Early food production in the Sahel of Burkina Faso

This paper is concerned with the transition from hunting and gathering to food production in West Africa, based on evidence from the Sahel Zone of Burkina Faso compiled by field research during the last years. Our study intends to enhance the knowledge about the West African versions of this transition, traditionally seen as one of the most fundamental changes in human prehistory. Embedded in an interregional program the Sahel Zone of Burkina Faso has proved to be one of its most unexpected examples

Ingestion of amniotic fluid enhances the facilitative effect of VTA morphine on the onset of maternal behavior in virgin rats

Previous research has shown that injection of morphine into the ventral tegmental area(VTA) facilitates the onset of maternal behavior in virgin female rats, and injection of the opioid antagonist naltrexone into the VTA disrupts the onset of maternal behavior in parturient rats. Placentophagia – ingestion of placenta and amniotic fluid, usually at parturition – modifies central opioid processes. Ingestion of the active substance in placenta and amniotic fluid, Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor (POEF), enhances the hypoalgesic effect of centrally administered morphine, and more specifically, enhances δ- and κ-opioid-receptor-\ud mediated hypoalgesia and attenuates μ-opioid-receptor-mediated hypoalgesia. POEF (in placenta or amniotic fluid) ingestion does not, by itself, produce hypoalgesia. In the\ud present study, we tested the hypothesis that ingestion of amniotic fluid enhances the facilitative effect of opioid activity (unilateral morphine injection) in the VTA on the rate of onset of maternal behavior. Virgin female Long-Evans rats were given one intra-VTA injection of morphine sulfate (0.0, 0.01, or 0.03 μg, in saline) and an orogastric infusion of 0.25 ml amniotic fluid or saline once each day of the first three days of the 10-day testing\ud period. Subjects were continuously exposed to foster pups that were replaced every 12 h; replacement of pups was followed by a 15-min observation period. Maternal behavior\ud latency was determined by the first of two consecutive tests wherein the subject displayed pup retrieval, pup licking in the nest, and crouching over all foster pups, during the 15-min observation. We confirmed the previous finding that the VTA injection, alone, of 0.03 μg morphine shortened the latency to show maternal behavior and that 0.0 μg and 0.01 μg morphine did not. Ingestion of amniotic fluid (and therefore POEF) facilitated the onset of\ud maternal behavior in rats receiving an intra-VTA microinjection of an otherwise subthreshold dose of morphine (0.01 μg)

Brutplatzqualität unterschiedlich ökologisch bewirtschafteter Ackerfrüchte für die Feldlerche (Alauda arvensis)

Habitat quality of different arable crops for skylarks (Alauda arvensis) was analysed in a three year field study on 12 organic farms in northern Germany. Grass clover, spiked spring cereals (barley/spelt/wheat), winter wheat as well as grain legumes (including mixtures) hold constant abundances of skylarks during the whole breeding period. In spring oats, winter spelt and winter cereals with awn (barley/rye), however, skylark densities decreased during the breeding time, which might be explained by comparatively taller and/or denser vegetation structure of theses crops during June/July. Crops showed no significant differences in maximum abundances of skylarks. Concerning possible effects on breeding success, harrowing and/or hoeing of cereals and grain legumes should be completed as early as possible in spring to prevent breeding losses. Compared to cereals and grain legumes, the management of grass clover crops probably resulted in higher breeding losses due to a high intensity of mowing. While the cutting regime of grass clover used as green manure crops can be adapted to breeding phenology of skylarks, modification of cutting systems of forage crops should cause negative effects on quality of forage

Reconstruction of Defects by Ultrasonic Testing Using Synthetic Aperture Procedures

The three methods ALOK (Amplitude Time Locus Curves), PHASED ARRAY and LSAFT (Line-Synthetic-Aperture-Focussing-Technique) use the method of synthesizing a large aperture by moving a probe. The result is a high lateral resolution and the capability to focus into the farfield of the probe. As pointed out in Fig.1, a focal probe focusses only in one depth within the near field length. The PHASED ARRAY probe allows to change this focal distance within the near field length electronically. The SAFT-method allows to focus in all depths simultaneously within the near field length which is given not by the probe diameter D but by the synthetic aperture D’

Visualization and Analysis of Sensory Data

Recently, California has suffered a severe drought, making water a scarce resource to its population. Many viticulturists are based in this area who rely on heavy irrigation to produce a better grape and a better wine. Not just in California, but throughout the nation, irrigation must be applied intelligently for efficient use of water and funding. By taking measurements of physical characteristics of a vineyard over time, one may be able to visualize trends in the data which lend itself to describing preferred growing methods. Wireless sensors can be used to take measurements including moisture, temperature, sunlight, and more. Sensors have been installed at multiple locations about a vineyard. A framework has been put in place to capture, adjust, and calibrate the data as well as store it for future retrieval. The data are visualized over time to see the effects of techniques in the long term. These are helpful for suggesting irrigation strategy that will lead to the best yield. Sensors are cheap and effective, but are prone to malfunction and transmission errors. When these problems occur, the faulty time-series data can be cleaned by correlating with similar time-series data in the same time span. The data system will be a necessity for competitive viticulturists, reducing cost of irrigation and improving quality of wine. In the future, the tool could be applied to other crops. Also, if any new important values must be derived or measured, the system can be extended to include them