Dramatic reductions of in feed medication via immunization against enteric pathogens

The use of in-feed antimicrobials is coming under increased pressure in food animal production. Five field studies examined the impact of vaccines to stimulate protective immunity against pathogens commonly controlled with in-feed antimicrobials (Lawsonia intracellularis, a common enteric pathogen causing ileitis). Grow-finish pigs were immunized and various levels of in-feed antimicrobials used to control or prevent Lawsonia were removed

CRYOGENIC NEAR-FIELD SCANNING OPTICAL MICROSCOPY: QUANTUM DOTS, CHARGE-ORDERED DOMAINS, AND FERROMAGNETIC NUCLEATION

Imaging of GaAs quantum dots (QDs) and the transition from charge-ordered insulator (COI) to ferromagnetic metal (FMM) in Nd_½Sr_½MnO_3 was achieved with sub-wavelength spatial resolution by means of near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). To perform these imaging experiments, a cryogenic NSOM was developed. This instrument is compatible with high magnetic fields, has a novel capacitive sensor for xy-position measurement, and uses a novel light collection scheme with a parabolic mirror. The NSOM was used to image GaAs QDs formed by monolayer islands in a 2 nm thick Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/GaAs/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As quantum well (QW) by means of photoluminescence (PL). Discrete spectra associated with the QDs are observed and studied. Individual QDs are imaged with a resolution of 150 nm. Quantum coupling of some nearby QDs is suggested by the observation of PL with identical energy emanating from two sources spatially separated by 300 nm. Modeling these candidate coupled QDs as monolayer islands with a "dumbbell" shape leads to a consistent description. PL excitation experiments were attempted to confirm the model but failed because of the low throughput of the near-field probes. The NSOM was also used to image solid state structural phase transformations in Nd_½Sr_½MnO_3 which is known to exhibit two-phase coexistence. In particular, the transition from the low temperature COI to FMM which occurs at about 160 K was studied as a function of temperature. Both phases are shown to possess optical anisotropy in far and near-field imaging. Upon increasing temperature, the FMM phase is observed by far-field imaging to nucleate preferentially on variant boundaries and sometimes on twin boundaries, initially growing slowly and coexisting with the COI phase from about 155 K to 170 K. The NSOM is used to both image and measure the topography of FMM and COI twins. Polarization-dependent features are observed near the twin boundaries in the FMM and COI phases and are attributed to stress-induced birefringence. Upon increasing temperature near the transition to the FMM phase, polarization-dependent features appear on COI twin boundaries that are attributed to nucleation of the FMM phase

Impactos economicos e sociais da instalação de unidades da UTFPR em municípios do interior do Paraná

Orientador: Prof. Dr. José Henrique de FariaTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Educação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação. Defesa: Curitiba, 26/02/2009Inclui bibliografia e anexo

Electric Polarizability of Hadrons

The electric polarizability of a hadron allows an external electric field to shift the hadron mass. We try to calculate the electric polarizability for several hadrons from their quadratic response to the field at a=0.17fm using an improved gauge field and the clover quark action. Results are compared to experiment where available.Comment: 3 pgs, 5 figs, LATTICE2002(spectrum

Dynamics of Chaotic Inflation with Variable Space Dimension

Within the framework of a model Universe with variable space dimension, we study chaotic inflation with the potential $m^2\phi^2/2$, and calculate the dynamical solutions of the inflaton field, variable space dimension, scale factor, and their interdependence during the inflationary epoch. We show that the characteristic of the variability of the space dimension causes the inflationary epoch in the variable space dimension to last longer than the inflationary epoch in the constant space dimension.Comment: 16 pages, accepted in Phys. Lett.

Stimulus-dependent deliberation process leading to a specific motor action demonstrated via a multi-channel EEG analysis

The aim of the study was to determine whether a deliberative process, leading to a motor action, is detectable in high density EEG recordings. Subjects were required to press one of two buttons. In a simple motor task the subject knew which button to press, whilst in a color-word Stroop task subjects had to press the right button with the right index finger when meaning and color coincided, or the left button with the left index finger when meaning and color were disparate. EEG recordings obtained during the simple motor task showed a sequence of positive (P) and negative (N) cortical potentials (P1-Ni-P2) which are assumed to be related to the processing of the movement. The sequence of cortical potentials was similar in EEG recordings of subjects having to deliberate over how to respond, but the above sequence (P1-Ni-P2) was preceded by slowly increasing negativity (NO),with NO being assumed to represent the end of the deliberation process. Our data suggest the existence of neurophysiological correlates of deliberative processes

Stimulus‐dependent deliberation process in left‐ and right‐handers obtained via current source density analysis

The aim of the present study was to compare the activity patterns of young, healthy right- (RH, n = 25) and left-handed (LH, n = 20) subjects in high-density electroencephalograpic (EEG) recordings during a deliberation task. The deliberation task consisted of pressing one of two keys depending on a color-word Stroop task (Stroop, 1935) presented on a computer screen. Depending on the color shown and the meaning of the color word, participants responded with the index finger of the dominant or non-dominant hand. This leads to different activities in the hemispheres depending on the acting hand and on subject's handedness. Presenting the word “black” in black color, subjects were not to press any key (no-go-trial). Prior to this, subjects were tested for simple motor tasks, during which they were informed about the motor action to be performed. The temporal activity patterns obtained from RH and LH were very similar in shape and constituent components. The comparison of the three types of trials lead to the assumption that the deliberation process is based on a two-step decision: The first decision was characterized by the choice between move (match-trials, mismatch-trials) or not to move (no-go-trials). The second decision resulted in the final judgment of which index finger has to be used. The latter decision, in particular, can be tracked via the local spread of activity over the scalp. Our hypothesis is based on a comparison of activities and locations of RH and LH and yields some insights about processing a two-step decision in a deliberation task

A symptom-related monitoring program following pulmonary embolism for the early detection of CTEPH: a prospective observational registry study

Background Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a long-term complication following an acute pulmonary embolism (PE). It is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages which is concerning as delayed treatment has important implications for favourable clinical outcome. Performing a follow-up examination of patients diagnosed with acute PE regardless of persisting symptoms and using all available technical procedures would be both cost-intensive and possibly ineffective. Focusing diagnostic procedures therefore on only symptomatic patients may be a practical approach for detecting relevant CTEPH. This study aimed to evaluate if a follow-up program for patients with acute PE based on telephone monitoring of symptoms and further examination of only symptomatic patients could detect CTEPH. In addition, we investigated the role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) as a diagnostic tool. Methods In a prospective cohort study all consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PE (n=170, 76 males, 94 females within 26 months) were recruited according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were contacted via telephone and asked to answer standardized questions relating to symptoms. At the time of the final analysis 130 patients had been contacted. Symptomatic patients underwent a structured evaluation with echocardiography, CPET and complete work-up for CTEPH. Results 37.7%, 25.5% and 29.3% of the patients reported symptoms after three, six, and twelve months respectively. Subsequent clinical evaluation of these symptomatic patients saw 20.4%, 11.5% and 18.8% of patients at the respective three, six and twelve months time points having an echocardiography suggesting pulmonary hypertension (PH). CTEPH with pathological imaging and a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥ 25 mm Hg at rest was confirmed in eight subjects. Three subjects with mismatch perfusion defects showed an exercise induced increase of PAP without increasing pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP). Two subjects with pulmonary hypertension at rest and one with an exercise induced increase of mPAP with normal PAOP showed perfusion defects without echocardiographic signs of PH but a suspicious CPET. Conclusion A follow-up program based on telephone monitoring of symptoms and further structured evaluation of symptomatic subjects can detect patients with CTEPH. CPET may serve as a complementary diagnostic tool