Age effect

By using the thermally stimulated discharge currents (TSDC) technique and coupling it with the thermal step (TS) method, which allows accurate measurement of the space charge distribution (an outstanding electrical property), both the relaxation and the relative contribution of the intrinsic polarization charges and the extrinsic trapped charges have been analysed for a series of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) materials after partial hydrogenation as a precursor structure of polyethylene (PE). The a relaxation related to the release of frozen-in dipole orientation, and the r relaxation which is due to the trapping of extrinsic charges have been found to vary, both in intensity and in temperature, with the percentage of ethylene units. On the other hand, the TS measurement of the space charge distribution prior to and after destroying the polarization charges according to the TSDC behaviour, allows one to correlate, as a first approximation, those types of space charge with the molecular microstructure, of either PVC or PE parts. Even if further work remains to be done, the results, as discussed in the light of earlier work on tacticity-driven microstructure-PVC property relationships and on space charge distribution of PVC after hydrogenation, studied by the TS method, provide an original although still tentative interpretation of the space charge behaviour of PE.

The electric space charge behaviour of chlorinated PVC has been studied via thermal step (TS) and thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC). Chlorination has been found to change strongly the ratio between polarization and injection charges in comparison with unmodified PVC. The results allow one to take the fundamentals of the space charge behaviour of PVC an important step further.

Statement of the problem: Tooth restorations are exposed to stresses which produce marginal gaps resulting in microleakage. Purpose: In this study, microleakage of light-cured glass-ionomer and compomer class V restorations was evaluted and compared under cyclic loading. Materials and Methods: In this exprimental study, class V cavities were prepared on the buccal surfaces of maxillary premolars (n=40). The teeth were randomly divided into two equal groups. Samples in one group were restored with Compoglass and those in the other group were restored with Fuji II LC. All the samples were thermocycled for 2500 cycles. Each group was subjected to cyclic loading (10000 cycles). Dye peneteration method was used for samples. Finally, microleakage of the restorations was evaluated under a stereomicroscope at ×20. Data were analyzed with chi-squared test. The confidance level was set at 95% (α=5%). Results: Microleakage was observed at 55% of restoration margins with both materials, with mo...

Samples containing agglomerated cobalt magnetic nanoparticles coated with carbon and dispersed in a cement matrix have been prepared. The samples with (25/75 wt.%) carbon/ cobalt content dispersed at low concentration in cement (about 0.5%) have been studied using the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) method at room temperature (RT). Very intense and broad FMR lines have been recorded in the fresh samples, more intense than those obtained from the same agglomerates dispersed in a paraffin matrix. The FMR spectrum of the cement matrix sample consisted of three different magnetic resonance components: (a) a very broad FMR line attributed to iron oxide, (b) an EPR line arising from trivalent iron ions in a crystal field of low symmetry, and (c) a line from divalent manganese ions. After two months the FMR spectra of cobalt nanoparticles dispersed in cement has changed drastically, while the same agglomerates dispersed in paraffin has shown only weak time dependence. Magnetic interaction between magnetic nanofillers could be more intense in the case of a cement matrix for two reasons: one is due to the porous state of this material and the other is owing to the chemical and physical reactions of agglomerates with various cement constituents. Applications of the obtained results could lead to the production of cement with much better mechanical properties.

A pedigreed population based on the sixth generation of GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) was established in Malaysia. Progeny were generated in two spawning seasons, 2002 and 2003, a Selection and a Control line were created, and two production environments (cages and ponds) were used to grow them out. Live weight in cages and in ponds was treated as two different traits (LWC and LWP, respectively). The heritabilities were 0.38 (s.e. 0.083) and 0.45 (s.e. 0.103), whereas the maternal and common environment effects estimated from the dam variance component were 0.17 (s.e. 0.038) and 0.22 (s.e. 0.047), for LWC and LWP, respectively. The genetic correlation between LWC and LWP was 0.58 (s.e. 0.135). It was concluded that although the genetic correlation between LWC and LWP was less than 1.0, there was not enough evidence to justify the conduct of separate genetic improvement programs for cage and pond environments.

Progeny were generated in two spawning seasons (2002 and 2003) in a fully pedigreed population based on the sixth generation of GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) established in Malaysia. Two lines were created (Selection and Control), and two production environments (cages and ponds) were used to grow out the fish. Live weight at harvest (LW) was the trait under selection, treating the production environments as a fixed effect in the model. In the analysis presented here LW in cages and in ponds was treated as two different traits (LWC and LWP, respectively). Response to selection was estimated for LWC and LWP by three methods by comparing: (i) The least squares means of LW for the Selection and Control lines in the progeny of the 2003 spawning season, (ii) The estimated breeding values for LW between the progeny of the 2002 spawning season and those of the Selected line in the 2003 spawning season, and (iii) The estimated breeding values of the Selection and Control lines in progeny of the 2003 spawning season. For LWC, expressed as a percentage of the overall least squares mean in the population, the estimates were 9.2, 9.6 and 12.7 for methods (i), (ii) and (iii), whereas for LWP they were 8.2, 7.9 and 10.4, respectively. It was concluded that selection response was being achieved in both environments and that there was not enough evidence to justify the conduct of separate genetic improvement programs for cage and pond environments.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) was reported to induce premature organismal aging in fibroblast growth factor-23 (Fgf23) and klotho deficient mice, which is of main interest as 1,25D3 supplementation of its precursor cholecalciferol is used in basic osteoporosis treatment. We wanted to know if 1,25D3 is able to modulate aging processes on a cellular level in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). Effects of 100 nM 1,25D3 on hMSC were analyzed by cell proliferation and apoptosis assay, b-galactosidase staining, VDR and surface marker immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR of 1,25D3-responsive, quiescence-and replicative senescence-associated genes. 1,25D3 treatment significantly inhibited hMSC proliferation and apoptosis after 72 h and delayed the development of replicative senescence in long-term cultures according to b-galactosidase staining and P16 expression. Cell morphology changed from a fibroblast like appearance to broad and rounded shapes. Long term treatment did not induce lineage commitment in terms of osteogenic pathways but maintained their clonogenic capacity, their surface marker characteristics (expression of CD73, CD90, CD105) and their multipotency to develop towards the chondrogenic, adipogenic and osteogenic pathways. In conclusion, 1,25D3 delays replicative senescence in primary hMSC while the pro-aging effects seen in mouse models might mainly be due to elevated systemic phosphate levels, which propagate organismal aging.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) was reported to induce premature organismal aging in fibroblast growth factor-23 (Fgf23) and klotho deficient mice, which is of main interest as 1,25D3 supplementation of its precursor cholecalciferol is used in basic osteoporosis treatment. We wanted to know if 1,25D3 is able to modulate aging processes on a cellular level in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). Effects of 100 nM 1,25D3 on hMSC were analyzed by cell proliferation and apoptosis assay, b-galactosidase staining, VDR and surface marker immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR of 1,25D3-responsive, quiescence-and replicative senescence-associated genes. 1,25D3 treatment significantly inhibited hMSC proliferation and apoptosis after 72 h and delayed the development of replicative senescence in long-term cultures according to b-galactosidase staining and P16 expression. Cell morphology changed from a fibroblast like appearance to broad and rounded shapes. Long term treatment did not induce lineage commitment in terms of osteogenic pathways but maintained their clonogenic capacity, their surface marker characteristics (expression of CD73, CD90, CD105) and their multipotency to develop towards the chondrogenic, adipogenic and osteogenic pathways. In conclusion, 1,25D3 delays replicative senescence in primary hMSC while the pro-aging effects seen in mouse models might mainly be due to elevated systemic phosphate levels, which propagate organismal aging.

The aim of the study was to provide a standardization of self-reported competences and emotional/behavioural problems in Spanish adolescents, using the Achenbach's Youth Self-Report (YSR), and to compare our results to those from other countries. The YSR was completed by 2822 adolescents aged 11-18 years, recruited from secondary schools in two regions of Spain. There were significant differences in Total behaviour problems and in most problem scales in boys and girls, scoring boys higher on externalizing syndromes, whereas girls score higher on internalizing syndromes . Males' mean scores were higher than females' scores for social competence. Age effects also showed significant differences with respect to internalizing problems, thought problems, social problems and depression. Cut-off points based on the 90th and 98th percentile developed from this sample are presented for the competences and the problem scales. To test the overall range of variations across cultures,...

Recognizing the impact of the relative age effect (RAE) in talent selection can help ensure a more equitable and effective athlete development pathway. This study examined the prevalence of the RAE and its potential influences on critical anthropometric and swimming performance metrics in a cohort of talented adolescent athletes participating in the Hellenic Swimming Federation program. The presence of the place of early development effect was also explored. The sample consisted of 129 male and female swimmers born in 2008 (males, n = 24; females, n = 26) and 2009 (males, n = 41; females, n = 36) during the 2022 annual talent meeting. According to the results, evidence for the prevalence of the RAE for the 14-year-old male participants born in the first quarter (19.4%) and both male and female participants aged 13 (29.2 and 29.0% for male and female swimmers respectively), also born in the first quarter was observed. The impact of the RAE on 50 m and 400 m swimming performance was apparent only in male swimmers (p<.05). The anthropometric variables examined did not exhibit a significant impact of the RAE, on either gender, with the exception of sitting height in female participants aged 13. Moreover, the swimmers’ representation in the national talent program was influenced by their place of early development, with smaller regions exhibiting higher talent participation. These findings highlight the importance of strategies to mitigate the impact of the RAE and ensure equal access to training resources for all swimmers regardless of their early development location.

More than 97% of achondroplasia cases are caused by one of two mutations (G1138A and G1138C) in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene, which results in a specific amino acid substitution, G380R. Sporadic cases of achondroplasia have been associated with advanced paternal age, suggesting that these mutations occur preferentially during spermatogenesis. We have determined the parental origin of the achondroplasia mutation in 40 sporadic cases. Three distinct 1-bp polymorphisms were identified in the FGFR3 gene, within close proximity to the achondroplasia mutation site. Ninety-nine families, each with a sporadic case of achondroplasia in a child, were analyzed in this study. In this population, the achondroplasia mutation occurred on the paternal chromosome in all 40 cases in which parental origin was unambiguous. This observation is consistent with the clinical observation of advanced paternal age resulting in new cases of achondroplasia and suggests that factors influencing DNA replication or repair during spermatogenesis, but not during oogenesis, may predispose to the occurrence of the G1138 FGFR3 mutations.

In this article, we study trends in self-reported health (general health and chronic conditions) and health inequality in the Netherlands between 1974 and 1998 using an age-period-cohort framework. We answer two questions: (1) to what extent can trends in self-reported health be explained by the current macro-context (period effect) and by infant mortality in year of birth (cohort effect)? And (2) do the effects of period and cohort differ for educational groups? Health indicators are self-reported poor health and chronic conditions. The use of 26 Dutch cross-sectional surveys makes it possible to estimate largely unbiased effects of period and cohort simultaneously (controlled for age effects) and thus to adequately describe trends in social inequality in health. Our results give rise to four conclusions. First, for men poor health has been more or less stable, for women there has been an increase. The prevalence of chronic conditions has increased for both sexes. Second, adding cohort specific experiences to a model including age and period effects is only relevant for women's poor health. Decreasing infant mortality in year of birth leads to better health and consequently the period effect initially found for women appears to be slightly underestimated. Third, we found no trends in social inequalities in self-reported health due to period effects. Fourth, our analyses do show socially unequal trends in health as a result of cohort specific experiences. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that decreased infant mortality in year of birth makes for a stronger impact of educational differences on self-reported poor health. Concerning chronic conditions no trends for educational groups were found.

Many studies have found that children born to young mothers face handicaps in their educational career. Considerable debate exists as to whether these effects are real age effects, or whether they are due to measured and unmeasured family background effects that are correlated with having children at a young age. In this study, we examine this problem by comparing siblings who were born at different ages of their mother. When effects of maternal age remain in sibling comparisons, they can be attributed to characteristics that change with the age of the parents and hence, they are more directly supportive of a possible causal effect of parental age. We also analyze the effect of motherÕs age in combination with the possible confounding influence of birth order: Children born at late ages on average are born later in the sibling row. Using data on 11,742 siblings in the Netherlands born between 1918 and 1974, our multilevel regression models show that there is a significant positive effect of maternal age on childrenÕs schooling and a small negative effect of birth order.

The purpose is to achieve an improved and more complete understanding of the structure and evolutionary history of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), the second nearest galaxy to the Milky Way. The focus was on the northeastern and west/southwestern parts ...

The large incidence of myopia during the last decades is becoming a worldwide public health problem. Increasing myopia during childhood has been related to changing lifestyle and linked to larger eye growth, although the mechanism to explain how visual exposures affect ocular development is still unclear. The gene-environment interaction in myopia was investigated in a sample of 100 pairs of young twins with large prevalence of myopia. A classical twin's study model was performed on objective refraction measured with an open-view peripheral wave-front sensor across a wide range of horizontal retinal eccentricities. In this sample, variance of refractive errors at the area surrounding the line of sight was mainly related to variance in shared-environmental exposures. From there, while moving towards the retinal periphery, the environmental in uence over peripheral refractive error variance decreased gradually towards a genetically-driven model. In conclusion, environmental exposures, responsible of the increase in myopia incidence, seems to be affecting mainly the central area of the retinal in young myopes.

The last decades have witnessed a sudden increase in myopia incidence among youngsters that have been related to modern lifestyle along with the use of emerging technologies affecting visual exposure. Increasing exposures to known risk factors for myopia, such as time spent indoors, close-distance work, or low-light conditions are thought to be responsible for this public health issue. In most cases, development of myopia is secondary to a vitreous chamber enlargement, although the related mechanisms and the potential interaction between central and peripheral retinal area remain unclear. For a better understanding, we performed a classical twin study where objective refractive error along 70° of horizontal retinal arc was measured in 100 twin pairs of university students, 78% of which showed manifest myopia. We found the variance of shared environmental origin (range 0.34 to 0.67) explained most of the objective refractive error variance within central 42° of the retina (22° tempor...

Over the last decades, the prevalence of myopia has suddenly increased, and at this rate, half of the world’s population will be myopic by the year 2050. Contemporary behavioural and lifestyle circumstances, along with emergent technology, are thought to be responsible for this increase. Twin studies mostly reported a high heritability of refractive error across ethnicities. However, heritability is a population statistic and could vary as a result of changing environmental conditions. We studied the variance of refractive error in millennials with 100 twin pairs of university students in southeast Spain. The study population presented a high prevalence of myopia (77%). Statistical analysis showed the variance of refractive error in this group of young twins was mainly driven by the shared environment and, to a lesser extent, by additive genetic factors. We found an increase in myopia prevalence accompanied by a decrease in heritability in this sample of millennials in contrast with...

A novel Hadron Blind Detector (HBD) has been developed for an upgrade of the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. The HBD will allow a precise measurement of electronpositron pairs from the decay of the light vector mesons and the low-mass pair continuum in heavy-ion collisions. The detector consists of a 50 cm long radiator filled with pure CF 4 and directly coupled in a windowless configuration to a triple Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector with a CsI photocathode evaporated on the top face of the first GEM foil.

Authors Bogdan Tudor Joddy Wang Weidong Liu Hany Elhak Synopsys Abstract In MOS integrated circuits, device aging is mainly due to the degradation of the gate dielectric and of the interface between gate dielectric and silicon over time. Two important mechanisms that contribute to such degradation are the Hot Carrier Injection (HCI) and the Bias Temperature Instability (BTI). These mechanisms are more prominent in advanced process nodes in which the gate oxide is scaled to only a few molecules in equivalent thickness, and with the use of high-K metal-gate transistors. Long and expensive testing is required to assess the degradation of circuit performance and failure in time (aging), thus increasing the overall manufacturing cost. Alternatively, designers use conservative rules to overdesign the critical circuits, increasing the chip cost. Therefore, a cost-effective way to estimate the lifetime of circuits, especially in mission-critical applications (e.g., automotive electronics), ...

The authors also thank SNL staff members Nancy Lies and Fotini Walton for providing extensive technical editing support during the report preparation process. • Organized and Developed Human Performance and Cask Movement Terminology and Behavioral Science Items 6 Job aids are repositories for information, processes, or perspectives; they are external to the individual; they support the work and activity to be done; they direct, guide, and enlighten performance; e.g., books, cards, software, alarms, control panels, various displays (Rossett & Gautier-Downes, 1991). : Terminology related to HRA, human performance, and cask 2-2 movement was clarified, customized, and developed to help make important, but often subtle, distinctions in human performance and cask movement activities that may contribute to a cask drop. This included generating terms to describe specific human performance vulnerabilities that help explain why UAs may occur in particular contexts or situations, in a manner easily understood by those who are knowledgeable of DCSOs but who may have limited knowledge of human performance and HRA. As part of organizing and developing the terminology, and in response to feedback from DCSO SMEs, items from the behavioral sciences that form key portions of the technical basis were selected and summarized to benefit readers without expertise in human factors (HFs) and HRA. • Generated Cask Drop Scenarios Using ATHEANA Tasks: The basic qualitative HRA activities recommended in the ATHEANA (A Technique for Human Event Analysis) HRA method were performed across the seven phases of DCSOs to discover opportunities where cask drops might occur and to develop hypothetical scenarios detailing how and why such events might occur. • Generated Recommendations for Avoiding or Mitigating HFEs: Illustrative recommendations and examples for avoiding or mitigating the impact of human actions that may lead to a cask drop were developed based on: (1) the specific human performance vulnerabilities described in the scenarios; (2) various human performance insights gleaned from the information gathered; and (3) the authors' accumulated knowledge and experience related to improving human performance. None of the authors of this report have first-hand experience in performing or observing SFH and cask movement activities. Therefore, much information had to be gathered to learn about the nominal performance of SFH and DCSOs as well as observed variations from typical activities, significant incidents that have occurred, and recent/emerging concerns, voiced by SMEs, that could contribute to a cask drop. The interviews with SMEs were invaluable in providing an understanding of the human performance aspects of DCSOs and in guiding the authors to various information sources describing incidents that provided further insights. The entire range of activities from planning fuel movements, assuring the quality of equipment, moving individual fuel assemblies, loading fuel into casks, moving casks, and storing fuel at an ISFSI for the long term were examined. The scope of the information-gathering activity was much broader than simply understanding how cask movements are conducted inside NPP buildings: (1) it was important to probe planning and preparation activities for conditions that could set the stage for subsequent UAs related to cask drops; and (2) an earlier analysis report required the generation of scenarios ranging from fuel misloads to accelerated degradation of fuel and casks at ISFSIs (NRC, 2010). The sources below provided the foundation for building the content contained in this report: • interviews with SMEs who have first-hand experience in performing SFH, DCSOs, or overseeing those operations, as well as SMEs with experience in quality assurance (QA) activities for NPP and vendor-supplied equipment used during the conduct of DCSOs, In early discussions with SMEs at the NRC, it became apparent that the two DCSSs and plant types mentioned above would be a useful representative subset of environments for caskhandling operations. Analyzing the HI-STORM 100 DCSS typically used in a Mark I BWR was beneficial because it represents a complex sequence of DCSOs involving many manual rigging operations in a plant requiring large vertical and horizontal cask movements relatively close to reactor operations; thus, it represents the most complex operations and largest potential consequences should a cask be dropped during movement. The analysis of the TN-40 DCSS at a PWR represents less complex DCSOs performed in a fuel or auxiliary building outside the reactor containment building; thus, it represents the complexity of operations and potential cask drop consequences typical for most U.S. NPPs. To develop realistic, credible cask drop scenarios broadly relevant to the U.S. nuclear industry, it was essential to thoroughly understand these two DCSO environments. Previous PRAs and other information sources were reviewed, and a unique categorization scheme for the DCSOs spanning seven phases (defined in Section 3.5) was developed and applied to the two environments. The categorization scheme differed significantly from schemes in previous reports because of the desire to emphasize human performance. In particular, the phases of operation were delineated to facilitate analysis of all planning and preparation activities that could "set up" personnel for a cask drop event and show direct, hands-on cask movement operations that reflect actual "hand-offs" between teams of personnel. These hand-offs may differ among plants due to site-specific practices. Section 3 describes the two DCSO environments, develops the new categorization scheme and applies it to the two environments, and provides new terminology that clearly distinguishes between different types of cask drops and other undesirable cask movements. Appendix A details the activities performed in the seven phases. Early in this study, SMEs in DCSOs expressed a desire to better understand the causes of unsafe human actions that could contribute to events such as cask hang-ups and cask drops. During interviews, questions arose such as "How can you anticipate what unsafe actions (UAs) may occur?"; "Why would any reasonable person do that?"; "Isn't it impossible to predict why people would carry out that UA?"; "Aren't some people just error-prone?"; "Is it possible to identify in advance the people who are susceptible to executing UAs?" It was apparent that over the years the SMEs had seen many people make mistakes or violate procedures during DCSOs. Typically, the people were reprimanded, reassigned, or terminated, and often procedures and training were changed. However, after time, it was not unusual to observe different people make similar mistakes or violate procedures in similar ways. The changes made apparently did not have a lasting effect on improving the safety of the system. The SMEs wondered why these situations kept recurring and whether more effective measures could prevent them in the future. Given that DCSO SMEs and others without expertise in the study of human performance often ask such questions and desire to better understand human performance, it was agreed that this report should provide some background material on HRA and behavioral science. Including key portions of the technical basis for understanding and analyzing human performance (especially UAs) provided an opportunity to organize and further develop terminology relating to HRA and human performance. Section B.1 through B.4, Section 5.1.1, Appendix C, and Appendix D provide background material and improved terminology, which are then applied to the scenarios and recommendations in Sections 5 and 6. Furthermore, Sections B.1 through B.4 discuss HRA and the differences in its application in NPP control room activities and SFH activities, human error in general and UAs in nuclear industry crane operations, important mechanisms and taxonomies for understanding skill acquisition and UAs, and factors that influence human performance in specific contexts (examples tie these concepts directly to SFH and DCSOs). Section 5.1 and Appendix C describe human performance vulnerability terms, and Appendix D defines key terms used in the report and serves as a resource for readers from all technical backgrounds as it clarifies distinctions in human performance, HRA, and cask-handling operations. The background material and terminology will benefit readers without expertise in human factors and HRA in understanding how one may predict: (1) the forms that UAs may take in particular contexts; (2) the reasons why those UAs occur; and (3) the techniques that may be effective in avoiding or mitigating the impact of the UAs.

Radiopharmaceuticals are unique medicinal formulations containing radioisotopes which are used in major clinical areas for diagnosis and/or therapy. The aim of this study was to assess occupationally induced DNA damage in workers of a radiopharmaceutical facility who are at risk of exposure to low levels of external ionizing radiation and internal contamination. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay used as an important biological indicator of ionizing radiation exposure in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 35 exposed workers compared with 35 controls matched for gender, age and smoking habits. Occupational dosimetry records were collected over the last year (ranged from 1.05 to 30.73 mSv) and last 5 years exposure (ranged from 2.56 to 70.24 mSv). The results showed a 2.5 fold increase in the chromosomal damage leading to micronucleated lymphocytes in the workers of the radiopharmaceutical facility compared to the controls (25.82±8.67 vs. 10.52±6.83 micronuclei per 1000 binucleated cells, p < 0.0005). The nuclear division index as a parameter of cytostasis, in the workers was signifi cantly lower than that in the controls. The mean frequency of nucleoplasmic bridges was higher in the radiation workers compared to the controls without statistical signifi cant difference (p > 0.05). Taking all the confounding factors into account, no obvious trend of increased micronuclei as a function of either duration of employment, exposed dose, smoking or age was observed. The present study showed that occupationally exposed individuals have higher frequencies of DNA damage, despite the very low levels of ionizing radiation exposure.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the interaction between genetic group (Botucatu or crossbred) and ambient temperature (thermoneutral, moderate or intense heat stress) on physiological indicators and performance of growing rabbits. Ninety-six weaned rabbits were used, half from the Botucatu genetic group and half crossbreds (New Zealand White males× Botucatu females). They were assigned to a completely randomized design in a 2× 3 factorial arrangement (two genetic groups and three ambient temperatures) with repeated measures (weeks). Colonic temperature, skin surface temperature, ear surface temperature, and respiratory rate were recorded from 42 to 67 days of age, whereas body weight and feed intake were recorded from 35 to 70 days of age. Average ambient temperature and relative humidity in the environmental chambers were 18.4 °C and 63.9% (thermoneutral), 24.4 °C and 80.2% (moderate heat stress) and 29.6 °C and 75.9% (intense heat stress). Mean colonic temperatures ranged from 39.4 to 39.7 °C across treatments. Botucatu rabbits showed higher (Pb 0.05) skin surface temperature under moderate heat stress than the crossbreds (33.0±0.1 vs. 32.6±0.1 °C, respectively) and higher (Pb 0.01) respiratory rates independently of ambient temperature (161.4±2.8 vs. 148.1±2.8 breaths/min, respectively) than the crossbreds. Skin surface temperature, ear surface temperature and respiratory rate were positively related to ambient temperature. Under intense heat, average daily gain of Botucatu rabbits was higher (Pb 0.05) than that of the crossbreds (33.72±0.90 vs. 30.66±0.96 g/day, respectively), but there was no difference with thermoneutral or moderate heat conditions. This finding characterizes a genotype× environment interaction. When the age effect was considered, an increase in colonic temperature under intense heat was detected over the last week. Respiratory rate increased in both genetic groups from six to eight weeks of age, but the increase was more pronounced in Botucatu rabbits than in crossbreds, and the difference between groups was consistently amplified over weeks. Intense heat severely depressed average daily gain as age advanced, especially beyond week eight. As expected, feed consumption increased during the experimental period, but the rate was inversely proportional to ambient temperature. Under intense heat stress, feed consumption of Botucatu rabbits was slightly, but consistently, higher than that of the crossbreds as age advanced. Relevant differences in physiological responses and growth performance between rabbit genetic groups under heat stress were detected.

The general methods used to assess the condition of electrical equipments insulation systems are based on determination of the main electrical properties of the insulating materials in their composition. In this paper, a study concerning the assessment of mineral oil impregnated paper condition using the dielectric response function is presented. In this way, the values of complex permittivity components and loss factor for oil impregnated paper samples subjected to accelerated thermal stresses were analytically determined. The obtained results are compared to the experimental results measured using a dielectric spectrometer.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the postural response to specific types of long-term memory (episodic vs. semantic) in young adults performing an unperturbed upright stance. Although a similar level of steadiness (mean distance) was observed, dual tasking induced a higher velocity, more energy in the higher frequency range (power spectral density), and less regularity (sample entropy) compared with a simple postural task. Moreover, mean velocity was always greater in the semantic than in the episodic task. The differences in postural control during dual tasking may result from the types of processes involved in the memory task. Findings suggest a spatial process sharing between posture and episodic memory.

NixCd1-xO has a ∼3 eV band edge offset and bandgap varying from 2.2 to 3.6 eV, which is potentially important for transparent electronic and photovoltaic applications. We present a systematic study of the electronic band structure of NixCd1-xO alloys across the composition range. Ion irradiation of alloy samples leads to a saturation of the electron concentration associated with pinning of the Fermi level (EF) at the Fermi stabilization energy, the common energy reference located at 4.9 eV below the vacuum level. The composition dependence of the pinned EF allows determination of the conduction band minimum (CBM) energy relative to the vacuum level. The unusually strong deviation of the CBM energy observed from the virtual crystal approximation is explained by a band anticrossing interaction between localized 3d states of Ni and the extended states of the NixCd1-xO alloy host. The resulting band structure explains the dependence between the composition and the electrical and optical...

Aging has effects on many features of normal functioning, particularly in the domains of cognition and adaptive life skills. Several psychiatric conditions also affect cognition and adaptive functioning; most of the research on these topics has been performed on patients early in their lives. The amount of research on older patients is smaller than in younger patients, but there is a developing research literature in several aspects of aging and psychopathology. This chapter reviews aging effects on two major psychiatric conditions: schizophrenia and depression. We examine changes in symptoms and cognitive functioning with aging and the functional implications of the development or worsening of cognitive performance. We also identify risk factors for cognitive changes within each condition and examine the implication of early- versus late-life onset. We believe that cognitive changes with aging are potentially predictable, possibly sharing a mechanism with normal aging-related chang...

Gradual anthropogenic warming and parallel changes in the major global biogeochemical cycles are slowly pushing forest ecosystems into novel growing conditions, with uncertain consequences for ecosystem dynamics and climate. Short-term forest responses (i.e., years to a decade) to global change factors are relatively well understood and skilfully simulated by land surface models (LSMs). However, confidence on model projections weaken towards longer time scales and to the future, mainly because the long-term responses (i.e., decade to century) of these models remain unconstrained. This issue limits confidence on climate model projections. Annually-resolved treering records, extending back to pre-industrial conditions, have the potential to constrain model responses at interannual to centennial time scales. Here, we constrain the representation of tree growth and physiology in the ORCHIDEE global land surface model using the simulated interannual variability of tree-ring width and car...

There is growing evidence that words that are acquired early in life are processed faster and more accurately than words acquired later, even by adults. As neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies have implicated different brain networks in the processing of action verbs and concrete nouns, the present study was aimed at contrasting reaction times to early and later-acquired action verbs and concrete nouns, in order to determine whether effects of word learning age express differently for the two types of words. Our results show that while word frequency affected both types of words in the same way, distinct learning age effects were observed for action verbs and concrete nouns. A further experiment specified that this difference was observed for verbs describing actions belonging to the human motor repertoire, but not for verbs denoting actions past this repertoire (e.g. to neigh). We interpret these data within a recently emerging framework according to which language processing is associated with sensory motor programs.

One of the main reliability concerns in the nanoscale logic is the time-dependent variation caused by Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI). It increases the switching threshold voltage of pMOS transistors and as a result slows down signal propagation along the paths between flip-flops, thus it may cause functional failures in the circuit. Therefore accurate prediction of circuit aging is essential to reliable design, especially for mission or safety critical applications. In this paper, a predictive model to compute NBTI-induced gate delay degradation proposed in [10] has been further developed. The model relies on intensive SPICE electrical simulations carried out for different basic logic gates. The model is more accurate and advanced since it analyzes the impact of pMOS transistors physical location on gate delay degradation and possible delay decrease introduced by many-input NOR gate 1→0 input transition. The obtained results demonstrate an accurate fitting between the ...

Gestational age is one of the most studied variables in perinatal epidemiology, despite being notoriously difficult to mea- sure. Errors in gestational age are inevitable with nearly any method of measurement, including the commonly used benchmark of the last menstrual period. The usual approach in handling this problem has been to look at the distribution of birthweight within gestational age strata. 1-7 However, a more direct look at gestational age misclassi- fication is possible by stratifying on birth- weight (which is the more accurately mea- sured variable) and then inspecting the gestational age distribution within those securely defined strata.8 We used data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway to study the gestational age distribution within birthweight strata. We attempted to summarize misclassifications in gestational age by looking for underlying distributions that might represent systematic errors in gestational age based on last men- strual period.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the extent of errors in gestational age as ascertained by last menstrual period. METHODS: More than 1.5 million birth records (covering the years 1967-1994) from the population-based Medical Birth Registry of Norway were used to study variation in gestational age within strata of birthweight. RESULTS: Within 100-g strata of birthweight, it was found that the observed gestational age distribution could be divided into 3 distinct underlying distributions separated by approximately 4 weeks. This pattern was present through all birthweight strata, from 200 g up to 4700 g. In addition, the apparent misclassification causing a gestational age 4 weeks too short was much more common among low-birthweight births than among heavier births. CONCLUSIONS: The separation of the gestational age distributions by intervals of close to 4 weeks suggests that errors in gestational age measurements are caused by factors related to menstrual bleeding. Furthermore, there is...

The high temperature dielectric relaxation process, observed above the glass transition temperature in poly(e-caprolactone) is studied by Thermally Stimulated Depolarization Currents experiments. The characterization is made by using the windowing polarization technique, decomposing the complex high temperature relaxation into Debye-like peaks. The profile of each peak is then analyzed by using a general kinetic order model, and the origin of the complex relaxation is discussed through the analysis of the parameters obtained from the best fit to the model. The distribution of the trap depths is obtained and their activation energies is found to vary from 0.8 to 1.2 eV. The space charge accumulation is mainly responsible for this relaxation mode in poly(e-caprolactone).

De novo mutations (DNMs) are important players in heritable diseases and evolution. Of particular interest are highly recurrent DNMs associated with congenital disorders that have been described as selfish mutations expanding in the male germline, thus becoming more frequent with age. Here, we have adapted duplex sequencing (DS), an ultradeep sequencing method that renders sequence information on both DNA strands; thus, one mutation can be reliably called in millions of sequenced bases. With DS, we examined ∼4.5 kb of the FGFR3 coding region in sperm DNA from older and younger donors. We identified sites with variant allele frequencies (VAFs) of 10−4 to 10−5, with an overall mutation frequency of the region of ∼6 × 10−7. Some of the substitutions are recurrent and are found at a higher VAF in older donors than in younger ones or are found exclusively in older donors. Also, older donors harbor more mutations associated with congenital disorders. Other mutations are present in both ag...

, received the M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the Riga Technical University, Latvia, in 1995, and the Ph.D. degree from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden, in 2001. Currently, he is with Programma Electric AB, Täby, Sweden, working on the development of diagnostic methods for oil-paper systems using frequencydomain spectroscopy. (SM'83), received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in 1969 and 1975, respectively. Currently, he is a Professor in the Department of Electric Power Engineering at KTH. His research interests include diagnostics of electrical insulation and insulation coordination.

Trees' growth responses to climate may depend on tree age and site conditions. In dioecious species, sex adds an extra level of complexity due to differential reproductive effort between the sexes and potentially sex-related dimorphic growth. Araucaria araucana is a long-lived dioecious conifer with outstanding morphological and functional adaptations considered an excellent model to explore interactions between radial growth, climate variability and reproductive effort. We assessed the potential dimorphism of growth rates of the sexes, the effects of site, tree age and sex on the individual climatic responses, and the growth-climate-cone production relationships of A. araucana in two environmentally contrasted sites at the Andes of south-central Chile. We quantified tree-ring growth, its dependence on weather variability, and the relationships of cone production with growth and climate. We found site-dependent sexually-dimorphic growth rates, with females growing more in the warmer site while males growing more in the colder site. Resource allocation to growth was dependent on weather conditions prior to the growing season. Clear effects of site conditions, tree sex and age on the responses of individual tree growth to climate were identified. A more resilient response to drought stress occurred in the colder site and female trees' growth showed tighter limitations by winter snow cover. Warm conditions in spring and summer exerted an age-dependent detrimental effect on growth, which is coherent with earlier xylogenesis resumption in younger trees. Cone production was strongly dependent on antecedent weather conditions up to seven years prior to seed dispersal that induced female cone primordia formation and favoured fertilization of female cones and soil nutrient uptake. The revealed lagged connections between vegetative growth, weather cues and cone production point towards a long-term life strategy for A. araucana.

Polyester fibers (PES) are the most consumed textile fibers due to their low water absorption; non-ionic character and high crystallinity. However, due to their chemical structure, the chemical interactions between polyester, finishing products, and dyes are quite challenging. We report on the use of ozone to modify the surface of polyester fibers with the goal of improving the interaction of the modified surface with finishing compounds and dyes. We used C.I. Disperse Yellow 211 to dye ozone-treated polyester fabrics and evaluated the effects of ozone treatment using FTIR-ATR, Raman spectroscopy, SEM imaging, rubbing tests, and capillarity measurements. We evaluated the dyeing performance via color analysis, and determined the dyeing kinetics. Experimental results indicate that the modification of polyester fabrics with ozone is a feasible pre-treatment that improves dyeing efficiency allowing better solidity of color and a decrease in the amount of dye required.

In micro-hybrid vehicles, the starter battery is subject to heavy cyclic loads. Results of these cyclic loads are vertical concentration gradients (acid stratification). For this study, it was analyzed systematically how different temperatures influence the formation and reduction of acid stratification. To this end, flooded lead-acid batteries were cycled during a cycle test with 17.5% depth of discharge at -5 • C, 3 • C, 27 • C, and 60 • C. To determine the extent of acid stratification caused by the cycling, the acid density values of the test batteries cycled at four different temperatures were measured using acid density monitoring. The acid densities were measured hourly in 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 80%, and 100% sections in the direction of the perpendicular z-axis of the battery. The measurements showed that the extent of acid concentration gradients is dependent on the temperature, with acid stratification caused by an uneven distribution of current over the height of the plates. Furthermore, it was established that battery discharging as well as battery charging causes an inhomogeneous acid density distribution in the battery electrolyte.

For the identification of particles in the momentum range 0.5-2:5 GeV=c, the ALICE experiment uses a Time Of Flight array consisting of Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) in the form of long strips. The design of the detector elements is as follows : double stack MRPCs with glass resistive plates and 5 gas gaps of 250 mm per stack. The latest results on the performance of these MRPCs are presented. Typical values of time resolution s are better than

We present in this paper a study of the Alice-TOF Multigap Resistive Plate Chamber (MRPC) performance by using several gas mixtures. We also present a search for possible ageing effects, by studying two MRPCs irradiated at the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility.

Selection for increased body weight at harvest in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was carried out for five generations from 1991 to 1996, as a part of the project Genetic Improvement of Farmed Tilapias (GIFT). The base population for selection was composed of a mixture of various three-and four-way cross individuals descending from four wild African strains and four farmed Asian strains. Methods for single pair mating, separate rearing of full-sib groups and individual tagging and pedigree recording were developed. The parents for a new generation were selected based on a selection index including their own age corrected-body weight at harvest as well as that of their full-and half-sibs. Across generations, a total of 512 males were mated in a nested mating design to 941 females to produce 81,429 tagged progenies. Of those, 56,633 progeny had their body weight recorded at harvest after grow-out testing in a diverse range of farming environments. Estimates of the within generation realized response to selection across farming environments were obtained as the difference between the least squares mean performance of offspring of selected parents and of offspring of parents with average values of the selection index. The average realized response to selection per generation was 13.6% (range 9.0 to 20.1%), resulting in an accumulated response over five generations of 88% relative to the base population. A genetic trend analysis based on BLUP breeding values estimated across generations after the termination of the project suggested an accumulated response of 67%. The genetic composition of the synthetic population also changed during selection. The proportion of ancestors from three of the wild African founder strains increased from 59.7 to 76.3%. The accumulated coefficient of inbreeding was 7.1%. After the termination of the GIFT project, selection was continued in the GIFT population. The population has also been used as a genetic source in a number of similar public and private selection programs. A status review of the presently recorded dissemination of the genetic material and methodology is presented. Statement of relevance: The GIFT project showed that five generations of repeated selection based on testing of individually tagged and pedigreed individuals from a synthetic farmed population of Nile tilapia gradually increased the body weight at harvest. The total increase was 67-88%. Reports from several descending populations shows that the selection response has continued during N10-15 additional generations.

This study aims to identify the pronunciation errors made by native Arabic speakers in Turkish segmental units and to examine these errors in relation to the influence of native language, gender, and age. Participants were selected using purposive sampling and consisted of beginner-level Turkish learners at the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centers in Azez and Afrin. A total of 91 learners—58 adults (32 males, 26 females) and 33 children (18 males, 15 females)—participated in the study. To enable a comparative analysis of problematic segmental units, the reading texts were also recorded by native Turkish speakers (6 adults and 6 children). Effective communication in a foreign language depends on clear, fluent, and accurate speech. Therefore, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) includes pronunciation objectives under the phonological control scale and speech quality. According to this scale, even basic-level learners are expected to use both segmental and suprasegmental features of the target language to some extent. The assessment of whether learners have achieved these pronunciation outcomes requires valid and reliable research. For this purpose, 12 reading texts and 4 independent speaking questions from beginner-level Turkish teaching materials were presented to the learners, and their oral reading and speaking performances were recorded.
The most frequently selected texts included 550 words and 1,377 segmental units. These units were acoustically analyzed using the Praat software; visualized with Python; and interpreted through qualitative research methods. The findings support the critical period hypothesis, indicating that children outperform adults in pronouncing Turkish segmental units. Among adults, males performed better, while among children, females showed higher pronunciation performance. Learners had more difficulty producing sounds that do not exist in their native language’s phonetic inventory.

Sleep plays an important role in maintaining neuronal circuitry, signalling and helps maintain overall health and wellbeing. Sleep deprivation (SD) disturbs the circadian physiology and exerts a negative impact on brain and behavioural functions. SD impairs the cellular clearance of misfolded neurotoxin various proteins which are involved in major neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. SD affects the immunological and redox system resulting in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The aim of the present study is to investigate sleep deprivation (SD) induced oxidative stress in different parts of the brain and in vivo behavioural changes associated with aging. Lipid peroxidation and reduced antioxidant status were significantly (p&lt;0.05) increased along with the altered learning and memory ability. The most affected part of the brain was hippocampus followed by cerebral cortex. Acetyl cholinesterase was found to be altered in SD treated rats. T...

We present measurements of Ku band electromagnetic (EM) bias made for 2 months from a platform in Bass Strait off the southeast coast of Australia during the austral winter of 1992. EM bias, , the difference between the electromagnetic and true mean sea levels, was measured using Doppler scatterometers. Linear wave theory was used to relate the Doppler signal to the surface displacement, giving simultaneous coincident backscatter and wave measurements, including significant wave height, H s . On the basis of dimensional reasoning, we suggest that the usual inhomogeneous correlations of the normalized bias b = /H s with the 10 m wind speed, U 10 , and H s may be improved by correlating the data with nondimensional variables, including a characteristic wave slope, s, and wave age, c/U 10 , where c is a characteristic phase speed of the surface waves. Using both polynomial correlations and optimal estimation techniques to fit the data, we find that the standard error of the fit is reduced by $50% when the dimensionless variables are used. We find that the dependence of the EM bias on the wave slope is consistent with earlier tower-based measurements and the theory of short-wave modulation by longer waves. We discuss the implications of these results for operational implementation of EM bias algorithms based on wave slope and wave age.

Finite element simulations of PLC effects in notched and CT (compact tensile) specimens of aluminium alloys are presented, based on a macroscopic PLC constitutive model. They predict the formation and propagation of intense strain rate localization bands. In particular, the predicted size of the plastic zone around the crack tip in a pre-cracked CT specimen is compared to the value found when using a standard elastoplastic model neglecting PLC effects.

The study investigated pointing at memorized targets in reachable space in congenitally blind (CB) and blindfolded sighted (BS) children (6, 8, 10 and 12 years; ten children in each group). The target locations were presented on a sagittal plane by passive positioning of the left index Wnger. A go signal for matching the target location with the right index Wnger was provided 0 or 4 s after demonstration. An age eVect was found only for absolute distance errors and the surface area of pointing was smaller for the CB children. Results indicate that early visual experience and age are not predictive factors for pointing in children. The delay was an important factor at all ages and for both groups, indicating distinct spatial representations such as egocentric and allocentric frames of reference, for immediate and delayed pointing, respectively. Therefore, the CB like the BS children are able to use both ego-and allocentric frames of reference.

The Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation (IFAU) is a research institute under the Swedish Ministry of Employment, situated in Uppsala. IFAU's objective is to promote, support and carry out scientific evaluations. The assignment includes: the effects of labour market policies, studies of the functioning of the labour market, the labour market effects of educational policies and the labour market effects of social insurance policies. IFAU shall also disseminate its results so that they become accessible to different interested parties in Sweden and abroad. IFAU also provides funding for research projects within its areas of interest. The deadline for applications is October 1 each year. Since the researchers at IFAU are mainly economists, researchers from other disciplines are encouraged to apply for funding. IFAU is run by a Director-General. The institute has a scientific council, consisting of a chairman, the Director-General and five other members. Among other things, the scientific council proposes a decision for the allocation of research grants. A reference group including representatives for employer organizations and trade unions, as well as the ministries and authorities concerned is also connected to the institute.

The aim of this study is to determine whether presence of parents can change tolerance of pain and distress in children. Materials and Methods: A hundred thirty five children (62 girls, and 73 boys) between 3-6 years who were admitted to the paediatric outpatient clinic were included in the study. The cases were randomised into two groups: those who were accompanied by a parent (group 1), and those who were accompanied by a hospital staff member (group 2). We used the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale to evaluate pain. Analyses were performed using commercially software (PASW ver. 18, ID:33478001 SPSS inc. Chicago, IL). A p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The mean age of the cases with their parents was 4.19±1.23 years. The mean age of cases with hospital personnel was 4.36±1.41 years. During the procedure, mean respiratory rates were 32.09±9.09/ min and 38.60±8.70/min in groups 1 and group 2, respectively (p<0.05). The mean heart rates of group 1 were 123.24±16.08/min, and the mean heart rates of group 2 were 131.82±16.96/min; this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). During the procedure 53 (77.9%) members of group 1 and 58 (86%) members of group 2 obtained Wong-Baker scores higher than 3, but this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: As a result, our study showed that parental presence had a minimal positive effect on pain tolerance, additional randomised and controlled studies with larger groups are required before a conclusion about the issue can be reached.