can be an effective alternative to farmyard manure. Fertilization with readily available nitrogen improves yield and quality when water is available. Reduced tillage affects soil fertility and wheat yield but has little effects on grain quality.
Technological ways for better quality and safety
Milling process strongly influences flour characteristics. Stone milling improves nutritive value; characteristics remain very stable independent of the milling yield. Flour characteristics from roller milling appear very susceptible to the milling yield. Increasing the milling yield in the aim of enriching nutritional quality has a detrimental effect either on safety (DON) or on bread-making quality (bread volume)
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