Epoxy-coated containers easily opened by wire band

Epoxy coating reduces punctures, abrasions, and contamination of synthetic cellular containers used for shipping and storing fragile goods and equipment. A wire band is wound around the closure joint, followed by the epoxy coating. The container can then be easily opened by pulling the wire through the epoxy around the joint

Apollo experiments support on preliminary estimate of development costs and schedule for molab task report

Preliminary development cost estimate for Apollo project lunar mobile laboratory /Molab

Association between somatic cell count early in the first lactation and the lifetime milk yield of cows in Irish dairy herds

Change in lifetime milk yield is an important component of the cost of diseases in dairy cows. Knowledge of the likelihood and scale of potential savings through disease prevention measures is important to evaluate how much expenditure on control measures is rational. The aim of this study was to assess the association between somatic cell count (SCC) at 5 to 30 d in milk during parity 1 (SCC1), and lifetime milk yield for cows in Irish dairy herds. The data set studied included records from 53,652 cows in 5,922 Irish herds. This was split into 2 samples of 2,500 and 3,422 herds at random. Linear models with lifetime milk yield and first-lactation milk yield as the outcomes and random effects to account for variation between herds were fitted to the data for the first sample of herds; data for the second sample were used for cross-validation. The models were developed in a Bayesian framework to include all uncertainty in posterior predictions and parameters were estimated from 10,000 Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations. The final model was a good fit to the data and appeared generalizable to other Irish herds. A unit increase in the natural logarithm of SCC1 was associated with a median decrease in lifetime milk yield of 864kg, and a median decrease in first-lactation milk yield of 105kg. To clarify the meaning of the results in context, microsimulation was used to model the trajectory of individual cows, and evaluate the expected outcomes for particular changes in the herd-level prevalence of cows with SCC1 ≥400,000cells/mL. Differences in mean lifetime milk yield associated with these changes were multiplied by an estimated gross margin for each cow to give the potential difference in milk revenue. Results were presented as probabilities of savings; for example, a 75% probability of savings of at least€97 or€115/heifer calved into the herd existed if the prevalence of cows with SCC1 ≥400,000cells/mL was reduced from ≥20 to <10 or <5%, respectively, and at least€71/heifer calved into the herd if the prevalence of cows with SCC1 ≥400,000cells/mL was reduced from ≥10 to <5%. The results indicate large differences in lifetime milk yield, depending on SCC early in the first lactation and the findings can be used to assess where specific interventions to control heifer mastitis prepartum are likely to be cost effective. Key words: dairy heifer, somatic cell count, lifetime milk yiel

Afectaciones psicológicas que experimentan adolescentes afro descendientes con padres embarcados del Colegio Moravo durante el periodo Noviembre - Marzo del año 2013.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo conocer las afectaciones psicológicas que experimentan adolescentes afro descendientes con padres embarcados. La metodología realizada fue del tipo mixto tanto cuantitativo como cualitativo. Se trabajó con 70 estudiantes de primero a quinto año del Colegio Moravo de la ciudad de Bluefields, mediante encuestas con el enfoque cuantitativo. También con el enfoque cualitativo se desarrollaron grupos focales a estudiantes. En el caso de los docentes, fueron entrevistados. Mediante los resultados, se puede concluir que desde la perspectiva de los y las adolescentes les afecta la ausencia de sus padres en los siguientes niveles. Mucho 40 %, poco en un 37 % y nada en 23 %, sin embargo, a pesar de la distancia, el 72 % plantea que es buena la relación con sus padres, el 21 % que es regular y el 7 % es indiferente. Pero también, están conscientes de los sacrificios que hacen sus padres para mejorar su nivel de vida, puesto a que el apoyo percibido de forma económica corresponde a 54 %. Mientras que el emocional y espiritual corresponden al 44% y 1 % respectivamente. Solamente, el 1 % de éstos manifestó no sentirse apoyados. En relación a las conductas adquiridas, los/as adolescentes manifestaron estar aislados, rebeldes, indisciplinados, distraídos, independientes. El 86% se identifican con una de estas conductas mientras que el 14% dicen no manifestar ninguna de ellas. En relación al rendimiento académico, desde la percepción de los estudiantes, el 50 % tienen un nivel académico alto, el 46 % medio y solamente el 4 % bajo. Estos datos, coinciden con las valoraciones de los docentes, por lo que se considera que la ausencia de sus padres, lo ven como un estímulo para su superación. Los/as adolescentes, para enfrentar la ausencia de los padres, se dedican a realizar diferentes actividades, entre estas, el 49% son actividades deportivas, un 4% en grupos religiosos y un 47% en actividades sociales

Boundary critical behaviour of two-dimensional random Ising models

Using Monte Carlo techniques and a star-triangle transformation, Ising models with random, 'strong' and 'weak', nearest-neighbour ferromagnetic couplings on a square lattice with a (1,1) surface are studied near the phase transition. Both surface and bulk critical properties are investigated. In particular, the critical exponents of the surface magnetization, 'beta_1', of the correlation length, 'nu', and of the critical surface correlations, 'eta_{\parallel}', are analysed.Comment: 16 pages in ioplppt style, 7 ps figures, submitted to J. Phys.

Association of season and herd size with somatic cell count for cows in Irish,English, and Welsh dairy herds

The aims of this study were to describe associations of time of year, and herd size with cow somatic cell count (SCC) for Irish, English, and Welsh dairy herds. Random samples of 497 and 493 Irish herds, and two samples of 200 English and Welsh (UK) herds were selected. Random effects models for the natural logarithm of individual cow test day SCC were developed using data from herds in one sub-dataset from each country. Data from the second sub-datasets were used for cross validation. Baseline model results showed that geometric mean cow SCC (GSCC) in Irish herds was highest from February to August, and ranged from 111,000 cells/mL in May to 61,000 cells/mL in October. For cows in UK herds, GSCC ranged from 84,000 cells/mL in February and June, to 66,000 cells/mL in October. The results highlight the importance of monitoring cow SCC during spring and summer despite low bulk milk SCC at this time for Irish herds. GSCC was lowest in Irish herds of up to 130 cows (63,000 cells/mL), and increased for larger herds, reaching 68,000 cells/mL in herds of up to 300 cows. GSCC in UK herds was lowest for herds of 130–180 cows (60,000 cells/mL) and increased to 63,000 cells/mL in herds of 30 cows, and 68,000 cells/mL in herds of 300 cows. Importantly, these results suggest expansion may be associated with increased cow SCC, highlighting the importance of appropriate management, to benefit from potential economies of scale, in terms of udder health

‘All hands-on deck’, working together to develop UK standards for public involvement in research

Background: Public involvement in research is an established part of the research process in the UK, however there remain questions about what good public involvement in research looks and feels like. Until now public involvement practitioners, researchers and members of the public have looked for answers in examples shared across networks, published case studies, guidance and research articles. Pulling these strands together, the UK Standards for Public Involvement provides six statements (standards) about public involvement in research. They were produced by a partnership of organisations from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England with contributions from involvement practitioners, public partners, researchers and research funders. Main body: Each standard has reflective questions, which are designed to encourage standard users to use approaches and behaviours that improve involvement, over time. The standards are designed to be used as a practical tool, and reflect the agreed hallmarks of good public involvement in research for example, flexibility in approaches used, shared learning, and mutual respect. The standards development process is described from the initial idea and scoping, via the appraisal of existing standard sets and integration of values and principles in public involvement in research. The collaborative writing process of and consultation on the draft standard set is described, together with what changed as a result of feedback. The initiation of a year-long testing programme with forty participating research organisations, the experiential feedback and the resulting changes to the standards is summarised. Conclusion: This commentary paper describes, in some detail, a process to develop a set of six standards for public involvement in research in the UK. Producing a complex, national public involvement initiative is not without its challenges, and in supplementary material partnership members reflect on and share their experiences of standards development. The next phase of integration and implementation is explored with concluding comments from those that tested and helped improve the standards

Bayesian evaluation of budgets for endemic disease control: an example using management changes to reduce milksomatic cell count early in the first lactation of Irish dairy cows

The aim of this research was to determine budgets for specific management interventions to control heifer mastitis in Irish dairy herds as an example of evidence synthesis and 1-step Bayesian micro-simulation in a veterinary context. Budgets were determined for different decision makers based on their willingness to pay. Reducing the prevalence of heifers with a high milk somatic cell count (SCC) early in the first lactation could be achieved through herd level management interventions for pre- and peri-partum heifers, however the cost effectiveness of these interventions is unknown. A synthesis of multiple sources of evidence, accounting for variability and uncertainty in the available data is invaluable to inform decision makers around likely economic outcomes of investing in disease control measures. One analytical approach to this is Bayesian micro-simulation, where the trajectory of different individuals undergoing specific interventions is simulated. The classic micro-simulation framework was extended to encompass synthesis of evidence from 2 separate statistical models and previous research, with the outcome for an individual cow or herd assessed in terms of changes in lifetime milk yield, disposal risk, and likely financial returns conditional on the interventions being simultaneously applied. The 3 interventions tested were storage of bedding inside, decreasing transition yard stocking density, and spreading of bedding evenly in the calving area. Budgets for the interventions were determined based on the minimum expected return on investment, and the probability of the desired outcome. Budgets for interventions to control heifer mastitis were highly dependent on the decision maker's willingness to pay, and hence minimum expected return on investment. Understanding the requirements of decision makers and their rational spending limits would be useful for the development of specific interventions for particular farms to control heifer mastitis, and other endemic diseases. Keywords Bayesian; Micro-simulation; Dairy heifer; Mastitis control; Cost-effectiveness; Decision makin