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Kinds of Tool Terms modified by Tool Selected AbstractsDYNAMIC RESPONSE OF TIMBER BRIDGES AS A TOOL TO MEASURE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITYEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 3 2003A.M. Morison First page of article [source] SOIL PENETRATION MEASUREMENTS SUPPORTING THE DESIGN OF AN IMPACT BORING TOOLEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 6 2001G. Prater Jr. First page of article [source] ALL PATIENT REFINED DIAGNOSIS RELATED GROUPS: A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE TOOL FOR IDENTIFYING ELDERLY PATIENTS AT RISK OF HIGH RESOURCE CONSUMPTIONJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2005Alberto Pilotto PhD No abstract is available for this article. [source] APPLICATION OF STEPWISE AMMONIUM SULFATE PRECIPITATION AS CLEANUP TOOL FOR AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY OF GLYPHOSATE OXIDOREDUCTASE IN GENETICALLY MODIFIED RAPE OF GT73JOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2009WENTAO XU ABSTRACT The method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after stepwise ammonium sulfate (AS) purification (AS-ELISA) was developed and used to detect genetically modified (GM) rape of GT73 containing glyphosate oxidoreductase (Gox). Gox protein encoded by the Gox gene from Achromobacter sp. was highly expressed as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and purified to homogeneity by Ni2+affinity chromatography. A simple and efficient extraction and purification procedure of Gox protein from the seeds and leaves of GM rape was developed by means of stepwise AS precipitation. Purified polyclonal antibodies against Gox was produced and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures were established further on to measure the Gox protein. AS-ELISA allowed 5% GMOs to be detected in the seeds of GT73 and 0.5% GMOs to be detected in the leaves of GT73 rape, which makes this method an acceptable method to access Gox protein in GM rape of GT73. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Many GMOs containing Gox gene have been approved worldwide such as GT73 rape, 1,445 cotton and Mon832 maize. Protein based methods were more important than DNA based methods, because protein performs a specific and concrete function and is closely interconnected with crop traits. AS-ELISA method can be used in the screening of GM plant, Gox protein expression assay and quantitative detection for GMO labeling. AS-ELISA Gox detecting method was established in this paper and was being evaluated of Inter-laboratory Comparison in some of Chinese GMO detection and assessment centers. With the knowledge of ELISA, ELISA method will be the national standards and international and will be a beneficial supplement for the DNA based GMO detecting methods. [source] REDUCED/OXIDIZED GLUTATHIONE INDEX AS A TOOL FOR FOOD MONITORITY OXIDATIVE STRESS DURING EXTRUSION COOKINGJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 3 2001H. ZIELINSKI Reduced and oxidized glutathione was assayed in wheat, barley, rye, oats and buckwheat before and after extrusion cooking. The results obtained indicate that GSH/GSSG ratio was decreased from 1.91 and 10.72 for raw oat and buckwheat grains to the 1.13, 1.01, 1.10 and 4.72, 3.89, 3.89 for extruded material, respectively, in temperature used of 120, 160 and 200C. These results indicate that the oxidative stress is least developed during extrusion cooking of oat and buckwheat grains. Wheat and barley grains were more prone to oxidative damage, and the observed decrease of the ratio ranged from 6.84 and 4.89 (wheat cv. Almari and barley cv. Mobek, raw material) to the 1.89 and 2.07 (after extrusion cooking at 200C, respectively). No significance differences were found between two cultivars of wheat and barley being used in the experiment. The most decreased ratio up to five times was found in rye grain extrudates. The extrusion performed under barrel temperature profile of 80,100,120,120,120C caused significant decrease in GSH content when compared to raw material. The next higher barrel temperature profiles of 100,130,160,160,120C and 120,160,200,200,120C led to further GSH decrease in extruded wheat grains. In contrast, the two high temperature profiles did not [source] ECOSYSTEM MODELING: A TOOL TO UNDERSTAND THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN EXTRACTIVE AND FED AQUACULTUREJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2001Article first published online: 24 SEP 200 Yarish, C. 1, Rawson, Jr. M. V.2, Chopin, T.3, Wang, D. R.4, Chen, C.4, Carmona, R.1, Chen, C.5 , Wang, L.4, Ji , R.5 and Sullivan, J.5 1University of Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut 06901-2315, USA; 2Georgia Sea Grant College Program, Athens, GA 30602-3636, USA; 3University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada; 4Marine and Fishery Dept. of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, P. R. China; 5The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-3636, USA One of the most difficult tasks resource managers face is understanding the carrying capacity of coastal waters for aquaculture. Aquaculture, like many other human activities, can threaten coastal waters. Aquaculture producing shrimp and finfish depends on supplemental feeding and can contribute to eutrophication. A second type, involving shellfish and macroalgae, extracts plankton and nutrients from surrounding waters, and can have a significant positive impact on moderately eutrophic waters. Ecosystem modeling offers a 3-dimensional physical, chemical and biological simulation that can help understand and predict the impacts of aquaculture on coastal embayments. Such a model is being explored for Xincun Bay (22 km2), which is located in southeastern Hainan Province, China. Aquaculture in Xincun Bay includes 6500 fish pens, 100 ha of shrimp ponds, pearl oyster culture rafts and Kappaphycus alvarezii culture that produces 2,000 mt (Oct.-May). The surrounding area has ~ 15,000 people and Xincun City is a major offshore fishing and tourist center. The annual nitrogen and phosphorus removal capacity of Kappaphycus in Xincun Bay may have been in the order of 53.8 and 3.7 mt, respectively, during the 1999-2000 growing season. Lian Bay (~ 15 km2), a nearby bay with only Kappaphycus and pearl oyster culture (and little anthropogenic input), has a macroalgal production of 1,500 mt annually. The annual nitrogen and phosphorus removal capacity of Kappaphycus here may have been in the order of 25 and 0.33 mt, respectively. Our prototype model may hold the promise for showing the importance of integrating seaweed culture activities in the maintenance and health of coastal embayments. [source] FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY AS A NOVEL TOOL TO INVESTIGATE CHANGES IN INTRACELLULAR MACROMOLECULAR POOLS IN THE MARINE MICROALGA CHAETOCEROS MUELLERII (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Mario Giordano Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to study carbon allocation patterns in response to changes in nitrogen availability in the diatom Chaetoceros muellerii Lemmerman. The results of the FT-IR measurements were compared with those obtained with traditional chemical methods. The data obtained with both FT-IR and chemical methods showed that nitrogen starvation led to the disappearance of the differences in cell constituents and growth rates existing between cells cultured at either high [NO3,] or high [NH4+]. Irrespective of the nitrogen source supplied before nitrogen starvation, a diversion of carbon away from protein, chlorophyll, and carbohydrates into lipids was observed. Under these conditions, cells that had previously received nitrogen as nitrate appeared to allocate a larger amount of mobilized carbon into lipids than cells that had been cultured in the presence of ammonia. All these changes were reversed by resupplying the cultures with nitrogen. The rate of protein accumulation in the N-replete cells was slower than the rate of decrease under nitrogen starvation. This study demonstrates that the relative proportions of the major macromolecules contained in microalgal cells and their changes in response to external stimuli can be determined rapidly, simultaneously, and inexpensively using FT-IR. The technique proved to be equally reliable to and less labor intensive than more traditional chemical methods. [source] ENTRY-LEVEL POLICE CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT CENTER: AN EFFICIENT TOOL OR A HAMMER TO KILL A FLY?PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2002KOBI DAYAN The study examined the validity of the assessment center (AC) as a selection process for entry-level candidates to die police and its unique value beyond cognitive ability tests. The sample included 712 participants who responded to personality and cognitive ability testing (CAT), and underwent an AC procedure. AC results included the overall assessment rating (OAR) and peer evaluation (PE). Seven criterion measures were collected for 585 participants from a training stage and on-the-job performance. Results showed that the selection system was valid. Findings yielded significant unique validities of OAR and PE beyond CAT and of PE beyond OAR even after corrections for restriction of range. Results support the use of ACs for entry-level candidates. [source] NEUTRON TOMOGRAPHY AS A VALUABLE TOOL FOR THE NON-DESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL BRONZE SCULPTURESARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2010E. H. LEHMANN This paper explains, with the example of a Roman object (the ,Mars from Oberweningen', Switzerland), why neutrons can be used preferentially for the non-destructive analysis of metallic objects of relatively large size. This method is superior to the conventional X-ray tomography method due to the higher penetration ability in metals such as copper, tin and even lead. With this method, differing materials can also easily be differentiated. In this way, the inner and outer structures of objects can be observed with the help of tools based on mathematical algorithms. Slices at arbitrary positions and segmentation of different material clusters aid the understanding of manufacturing processes and can describe the present preservation status. This helps in selecting optimal and additional conservation measures in museums for further preservation. Beside the qualitative overview on structure and inner properties of the objects, quantitative information can be derived about material content and composition. This method and the subsequently needed facilities for this method are available at PSI for similar studies on demand. [source] ELEMENTAL ANALYSES OF A GROUP OF GLAZED TERRACOTTA ANGELS FROM THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE, AS A TOOL FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF A COMPLEX CONSERVATION HISTORY,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 3 2003A. Zucchiatti A group of Italian glazed terracotta sculptures, attributed to the della Robbia workshop of Florence, is partly displayed in the Louvre Museum. Analyses of the apparently homogeneous sculptures by techniques such as PIXE, SEM, ICP/AES and ICP/MS have identified differences in the materials used. The data provide a subdivision of the sculptures, which is compatible with what is known from historical documents and artistic considerations, and suggest a date for this ensemble at the end of the 15th century, when the della Robbia family was involved in the decoration of the San Frediano church in Florence. [source] DO WE NEED A SINGLE TOOL OR A TOOL KIT FOR ASSESSMENT IN COMMUNITY CARE?AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 2004Article first published online: 27 OCT 200 [source] DATA-DRIVEN SMOOTH TESTS AND A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR LACK-OF-FIT FOR CIRCULAR DATAAUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF STATISTICS, Issue 4 2009Heidi Wouters Summary Two contributions to the statistical analysis of circular data are given. First we construct data-driven smooth goodness-of-fit tests for the circular von Mises assumption. As a second method, we propose a new graphical diagnostic tool for the detection of lack-of-fit for circular distributions. We illustrate our methods on two real datasets. [source] CONTROLLING YOUR DRINKING: TOOLS TO MAKE MODERATION WORK FOR YOUADDICTION, Issue 9 2005JALIE A. TUCKER No abstract is available for this article. [source] POTENTIAL TOOLS FOR TRACKING OCEAN CLIMATE: VARIABILITY IN STABLE ISOTOPES IN LIVING CORALLINE ALGAEJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000R.A. Dunn Our ability to track long term climate change in coastal regions is limited in temperate and polar regions. Physical oceanographic dynamics in temperature and upwelling events can be recorded as carbon and oxygen stable isotope signals in carbonate producing organisms. Because coralline algae photosynthesize, produce calcium carbonate and are widely distributed, they may provide a new tool for detecting short-term change. However, little is known about how coralline algae incorporate stable isotopes into their calcite thallus structure. The objectives of this study were to determine if growth and isotopic signature differ in articulated coralline algae grown in different oceanographic regimes in Monterey Bay. The articulated alga Calliarthron cheiliospororioides was outplanted at three locations varying in seawater temperature and upwelling strength. New algal growth was measured by staining the algae with Alizarin Red and enumerating the amount of accumulated material at the branch tips. Growth rates varied seasonally and spatially. Low-upwelling daily growth rates averaged 0.044,0.056 mm day,1, while high-upwelling growth rates were 0.083 mm day,1. Isotope ratios were obtained by analyzing microsampled portions of the alga in a mass spectrometer. Changes in the 18O/16O and 13C/12C ratios appear to reflect change in seawater temperature and upwelling strength, respectively. [source] WATER EXCHANGES: TOOLS TO BEAT EL NIÑO CLIMATE VARIABILITY IN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 1 2004Michael J. Scott ABSTRACT: Using a case study of the Yakima River Valley in Washington State, this paper shows that relatively simple tools can be used to forecast the impact of the El Niño phenomenon on water supplies to irrigated agriculture, that this information could be used to estimate the significantly shifted probability distribution of water shortages in irrigated agriculture during El Niño episodes, and that these shifted probabilities can be used to estimate the value of exchanges of water between crops to relieve some of the adverse consequences of such shortages under western water law. Further, recently devised water-trading tools, while not completely free under western water law to respond to forecasted El Niño episodes (ocean circulation patterns), are currently being employed during declared drought to reduce the devastating effects of water shortages in junior water districts on high valued perennial crops. Additional institutional flexibility is needed to take full advantage of climate forecasting, but even current tools clearly could prove useful in controlling the effects of climate variability in irrigated agriculture. Analysis shows the significant benefit of temporarily transferring or renting water rights from low-value to high-value crops, based on El Niño forecasts. [source] TOOLS TO QUALIFY EXPERIMENTS WITH BLOOMERY FURNACES*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 1 2010M. SENN Five experimental bloomery iron ore smelts were carried out in a reconstruction of an early medieval furnace of the Boécourt type (Switzerland). A part of the bloom from the most successful experiment was forged to a billet. Starting materials and products were weighed, described and chemically characterized (ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS and WD-XRF). The calculation of the yield and mass balance based on the chemical analyses from the ore (optimum) and from the ore, furnace lining, slag and ash (applied) allow the determination and quantification of the materials involved in the process. This permits the interpretation of the quality of the experiments. The chemical characterization of metal produced from hematite ore from the Gonzen Mountains in Switzerland gives archaeologists the possibility to compare the metal of iron artefacts to metal from this mine. Finally a good agreement between experiments and archaeological reality can be shown. [source] COLD NEUTRON PROMPT GAMMA ACTIVATION ANALYSIS,A NON-DESTRUCTIVE METHOD FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF HIGH SILICA CONTENT CHIPPED STONE TOOLS AND RAW MATERIALS,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 1 2008ZS. KASZTOVSZKY Recently, several archaeometrical projects have been started on the prehistoric collection of the Hungarian National Museum. Among the analytical methods applied, non-destructive prompt gamma activation analysis has a special importance. We have also tested the potential of this method on chipped stone tools, with the aim of determining their exact provenance. On the basis of major and trace element components, characterizations of stone tools and their raw materials,silicites (flint, chert, radiolarite and hornstone) as well as volcanites (felsitic porphyry and obsidian),were performed. We discuss some important results concerning each group, as case studies. Compiling the data set of different PGAA analysis series, compositions of 110 samples are reported, including 76 archaeological pieces. In the future, we plan to extend the number of investigated objects in each class. [source] ARCHAEOMETRIC STUDY OF PROTOHISTORIC GRINDING TOOLS OF VOLCANIC ROCKS FOUND IN THE KARST (ITALY,SLOVENIA) AND ISTRIA (CROATIA),ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2004F. ANTONELLI This paper presents the results of the archaeometric study of 30 grinding tools found in the Karst plateau (an area that spreads from the northeastern border of Italy to Slovenia) and in the Istria peninsula (Croatia). The petrographic and geochemical characteristics of the artefacts indicate that most of them would be made of trachytic volcanites extracted from the Euganean Hills, near Padua (Veneto). It is known that trachytic rocks from this area had been widely exploited in northern Italy during protohistoric times, but these data considerably enlarge the area of diffusion of saddle-querns made of these rocks, extending it to Istria. Additionally, the likely provenance from Mount Etna of few other pieces of mugearites and hawaiites represents a new element, to be fully evaluated in the context of trans-Adriatic exchange/trade connections. Analytical data and possible archaeological inferences are presented in detail in the text. [source] DNA AND PROTEIN RECOVERY FROM WASHED EXPERIMENTAL STONE TOOLS,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2004O. C. SHANKS Traces of protein and DNA are preserved on stone tools used to process animals. Previous research documents the identification of protein residues from tools sonicated in 5% ammonium hydroxide, but it remains untested whether the same treatment yields useable DNA. In this study we report both DNA and protein recovery using 5% ammonium hydroxide from residues on stone tools. We extracted 13-year-old residues from experimentally manufactured stone tools used to butcher a single animal. We also show that surface washing procedures typically used to curate stone tools remove only a small fraction of the DNA and protein deposited during animal butchery. [source] BetweenIT: An Interactive Tool for Tight InbetweeningCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 2 2010Brian Whited Abstract The generation of inbetween frames that interpolate a given set of key frames is a major component in the production of a 2D feature animation. Our objective is to considerably reduce the cost of the inbetweening phase by offering an intuitive and effective interactive environment that automates inbetweening when possible while allowing the artist to guide, complement, or override the results. Tight inbetweens, which interpolate similar key frames, are particularly time-consuming and tedious to draw. Therefore, we focus on automating these high-precision and expensive portions of the process. We have designed a set of user-guided semi-automatic techniques that fit well with current practice and minimize the number of required artist-gestures. We present a novel technique for stroke interpolation from only two keys which combines a stroke motion constructed from logarithmic spiral vertex trajectories with a stroke deformation based on curvature averaging and twisting warps. We discuss our system in the context of a feature animation production environment and evaluate our approach with real production data. [source] LazyBrush: Flexible Painting Tool for Hand-drawn CartoonsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 2 2009Daniel Sýkora Abstract In this paper we present LazyBrush, a novel interactive tool for painting hand-made cartoon drawings and animations. Its key advantage is simplicity and flexibility. As opposed to previous custom tailored approaches [SBv05, QWH06] LazyBrush does not rely on style specific features such as homogenous regions or pattern continuity yet still offers comparable or even less manual effort for a broad class of drawing styles. In addition to this, it is not sensitive to imprecise placement of color strokes which makes painting less tedious and brings significant time savings in the context cartoon animation. LazyBrush originally stems from requirements analysis carried out with professional ink-and-paint illustrators who established a list of useful features for an ideal painting tool. We incorporate this list into an optimization framework leading to a variant of Potts energy with several interesting theoretical properties. We show how to minimize it efficiently and demonstrate its usefulness in various practical scenarios including the ink-and-paint production pipeline. [source] Validation and Clinical Utility of a Simple In-Home Testing Tool for Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Arrhythmias in Heart Failure: Results of the Sleep Events, Arrhythmias, and Respiratory Analysis in Congestive Heart Failure (SEARCH) StudyCONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 5 2006William T. Abraham MD Fifty patients with New York Heart Association class III systolic heart failure were enrolled in this prospective multicenter study that compared the diagnostic accuracy of a home-based cardiorespiratory testing system with standard attended polysomnography. Patients underwent at least 2 nights of evaluation and were scored by blinded observers. At diagnostic cutoff points of ,5, ,10, and ,15 events per hour for respiratory disturbance severity, polysomnography demonstrated a sleep-disordered breathing prevalence of 69%, 59%, and 49%, respectively. Compared with polysomnography, the cardiorespiratory testing system demonstrated predictive accuracies of 73%, 73%, and 75%, which improved to 87%, 87%, and 83%, respectively, when analysis of covariance suggested reanalysis omitting one site's data. The system accurately identified both suspected and unsuspected arrhythmias. The device was judged by 80% of patients to be easy or very easy to use, and 74% of patients expressed a preference for the in-home system. Therefore, this system represents a reasonable home testing device in these patients. [source] Matrix Models as a Tool for Understanding Invasive Plant and Native Plant InteractionsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005DIANE M. THOMSON competencia; invasión biológica; plantas invasoras; modelo matricial; perturbación Abstract:,Demographic matrix models are an increasingly standard way to evaluate the effects of different impacts and management approaches on species of concern. Although invasive species are now considered among the greatest threats to biodiversity, matrix methods have been little used to explore and integrate the potentially complicated effects of invasions on native species. I developed stage-structured models to assess the impacts of invasive grasses on population growth and persistence of a federally listed (U.S.A.) endemic plant, the Antioch Dunes evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides subsp. howellii [Munz] W. Klein). I used these models to evaluate two frequently made assumptions: (1) when rare plant populations decline in invaded habitats, invasive species are the cause and (2) invasive plants suppress rare plants primarily through direct resource competition. I compared two control and two removal matrices based on previous experimental work that showed variable effects of invasive grasses on different life-history stages of O. deltoides. Matrix analysis showed that these effects translated into substantial changes in population growth rates and persistence, with control matrices predicting a mean stochastic population growth rate (,) of 0.86 and removal matrices predicting growth rates from 0.92 to 0.93. Yet even the most optimistic invasive removal scenarios predicted rapid decline and a probability of extinction near one in the next 100 years. Competitive suppression of seedlings had much smaller effects on growth rates than did lowered germination, which probably resulted from thatch accumulation and reduced soil disturbance. These results indicate that although invasive grasses have important effects on the population growth of this rare plant, invasion impacts are not solely responsible for observed declines and are likely to be interacting with other factors such as habitat degradation. Further, changes in the disturbance regime may be as important a mechanism creating these impacts as direct resource competition. My results highlight the value of demographic modeling approaches in creating an integrated assessment of the threats posed by invasive species and the need for more mechanistic studies of invasive plant interactions with native plants. Resumen:,Los modelos demográficos matriciales son una forma cada vez más utilizada para evaluar los efectos de diferentes impactos y métodos de gestión sobre las especies en cuestión. Aunque actualmente se considera a las plantas invasoras entre las mayores amenazas a la biodiversidad, los modelos matriciales han sido poco utilizados para explorar e integrar los efectos potencialmente complicados de las invasiones sobre las especies nativas. Desarrollé modelos estructurados por etapas para evaluar los impactos de pastos invasores sobre el crecimiento poblacional y la persistencia de una especie de planta endémica, enlistada federalmente (E.U.A.), Oenothera deltoides ssp. howellii [Munz] W. Klein. Utilicé estos modelos para evaluar dos suposiciones frecuentes: (1) cuando las poblaciones de plantas raras declinan en hábitats invadidos, las especies invasoras son la causa y (2) las plantas invasoras suprimen a las plantas raras principalmente mediante la competencia directa por recursos. Comparé dos matrices de control y dos de remoción con base en trabajo experimental previo que mostró efectos variables de los pastos invasores sobre las diferentes etapas de la historia de vida de O. deltoides. El análisis de la matriz mostró que estos efectos se tradujeron en cambios sustanciales en las tasas de crecimiento y persistencia de la población, las matrices de control predijeron una tasa media de crecimiento poblacional estocástica (,) de 0.86 y las matrices de remoción predijeron tasas de crecimiento de 0.92-0.93. Aun los escenarios más optimistas de remoción de invasores predijeron una rápida declinación y una probabilidad de extinción en 100 años cerca de uno. La supresión competitiva de plántulas tuvo mucho menor efecto sobre las tasas de crecimiento que la disminución en la germinación, que probablemente resultó de la acumulación de paja y reducción en la perturbación del suelo. Estos resultados indican que, aunque los pastos invasores tienen efectos importantes sobre el crecimiento poblacional de esta planta rara, los impactos de la invasión no son los únicos responsables de las declinaciones observadas y probablemente están interactuando con otros factores como la degradación del hábitat. Más aun, los cambios en el régimen de perturbación pueden ser un mecanismo tan importante en la creación de estos impactos como la competencia directa por recursos. Mis resultados resaltan el valor del enfoque de los modelos demográficos para la evaluación integral de las amenazas de especies invasoras y la necesidad de estudios más mecanicistas de las interacciones de plantas invasoras con plantas nativas. [source] Amplifying Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA from African Elephant Ivory: a Tool for Monitoring the Ivory TradeCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003KENINE E. COMSTOCK cacería furtiva; elefante africano; Loxodonta africana; marfil; microsatélites Abstract: The ability to extract DNA from ivory provides the basis for genetically tracking the origin of poached ivory and thus has important implications for elephant conservation and management. We describe a method to isolate and amplify both genomic and mitochondrial DNA from African elephant ivory that requires very small amounts of ivory taken from any location on the tusk. We pulverized ivory and isolated DNA with a modified QIAamp kit. Ivory as old as 10 to 20 years, stored at ambient conditions, was amenable to DNA isolation with this method. The isolated DNA was robustly amplified at 16 elephant microsatellite loci and two mitochondrial DNA loci. This method has important applications for the forensic analysis of poached African elephant ivory. It enables determination of where stronger antipoaching efforts are needed and provides the basis for monitoring the extent of the trade as well as the consequences of future international trade decisions. Resumen: La habilidad para extraer ADN del marfil proporciona la base para rastrear genéticamente el origen de marfil furtivo y por tanto tiene implicaciones importantes para la conservación y el manejo de elefantes. Describimos un método para aislar y amplificar ADN genómico y mitocondrial de marfil de elefante africano que requiere de cantidades muy pequeñas de marfil tomadas de cualquier parte del colmillo. Pulverizamos el marfil y aislamos el ADN con un equipo QIAamp modificado. Con este método, fue posible aislar el ADN de marfil de 10 a 20 años, conservado en condiciones ambientales. El ADN aislado fue amplificado robustamente en 16 loci microsatélite y dos loci de ADN mitocondrial. Este método tiene aplicaciones importantes para el análisis forense de marfil de elefantes africanos cazados furtivamente. Permite la identificación de sitios donde se requieren mayores esfuerzos para combatir la cacería furtiva y proporciona la base para monitorear la extensión del comercio así como las consecuencias de decisiones futuras de comercio internacional. [source] Exclusion of Natural Enemies as a Tool in Managing Rare Plant SpeciesCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2000S. M. Louda No abstract is available for this article. [source] A Tool for ChangeCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000Barbara A. Holzman No abstract is available for this article. [source] Knowledge Acquisition and Memory Effects Involving an Expert System Designed as a Learning Tool for Internal Control Assessment*DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2003Mary Jane Lenard ABSTRACT The assessment of internal control is a consideration in all financial statement audits, as stressed by the Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 78. According to this statement, "the auditor should obtain an understanding of internal control sufficient to plan the audit" (Accounting Standards Board, 1995, p. 1). Therefore, an accounting student will progress through the auditing course with the responsibility of learning how and why internal controls are assessed. Research in expert systems applied to auditing has shown that there is strong support for the constructive dialogue used in expert systems as a means of encouraging their use in decision making (Eining, Jones, & Loebbecke, 1997). The purpose of this study is to provide the student or novice auditor with a method for developing a more comprehensive understanding of internal controls and the use of internal controls in audit planning. The results of the study reinforce previous findings that novices do better when an expert system applies analogies along with declarative explanations, and clarifies the length of time in which the use of active learning in a training system can provide an improvement to declarative knowledge, but procedural knowledge must be acquired over a longer time frame. [source] A Simple Tool for Teaching Flap Design with Digital ImagesDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 12 2001Daniel Berg MD Background. Defects created by excision or Mohs micrographic surgery must be analyzed and surgical options including flaps must be considered. Teaching flap design to dermatology trainees is often done at the bedside of the patient with the trainee describing or marking a proposed flap. Open discussion of the options in this way is sometimes unnerving for the patient. Blackboard discussions or drawings are limited in their realism. Objective. To describe a rapid, simple method using commonly available software to allow a trainee to draw and redraw a proposed flap on a digital image of the defect without the time and cost of printing. Methods. We describe a feature in the widely used presentation program Microsoft PowerPoint which can be used to draw on an imported digital image in various colors. Results. A digital photograph taken at the bedside can quickly be loaded into PowerPoint and viewed as a full-screen picture on a computer. Using an electronic pen, multiple lines can be drawn and erased on the picture, allowing surgical planning and teaching away from the bedside. Conclusion. Design and analysis of potential incision lines for a flap can be done quickly using a digital image and commonly available software, allowing a new option for teaching flap design. [source] Satellite Remote Sensing as a Tool in Lahar Disaster ManagementDISASTERS, Issue 2 2002Norman Kerle At least 40,000 deaths have been attributed to historic lahars (volcanic mudflows). The most recent lahar disaster occurred in 1998 at Casita volcano, Nicaragua, claiming over 2,500 lives. Lahars can cover large areas and be highly destructive, and constitute a challenge for disaster management. With infrastructure affected and access frequently impeded, disaster management can benefit from the synoptic coverage provided by satellite imagery. This potential has been recognised for other types of natural disasters, but limitations are also known. Dedicated satellite constellations for disaster response and management have been proposed as one solution. Here we investigate the utility of currently available and forthcoming optical and radar sensors as tools in lahar disaster management. Applied to the Casita case, we find that imagery available at the time could not have significantly improved disaster response. However, forthcoming satellites, especially radar, will improve the situation, reducing the benefit of dedicated constellations. [source] What Happens to the State in Conflict?: Political Analysis as a Tool for Planning Humanitarian AssistanceDISASTERS, Issue 4 2000Lionel Cliffe It is now part of received wisdom that humanitarian assistance in conflict and post-conflict situations may be ineffective or even counterproductive in the absence of an informed understanding of the broader political context in which so-called ,complex political emergencies' (CPEs) occur. Though recognising that specific cases have to be understood in their own terms, this article offers a framework for incorporating political analysis in policy design. It is based on a programme of research on a number of countries in Africa and Asia over the last four years. It argues that the starting-point should be an analysis of crises of authority within contemporary nation-states which convert conflict (a feature of all political systems) into violent conflict; of how such conflict may in turn generate more problems for, or even destroy, the state; of the deep-rooted political, institutional and developmental legacies of political violence; and of the difficulties that complicate the restoration of legitimate and effective systems of governance after the ,termination' of conflict. It then lists a series of questions which such an analysis would need to ask , less in order to provide a comprehensive check-list than to uncover underlying political processes and links. It is hoped these may be used not only to understand the political dynamics of emergencies, but also to identify what kinds of policy action should and should not be given priority by practitioners. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||