An investigation of the decoupling effects in a magnetic forming beryllium coil assembly

Decoupling effects in magnetic forming beryllium coil assembl

Økologisk jordbrug i Danmark

Jordbruget er et erhverv, der i høj grad påvirkes af offentlig regulering, og økologisk jordbrug er ingen undtagelse. Samfundet kan have flere roller i relation til økologi. For det første at sikre at forbrugerne har tilstrækkelig information og dermed reel mulighed for at skelne mellem økologiske og konventionelle varer. For det andet kan økologi benyttes som et virkemiddel til at opnå fx bedre miljø og dyrevelfærd. Tilskud til økologi (eller miljøvenlig drift) øger det økologiske areal og holder priserne på økologiske produkter nede. Der kan dog optræde (begrænsede) utilsigtede krydseffekter i det konventionelle jordbrug, fordi de to typer jordbrug er bundet sammen gennem konkurrence om de knappe faktorer: fælles kvoter og fælles jord. Beregninger viser, at hvis man betragter enkelte områder som reduktion af pesticid- og kvælstofforbrug isoleret, er det mere effektivt at målrette miljøpolitikken fx i form af afgifter. Det skyldes blandt andet, at tiltag rettet mod den konventionelle sektor fører til langt større reduktioner, idet den konventionelle sektor er så meget større end den økologiske. De kommende tilskud til miljøvenlig drift er i denne forstand et skridt i den rigtige retning, fordi de ikke retter sig mod økologi, men er målrettet anvendelsen af pesticider og kvælstof – og er gældende i såvel det økologiske som det konventionelle jordbrug. Afgifter på pesticider og kunstgødning forbedrer miljøet (og som en sideeffekt fremmes økologisk jordbrug). I princippet udelukker afgifter og tilskud ikke hinanden, tværtimod kan de supplere hinanden. Landbrugets økonomi, FØI 61 Forbrugernes efterspørgsel efter økologi vil i høj grad afhænge af udviklingen for mærkning af økologiske varer og det økologiske regelsæt. Det danske Ø-mærke er et velkendt og troværdigt mærke, der opfattes som en generel garanti for et lav-risiko produkt. Ø-mærket er på mange måder et stærkt ”brand”, der skal beskyttes og udvikles fremover, hvis økologien skal vokse. Man kan enten vælge at værne om økologiens troværdighed, og fastholde økologien som den er – eller ligefrem stramme kravene – for derved at fastholde de forbrugere, der allerede køber i dag. En stramning af økologireglerne i form af krav om 100 pct. brug af økologisk foder og gødning vil næppe indebære de store omkostninger. Et mere omfattende regelsæt, der også omfatter forskellige typer fødevaresikkerhed, vil kunne leve op til flere af de egenskaber, forbrugerne allerede i dag forbinder med de økologiske varer. Hvis forbrugerne samtidigt ændrer præferencer og er parate til at betale mere for økologiske produkter produceret med strammere og mere omfattende regler, kan det fremme økologien. Man kunne også gå den modsatte vej og vælge at slække på kravene ved at satse på enkelte udvalgte centrale egenskaber (fx forbud mod brug af kunstgødning og sprøjtemidler). Det ville gøre varerne billigere og derved øge efterspørgslen. Men det kan også indebære risiko for, at forbrugerne i stigende grad vil fravælge varerne, fordi de ikke længere har fuld tillid til dem, når de ikke er økologiske i bred forstand. Forskningsresultater indikerer, at dette kan være tilfældet. De politiske anbefalinger afhænger i høj grad af, hvad der lægges vægt på ud fra et samfundsøkonomisk synspunkt. Den økologiske mærkningsordning er utvetydigt en samfundsøkonomisk gevinst, fordi den – for meget små omkostninger – sikrer forbrugernes valgfrihed og dermed forøger nytten og samfundets velfærd. Men derudover er diskussionen mere kompleks. Hvis det ud fra et samfundsøkonomisk synspunkt udelukkende er forbruget af pesticider og kunstgødning, der er vigtigt, er det mere effektivt at regulere målrettet i form af afgifter på forbruget eller tilskud til reduktion af pesticider og kvælstof. Er fokus derimod bredere og fx omfatter medicinforbrug, naturpleje, dyrevelfærd, eller GMO, kan der være gode grunde til at støtte økologi i form af et tilskud specielt til økologi. Samtidig kan den have væsentlig indirekte betydning, idet den – hvis forbrugerne vel og mærke fortsætter med at købe økologiske varer – kan presse den konventionelle sektor over mod en mere forbruger- og miljøvenlig produktionsmåde

Empowering School Staff to Support Pupil Mental Health Through a Brief, Interactive Web-Based Training Program: Mixed Methods Study

Background: Schools in the United Kingdom and elsewhere are expected to protect and promote pupil mental health. However, many school staff members do not feel confident in identifying and responding to pupil mental health difficulties and report wanting additional training in this area. Objective: We aimed to explore the feasibility of Kognito’s At-Risk for Elementary School Educators, a brief, interactive web-based training program that uses a simulation-based approach to improve school staff’s knowledge and skills in supporting pupil mental health. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods, nonrandomized feasibility study of At-Risk for Elementary School Educators in 6 UK primary schools. Our outcomes were (1) school staff’s self-efficacy and preparedness to identify and respond to pupil mental health difficulties, (2) school staff’s identification of mental health difficulties and increased risk of mental health difficulties, (3) mental health support for identified pupils (including conversations about concerns, documentation of concerns, in-class and in-school support, and referral and access to specialist mental health services), and (4) the acceptability and practicality of the training. We assessed these outcomes using a series of questionnaires completed at baseline (T1), 1 week after the training (T2), and 3 months after the training (T3), as well as semistructured qualitative interviews. Following guidance for feasibility studies, we assessed quantitative outcomes across time points by comparing medians and IQRs and analyzed qualitative data using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: A total of 108 teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) completed T1 questionnaires, 89 (82.4%) completed T2 questionnaires, and 70 (64.8%) completed T3 questionnaires; 54 (50%) completed all 3. Eight school staff members, including teachers, TAs, mental health leads, and senior leaders, participated in the interviews. School staff reported greater confidence and preparedness in identifying and responding to mental health difficulties after completing the training. The proportion of pupils whom they identified as having mental health difficulties or increased risk declined slightly over time (medianT1=10%; medianT2=10%; medianT3=7.4%), but findings suggested a slight increase in accuracy compared with a validated screening measure (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). In-school mental health support outcomes for identified pupils improved after the training, with increases in formal documentation and communication of concerns as well as provision of in-class and in-school support. Referrals and access to external mental health services remained constant. The qualitative findings indicated that school staff perceived the training as useful, practical, and acceptable. Conclusions: The findings suggest that brief, interactive web-based training programs such as At-Risk for Elementary School Educators are a feasible means to improve the identification of and response to mental health difficulties in UK primary schools. Such training may help address the high prevalence of mental health difficulties in this age group by helping facilitate access to care and support

A new method for the orthogonal labeling and purification of Toxoplasma gondii proteins while inside of the host cell

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that is estimated to infect a third of the human population. While parasite infection is usually asymptomatic in healthy individuals, it is responsible for life threatening disease in individuals with compromised immune systems. The obligate intracellular nature of the parasite makes its ability to successfully invade and interact with its host cell of paramount importance. How T. gondii interacts with its host cell to permit its survival and replication is still largely understood. Our knowledge of host-pathogen interaction would be strengthened if a system were available to specifically label parasite proteins in the context of an infected host cell. My thesis work in the Boyle laboratory has focused on developing such a system in T. gondii. I have created a strain of T. gondii that expresses a mutant form of a bacterial methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRSNLL), which permits methionine (Met) tRNA to be charged with the azide-containing Met analog, azidonorleucine (Anl). Any protein that incorporates Anl is susceptible to a copper-catalyzed “click” reaction, allowing affinity tags for purification or fluorescent tags for visualization to be appended to them. I show that Anl is only incorporated into parasites expressing the mutant MetRSNLL, and that it is absent from host cell proteins. While the approach allows for the labeling of a large margin of parasite proteins, it appears that N-terminally processed proteins are only minimally labeled. This may be due to the bacterial MetRSNLL only being able to charge Anl to the T. gondii initiator tRNAMet and not the elongator tRNAMet, which would result in only the N-terminal Met residue being replaced with Anl. I have begun work to try to modify the system to permit Anl to be more widely incorporated into parasite proteins. Despite the systems current limitations, it should be useful for studying proteomic changes in the parasite while inside of the host. Furthermore, the system should be readily adaptable for other Apicomplexan parasites, like Plasmodium spp

Evaluation of Gene Expression During Development of the Neonatal Porcine Uterus Using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization

Specific changes in gene expression involved in the completion of uterine gland development during the first 56 days of postnatal growth in the pig have not been well described or understood. The present work utilized suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) to create unique cDNA libraries respective to postnatal development at 3 stages: Day 0 when only shallow depressions can be observed, Day 28 when branching morphogenesis begins, and Day 56 when glands are well established. A total of 288 SSH products were screened in two forward and reverse reactions. Of these, 67 were identified to be differentially expressed through dot-blot hybridization assays using DIG-labeled probes. Only 34 were subjected to sequencing and BLAST analysis. Sequence analysis revealed 25/34 quality readings and 16/25 matched known sequences, while 7/25 returned identity to uncharacterized clones, and 2/25 had no significant match to any known sequences. Comparison of PND 0 with PND 28 showed genes in the forward subtraction represent those involved in transcription or translation, including elongation factor 1 alpha 1 (EF1a1), poly(A) binding protein, cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1), and polymerase (RNA) II (DNA directed) polypeptide C (POLR2C / RPB3). One other gene of interest found was secreted protein, acidic, cysteine-rich-like 1 (SPARCL1) which influences several cellular activities including proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Gene products that had greater expression at Day 28 than Day 0 included type II procollagen (COL1A2) and type III procollagen (COL3A1) which are important in tissue structure. Also identified in the reverse subtraction was a clone with strong similarity to human 40S, which may indicate a gene that contributes to the control of cell growth and proliferation. The PND 28 versus PND 56 comparison resulted in fewer differentially expressed genes and only one novel gene was detected. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCT) assays were performed for SPARCL1 and two uncharacterized clones. Expression levels for all three transcripts evaluated showed a similar pattern of high levels at PND 0 and 14, then declining to normalized values at PND 28, 42, and 56. Therefore, we conclude that the factors responsible for the initiation of uterine glands are activated at birth, when only buds are present, through PND 14, when glands are forming tubes. These high levels of different transcripts may serve to regulate glandular epithelium migration through the stroma during glandular budding and tubulogenesis.Department of Animal Scienc

Coupled dynamics of voltage and calcium in paced cardiac cells

We investigate numerically and analytically the coupled dynamics of transmembrane voltage and intracellular calcium cycling in paced cardiac cells using a detailed physiological model and its reduction to a three-dimensional discrete map. The results provide a theoretical framework to interpret various experimentally observed modes of instability ranging from electromechanically concordant and discordant alternans to quasiperiodic oscillations of voltage and calcium