The Walking Dead at Saqqara

Funerary rituals and mortuary cults are classics of religious studies research in ancient Egypt. Still, we know little about how the living interacted with ancestors and gods in daily life. The case study of the city of Memphis and its Saqqara necropolis in the late 2nd mil. BCE focusses on lived ancient religion, and demonstrates the spectrum of religious practices and options to configure religion and sociality through commemorative practices

Preoperative gynecology conference: the impact on resident management of surgical patients

Objective: To determine if a preoperative conference impacts the resident recommended surgery on gynecology patients seen in continuity clinics. Study Design: A twice monthly preoperative conference was initiated in January of 2009 where residents presented their proposed surgical intervention. A retrospective review of the first 100 preoperative conference submission forms was performed and analysis made on how often the type or route of surgery was changed based on conference discussion and if further work up or tests were requested prior to scheduling surgery. Results: Discussion of patients through a preoperative conference venue resulted in a surgical management change in 36% of patients and further medical management prior to surgery was recommended in 29%. Conclusions: A preoperative gynecology conference does impact the chosen surgery for resident patients. This venue may be a valuable tool for teaching residents optimization of the preoperative evaluation and selection of the appropriate surgical intervention

EU-wide Enviromental and Exposure Monitoring of Dioxins, PCBS and Other Persistent Organic Pullutants (POPs) in Butter and Correlations to Published Air Data

The project is a pilot and is aimed at evaluating whether a robust relationship can be established between POPs in commercially available milk products when compared to analytical data on POPs in ambient air. The experimental approach is based on 2 sets of diary product samples: 1. The 2001 milk survey with 88 milk samples from 68 locations in Europe 2. The 2007 organic diary product survey with 85 samples collected directly from farms in Europe. Dioxins, PCB and pesticides are analyzed in all samples and compared to regional air data collected from literature.JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Correlation between rheological properties and capillary fixation for modelling creams

The Brazilian male beauty market occupies the second place in world consumption of cosmetics. Among the numerous products consumed by such audience is the capillary fixation mask, which is mainly composed by fixatives. These additives act on stabilizing the cosmetic emulsion, protecting the hair against moisture and also increasing the intensity of hair fixation. In this work, three formulations for modelling creams were prepared by different concentrations of the fixatives StylezeTM W20 and PVP K90 and their properties characterized by physicochemical, rheological and sensory analysis. The capillary masks produced were stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions with uniform droplets of 2.05- 2.82 μm sizes and pseudoplastic thixotropic behavior (0.19 < n < 0.26). It was possible to correlate the increased concentration of PVP K90 to a greater thixotropy and an improved yarn fixation, despite the worsening in the spreadability of the formulations. These results suggest properly conducted rheological measurements can contribute to the prediction of the emulsion’s sensory properties, which can save time and funds on the development of new cosmetics

EFFECT OF FLUNIXIN MEGLUMINE AND hCG AT COMMERCIAL PROGRAMS FOR MULTIPLE OVULATION AND EMBRYO TRANSFER (MOET) IN SHEEP

A regressão prematura do corpo lúteo (RPCL) diminui a eficiência de programas de múltipla ovulação e transferência de embriões (MOTE) em pequenos ruminantes. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito do Flunixin meglumine (FM) e da gonadotrofina coriônica humana (hCG) na recuperação embrionária e taxa de gestação em ovelhas superovuladas com FSG e eCG. O estudo foi dividido em duas partes. No Experimento 1 doze doadoras foram divididas em três grupos: controle, FM (1.1mg FM/ kg, SID, desde o dia da inseminação artificial até o dia da coleta de embriões) e hCG (1000UI hCG, 84 horas após a retirada do implante de progesterona). O número corpos lúteos (CL) e o número e qualidade dos embriões recuperados foram analisados. No Experimento 2, trinta e quatro doadoras foram divididas em dois grupos: controle e FM. O número de CL e de embriões recuperados foram avaliados. Cinquenta e quatro embriões de cada grupo do Experimento 2 foram implantados em ovelhas receptoras e a taxa de gestação foi analisada. No Experimento 1, foi encontrado maior número (P<0,05) de CL no grupo FM quando comparado aos grupos Controle e hCG, entretanto a quantidade e qualidade dos embriões recuperados não foi diferente entre os grupos. No Experimento 2 não houve diferença significativa no número de CL ou embriões recuperados, tampouco houve diferença na taxa de gestação após transferência dos embriões. Em conclusão, os três protocolos promoveram a superovulação nas ovelhas fora da estação reprodutiva. As estratégias usadas na prevenção da RPCL não apresentaram efeito na recuperação ou sobrevivência embrionária

Current Research of the Leiden-Turin Archaeological Mission in Saqqara. A Preliminary Report on the 2018 Season

In 2015, the Museo Egizio in Turin joined the Leiden expedition to Saqqara, in the area south of the Unas causeway. This report presents the expedition’s new approach as well as some first results of this new cooperation. In the 2018 season, the Leiden-Turin expedition worked in the northern sector of its concession, covering an area of ca. 250 sqm just north of the tomb of Maya. Here Late Antique layers overlie a wind-blown deposit containing some simple burials and numerous “embalmers’ caches”, some of which yielded marl clay cups with hieratic labels. An overview of both the pottery and the human remains found during this season is provided in the present report. Below the wind-blown deposit is a level with Ramesside funerary chapels and shafts. One of them has a remarkable decoration including six small-format figures carved in high relief in the middle of its back wall. The shaft of another chapel was also excavated, revealing several plundered chambers which yielded only scanty finds. A large mud-brick wall exposed during the previous season turned out to belong to the outer wall and pylon entrance of a monumental tomb, whose owner’s name has not been found yet. A photogrammetric survey by a team of the Politecnico di Milano yielded a 3D model of the dig (included in the web version of this report), as well as several 3D models of the monumental tombs (completed or in the making). During the season, conservation work was carried out on several tombs and on the newly discovered Ramesside chapel

Terahertz radiation driven chiral edge currents in graphene

We observe photocurrents induced in single layer graphene samples by illumination of the graphene edges with circularly polarized terahertz radiation at normal incidence. The photocurrent flows along the sample edges and forms a vortex. Its winding direction reverses by switching the light helicity from left- to right-handed. We demonstrate that the photocurrent stems from the sample edges, which reduce the spatial symmetry and result in an asymmetric scattering of carriers driven by the radiation electric field. The developed theory is in a good agreement with the experiment. We show that the edge photocurrents can be applied for determination of the conductivity type and the momentum scattering time of the charge carriers in the graphene edge vicinity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure, additional Supplemental Material (3 pages, 1 figure

CONTROLE DO Neospora caninum NO SÊMEN DE TOUROS

The objective of the present study was to develop a diluent of bull semen efficient in the control of Neospora caninum. The antimicrobial test (experiment 1) -trimethoprim isolated (TRI) and associated with sulfadiazine (SDT) and sulfamethoxazole (SMT), clarithromycin (CLA), erythromycin (ERI), azithromycin (AZI) and clindamycin (CLI) - was performed using cell culture and evaluated for the presence of free tachyzoites and the cytopathic effect in the monolayer. The antimicrobials that proved effective in controlling the tachyzoites in vitro were used in the preparation of the diluent for the semen. Each antimicrobial was evaluated for sperm toxicity (experiment 2) with 8 groups (7 groups received an antibiotic in the diluent except for 1 group - control group). In relation to the morphological analysis, the SMT and AZI groups showed more acrosomal and tail defects. The SDT, SMT and AZI groups presented lower values of Average Path Velocity. The Straight-line Velocity was lower in the SMT and AZI groups and the Beat/cross Frequency was also lower in the CLI and AZI groups. The Curvilinear Velocity values of the SDT, SMT and CLA groups were lower. The SMT, ERI and AZI groups showed lower values of Total Motility and Progressive Motility. As for flow cytometry, the SDT, SMT and AZI groups presented higher percentages of acrosome reaction and damaged plasma membrane. The antibiotics can be added to the diluent of bull semen were clindamycin, clarithromycin and trimethoprim.O objetivo do presente estudo foi desenvolver um diluente de sêmen de touros eficiente no controle de Neospora caninum. O teste dos antimicrobianos (experimento 1) - trimetoprim isolado (TRI) e associado a sulfadiazina (SDT) e ao sulfametoxazol (SMT), claritromicina (CLA), eritromicina (ERI), azitromicina (AZI) e clindamicina (CLI) - foi realizado utilizando cultivo celular e avaliado quanto à presença de taquizoítas livres e ao efeito citopático na monocamada. Os antimicrobianos que se mostraram eficazes no controle dos taquizoítos in vitro foram utilizados na preparação do diluente para o sêmen. Cada antimicrobiano foi avaliado quanto à toxicidade dos espermatozóides (experimento 2) sendo 8 grupos (7 grupos receberam antibiótico no diluente, exceto 1 grupo- grupo controle). Em relação à análise morfológica, os grupos SMT e AZI apresentaram mais defeitos de acrossoma e de cauda.Os grupos SDT, SMT e AZI apresentaram valores mais baixos da Velocidade de Trajeto. A Velocidade Progressiva foi menor nos grupos SMT e AZI e a Frequência de Batimentos de cauda também foi menor nos grupos CLI e AZI. Os valores de Velocidade Curvilinear dos grupos SDT, SMT e CLA foram menores. Os grupos SMT, ERI e AZI apresentaram valores mais baixos de Motilidade Total e Motilidade Progressiva. Quanto à citometria de fluxo, os grupos SDT, SMT e AZI apresentaram percentagens maiores de reação acrossomal e membrana plasmática lesada. Os antibióticos que podem ser adicionados ao diluente de sêmen bovino foram clindamicina, claritromicina e trimetoprim

Objective and subjective compliance: a norm-based explanation of 'moral wiggle room'

We propose a cognitive-dissonance model of norm compliance to identify conditions for selfishly biased information acquisition. The model distinguishes between: (i) objective norm compliers, for whom the right action is a function of the state of the world; (ii) subjective norm compliers, for whom it is a function of their belief. The former seek as much information as possible; the latter acquire only information that lowers, in expected terms, normative demands. The source of 'moral wiggle room' is not belief manipulation, but the coarseness of normative prescriptions under conditions of uncertainty. In a novel experimental setup, we find evidence for such strategic information uptake. Our results suggest that attempts to change behavior by subjecting individuals to norms can lead to biased information acquisition instead of compliance