Pest Smart interventions and their influence on farmer pest management practices in Tra Hat village, Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam

A pre-Pest Smart (baseline) and post-Pest Smart intervention study was carried out 15 months after the baseline study was conducted to assess the influence of the Pest Smart activities on farmers’ practices, attitudes and beliefs on pest management in Tra Hat village, Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam. Farmers advocating Pest Smart activities showed favorable changes in their practices, attitudes and beliefs. Farmers reported an increase in dry yield of rice, reduced rice seeding rate (from 6.9 t/ha to 7.8 t/ha), reduced application of nitrogenous fertilizer (from 109.5 kg/ha to 93.3 kg/ha), and reduced number of insecticide sprays per season (from 3.4 times per season to 2.7 times per season). The perceived losses were also reduced significantly from 1,452 kg/ha to 718 kg/ha (reduction of 51% perceived loss of rice yield to pests)

Development of wireless bruxism monitoring device based on pressure-sensitive polymer composite

A wireless pressure sensing bite guard has been developed for monitoring the progress of bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep); as well as protecting the teeth from damages. For sensing the pressure effectively in the restricted space and hostile environment, a pressure sensitive polymer composite has been fabricated and encapsulated into a conventional bite guard which is safe for in-situ applications. The device is anticipated to give real-time data through wireless data transmission and to have a long working life (weeks). A microcontroller-based electronic circuit has been built in-house for data collection and transmission. A low power approach is configured to increase the working life of the device. This device is a useful tool for understanding and treating bruxism

Phenolic compounds from leaves of Amensiodendron chinese (Sapindaceae)

From the ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of Amensiodendron chinense (Merr.) Hu (Sapindaceae), we isolated three known phenolic compounds: 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (1), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (2), and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3). We elucidated their chemical structures from the spectral data and compared them with those reported in the literature.3 hợp chất phenolic được phân lập từ cao chiết ethyl acetate của lá thuộc loài Amensiodendron chinese (Merr.) Hu (Sapindaceae) bao gồm : 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (1), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (2), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3). Cấu trúc hóa học được xác định dựa vào dữ liệu phổ và so sánh với tài liệu tham khảo

LIGNANS FROM LEAVES OF AMESIODENDRON CHINENSE AND THEIR CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY

ABSTRACTFrom leaves of Amesiodendron chinense (Mer.) Hu four lignans (+)-aptosimon (1), (+)-isolariciresinol (2), (-)-cleomiscosin A (3), and (-)-cleomiscosin C (3) were isolated. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis including MS, 1D and 2D NMR as well as by comparison with reported data in literature. All compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines, KB, SK-LU-1, MCF-7, HepG-2, and SW-480. They showed weak cytotoxic activity on five tested human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 32.61 to 95.18 µg/ml

A New Technique of Two Iliac Cortical Bone Blocks Sandwich Technique for Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting in Cleft Lip and Palate Patients

Alveolar cleft bone graft in the second stage of surgery was a crucial part of the cleft palate treatment protocol with many advantages: reconstructing bone for tooth eruption, supporting the periodontal structure for the teeth adjacent to the cleft, supporting and lifting the arch and preventing from collapsing of maxillary arch. Grafting technique and material are selected based on the treatment purpose that for orthodontic moving tooth into the arch or for dental implant rehabilitation. Cancellous material provides rapid vascularization and healing facilitating for tooth moving into the cleft site but easy to resorb that unsuitable for dental implant placement. While dense material is difficult to move teeth into the cleft but increase initial stability. Therefore, we offered a method that limit bone resorption, easily obtain the implant initial stability, quick osseointegration called two iliac cortical bone blocks sandwich technique for a purposes of dental implant rehabilitation. Treatment protocol started with orthodontic treatment prior alveolar bone grafting to create proper space for implant restoration. Our clinical experience with 32 cleft sites using two iliac cortical bone blocks sandwich had shown potential clinical application in follow-up time up to 96 months. Evaluation criteria of bone grafting for alveolar cleft included soft tissue condition of graft area, nasal fistula closure, bone grafting outcome, success in osseointegration and implant prosthesis. This chapter described in detail treatment procedure and outcomes of a new technique of two iliac cortical bone blocks sandwich for alveolar cleft in patients with unilateral cleft palate

More on the Nambu-Poisson M5-brane Theory: Scaling limit, background independence and an all order solution to the Seiberg-Witten map

We continue our investigation on the Nambu-Poisson description of M5-brane in a large constant C-field background (NP M5-brane theory) constructed in Refs.[1, 2]. In this paper, the low energy limit where the NP M5-brane theory is applicable is clarified. The background independence of the NP M5-brane theory is made manifest using the variables in the BLG model of multiple M2-branes. An all order solution to the Seiberg-Witten map is also constructed.Comment: expanded explanations, minor corrections and typos correcte

Precise Black Hole Masses From Megamaser Disks: Black Hole-Bulge Relations at Low Mass

The black hole (BH)-bulge correlations have greatly influenced the last decade of effort to understand galaxy evolution. Current knowledge of these correlations is limited predominantly to high BH masses (M_BH> 10^8 M_sun) that can be measured using direct stellar, gas, and maser kinematics. These objects, however, do not represent the demographics of more typical L< L* galaxies. This study transcends prior limitations to probe BHs that are an order of magnitude lower in mass, using BH mass measurements derived from the dynamics of H_2O megamasers in circumnuclear disks. The masers trace the Keplerian rotation of circumnuclear molecular disks starting at radii of a few tenths of a pc from the central BH. Modeling of the rotation curves, presented by Kuo et al. (2010), yields BH masses with exquisite precision. We present stellar velocity dispersion measurements for a sample of nine megamaser disk galaxies based on long-slit observations using the B&C spectrograph on the Dupont telescope and the DIS spectrograph on the 3.5m telescope at Apache Point. We also perform bulge-to-disk decomposition of a subset of five of these galaxies with SDSS imaging. The maser galaxies as a group fall below the M_BH-sigma* relation defined by elliptical galaxies. We show, now with very precise BH mass measurements, that the low-scatter power-law relation between M_BH and sigma* seen in elliptical galaxies is not universal. The elliptical galaxy M_BH-sigma* relation cannot be used to derive the BH mass function at low mass or the zeropoint for active BH masses. The processes (perhaps BH self-regulation or minor merging) that operate at higher mass have not effectively established an M_BH-sigma* relation in this low-mass regime.Comment: 21 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

In vitro antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds from Calocybe indica

Nowadays, the use of mushrooms in medicine is ubiquitous and has achieved particular success. The antioxidants in mushrooms can deactivate free radicals. This study assesses the antioxidant potential of mushroom Calocybe indica with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging methods and the total antioxidant capacity. The mushroom’s ethanol extract exhibits acceptable activity with a low IC50 value (240.11 μg/mL), approximately 2.9 times lower than that of the mushroom Ophiocordyceps sobolifera extract. The ABTS scavenging rate of the extract is around 60% at 500 µg/mL, and the total antioxidant capacity is equivalent to 64.94 ± 1.03 mg of GA/g or 77.42 ± 0.42 μmol of AS/g.  The total phenolics, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and triterpenoids are equivalent to 29.33 ± 0.16 mg of GAE/g, 17.84 ± 0.11 mg of QUE/g (5.04 ± 0.04%), and 4.96 ± 0.04 mg of oleanolic acid/g, respectively. Specifically, the total triterpenoid content has been reported for the first time. The mushroom can have potential biomedical applications

BVRI Photometry of Supernovae

We present optical photometry of one Type IIn supernova (1994Y) and nine Type Ia supernovae (1993Y, 1993Z, 1993ae, 1994B, 1994C, 1994M, 1994Q, 1994ae, and 1995D). SN 1993Y and SN 1993Z appear to be normal SN Ia events with similar rates of decline, but we do not have data near maximum brightness. The colors of SN 1994C suggest that it suffers from significant reddening or is intrinsically red. The light curves of SN 1994Y are complicated; they show a slow rise and gradual decline near maximum brightness in $VRI$ and numerous changes in the decline rates at later times. SN 1994Y also demonstrates color evolution similar to that of the SN IIn 1988Z, but it is slightly more luminous and declines more rapidly than SN 1988Z. The behavior of SN1994Y indicates a small ejecta mass and a gradual strengthening of the H$\alpha$ emission relative to the continuum.Comment: 29 pages, 10 jpg figures, 6 eps figures, 8 tables; note added in proo