Acceleration Testing: A Better, Faster, Cheaper Alternative for Strength Qualification Testing

This paper addresses the advantages of utilizing a centrifuge test over the conventional static load test methods to structurally qualify aerospace structures. Three recent test cases are reviewed and used as examples to highlight these benefits. In addition, the overall capability of Goddard's High Capacity Centrifuge (HCC) is outlined along with some unique features that were designed specifically to reduce costs, test turn around time, and increase test item safety

Asciminib mitigates DNA damage stress signaling induced by cyclophosphamide in the ovary

Cancer treatments often have adverse effects on the quality of life for young women. One of the most relevant negative impacts is the loss of fertility. Cyclophosphamide is one of the most detrimental chemotherapeutic drugs for the ovary. Cyclophosphamide may induce the destruction of dormant follicles while promoting follicle activation and growth. Herein, we demonstrate the in vivo protective effect of the allosteric Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor Asciminib on signalling pathways activated by cyclophosphamide in mouse ovaries. Besides, we provide evidence that Asciminib did not interfere with the cytotoxic effect of cyclophosphamide in MCF7 breast cancer cells. Our data indicate that concomitant administration of Asciminib mitigates the cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian reserve loss without preventing the anticancer potential of cyclophosphamide. Altogether these observations are relevant for the development of effective ferto-protective adjuvants to preserve the ovarian reserve from the damaging effect of cancer therapies

How can we assess positive welfare in ruminants?

Until now, most research has focused on the development of indicators of negative welfare, and relatively few studies provide information on valid, reliable, and feasible indicators addressing positive aspects of animal welfare. However, a lack of suffering does not guarantee that animals are experiencing a positive welfare state. The aim of the present review is to identify promising valid and reliable animal-based indicators for the assessment of positive welfare that might be included in welfare assessment protocols for ruminants, and to discuss them in the light of the five domains model, highlighting possible gaps to be filled by future research. Based on the existing literature in the main databases, each indicator was evaluated in terms of its validity, reliability, and on-farm feasibility. Some valid indicators were identified, but a lot of the validity evidence is based on their absence when a negative situation is present; furthermore, only a few indicators are available in the domains of Nutrition and Health. Reliability has been seldom addressed. On-farm feasibility could be increased by developing specific sampling strategies and/or relying on the use of video- or automatic-recording devices. In conclusion, several indicators are potentially available (e.g., synchronisation of lying and feeding, coat or fleece condition, qualitative behaviour assessment), but further research is required

How Can We Assess Positive Welfare in Ruminants?

Until now, most research has focused on the development of indicators of negative welfare, and relatively few studies provide information on valid, reliable, and feasible indicators addressing positive aspects of animal welfare. However, a lack of suffering does not guarantee that animals are experiencing a positive welfare state. The aim of the present review is to identify promising valid and reliable animal-based indicators for the assessment of positive welfare that might be included in welfare assessment protocols for ruminants, and to discuss them in the light of the five domains model, highlighting possible gaps to be filled by future research. Based on the existing literature in the main databases, each indicator was evaluated in terms of its validity, reliability, and on-farm feasibility. Some valid indicators were identified, but a lot of the validity evidence is based on their absence when a negative situation is present; furthermore, only a few indicators are available in the domains of Nutrition and Health. Reliability has been seldom addressed. On-farm feasibility could be increased by developing specific sampling strategies and/or relying on the use of video- or automatic-recording devices. In conclusion, several indicators are potentially available (e.g., synchronisation of lying and feeding, coat or fleece condition, qualitative behaviour assessment), but further research is required

Effect of the change of social environment on the behavior of a captive brown bear (Ursus arctos)

We observed the behavior of a captive sterilized male brown bear before and after the death of his female sibling to investigate the effect of the change of social environment on his behavior and welfare. Observations were carried out by continuous recording during daylight for 6 wk prior to hibernation when the bear was kept with the sibling, and they were repeated 2 years later when the bear was alone (total observation time is 108 h). Feeding, moving, and the total amount of time spent resting (including sleeping and alert inactive) were not affected by the change of social environment. However, when the bear was alone, the percentage of time he spent alert inactive almost trebled (pair, 17.7 \ub1 3.3%; alone, 48.5 \ub1 5.5%; P < 0.001), and the time spent sleeping was less than one-third (pair, 51.1 \ub1 6.1%; alone, 14.2 \ub1 5.0%; P < 0.001) than when the female was present. The bear spent most of his sleeping time in lateral lying posture (a posture probably associated with rapid eyes movement sleep). The percentage of time dedicated to this posture was significantly reduced after the death of his sibling (pair, 35.9 \ub1 7.4%; alone, 15.0 \ub1 5.4%; P < 0.05), whereas the percentage of time spent in quadrupedal posture increased (pair, 17.1 \ub1 5.4%; alone, 37.8 \ub1 7.8; P < 0.05). One of the possible reasons for these changes may be an increased risk perception of the bear after the death of his sibling. Our results highlight the importance of social environment and of its changes, which should be carefully considered to maintain captive bears in good welfare conditions

A stopped Delta-Matter Source in Heavy Ion Collisions at 10 GeV/n

We predict the formation of highly dense baryon-rich resonance matter in Au+Au collisions at AGS energies. The final pion yields show observable signs for resonance matter. The Delta(1232) resonance is predicted to be the dominant source for pions of small transverse momenta. Rescattering effects -- consecutive excitation and deexcitation of Deltas -- lead to a long apparent lifetime (> 10 fm/c) and rather large volumina (several 100 fm^3) of the Delta-matter state. Heavier baryon resonances prove to be crucial for reaction dynamics and particle production at AGS.Comment: 17 pages, 5 postscript figures, uses psfig.sty and revtex.st

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Quality Attributes of Fresh and Semi-Hard Goat Cheese from Low- and High-Input Farming Systems

In this study, we investigated the lipid composition of fresh and semi-hard goat cheese produced in three Italian farms as well as the welfare assessment of goats reared in these farms. The fatty acid (FA) profile of cheese samples were found to be strictly related to the livestock system. Cheese collected from farms in which goats were allowed to graze and were fed diets with a higher forage/concentrate (F/C) ratio showed a FA profile represented by higher contents of health-promoting fatty acids. In the same samples, the health lipid indices showed the most favorable values. Conversely, cheese samples collected from a conventional-lowland farm, where goats were fed with higher amounts of concentrates and lower F/C ratio, presented a lower nutritional quality, characterized by the worst results for what concerns the health lipid indices. Then, we built a multivariate model able to discriminate samples coming from farms managed by a low-input system from those coming from farm managed by a high-input system. The comparison of animal welfare measurements and fatty acids data showed that a better intrinsic quality of low-input farms did not always correspond to better extrinsic quality, suggesting that the information on the livestock system is not always enough to provide consumers with complete awareness of the total product quality

QCD equation of state in a virial expansion

We describe recent three-flavor QCD lattice data for the pressure, speed of soun d and interaction measure at nonzero temperature and vanishing chemical potentia l within a virial expansion. For the deconfined phase we use a phenomenological model which includes non-pert urbative effects from dimension two gluon condensates that reproduce the free en ergy of quenched QCD very well. The hadronic phase is parameterized by a generalized resonance-gas model. Furthermore, we extend this approach to finite quark densities introducing an ex plicit $\mu$-dependence of the interaction. We calculate pressure, quark-number density, entropy and energy density and compare to results of lattice calculatio ns. We, additionally, investigate the structure of the phase diagram by calculating the isobaric and isentropic lines as well as the critical endpoint in the ($T, \mu_q$)-plane.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

A series of new conjugated oligothiophenes for organic electronics

Thiophene oligomers and polymers can be found in a huge number of materials with applications in the field of Organic Electronics. Chemical and electrochemical syntheses along with electrochemical studies and complete characterization of a series of new conjugated oligothiophene derivatives are reported. Two different molecular architectures, D-A (donor-acceptor) and A-D-A (acceptor-donor-acceptor), were taken into account. The results from voltammetric experiments and optical studies confirm the close relationship between the structure of these compounds and their electrochemical behaviour. This series of oligothiophenes shows low bandgaps, a mandatory requirement for their use in Organic Electronics, and, clearly, they are promising candidates for future synthetic studies in order to modify their optical and electrochemical properties to achieve better performances as organic semiconductors

High performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for/and nanomaterials: an overview

The story of mass spectrometry applied to the nanoparticles world is very young but actually it is expected to evolve as one of the most powerful tool for the characterization of the smaller-size nanoparticles in terms of composition, size, shape, surface chemistry, because of its versatility, sensitivity, reliability and the possibility to be coupled with high performance chromatographic separation techniques. A short overview on different fields where liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, nanomaterials and nanotechnology come together is herein given