Toward Human-Carnivore Coexistence: Understanding Tolerance for Tigers in Bangladesh

Fostering local community tolerance for endangered carnivores, such as tigers (Panthera tigris), is a core component of many conservation strategies. Identification of antecedents of tolerance will facilitate the development of effective tolerance-building conservation action and secure local community support for, and involvement in, conservation initiatives. We use a stated preference approach for measuring tolerance, based on the ‘Wildlife Stakeholder Acceptance Capacity’ concept, to explore villagers’ tolerance levels for tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, an area where, at the time of the research, human-tiger conflict was severe. We apply structural equation modeling to test an a priori defined theoretical model of tolerance and identify the experiential and psychological basis of tolerance in this community. Our results indicate that beliefs about tigers and about the perceived current tiger population trend are predictors of tolerance for tigers. Positive beliefs about tigers and a belief that the tiger population is not currently increasing are both associated with greater stated tolerance for the species. Contrary to commonly-held notions, negative experiences with tigers do not directly affect tolerance levels; instead, their effect is mediated by villagers’ beliefs about tigers and risk perceptions concerning human-tiger conflict incidents. These findings highlight a need to explore and understand the socio-psychological factors that encourage tolerance towards endangered species. Our research also demonstrates the applicability of this approach to tolerance research to a wide range of socio-economic and cultural contexts and reveals its capacity to enhance carnivore conservation efforts worldwide

Rapid screening of β-Globin gene mutations by Real-Time PCR in Egyptian thalassemic children

Thalassemia is one of the most common genetic disorders in Egypt. With the total population of 70 million, there are approximately 600,000 affected individuals and more than 20 million thalassemia carriers. Thalassemia is therefore one of the major health problems in Egypt. B-Thalassemias are priority genetic diseases for prevention programs. Rapid genotype characterization is fundamental in the diagnostic laboratory, especially when offering prenatal diagnosis for carrier couples. Introduction of the real time PCR has made a revolution in the time taken for the PCR reactions. We present a method for the diagnosis of the common mutations of the B-thalassemia in Egyptian children & families. The procedure depends on the real-time PCR using specific fluorescently labeled hybridization probes. The melting temperature for each of the specific probes obtained after the PCR reaction permits the identification of the specific mutation. Genotyping of 20 thalassemic children attending the hematology clinic of the children specialized hospital and 10 controls was done using Real-time PCR and the conventional Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) technique. Analysis revealed identical results to most of the patients and they were further checked by the sequencing results of the DNA samples. The established method is a robust, fast and straight forward assay that allows the detection of the common B-thalassemia mutations in Egypt. The described LightCycler system protocol can rapidly screen for many B-globin gene mutations. African Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 13 (3-4) 2006: pp. 70-7

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

2019 international consensus on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care science with treatment recommendations : summary from the basic life support; advanced life support; pediatric life support; neonatal life support; education, implementation, and teams; and first aid task forces

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has initiated a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed, published cardiopulmonary resuscitation science. This is the third annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. It addresses the most recent published resuscitation evidence reviewed by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Task Force science experts. This summary addresses the role of cardiac arrest centers and dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the role of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adults and children, vasopressors in adults, advanced airway interventions in adults and children, targeted temperature management in children after cardiac arrest, initial oxygen concentration during resuscitation of newborns, and interventions for presyncope by first aid providers. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the certainty of the evidence on the basis of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence to Decision Framework Highlights sections. The task forces also listed priority knowledge gaps for further research

Ion-beam Sculpting at Nanometre Length Scales

Manipulating matter at the nanometre scale is important for many electronic, chemical and biological advances, but present solid-state fabrication methods do not reproducibly achieve dimensional control at the nanometre scale. Here we report a means of fashioning matter at these dimensions that uses low-energy ion beams and reveals surprising atomic transport phenomena that occur in a variety of materials and geometries. The method is implemented in a feedback-controlled sputtering system that provides fine control over ion beam exposure and sample temperature. We call the method "ion-beam sculpting", and apply it to the problem of fabricating a molecular-scale hole, or nanopore, in a thin insulating solid-state membrane. Such pores can serve to localize molecular-scale electrical junctions and switches, and function as masks to create other small-scale structures. Nanopores also function as membrane channels in all living systems, where they serve as extremely sensitive electro-mechanical devices that regulate electric potential, ionic flow, and molecular transport across cellular membranes. We show that ion-beam sculpting can be used to fashion an analogous solid-state device: a robust electronic detector consisting of a single nanopore in a Si3N4 membrane, capable of registering single DNA molecules in aqueous solution.PhysicsEngineering and Applied SciencesMolecular and Cellular Biolog

Retardation of arsenic transport through a Pleistocene aquifer

Groundwater drawn daily from shallow alluvial sands by millions of wells over large areas of south and southeast Asia exposes an estimated population of over a hundred million people to toxic levels of arsenic1. Holocene aquifers are the source of widespread arsenic poisoning across the region2, 3. In contrast, Pleistocene sands deposited in this region more than 12,000 years ago mostly do not host groundwater with high levels of arsenic. Pleistocene aquifers are increasingly used as a safe source of drinking water4 and it is therefore important to understand under what conditions low levels of arsenic can be maintained. Here we reconstruct the initial phase of contamination of a Pleistocene aquifer near Hanoi, Vietnam. We demonstrate that changes in groundwater flow conditions and the redox state of the aquifer sands induced by groundwater pumping caused the lateral intrusion of arsenic contamination more than 120 metres from a Holocene aquifer into a previously uncontaminated Pleistocene aquifer. We also find that arsenic adsorbs onto the aquifer sands and that there is a 16–20-fold retardation in the extent of the contamination relative to the reconstructed lateral movement of groundwater over the same period. Our findings suggest that arsenic contamination of Pleistocene aquifers in south and southeast Asia as a consequence of increasing levels of groundwater pumping may have been delayed by the retardation of arsenic transport.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF grant EAR09-11557)Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (Grant NAFOSTED 105-09-59-09 to CETASD, the Centre for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development (Vietnam))National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS grant P42 ES010349)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS grant P42 ES016454

PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIKA DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN MODEL RECIPROCAL TEACHING TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KREATIF SISWA KELAS VII SEKOLAH MENENGAH PERTAMA NEGERI 18 SAROLANGUN

Penelitian ini membahas pengaruh pembelajaran matematika dengan menggunakan model reciprocal teaching terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif siswa Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri 18 Sarolangun pada pokok bahasan segiempat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mencari bukti apakah benar dengan menggunakan model pembelajaran reciprocal teaching berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan desain pretest-postest control group design. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan Simple Random Sampling dengan sampel berjumlah 15 peserta didik sebagai kelas eksperimen dan 15 peserta didik kelas kontrol. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan teknik tes essay sebanyak tiga soal. Analisis pada penelitian ini menggunakan uji dan uji korelasi phi. Dari uji pada taraf signifikansi 5% dan 1% diperoleh dan dari hasil uji korelasi phi pada taraf signifikansi 5% dan 1% diperoleh . Artinya bahwa penerapan model pembelajaran reciprocal teaching berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif siswa

Reading habits and attitudes among students in secondary school : case study / Haslinda Husaini, Rafidah Abdul Aziz and Shahrom Tm Sulaiman

This study seeks to investigate the reading habits and attitudes among secondary school students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tasik Puteri by using a survey research method. This school is located in Rawang, Selangor and is namely in the category of suburban school. Data were gathered from students of Form 4 and Form 5 which they are from different subject streams; art or science stream students. In the last several years, the government had implemented a lot of campaigns and programs pertaining to reading activities just to encourage people to read and make reading activities as part of their daily routine in life. Hence, it is essentials to instill the reading habits for the younger generation. In fact, it is widely acknowledged that the life-long habit of reading can be best inculcated and nurtured at an early age. However, a general observation that there is an overemphasis on study-related reading thus ignoring the recreational or free voluntary reading among them. Moreover, with increasing pressure on children to perform well in their academic, it is not surprising that students often associate books and reading with learning, schoolwork, school projects and passing examinations. The main problem of this study is the background that many factors influence reading to a student, it is important to find out the positive influences toward their reading habits and attitudes. The influences may be in the form of internal factors, such as student's attitudes or behaviour, and/or external factors, such as home, social cultural activities, school, parents and teachers. ln the past researchers that have been done by many people, parents of the students have been identified to have an influence on their children's reading habits and attitudes. The parents' factors include their background, temperament, reading habits, interests, degree of involvement toward their children's lifestyle. These may be considered as the independent variables. The effects of these variables are likely to have an impact on dependent variables such as the children's reading habits, literacy skills, temperament and their preferences or interest. Therefore this research was intended to find out the relationship between some of the variables which this could help to improve reading habits and attitudes of the students in the near future

PENGARUH PENERAPAN MODEL THINK TALK WRITE TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR SISWA MADRASAH TSANAWIYAH SWASTA RAUDLATUL MUHAJIRIN TANGKIT BARU

Skripsi ini membahas tentang Pengaruh Penerapan Model Think Talk Write (TTW) Terhadap Hasil Belajar Siswa Mts Raudlatul Muhajirin. Pendekatan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kuantitatif. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan yaitu metode eksperimen . Desain yang digunakan adalah posttest only control design yaitu membagi kelompok penelitian menjadi dua kelompok. Kelompok pertama disebut kelompok eksperimen yang belajar menggunakan model Think Talk Write dan kelompok kedua disebut kelompok kontrol yang tidak menggunakan model Think Talk Write. Setelah proses perlakuan diberikan, kemudian kelas tersebut diberikan posttest. Instrumen penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini berupa tes dengan tipe uraian yang terdiri dari 5 soal.. Tes yang digunakan untuk penelitian dilakukan uji validitas. Untuk menguji kebenaran hipotesis dan menjawab rumusan masalah yang telah diklasifikasikan oleh peneliti, maka terlebih dahulu dilakukan analisis data. Analisis data diawali dengan pengujian prasyarat analisis, yaitu uji normalitas dan homogenitas. Kemudian dilanjutkan dengan hipotesis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan model Think Talk Write memberi pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap hasil belajar matematika siswa daripada yang tidak menerapkan model Think Talk Write. Faktor penyebab terjadinya hasil belajar siswa rendah dalam pembelajaran matematika adalah 1).Rendahnya keaktifan, dan pemahaman siswa terhadap materi yang di ajarkan., 2) Kurangnya partisipasi siwa dalam pelajaran matematika, 3) Kurang optimalnya intreraksi antara guru dan siswa, maupun antara siswa dan siswa yang lain

An Agent-Based Model of a Hepatic Inflammatory Response to Salmonella: A Computational Study under a Large Set of Experimental Data

Citation: Shi, Z. Z., Chapes, S. K., Ben-Arieh, D., & Wu, C. H. (2016). An Agent-Based Model of a Hepatic Inflammatory Response to Salmonella: A Computational Study under a Large Set of Experimental Data. Plos One, 11(8), 39. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161131We present an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate a hepatic inflammatory response (HIR) in a mouse infected by Salmonella that sometimes progressed to problematic proportions, known as "sepsis". Based on over 200 published studies, this ABM describes interactions among 21 cells or cytokines and incorporates 226 experimental data sets and/or data estimates from those reports to simulate a mouse HIR in silico. Our simulated results reproduced dynamic patterns of HIR reported in the literature. As shown in vivo, our model also demonstrated that sepsis was highly related to the initial Salmonella dose and the presence of components of the adaptive immune system. We determined that high mobility group box-1, C-reactive protein, and the interleukin-10: tumor necrosis factor-a ratio, and CD4+ T cell: CD8+ T cell ratio, all recognized as biomarkers during HIR, significantly correlated with outcomes of HIR. During therapy-directed silico simulations, our results demonstrated that anti-agent intervention impacted the survival rates of septic individuals in a time-dependent manner. By specifying the infected species, source of infection, and site of infection, this ABM enabled us to reproduce the kinetics of several essential indicators during a HIR, observe distinct dynamic patterns that are manifested during HIR, and allowed us to test proposed therapy-directed treatments. Although limitation still exists, this ABM is a step forward because it links underlying biological processes to computational simulation and was validated through a series of comparisons between the simulated results and experimental studies