Development, validation, and application of School Audit Tool (SAT): An effective instrument for assessing traffic safety and operation around schools

There is a need for a reliable school audit tool with well-defined scales to convert qualitative evaluation of existing school sites into a quantitative assessment in order to help public agencies to improve schools' safety and efficiency. In this study, a new, simple, and versatile School Audit Tool (SAT) was developed and tested. SAT was formed using a 30-item checklist categorized into four domains: school site assessment, road network assessment, parking/loading assessment, and active transport assessment. The tool was applied on a sample of 22 schools. Then, categorical and item-by-item Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were calculated to validate the tool. The results showed acceptable overall test-retest (ICC = 0.919) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.843) across all items and domains. SAT's adaptable framework to assess and compare the safety and efficiency of schools is reliable, easy-to-use, and comprehensive. The tool is also effective in ranking schools and identifying items that may require upgrades or modifications. - 2019 by the authors.Acknowledgments: The publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library.Scopu

Performance Analysis of Solar Adsorption Cooling System - Effect of Position of Heat Storage Tank

An insulated storage tank has been added with adsorption cooling system run by solar heat collected by CPC panel. It has been expected and seen that the storage tank has a vital contribution in the performance of the chiller. The storage tank is connected with a solar heat driven single stage two bed basic adsorption chillers activated with silica gel-water pair in two ways. The tank is connected in such a way that (i) the solar collectors supply hot water to the desorption bed, the outflow of the desorber is collected in the reserve tank. The reserve tank supplies water to the collector and complete the heat transfer cycle. (ii) The solar collector supply hot water which is collected in the storage tank first and then supplied to the desorber. The outflow of the desorber is carried to the collector again. Comparative studies have been conducted at the steady state for both of the systems with heat storage. It has been observed that the system is robust with design (i) while with design (ii) performance enhances beyond the sunset time with heat storage

Phenotypic Characterization of a Major Quantitative Disease Resistance Locus for Partial Resistance to Phytophthora sojae

Major quantitative disease resistance loci (QDRLs) are rare in the Phytophthora sojae (Kaufmann and Gerdemann)–soybean [Glycine max (L). Merr.] pathosystem. A major QDRL on chromosome 18 (QDRL-18) was identified in PI 427105B and PI 427106. QDRL-18 represents a valuable resistance source for breeding programs. Thus, our objectives were to determine its isolate specificity and measure its effect on yield and resistance to both P. sojae and other soybean pathogens. We characterized near isogenic lines (NILs) developed from F7 recombinant inbred lines heterozygous at QDRL-18; NILs represent introgressions from PI 427105B, PI 427106, and susceptible ‘OX20- 8’. The introgressions from PI 427105B and PI 427106 increased resistance to P. sojae by 11 to 20% and 35 to 40%, respectively, based on laboratory and greenhouse assays, and increased yield by 13 to 29% under disease conditions. The resistant introgression from PI 427105B was also effective against seven P. sojae isolates with no isolate specificity detected. Based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays, NILs with the susceptible introgression had significantly higher relative levels of P. sojae colonization 48 h after inoculation. No pleiotropic effects for resistance to either soybean cyst nematode or Fusarium graminearum were detected. This information improves soybean breeders’ ability to make informed decisions regarding the deployment of QDRL-18 in their respective breeding programs

Effects of Brick Burning on Microbial Biomass and C/N Ratio in Selected Soil Profiles in the Eastern Region of Bangladesh

The pH values in the profiles of unburnt (agricultural land) soils were found to increase as a function of soil depth and burning (400 to 1000℃) of the soils increased average pH by 8%. The average sand content of the burnt (soil around brick kilns) soil profiles was increased by 245%, while 39 and 36% decreased the silt and clay contents. Soil organic carbon (Corg) in the unburnt soils (0-20 cm) at different agro-ecological zones in the eastern region of Bangladesh ranged from 0.8 and 1.4%, whereas the content of microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) in the studied unburnt soils ranged between 5 and 7% of the total Corg, suggesting that the microbial biomass releasing considerable amounts of carbon in soil while burning of the soils drastically reduced this contribution to about 1%. The values of soil Cmic in the unburnt soils were approximately 2 to 6 times higher in the topsoils than the subsoils (20-60 cm). Variable rainfall, temperature and soil fertility had an overriding influence, which was reflected by the average minimum (276 μg g(-1)) and maximum (439) amounts of soil Cmic in Moulvibazar and Cox' Bazar sites. The Cmic decreased upon soil burning by 92% of its original average value (346 μg g(-1)) in the soil profile of up to 100 cm. Burning of topsoils strikingly increased the Corg/Cmic ratio by about 6 to 9 times, while reduced the C/N ratio by about 1.5 to 2.5 times. The average loss of Corg, available and total N due to burning of the soils were 66, 72 and 44% (increase over average content of unburnt soil: IOAC), respectively, which suggests that the burning of the soils offset the essential roles of soil microorganisms, reduced soil fertility and soil microbial contribution

Establishment of potent and specific synthetic substrate for dipeptidyl-peptidase 7

Bacterial dipeptidyl-peptidase (DPP) 7 liberates a dipeptide with a preference for aliphatic and aromatic penultimate residues from the N-terminus. Although synthetic substrates are useful for activity measurements, those currently used are problematic, because they are more efficiently degraded by DPP5. We here aimed to develop a potent and specific substrate and found that the kcat/Km value for Phe-Met-methylcoumaryl-7-amide (MCA) (41.40?±?0.83?μM?1?s?1) was highest compared to Met-Leu-, Leu-Leu-, and Phe-Leu-MCA (1.06?3.77?μM?1?s?1). Its hydrolyzing activity was abrogated in a Porphyromonas gingivalis dpp7-knockout strain. Conclusively, we propose Phe-Met-MCA as an ideal synthetic substrate for DPP7

Contamination Control and Assay Results for the Majorana Demonstrator Ultra Clean Components

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is a neutrinoless double beta decay experiment utilizing enriched Ge-76 detectors in 2 separate modules inside of a common solid shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. The DEMONSTRATOR has utilized world leading assay sensitivities to develop clean materials and processes for producing ultra-pure copper and plastic components. This experiment is now operating, and initial data provide new insights into the success of cleaning and processing. Post production copper assays after the completion of Module 1 showed an increase in U and Th contamination in finished parts compared to starting bulk material. A revised cleaning method and additional round of surface contamination studies prior to Module 2 construction have provided evidence that more rigorous process control can reduce surface contamination. This article describes the assay results and discuss further studies to take advantage of assay capabilities for the purpose of maintaining ultra clean fabrication and process design.Comment: Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT May 2017, Seoul

Work done in the margins:A comparative study of mental health literacy in pre-service teacher education in Australia and in Scotland

Ensuring pre-service teachers have strong mental health literacy is vital for progress towards an inclusive, effective education system; yet little is known about how pre-service teachers are prepared for practice with school students who present with poor mental health. The original, internationally comparative small-scale (N = 24) qualitative study reported here compared current mental health literacy provision to pre-service teacher education students in Scotland and Australia. Semi-structured telephone interviews with teacher educators who delivered mental health content divulged highly variable, often ad-hoc mental health literacy provision; a concern, given the prevalence of poor mental health affecting children and young people in schools. Thematic data analysis revealed striking commonalities among issues raised by participants from both countries, highlighting the need for urgent improvement in the provision of mental health literacy to pre-service teachers. Results suggest the possibility of strategically developing a joint Australian-Scottish mental health component suitable for delivery in both countries

The Large Enriched Germanium Experiment for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (LEGEND)

The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0${\nu}{\beta}{\beta}$) would show that lepton number is violated, reveal that neutrinos are Majorana particles, and provide information on neutrino mass. A discovery-capable experiment covering the inverted ordering region, with effective Majorana neutrino masses of 15 - 50 meV, will require a tonne-scale experiment with excellent energy resolution and extremely low backgrounds, at the level of $\sim$0.1 count /(FWHM$\cdot$t$\cdot$yr) in the region of the signal. The current generation $^{76}$Ge experiments GERDA and the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR utilizing high purity Germanium detectors with an intrinsic energy resolution of 0.12%, have achieved the lowest backgrounds by over an order of magnitude in the 0${\nu}{\beta}{\beta}$ signal region of all 0${\nu}{\beta}{\beta}$ experiments. Building on this success, the LEGEND collaboration has been formed to pursue a tonne-scale $^{76}$Ge experiment. The collaboration aims to develop a phased 0${\nu}{\beta}{\beta}$ experimental program with discovery potential at a half-life approaching or at $10^{28}$ years, using existing resources as appropriate to expedite physics results.Comment: Proceedings of the MEDEX'17 meeting (Prague, May 29 - June 2, 2017