Optimization of MicroCT Imaging and Blood Vessel Diameter Quantitation of Preclinical Specimen Vasculature with Radiopaque Polymer Injection Medium

Vascular networks within a living organism are complex, multi-dimensional, and challenging to image capture. Radio-angiographic studies in live animals require a high level of infrastructure and technical investment in order to administer costly perfusion mediums whose signals metabolize and degrade relatively rapidly, diminishing within a few hours or days. Additionally, live animal specimens must not be subject to long duration scans, which can cause high levels of radiation exposure to the specimen, limiting the quality of images that can be captured. Lastly, despite technological advances in live-animal specimen imaging, it is quite difficult to minimize or prevent movement of a live animal, which can cause motion artifacts in the final data output. It is demonstrated here that through the use of postmortem perfusion protocols of radiopaque silicone polymer mediums and ex-vivo organ harvest, it is possible to acquire a high level of vascular signal in preclinical specimens through the use of micro-computed tomographic (microCT) imaging. Additionally, utilizing high-order rendering algorithms, it is possible to further derive vessel morphometrics for qualitative and quantitative analysis

A Molecular Phylogeny of the Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)

Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) are extremely diverse with more than 23,000 species described and over 500,000 species estimated to exist. This is the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily based on a molecular analysis of 18S and 28S ribosomal gene regions for 19 families, 72 subfamilies, 343 genera and 649 species. The 56 outgroups are comprised of Ceraphronoidea and most proctotrupomorph families, including Mymarommatidae. Data alignment and the impact of ambiguous regions are explored using a secondary structure analysis and automated (MAFFT) alignments of the core and pairing regions and regions of ambiguous alignment. Both likelihood and parsimony approaches are used to analyze the data. Overall there is no impact of alignment method, and few but substantial differences between likelihood and parsimony approaches. Monophyly of Chalcidoidea and a sister group relationship between Mymaridae and the remaining Chalcidoidea is strongly supported in all analyses. Either Mymarommatoidea or Diaprioidea are the sister group of Chalcidoidea depending on the analysis. Likelihood analyses place Rotoitidae as the sister group of the remaining Chalcidoidea after Mymaridae, whereas parsimony nests them within Chalcidoidea. Some traditional family groups are supported as monophyletic (Agaonidae, Eucharitidae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Leucospidae, Mymaridae, Ormyridae, Signiphoridae, Tanaostigmatidae and Trichogrammatidae). Several other families are paraphyletic (Perilampidae) or polyphyletic (Aphelinidae, Chalcididae, Eupelmidae, Eurytomidae, Pteromalidae, Tetracampidae and Torymidae). Evolutionary scenarios discussed for Chalcidoidea include the evolution of phytophagy, egg parasitism, sternorrhynchan parasitism, hypermetamorphic development and heteronomy

Analysis of eAGRI Web Portal Ergonomics And Presentation of Information in Terms of the General Public

The aim of the eAGRI portal is to inform not only professionals in the field of agriculture but also the general public about current events and news in the respective resort. Merit of the paper is to discover if the current level of eAGRI portal ergonomics is sufficient or not. Several usability analysis and studies were applied with unflattering results. The results of all applied analysis show that the overall ergonomics of the portal is not at a satisfactory level and that there is no significant imp rovement on the portal in the last year

Analysis of eAGRI Web Portal Ergonomics And Presentation of Information in Terms of the General Public

The aim of the eAGRI portal is to inform not only professionals in the field of agriculture but also the general public about current events and news in the respective resort. Merit of the paper is to discover if the current level of eAGRI portal ergonomics is sufficient or not. Several usability analysis and studies were applied with unflattering results. The results of all applied analysis show that the overall ergonomics of the portal is not at a satisfactory level and that there is no significant imp rovement on the portal in the last year

Cross-Platform User Interface of a Web Application in Agrarian Sector

The paper treats the process of the creation of a web application optimal output for mobile devices in the form of a responsive layout with focus on the agrarian web portal. The utilization and testing of user experience (UX) techniques in four steps - UX, research, design and testing - were of great benefit. Two groups of five people representing the task group were employed for the research and testing. The resulting responsive layout was developed with the emphasis on the ergonomic layout of control elements and content, a conservative design, the securing of content accessibility for disabled users and the possibility of fast and simple updating. The resulting knowledge is applicable to web information sources in the agrarian sector (agriculture, food industry, forestry, water supply and distribution) and the development of rural areas. In wider context, this knowledge is valid in general

Mobile Applications for Agricultural Online Portals – Cross-platform or Native Development

There exist several possible approaches to the development of mobile applications. The paper treats the options of native applications for mobile devices. It analyzes economic aspects of two approaches - native applications development with the help of tools for individual platforms (Windows Phone, Android, iOS) and native applications developed by cross-platform tools represented by the tool Xamarin. In the paper basic variables and a formula for costs calculation are defined. The conclusions show that the utilization of the cross-platform tool Xamarin can lead to significant costs reduction. However, further research is needed mainly in the area of both the complexity development by cross-platform tools and meeting the requirements on UI and UX