Eine Fundstelle der Glockenbecherzeit in Wetzikon ZH – Kempten, Tösstalstrasse 32–36

Geplante Bauarbeiten zur Erweiterung der Berufswahl- und Weiterbildungsschule Zürcher Oberland erforderten vorgängige archäologische Sondierungen. Abgesehen von römischen Funden wurde eine Strate mit glockenbecherzeitlichen Scherben entdeckt. Die darauf eingeleitete Rettungsgrabung führte zur Freilegung eines verlandeten Bacharmes. In dieser natürlichen Senke war eine Kulturschicht der Glockenbecherzeit erhalten geblieben. Bauliche Strukturen wurden nicht festgestellt. Das umfangreiche Fundmaterial und die C14-Daten lassen eine über längere Zeit dauernde Besiedlung vermuten. Von grossem Interesse sind zudem die Ergebnisse der Archäobiologie. An Tierknochen liessen sich ausschliesslich Haustiere bestimmen. Unter den Kulturpflanzen war Gerste, gefolgt von Emmer am stärksten vertreten. Der deutliche Nachweis von Grünlandpflanzen weist auf die Verwendung von Heu. Dies - zusammen mit weiteren Umweltdaten - deutet auf eine Öffnung der Landschaft im Endneolithikum

The individual and interactive effects of rumen modifiers on feed efficiency in lactating dairy cows

The Food and Agriculture Organization 2023 publications highlight that increasing the productivity of global livestock systems through improved feeding, genetics, and husbandry practices is essential to make them sustainable. This goal is, however, not new to the US dairy industry, given the tremendous productivity improvements achieved through continuous advancements in genetics, nutrition, and management practices over the last century. The US dairy industry continues to become more sustainable through nutritional advancement. Improving the feed efficiency of lactating cows (e.g., fluid milk volume per unit feed weight) garners the utmost priority, given the increasing feed prices and the carbon footprint associated with feed crop production. Being a ruminant animal, the feed efficiency of dairy cows largely depends on rumen microbiota and their functions, such as carbohydrate fermentation and the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis. Ionophores, predominantly monensin, are widely used in US dairy operations to enhance the feed efficiency of cows, in addition to other purposes, such as bloat and ketosis prevention. Ionophores are classified under a special feed additive category termed rumen modifiers because they modulate rumen microbiota composition and thus shift the fermentation, leading to increased feed efficiency attributed to increased milk yields, decreased feed intake, or both. However, feeding monensin can elicit milk fat depression and elevated milk urea nitrogen, depending on feeding conditions. The European Union has restricted monensin use in dairy cows, prompting a need to develop other strategies to improve feed efficiency. In that regard, feed additives with a “natural” outlook, for instance, direct-fed microorganisms or their fermentation extracts and secondary plant metabolites, have been proposed. The preliminary findings, predominantly from in vitro investigations, demonstrate these novel feed additives may modulate the rumen function through both non-competitive and competitive mechanisms to that of monensin. Given that most dairy cows are given monensin, and monensin can considerably increase the income over feed cost ($0.29 to 0.42 per cow/d) in US dairy operations, it is crucial to evaluate these novel rumen modifiers for their ability to modulate cow productivity and feed efficiency against monensin. Chapter 2 of this thesis covers an experiment designed to evaluate the individual and interaction effects of a fermentation extract derived from Bacillus licheniformis (BLFE) and monensin (Rumensin®; R) on production performance and feed efficiency of lactating dairy cows fed a corn silage-based TMR. This 90-d study utilized 20 primiparous and 40 multiparous Holstein cows at 108 ± 35 DIM when the study began. Cows were assigned randomly to two monensin [0 and 420 mg/cow/day] and two BLFE [0 and 2.4 g/cow/day] doses in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The study consisted of four consecutive periods starting with training (13 d) and baseline measurement (14 d) periods, where cows received the basal TMR containing monensin, followed by treatment adaptation (21 d) and response measurement (42 d) periods, where cows received the treatment doses of monensin and BLFE top-dressed on the basal TMR devoid of monensin. Individual and interaction effects of monensin and BLFE on DMI, milk production parameters, multiple feed and nutrient utilization efficiency matrices, and body measurements were analyzed with a mixed-effect model accounting for the repeated measures and baseline measurement variability. Additionally, treatment effects on volatile fatty acid concentrations and molar percentages in rumen fluid obtained with an oral stomach tube and feces, apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, and blood amino acid concentrations were analyzed. Monensin did not affect the milk yield or gross feed efficiency (milk yield: DMI), but it increased milk fat yield (0.10 kg/d), fat-corrected (FCM), energy-corrected (ECM), and solids-corrected (SCM) milk yields by 2.06, 1.92, and 1.83, respectively (P = 0.02). BLFE increased milk protein content by 0.06 percentage units (P = 0.01), irrespective of whether the diet contained monensin or not. However, BLFE tended to increase milk yield (0.98 kg/d; P = 0.07), and increased gross feed efficiency, dietary protein utilization efficiency, and average daily gain, only in the absence of monensin in the diet (P < 0.05). BLFE also increased serum total concentrations of both essential and non-essential amino acids only in the absence of monensin in the diet. Despite the blood amino acid concentrations reflecting an increased metabolizable protein supply, BLFE decreased apparent total tract CP digestibility in the absence of monensin, and monensin attenuated that digestibility reduction (P = 0.04). Monensin or BLFE did not affect acetate or propionate concentrations in rumen fluid but tended to interactively modify the fecal concentrations (P < 0.10), indicating that rumen modifiers can affect hindgut microbiota function, which can lead to perturbed apparent total tract digestibility estimates. Overall, this study data supported the potential of BLFE to improve the feed efficiency of lactating dairy cows, particularly when added to diets without monensin. Additionally, they support the potential of monensin to increase milk fat yield under some feeding conditions. Furthering the investigations into the interactive effects of novel rumen modifiers and monensin, the experiment described in Chapter 3 was designed to determine the effects of feeding a blend of secondary plant metabolites, such as cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil (NECGO) alone or with monensin in lactating dairy cows. In this study, 20 primiparous and 40 multiparous Holstein cows (81 ± 29 DIM) were assigned to treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with monensin [0 and 406 mg/cow/day] and NECGO [N; 0 and 710 mg/cow/day] doses (n = 15 cows/treatment). In alignment with the previous study, cows received the basal TMR containing monensin in the training (10 d) and baseline measurement (10 d) periods. Monensin was removed from the TMR, and the treatment doses were top-dressed on the TMR devoid of monensin during the adaptation (21 d) and measurement (49 d) periods. The same production and efficiency responses of the previous study were measured in this study, and milk fatty acid composition was an additional response variable of interest. Treatment effects were analyzed with the same procedure used in the previous study. The results indicated a milk yield increase (1.2 kg/d; P = 0.01) that did not change gross feed efficiency or DMI in response to feeding monensin. Monensin increased milk fat yield (0.1 kg/d; P = 0.04) and FCM, ECM, and SCM by 2.6, 2.3, and 2.1 kg/d, respectively (P < 0.05). The increase in milk fat yield in response to monensin was associated with increased palmitate concentration in milk fat (P = 0.02). NECGO decreased DMI by 1.9 kg/d (P = 0.02) and increased gross feed efficiency by 8% (P < 0.01) without affecting milk yield in the absence of monensin. Independent of monensin, NECGO increased milk fat content by 0.3 percentage units (P < 0.01) but did not increase the milk fat yield, because of the unchanged milk yield. The increased milk fat content by NECGO was associated with increased saturated and preformed fatty acids concentrations (P < 0.05). NECGO increased milk protein efficiency (P = 0.03), again in the absence of monensin. In conclusion, the findings of both studies highlight the potential of the novel feed additives to improve feed efficiency by increasing milk yield or decreasing DMI when fed without monensin. Those feed additives may also improve dietary crude protein utilization efficiencies, implying positive implications for economic and environmental sustainability. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis would help draw robust conclusions on their economic advantage against monensin

(Agri)cultural Activism: The Role of Pgaz K’nyau Karen Youth in Sustaining Rotational Farming in Thailand

The focus of this thesis is to shed light on youth group activism in an Indigenous Pgaz k’Nyau Karen community in Thailand. These youth are seeking rights and recognition to sustain their subsistence-based practice of swidden agriculture in the context of state forest policy officially banning such practices. I draw on over two months of multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in Thailand. I argue that the youth use a variety of strategies to render swidden agriculture visible and legible to the state and public in the interest of sustaining the practice, which they see as an essential part of their communal identity. I contend that swidden agriculture, in this sense, becomes a source for cultural claims to self-determination. I support my argument by exploring these dynamics as they play out at cultural festivals, in research and mapping, and through media engagement. This thesis will contribute to understandings of how marginalized communities negotiate the politicization of local agricultural practices in national contexts

Systematic Review of Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Acute Pain Induced by Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancers

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Pain is the most common acute symptom following radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). The multifactorial origin of RT-induced pain makes it highly challenging to manage. Multiple studies were conducted to identify genetic variants associated with cancer pain, however few of them focused on RT-induced acute pain. In this review, we summarize the potential mechanisms of acute pain after RT in HNC and identify genetic variants associated with RT-induced acute pain and relevant acute toxicities. METHODS: A comprehensive search of Ovid Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science databases using terms including Variants , Polymorphisms , Radiotherapy , Acute pain , Acute toxicity published up to February 28, 2022, was performed by two reviewers. Review articles and citations were reviewed manually. The identified SNPs associated with RT-induced acute pain and toxicities were reported, and the molecular functions of the associated genes were described based on genetic annotation using The Human Gene Database; GeneCards. RESULTS: A total of 386 articles were identified electronically and 8 more articles were included after manual search. 21 articles were finally included. 32 variants in 27 genes, of which 25% in inflammatory/immune response, 20% had function in DNA damage response and repair, 20% in cell death or cell cycle, were associated with RT-inflammatory pain and acute oral mucositis or dermatitis. 4 variants in 4 genes were associated with neuropathy and neuropathic pain. 5 variants in 4 genes were associated with RT-induced mixed types of post-RT-throat/neck pain. CONCLUSION: Different types of pain develop after RT in HNC, including inflammatory pain; neuropathic pain; nociceptive pain; and mixed oral pain. Genetic variants involved in DNA damage response and repair, cell death, inflammation and neuropathic pathways may affect pain presentation post-RT. These variants could be used for personalized pain management in HNC patients receiving RT

Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) Prediction Model for Osteoradionecrosis of the Mandible in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer After Radiation Therapy:Large-Scale Observational Cohort

Purpose: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the mandible represents a severe, debilitating complication of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). At present, no normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models for risk of ORN exist. The aim of this study was to develop a multivariable clinical/dose-based NTCP model for the prediction of ORN any grade (ORNI-IV) and grade IV (ORNIV) after RT (+/- chemotherapy) in patients with HNC.Methods and Materials: Included patients with HNC were treated with (chemo-)RT between 2005 and 2015. Mandible bone radiation dose-volume parameters and clinical variables (ie, age, sex, tumor site, pre-RT dental extractions, chemotherapy history, postoperative RT, and smoking status) were considered as potential predictors. The patient cohort was randomly divided into a training (70%) and independent test (30%) cohort. Bootstrapped forward variable selection was performed in the training cohort to select the predictors for the NTCP models. Final NTCP model(s) were validated on the holdback test subset.Results: Of 1259 included patients with HNC, 13.7% (n = 173 patients) developed any grade ORN (ORNI-IV primary endpoint) and 5% (n = 65) ORNIV (secondary endpoint). All dose and volume parameters of the mandible bone were significantly associated with the development of ORN in univariable models. Multivariable analyses identified D30% and pre-RT dental extraction as independent predictors for both ORNI-IV and ORNIV best-performing NTCP models with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.78 (AUCvalidation = 0.75 [0.69-0.82]) and 0.81 (AUCvalidation = 0.82 [0.74-0.89]), respectively.Conclusions: This study presented NTCP models based on mandible bone D30% and pre-RT dental extraction that predict ORNI-IV and ORNIV (ie, needing invasive surgical intervention) after HNC RT. Our results suggest that less than 30% of the mandible should receive a dose of 35 Gy or more for an ORNI-IV risk lower than 5%. These NTCP models can improve ORN prevention and management by identifying patients at risk of ORN. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.</p

Genetic Susceptibility to Patient-Reported Xerostomia Among Long-Term Oropharyngeal Cancer Survivors

Genetic susceptibility for xerostomia, a common sequela of radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer, is unknown. Therefore, to identify genetic variants associated with moderate to severe xerostomia, we conducted a GWAS of 359 long-term oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) survivors using 579,956 autosomal SNPs. Patient-reported cancer treatment-related xerostomia was assessed using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. Patient response was dichotomized as moderate to severe or none to mild symptoms. In our study, 39.2% of OPC survivors reported moderate to severe xerostomia. Our GWAS identified eight SNPs suggestively associated with higher risk of moderate to severe xerostomia in six genomic regions (2p13.3, rs6546481, Minor Allele (MA) = A, ANTXR1, P = 4.3 × 10–7; 5p13.2–p13.1, rs16903936, MA = G, EGFLAM, P = 5.1 × 10–6; 4q21.1, rs10518156, MA = G, SHROOM3, P = 7.1 × 10–6; 19q13.42, rs11882068, MA = G, NLRP9, P = 1.7 × 10–5; 12q24.33, rs4760542, MA = G, GLT1D1, P = 1.8 × 10–5; and 3q27.3, rs11714564, MA = G, RTP1, P = 2.9 × 10–5. Seven SNPs were associated with lower risk of moderate to severe xerostomia, of which only one mapped to specific genomic region (15q21.3, rs4776140, MA = G, LOC105370826, a ncRNA class RNA gene, P = 1.5 × 10–5). Although our small exploratory study did not reach genome-wide statistical significance, our study provides, for the first time, preliminary evidence of genetic susceptibility to xerostomia. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of genetic susceptibility to xerostomia

Temporal Characterization of Acute Pain and Toxicity Kinetics During Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer A Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVES: Pain during Radiation Therapy (RT) for oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC) is a clinical challenge due to its multifactorial etiology and variable management. The objective of this study was to define complex pain profiles through temporal characterization of pain descriptors, physiologic state, and RT-induced toxicities for pain trajectories understanding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using an electronic health record registry, 351 OC/OPC patients treated with RT from 2013 to 2021 were included. Weekly numeric scale pain scores, pain descriptors, vital signs, physician-reported toxicities, and analgesics were analyzed using linear mixed effect models and Spearman\u27s correlation. Area under the pain curve (AUC RESULTS: Median pain scores increased from 0 during the weekly visit (WSV)-1 to 5 during WSV-7. By WSV-7, 60% and 74% of patients reported mouth and throat pain, respectively, with a median pain score of 5. Soreness and burning pain peaked during WSV-6/7 (51%). Median AUC CONCLUSION: This study provides insight on in-depth characterization and associations between dynamic pain, physiologic, and toxicity kinetics. Our findings support further needs of optimized pain control through temporal data-driven clinical decision support systems for acute pain management

ETM 520 Student Project - Rigert

Critique of the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management article, Telecommuting: Problems Associated with Communications Technologies and Their Capabilitie

Digital control of a piezoelectric motor

A digital controller for piezoelectric motors was developed. The controller tunes the driving frequency in order to maximize the power transmitted to the motor. A maximum of power is absorbed when the resonant frequency of the mechanical and electrical part of the piezoelectric motor are equal. This frequency varies in the first place because of the applied force. The control method consists of comparing two values of the transmitted power, measured at different moments, and deciding as a function of the result whether the frequency should be increased or lowered. An analysis of the developed regulator is performed and suggestions for further development are given