scholarly journals A comparison of asymmetric before-after control impact (aBACI) and staircase experimental designs for testing the effectiveness of stream restoration

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom M. Loughin ◽  
Stephen N. Bennett ◽  
Nicolaas W. Bouwes

AbstractBefore-after-control-impact (BACI) experimental designs are commonly used in large-scale experiments to test for environmental impacts. However, high natural variability of environmental conditions and populations, and low replication in both treatment and control areas in time and space hampers detection of responses. We compare the power of two asymmetric BACI (aBACI) designs to two staircase designs for detecting changes in juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) abundance associated with a watershed-scale stream restoration experiment. We performed a simulation study to estimate the effect of a 25% increase in steelhead abundance using spatial and temporal estimates of variance from an ongoing study, and determined the power of each design. Experimental designs were then applied to three streams and each stream was composed of three 4 km long sections. We compared the power of a single treatment section in one stream (BACI-1), three simultaneous treatments of all sections in one stream (BACI-3), three sequential treatments in one stream (STAIRCASE-1), and three sequential treatments in one section in each stream (STAIRCASE-3). All designs had ≥ 94% power to detect a 25% increase in abundance assuming average variance. Under worst-case variance (i.e., upper 95% confidence limits of historical variance estimates), the STAIRCASE-3 design outperformed the BACI-1, BACI-3, and STAIRCASE-1 designs (i.e., 77%, 41%, 8%, and 33% power respectively). All the designs estimated the effect of the simulated 25% abundance increase, but the length of the confidence interval was much shorter for the STAIRCASE-3 design compared to the other designs, which had confidence intervals 58-596% longer. The STAIRCASE-3 design continued to have high power (88%) to detect a 10% change in abundance, but the power of the other designs was much lower (range 34-56%). Our study demonstrates that staircase designs can have significant advantages over BACI designs and therefore should be more widely used for testing environmental impacts.

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
F. L. Ongaratto ◽  
P. Rodriguez-Villamil ◽  
U. Ganbaatar ◽  
C. De Frutos ◽  
S. Solin ◽  
...  

Gene editing by microinjection is an efficient system to produce mutant livestock; however, microinjection is time-consuming and requires special skill, limiting its use for large-scale production of gene-edited animals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a system to deliver guide (g)RNA/Cas9/ribonucleoprotein (RNP) by electroporation into parthenogenic porcine zygotes. For experiment 1, we delivered gRNA/Cas9 RNP (250ng μL−1 of each), targeting GATA4 using 2 electroporation conditions. Group 1 (n=130): 20V, 3ms, ×2 pulses, 1 repeat; group 2 (n=102): 20V, 1ms, ×2 pulses, 2 repeats; and Control (n=96): parthenogenic zygotes, no electroporation. For experiment 2, we delivered gRNA/Cas9 RNP (250ng μL−1 of each) targeting ROSA26 by electroporation with 4 conditions compared with delivery of RNP by microinjection: group 1 (n=17): 20V, 3ms, ×1 pulses, 1 repeat; group 2 (n=49): 20V, 3ms, ×3 pulses, 1 repeat; group 3 (n=64): 30V, 3ms, ×1 pulses, 1 repeat; group 4 (n=61): 30V, 3ms, ×3 pulses, 1 repeat; group 5 (n=120): zygotes microinjected with Cas9/ROSA26 sgRNA (25/25ng μL−1), and Control (n=76): parthenogenic zygotes, no electroporation. The electroporated zygotes were cultured in porcine zygote medium-3 (PZM-3) with controlled atmosphere, and development was evaluated on Day 2 (cleavage) and Day 7 (blastocyst rate). Gene editing was evaluated on embryos (blastocyst and morulas) by PCR and Sanger sequencing of amplicons including the RNP target site. Data were compared using chi-squared test, and differences were considered significant at P<0.05. Cleavage rates in experiment 1 were similar for the control (86/96; 89.5%), group 1 (94/102; 92.1%), and group 2 (119/130; 91.5%). Blastocyst rates were higher for the control (46/96; 47%) than for the other groups (P<0.01). However, for the treated groups, the blastocyst rates were similar, group 1 (19/102; 9.2%) and group 2 (12/130; 18.6%). Furthermore, the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) efficiency was similar for groups 1 (14/18; 77.7%) and 2 (14/17; 82.3%). In experiment 2, the cleavage (53/76; 69%) and blastocyst rates (30/76; 39%) were significantly higher for the control than for the treated groups (P<0.01). Among the groups, the lower cleavage and blastocyst rates were for group 4 (20/61; 32.7% and 3/61; 4.9%, respectively) compared with the other electroporation and microinjection groups (P<0.03). However, NHEJ efficiency was higher for electroporation groups 2 (6/8; 75%), 3 (17/17; 100%), and 4 (2/2; 100%) compared with microinjection (2/15; 13%). In conclusion, electroporation of Cas9/RNP is an efficient alternative to microinjection for gene editing in porcine zygotes.


Author(s):  
Christel Lane

Throughout most of the period covered in this book, establishments that sell alcohol consumed on the premises have had regulation imposed on them. Regulation and control have weighed more heavily on pubs than on the other two types of hostelries and, given their chief customer base, on the working class. Another state instrument to weaken pubs has been high taxation. The conditions for running pubs and publicans’ livelihoods were just as strongly influenced by the giant breweries as they were by state regulation and taxation. Particular attention is paid to the ‘tied houses’ system from the early eighteenth century onwards and to the more recent Beer Orders Act (1989). Over time, this Act had the effect of substituting the tie of pubs to breweries with that of pub companies. The ensuing dependence of tenants and the adverse effect on their livelihoods is viewed as contributing to the large-scale pub closures in the twenty-first century.


Author(s):  
Thomas M. Loughin ◽  
Stephen N. Bennett ◽  
Nicolaas Bouwes

Before-after-control-impact (BACI) experimental designs are commonly used in large-scale environmental experiments but these designs can be confounded by location and time interactions. Staircase designs, where replicate treatments are staggered temporally, have been suggested as an alternative to BACI designs. We performed a simulation study based on data from an ongoing watershed-scale restoration experiment within three streams to test the effectiveness of adding large wood to increase habitat complexity and abundance and productivity of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We compared the power of two asymmetric BACI (aBACI) designs to two staircase designs for detecting changes in the density of steelhead (fish/m2). A staircase design where treatments were temporally staggered in one treatment section in each stream had the highest power and best precision, especially when the innate spatial and temporal variances of steelhead density were large. A traditional BACI performed the worst, and a variation on another BACI and staircase design had intermediate performance. Multi-stream staircase designs are also more logistically and economically feasible and can maximize learning by replicating experiments across different stream types.


2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Olson ◽  
Leonard Jason ◽  
Joseph R. Ferrari ◽  
Leon Venable ◽  
Bertel F. Williams ◽  
...  

1979 ◽  
Vol 42 (04) ◽  
pp. 1073-1114 ◽  

SummaryIn collaborative experiments in 199 laboratories, nine commercial thromboplastins, four thromboplastins held by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBS & C), London and the British Comparative Thromboplastin were tested on fresh normal and coumarin plasmas, and on three series of freeze-dried plasmas. One of these was made from coumarin plasmas and the other two were prepared from normal plasmas; in each series, one plasma was normal and the other two represented different degrees of coumarin defect.Each thromboplastin was calibrated against NIBS&C rabbit brain 70/178, from the slope of the line joining the origin to the point of intersection of the mean ratios of coumarin/normal prothrombin times when the ratios obtained with the two thromboplastins on the same fresh plasmas were plotted against each other. From previous evidence, the slopes were calculated which would have been obtained against the NIBS&C “research standard” thromboplastin 67/40, and termed the “calibration constant” of each thromboplastin. Values obtained from the freeze-dried coumarin plasmas gave generally similar results to those from fresh plasmas for all thromboplastins, whereas values from the artificial plasmas agreed with those from fresh plasmas only when similar thromboplastins were being compared.Taking into account the slopes of the calibration lines and the variation between laboratories, precision in obtaining a patient’s prothrombin time was similar for all thromboplastins.


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 5449-5458
Author(s):  
A. Arokiaraj Jovith ◽  
S.V. Kasmir Raja ◽  
A. Razia Sulthana

Interference in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) predominantly affects the performance of the WSN. Energy consumption in WSN is one of the greatest concerns in the current generation. This work presents an approach for interference measurement and interference mitigation in point to point network. The nodes are distributed in the network and interference is measured by grouping the nodes in the region of a specific diameter. Hence this approach is scalable and isextended to large scale WSN. Interference is measured in two stages. In the first stage, interference is overcome by allocating time slots to the node stations in Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) fashion. The node area is split into larger regions and smaller regions. The time slots are allocated to smaller regions in TDMA fashion. A TDMA based time slot allocation algorithm is proposed in this paper to enable reuse of timeslots with minimal interference between smaller regions. In the second stage, the network density and control parameter is introduced to reduce interference in a minor level within smaller node regions. The algorithm issimulated and the system is tested with varying control parameter. The node-level interference and the energy dissipation at nodes are captured by varying the node density of the network. The results indicate that the proposed approach measures the interference and mitigates with minimal energy consumption at nodes and with less overhead transmission.


TAPPI Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (05) ◽  
pp. 295-305
Author(s):  
Wesley Gilbert ◽  
Ivan Trush ◽  
Bruce Allison ◽  
Randy Reimer ◽  
Howard Mason

Normal practice in continuous digester operation is to set the production rate through the chip meter speed. This speed is seldom, if ever, adjusted except to change production, and most of the other digester inputs are ratioed to it. The inherent assumption is that constant chip meter speed equates to constant dry mass flow of chips. This is seldom, if ever, true. As a result, the actual production rate, effective alkali (EA)-to-wood and liquor-to-wood ratios may vary substantially from assumed values. This increases process variability and decreases profits. In this report, a new continuous digester production rate control strategy is developed that addresses this shortcoming. A new noncontacting near infrared–based chip moisture sensor is combined with the existing weightometer signal to estimate the actual dry chip mass feedrate entering the digester. The estimated feedrate is then used to implement a novel feedback control strategy that adjusts the chip meter speed to maintain the dry chip feedrate at the target value. The report details the results of applying the new measurements and control strategy to a dual vessel continuous digester.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-61
Author(s):  
Pelin Sönmez ◽  
Abulfaz Süleymanov

Türkiye, Cumhuriyet tarihinin en yoğun zorunlu göç dalgasını 2011 yılından bu yana süren Suriye Savaşı ile yaşamaktadır. Suriye vatandaşlarının geçici koruma statüsü altında Türkiye toplumuna her açıdan entegrasyonları günümüzün ve geleceğin politika öncelikleri arasında düşünülmelidir. Öte yandan ülkeye kabul edilen sığınmacıların kendi kültürel kimliğini kaybetmeden içinde yaşadığı ev sahibi topluma uyumu, ortak yaşam kültürünün gelişmesi açısından önem arz etmektedir. Bu makalede, "misafir" olarak kabul edilen Suriyeli vatandaşların Türk toplumunca kabul edilmeleri ve dışlanma risklerinin azaltılmasına yönelik devlet politikaları ortaya konularak, üye ve aday ülkelere göçmenlerin dışlanmasını önlemek için Avrupa Birliği (AB) tarafından sunulan hukuki yapı ve kamu hizmeti inisiyatifleri incelenmekte, birlikte yaşam kültürü çerçevesinde Suriyeli vatandaşlara yönelik  toplumsal kabul düzeyleri ele alınmaktadır. Çalışma iki ana bölümden oluşmaktadır: göçmen ve sığınmacılara karşı toplumsal dışlanmayı engellemek için benimsenen yasa ve uygulamaların etkisi ve İstanbul-Sultanbeyli bölgesinde Suriyeli sığınmacılarla ilgili toplumsal algı çalışmasının sonuçları. Bölgede ikamet eden Suriyelilere yönelik toplumsal kabul düzeyinin yüksek olduğu görülürken, halkın Suriyelileri kendilerine  kültürel ve dini olarak yakın hissetmesi toplumsal kabul düzeyini olumlu etkilemektedir. ABSTRACT IN ENGLISHAn evaluation of the European Union and Turkish policies regarding the culture of living togetherThis article aims to determine the level of social acceptance towards Syrians within the context of cohabitation culture by evaluating EU’s legal structure and public service initiatives in order to prevent Syrian refugees from being excluded in member and candidate countries and by revealing government policies on acceptance of Syrians as “guest” by Turkish society and minimizing the exclusion risks of them. This article consists of two main parts, one of which is based on the effects of law and practices preventing refugees and asylum seekers from social exclusion, and the other is on the results of social perception on Syrians in Sultanbeyli district of Istanbul. At the end of 5-years taking in Syrian War, it is obvious that most of more than 3 million Syrian with unregistered ones in Turkey are “here to stay”. From this point of view, the primary scope of policies should be specified in order to remove side effects of refugee phenomenon seen as weighty matter by bottoming out the exclusion towards those people. To avoid possible large-scale conflicts or civil wars in the future, the struggle with exclusion phenomenon plays a crucial role regarding Turkey’s sociological situation and developing policies. In the meaning of forming a model for Turkey, a subtitle in this article is about public services for European-wide legal acquis and practices carried out since 1970s in order to prevent any exclusion from the society. On the other hand, other subtitles are about legal infrastructure and practices like Common European Asylum and Immigration Policies presented in 2005, and Law on Foreigners and International Protection introduced in 2013. In the last part of the article, the results of a field survey carried out in a district of Istanbul were used to analyze the exclusion towards refugees in Turkey. A face-to-face survey was randomly conducted with 200 settled refugees in Sultanbeyli district of Istanbul, and their perceptions towards Syrian people under temporary protection were evaluated. According to the results, the level of acceptance for Syrians living in this district seems relatively high. The fact that Turkish people living in the same district feel close to Syrian refugees culturally and religiously affect their perception in a positive way: however, it is strikingly seen and understood that local residents cop an attitude on the refugees’ becoming Turkish citizens.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Feldman

This paper is a contribution to the growing literature on the role of projective identification in understanding couples' dynamics. Projective identification as a defence is well suited to couples, as intimate partners provide an ideal location to deposit unwanted parts of the self. This paper illustrates how projective identification functions differently depending on the psychological health of the couple. It elucidates how healthier couples use projective identification more as a form of communication, whereas disturbed couples are inclined to employ it to invade and control the other, as captured by Meltzer's concept of "intrusive identification". These different uses of projective identification affect couples' capacities to provide what Bion called "containment". In disturbed couples, partners serve as what Meltzer termed "claustrums" whereby projections are not contained, but imprisoned or entombed in the other. Applying the concept of claustrum helps illuminate common feelings these couples express, such as feeling suffocated, stifled, trapped, held hostage, or feeling as if the relationship is killing them. Finally, this paper presents treatment challenges in working with more disturbed couples.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1183-1189
Author(s):  
Dr. Tridibesh Tripathy ◽  
Dr. Umakant Prusty ◽  
Dr. Chintamani Nayak ◽  
Dr. Rakesh Dwivedi ◽  
Dr. Mohini Gautam

The current article of Uttar Pradesh (UP) is about the ASHAs who are the daughters-in-law of a family that resides in the same community that they serve as the grassroots health worker since 2005 when the NRHM was introduced in the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states. UP is one such Empowered Action Group (EAG) state. The current study explores the actual responses of Recently Delivered Women (RDW) on their visits during the first month of their recent delivery. From the catchment area of each of the 250 ASHAs, two RDWs were selected who had a child in the age group of 3 to 6 months during the survey. The response profiles of the RDWs on the post- delivery first month visits are dwelled upon to evolve a picture representing the entire state of UP. The relevance of the study assumes significance as detailed data on the modalities of postnatal visits are available but not exclusively for the first month period of their recent delivery. The details of the post-delivery first month period related visits are not available even in large scale surveys like National Family Health Survey 4 done in 2015-16. The current study gives an insight in to these visits with a five-point approach i.e. type of personnel doing the visit, frequency of the visits, visits done in a particular week from among those four weeks separately for the three visits separately. The current study is basically regarding the summary of this Penta approach for the post- delivery one-month period.     The first month period after each delivery deals with 70% of the time of the postnatal period & the entire neonatal period. Therefore, it does impact the Maternal Mortality Rate & Ratio (MMR) & the Neonatal Mortality Rates (NMR) in India and especially in UP through the unsafe Maternal & Neonatal practices in the first month period after delivery. The current MM Rate of UP is 20.1 & MM Ratio is 216 whereas the MM ratio is 122 in India (SRS, 2019). The Sample Registration System (SRS) report also mentions that the Life Time Risk (LTR) of a woman in pregnancy is 0.7% which is the highest in the nation (SRS, 2019). This means it is very risky to give birth in UP in comparison to other regions in the country (SRS, 2019). This risk is at the peak in the first month period after each delivery. Similarly, the current NMR in India is 23 per 1000 livebirths (UNIGME,2018). As NMR data is not available separately for states, the national level data also hold good for the states and that’s how for the state of UP as well. These mortalities are the impact indicators and such indicators can be reduced through long drawn processes that includes effective and timely visits to RDWs especially in the first month period after delivery. This would help in making their post-natal & neonatal stage safe. This is the area of post-delivery first month visit profile detailing that the current article helps in popping out in relation to the recent delivery of the respondents.   A total of four districts of Uttar Pradesh were selected purposively for the study and the data collection was conducted in the villages of the respective districts with the help of a pre-tested structured interview schedule with both close-ended and open-ended questions.  The current article deals with five close ended questions with options, two for the type of personnel & frequency while the other three are for each of the three visits in the first month after the recent delivery of respondents. In addition, in-depth interviews were also conducted amongst the RDWs and a total 500 respondents had participated in the study.   Among the districts related to this article, the results showed that ASHA was the type of personnel who did the majority of visits in all the four districts. On the other hand, 25-40% of RDWs in all the 4 districts replied that they did not receive any visit within the first month of their recent delivery. Regarding frequency, most of the RDWs in all the 4 districts received 1-2 times visits by ASHAs.   Regarding the first visit, it was found that the ASHAs of Barabanki and Gonda visited less percentage of RDWs in the first week after delivery. Similarly, the second visit revealed that about 1.2% RDWs in Banda district could not recall about the visit. Further on the second visit, the RDWs responded that most of them in 3 districts except Gonda district did receive the second postnatal visit in 7-15 days after their recent delivery. Less than half of RDWs in Barabanki district & just more than half of RDWs in Gonda district received the third visit in 15-21 days period after delivery. For the same period, the majority of RDWs in the rest two districts responded that they had been entertained through a home visit.


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