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Effect of a single, oral administration of selenitetriglycerides, at two dose rates, on blood selenium status and haematological and biochemical parameters in Holstein-Friesian calves
No full textBackground
Selenitetriglycerides are biologically active, organic forms of selenium formed as a result of the modification of selenic acid and sunflower oil. Studies in rats have shown that they are well absorbed and of low toxicity. There are no published studies on selenitetriglycerides supplementation in calves.
Results
In this study, selenitetriglycerides were administered once orally on the 2nd day of life at a dose of 0.5 or 1 mg Se/kg body weight to each of six Holstein-Friesian calves while six control calves were not supplemented. Blood for determination of selenium concentration, glutathione peroxidase activity, haematological parameters, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities and glucose, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, urea, and creatinine concentration was collected before supplementation (day 0) and 1, 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after supplementation. Selenitetriglycerides administration increased (P < 0.01) serum selenium concentration in supplemented calves as early as day1, from a mean of 63.4 to 184.22 µg/l in calves receiving selenium at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg BW, and from 63.17 to 200.33 µg/l in calves receiving 1 mg/kg. Serum selenium concentrations remained significantly higher compared to the control group throughout the experiment. Glutathione peroxidase activity was higher in supplemented than control calves, significantly so in animals receiving the 1 mg/kg dose of Se on the 10th and 14th days (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the haematological and biochemical parameters between the groups.
Conclusions
This experiment showed that supplementation with selenitetriglycerides could significantly improve blood selenium status in calves without adverse effects on haematological or biochemical parameters. These findings are essential prerequisites for future studies on selenitetriglycerides supplementation to manage clinical selenium deficiency in calves
Experimental comparison of two methods to study barley responses to partial submergence
No full textBackground
Crop yield is dependent on climate conditions, which are becoming both more variable and extreme in some areas of the world as a consequence of global climate change. Increased precipitation and flooding events are the cause of important yield losses due to waterlogging or (partial) submergence of crops in the field. Our ability to screen efficiently and quickly for varieties that have increased tolerance to waterlogging or (partial) submergence is important. Barley, a staple crop worldwide, is particularly sensitive to waterlogging. Screening for waterlogging tolerant barley varieties has been ongoing for many years, but methods used to screen vary greatly, from the type of soil used to the time at which the treatment is applied. This variation makes it difficult to cross-compare results.
Results
Here, we have devised a scoring system to assess barley tolerance to waterlogging and compare two different methods when partial submergence is applied with either water or a starch solution at an early developmental stage, which is particularly sensitive to waterlogging or partial submergence. The use of a starch solution has been previously shown to result in more reducing soil conditions and has been used to screen for waterlogging tolerance.
Conclusions
Our results show that the two methods provide similar results to qualitatively rank varieties as tolerant or sensitive, while also affecting plants differently, in that application of a starch solution results in stronger and earlier symptoms than applying partial submergence with water
Research Handbook on Nonprofit Govenance
No full textGovernance has in many respects become the new management. Just as management succeeded administration from the 1960s onwards (Grey, 1999), so governance has replaced management as the label for steering practices and the distribution of authority in organizations, nation states, politics and various other subfields of society. In this introductory chapter, we will weave the contributions to this Handbook together with prior research into the governance ‘story’ of the 2020s, and thereby discuss the ways in which the Research Handbook on Nonprofit Governance covers and advances the field.
We structure this chapter as follows. First, we review governance definitions and the development of the nonprofit governance concept. Then we map the field of non-profit governance through a focus on organizing contexts, environmental contexts and constituencies, and we consider some of the governance practices that emerge within them. Next, we examine the governance theory–practice nexus by sketching out the theoretical perspectives considered by the Handbook’s contributors. We conclude by indicating some of the lacunae that remain
Learning from the Literature on Social Work and Social Care with Children: The Utility of a Jansson Framework of Policy-Practice
No full texthis article presents critical commentary on the relationship between wider policy in Ireland for children, and the practice of social workers and social care workers who work with children on the ground level. An overview of the current policy context for children is achieved through a focused commentary on the literature. This operates around three broad themes. First, the pervasive influence of a children’s rights paradigm on policy in Ireland must be accounted for. Second, policy that is manifest as a feature of regulation, audit, accountability and compliance culture is considered. Finally, an overview of key policy related to specific areas of practice with children in Ireland is mapped out. Following a review of the literature, the utility of a Jansson ([2017]. Empowerment series: Becoming an effective policy advocate (8th ed.). Boston: Centage Learning) Framework of Policy-Practice is explored for practitioners who seek to make better links between policy and their practice in the field. The proposition is that the Framework offers one theoretical mechanism for practitioners who are concerned with strengthening policy and practice links. The discussion in this paper is timely and relevant in the context of increasing external regulation defined by a cultural shift towards audit, compliance and accountability, and related processes of professionalisation. To date, development of literature in Ireland for social professionals on the relationship between policy and practice remains broadly neglected
A TLR9-adjuvanted vaccine formulated into dissolvable microneedle patches or cationic liposomes protects against leishmaniasis after skin or subcutaneous immunization
No full textRe-emergence and geographic expansion of leishmaniasis is accelerating efforts to develop a safe and effective Leshmania vaccine. Vaccines using Leishmania recombinant antigens, such as LiHyp1, which is mostly present in the amastigote parasite form, are being developed as a next generation to crude killed parasite-based vaccines. The main objective of this work was to develop a LiHyp1-based vaccine and determine if it can induce protective immunity in BALB/c mice when administered using a dissolvable microneedle (DMN) patch by the skin route. The LiHyp1 antigen was incorporated into cationic liposomes (CL), with or without the TLR9 agonist, CpG. The LiHyp1-liposomal vaccines were characterized with respect to size, protein encapsulation rates and retention of their physical characteristics after incorporation into the DMN patch. DMN mechanical strength and skin penetration ability were tested. A vaccine composed of LiHyp1, CpG and liposomes and subcutaneously injected or a vaccine containing antigen and CpG in DMN patches, without liposomes, induced high antibody responses and significant levels of protection against L. donovani parasite infection. This study progresses the development of an efficacious leishmania vaccine by detailing promising vaccine formulations and skin delivery technologies and it addresses protective efficacy of a liposome-based dissolvable microneedle patch vaccine system
Characterization of contemporary and historical acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)-based objects: Pilot study for handheld Raman analysis in collections
No full textPlastic materials are increasingly becoming part of private and public collections worldwide, either as design objects or artistic sculptures. The preservation of these highly degradable materials requires novel analytical approaches able to reveal their chemical composition to inform the tailoring of appropriate conservation procedures. In this work Raman spectroscopy and Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) were proposed as methods for the characterization of ABS-based contemporary and historical LEGO® objects. Twenty-three objects of twelve different colors were analyzed by handheld and benchtop Raman instrumentation. In all cases clear identification of the constituent polymer matrices (ABS, polycarbonate, poly(methyl metacrylate)) was obtained. In addition, identification of major color components was achieved, such as copper phthalocyanines in green and blue objects. Low cost handheld instrumentation provided acceptable sensitivity towards polymers and coloring media, and was found suitable for initial screening of the objects. Benchtop Raman was used to confirm and further extend identification, as well as for building background information. Finally, SERS sensitivity was found comparable to the sensitivity achieved by benchtop Raman instrumentation. However, the associated minimally-invasive sampling method made SERS a valid alternative to direct Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of immovable and/or large-sized objects. Overall, this work represents the first systematic investigation on the potential of Raman and SERS spectroscopies as methods for minimal invasive and/or in situ analysis of historical and contemporary plastic objects
Biofeedback to improve swallowing function in persons wiht dysphagia and Parkinson Disease: an intervention study
No full textThis thesis is concerned with a therapeutic approach aimed at improving swallow function in people with Idiopathic Parkinson?s disease (IPD) and swallowing disorders.The neural impairments in IPD manifest as reduced ability to plan motor acts based on internal cues. Providing external cues using sEMG can bypass the impaired neural mechanisms and improve swallowing function. This has already shown some effects in limb rehabilitation, suggesting that people with IPD benefit from feedback more than other groups of patients because it is hypothesised that cues help integrate different movement components.Given the complexity of the swallowing intervention using biofeedback approach in people with IPD and dysphagia, this research study was informed by guidelines for developing complex intervention published by the UK Medical Research Council. This research comprises three key components: a systematic review of the literature, the development of a feasibility study and the cross cultural translation of a swallowing scale and finally the creation of an intervention protocol for a future study. Firstly, a systematic review was completed to verify the evidence of the use of biofeedback as an augmentative tool for the improvement of swallowing function in people with IPD. The review found that biofeedback had positive effects on increasing swallowing function in people with IPD and dysphagia, although the quality of the evidence was graded as low.Nevertheless, the narrative synthesis of the findings suggest that visual biofeedback as part of a swallow intervention programme for people with IPD and dysphagia was likely to benefits swallowing function in particular increasing quality of life of people with IPD and dysphagia. Moreover, surface electromyography (sEMG) was the most common method to deliver swallowing biofeedback in people with IPD and dysphagia.
These findings combined with principles of neuroplasticity and motor learning led to a conceptual framework for a feasibility study on the implementation of sEMG biofeedback swallowing treatment in people with IPD and dysphagia. The feasibility study was conducted at the Neurological Department of the Venice hospital (Italy). Twelve participants were recruited; two withdrew from the study at the beginning of the research, the remaining 10 participants completed the study. The intervention involved biofeedback with sEMG. Participants received this intervention for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks (20 hours). The intervention programme incorporated a progression of swallowing tasks using the sEMG biofeedback and the treatment approach was based on motor learning and neuroplasticity principles.Overall, the swallowing intervention programme, found positive results in people with dysphagia and IPD. There were statistically significant positive changes at the FOIS-It (p < 0.05) and in saliva and solid food pharyngeal residue (p < 0.05) assessed during instrumental examination (FEES). The quality of life showed an improvement after treatment specifically the sub-part of food selection (p < 0.05).
These changes in oral intake and pharyngeal clearance for saliva and solid food were maintained three months post intervention suggesting an important effect of retention in IPD people. The intervention was well tolerated by the participants who reported additional benefits not only in swallowing-related functions such as saliva control and decreased duration of meal times but also in non-swallowing functions such as voice and cognitive attention skills. These results of the quality analysis were selected to be included in the protocol of future study.
The final chapter of the thesis presents a protocol for a further pilot study that is informed by the findings of this feasibility study. Directions for the next research phase are provided
Controlling the voice quality dimension of prosody in synthetic speech using an acoustic glottal model
No full textStatistical parametric speech synthesis (SPSS) offers a means of generating synthetic speech without the need for complex and extensive rules. One way in which this approach is sometimes lacking is through the use of simple excitation models that may result in unnatural, robotic sounding synthetic speech. A further limitation is that these systems tend to lack prosodic variation. For example, they do not capture the expressive nature of human spoken interaction. This is something that would be highly desirable for applications utilising speech synthesis,such as educational games or synthetic voices for people with disordered speech. The use of a more complex excitation model could offer the flexibility in the voice source that could provide a basis for more adequate modelling of prosody. However, acoustic models of the voice source entail many potentially important parameters and controlling these could be a challenge. The main aims of this work were to: investigate how an acoustic glottal model could be used to manipulate aspects of linguistic and paralinguistic prosody of synthetic speech using a minimal set of control parameters; implement the knowledge gained from this investigation into an analysis-and-synthesis system; use this system in SPSS; and conduct pilot tests to demonstrate how the system can be used to explore the voice source correlates of prosody,through user-driven manipulation tasks. To achieve the first goal,experiments were carried out to explore how the global wave shape parameter, Rd (Fant, 1995), could be used to control aspects of linguistic and paralinguistic prosody. This parameter can be used to generate glottal pulse shapes that result in voice qualities ranging from breathy to tense. As the tense-lax dimension of voice quality is important in prosodic modulation, Rd appears to be ideal for minimising the number of control parameters needed to transform voice quality.To allow control of this parameter, the glottal source, and the vocal tract filter that shapes it, must be modelled using the principles of the source-filter model of speech production. These speech components must be separated effectively to do this. Inverse filtering was used to obtain estimates of the source signal by removing the effects of the vocal tract transfer function from the speech signal. An acoustic glottal model, the Liljencrants-Fant (LF) model (Fant et al., 1985), was then used to parameterise the glottal source.
Three experiments were carried out,using manually inverse filtered data,to investigate how Rd could be used as a control parameter for linguistic and paralinguistic prosody,even in the absence of f0modulation. Experiment1 examined how manipulating Rd could be used to control where focal prominence (an aspect of linguistic prosody) occurs in an utterance. Experiment 2 explored how Rd could be used as a control parameter for perceived affect. Experiment 3 built upon the results of Experiment 1 to optimise the implementation of the Rd parameter contour.The results of these experiments confirmed that Rd can serve as a control parameter to generate linguistic prominence as well as paralinguistic modification of affective colouring. The results confirmed, and elaborated on,the findings of earlier research, suggesting that tense-lax modulation of voice quality is important in prosodic expression. They indicated that a more tense phonation on the focally accented item can be used to signal prominence, while laxer phonation of post-focal material provides source deaccentuation that further enhances the perceived prominence.These experiments provided information concerning Rd ranges and settings that fed into the development of the second goal of this work,i.e.an analysis-and-synthesis system, called GlórCáil,for the control of parameters for prosodic variation in synthesis. The system also allows for some speaker characteristic transformation,letting the user manipulate both voice source and vocal tract parameters before resynthesis. This provides the means to alter the prosodic pattern and speaker characteristics of an utterance. The interface allows the user to listen to any changes they make after resynthesis, to see if they have the desired effect or if further manipulations are required. The third goal was achieved by integrating the finished system into a DNN-based speech synthesis framework so that it could be used to generate unseen synthetic speech.The final goal of this work was achieved by demonstrating the system’s ability to transform linguistic and paralinguistic prosody, as well as speaker characteristics, in copy synthesis. Two manipulation tasks were carried out using purpose-built interfaces developed for these experiments. Experiment 4 involved participants modifying an utterance so that it sounded like an appropriate response to a given question by moving sliders that controlled the Rd parameter. Experiment 5 involved participants manipulating parameters to make an utterance sound like it was being spoken by a particular speaker in a particular affective state. The responses were then used to modify the default parameters generated by the DNN-based speech synthesis system, by multiplying them by a scaling factor,to create a set of stimuli. These stimuli were used in the listening test of Experiment 6,where participants were asked to identify the speaker, the emotion of the speaker, and rate the magnitude of the emotion and naturalness of the utterance on five-point scales. Although participants identified sad stimuli successfully, this was not the case for happy stimuli. It is likely that additional modifications of the vocal tract and f0 contour are needed to improve identification rates.The last two experiments were intended as pilot demonstrations: given that the focus of the thesis is on the voice quality dimension, and the inclusion of vocal tract and f0 modulation is beyond the intended scope of the work. Using the GlórCáil system, future work is planned which will explore how the voice quality dimension combines with f0in both linguistic and paralinguistic prosodic expression. How these combine in speaker voice transformation is another area which will be of interest.The GlórCáil system experiments reported here are seen as a contribution not only towards better control of the voice quality dimension of prosody in speech synthesis, but also towards research methodologies that will enhance our understanding of this vital dimension of human communication
Constructing Accountability in Business and Human Rights: An Investigation of the Development of Foreign Direct Liability Litigation and Feasibility in Ireland
No full textConstructing Accountability in Business and Human Rights:
An Investigation of the Development of Foreign Direct Liability Litigation
and Feasibility in Ireland
RACHEL WIDDIS
This thesis is situated within the field of business and human rights. The context is an on-going failure to render multinational corporations accountable for negative impacts on human rights linked to their foreign subsidiaries, and to provide effective remedy for victims.
The focus in on developing legal pathways to accountability, in particular a cause of action based on the direct liability of a parent company for breach of a duty of care to those impacted by its operations.
It explores the factors driving the growth of Foreign Direct Liability litigation, analyses the development of principles in comparative jurisprudence, and assesses the contribution of litigation to accountability.
It reaches across human rights law, tort law, and the potential role of the Irish Constitution. Its original contribution is to relate the principles and themes synthesised from comparative Foreign Direct Liability jurisprudence to the Irish context and investigate the feasibility of similar actions in the tort of negligence against multinational corporations operating in Ireland. A model for adjudicating cases is presented based on substantive, procedural and practical aspects for Ireland