160 research outputs found
Cetraria nivalis (L.) Ach. op het Kootwijkerzand
No full textThe author mentions a new Lichen for the Netherlands, Cetraria nivalis (L.) Ach., found in the Kootwijkerzand, Veluwe (prov. Gelderland)
The development of an assessment tool to gather evidence and evaluate the progress of performance skills of students in the Edgerton High School Band
No full textProject chair, Dr. Glenn C. Hayes.Because of the block schedule and the lack of certain basic music skills among the incoming band students at Edgerton High School, it is necessary to create a system to help students establish their basic performance skills. The purpose of this project is to design a set of assessment tools that will help students define and perform basic musical skills. A series of quarterly study sheets allows the student to study scales, rhythms, tone, and expression in a progressive manner through all grade levels. The student is required to master each form and the skill level demonstrated serves as a portion of his or her final grade. It is also necessary to have a way to assess the students’ skills. This project uses literature and methods from a variety of sources to develop a set of tools that will accomplish both of these objectives.
This project focuses on the four areas of skills basic to musical performance on a musical instrument including scales and arpeggios, rhythm, tone, and expression. The study of scales, arpeggios, and rhythm has been systematically designed to increase the technical skill of students on their instruments. Students will have studied the major, minor, and chromatic scales and arpeggios in a systematic method over a four-year course of study. Each term for four years (16 terms), the student will have studied one major scale, the relative minor scale, arpeggios, and the chromatic scale. In addition, the student will have studied a specific rhythm pattern each term. The chromatic scale study has been coordinated to the rhythm study for each term to help reinforce the rhythm pattern. The rhythm patterns began with the easiest whole rhythms (whole, half, and quarter notes) and get progressively more difficult with each term.
In addressing tone quality, the teacher will have assigned a phrase of music from the literature studied by the band. The student will have performed the phrase with the best tone quality he/she can produce. A rubric has been developed to assess the student’s level of tone production quality and to help the student begin to identify the qualities of an excellent tone.
Musical expression has been addressed in two manners. The first has been through a demonstration of expression during the same performance of the tone quality assignment. Students have been assessed on a rubric similar to the one designed for tone quality. In addition, the student has been presented with a blank phrase of music. The student then adds expression markings that they feel are appropriate and performs the excerpt. Again, a rubric has been designed to assess the work of the student
Influence of a short-term increase in intraluminal pressure, with and without recovery, on ACh-induced dilation in senescent skeletal muscle feed arteries.
No full textInfluence of a short-term increase in intraluminal pressure, with and without recovery, on ACh-induced dilation in senescent skeletal muscle feed arteries.
John W. Seawright1 and Christopher R. Woodman1,2
1. Vascular Biology Laboratory, Dept. of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
2. Dept of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
We tested the hypothesis that a short-term increase in intraluminal pressure, to mimic a 1 h bout of exercise, would attenuate or reverse age-induced impairments in acetylcholine (ACh)-induced dilation in soleus muscle feed arteries (SFA). In addition, we hypothesized that improved endothelial function would persist following a 2 h recovery period at normal pressure. SFA were isolated from young (4 mo) and old (24 mo) Fischer 344 rats. SFA were cannulated and pressurized at 90 (p90) or 130 (p130) cm H2O for 1 h. At the end of the 1-h treatment period, p130 SFA were lowered to 90 cm H2O and ACh-induced vasodilation was assessed. In a separate group of SFA, pressure was raised to 130 cm H2O for 1 h and subsequently lowered to 90 cm H2O for a 2 h recovery period. ACh-induced vasodilator responses were significantly blunted in old p90 SFA relative to young p90 SFA. Pre-treatment with increased pressure (p130) for 1 h improved ACh-induced dilation in old (not young) SFA. The beneficial effect of pressure in old SFA was not apparent after a 2 h recovery period. To determine the importance of nitric oxide in endothelium-dependent dilation in pressure treated vessels, old SFA were pressurized at 130 cm H2O for 1 h, reset to p90, and ACh-induced vasodilator responses were assessed in the absence or presence of a NOS Inhibitor (L-NNA). Results indicate that the beneficial effect of pressure treatment on ACh-induced dilation was eliminated in the presence of L-NNA. Collectively, these results indicate that a short-term (1 h) increase in intraluminal pressure improves endothelium-dependent dilation in old SFA due to enhanced nitric oxide bioavailability. Contrary to our hypothesis, the beneficial effect of pressure did not persist following a 2 h recovery period. Research supported by AHA grant 0765043Y (CRW), AHA grant 4150031 (CRW), and a Sydney and J.L. Huffines Institute of Sports Medicine Graduate Student Research Grant (JWS).
First author classification: Doctoral Studen
NMR and computational data of two novel antimicrobial peptides
No full textAbstractHere we report details on the design and conformational analysis of two novel peptides showing antimicrobial properties, as reported in the research article, “New antimicrobial peptides against foodborne pathogens: from in silico design to experimental evidence” G. Palmieri, M. Balestrieri, Y.T.R. Proroga, L. Falcigno, A. Facchiano, A. Riccio, F. Capuano, R. Marrone, G. Campanile, A. Anastasio (2016) [1]. NMR data, such as chemical shifts in two different solvents as well as aCH protons deviations from random coil values and NOE patterns, are shown together with the statistics of structural calculations. Strategy and particulars of molecular design are presented
Genetic variation in GNB5 causes bradycardia by augmenting the cholinergic response via increased acetylcholine-activated potassium current (IK,ACh)
No full textMutations in GNB5, encoding the G-protein β5 subunit (Gβ5), have recently been linked to a multisystem disorder that includes severe bradycardia. Here, we investigated the mechanism underlying bradycardia caused by the recessive p.S81L Gβ5 variant. Using CRISPR/Cas9-based targeting, we generated an isogenic series of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines that were either wild type, heterozygous or homozygous for the GNB5 p.S81L variant. These were differentiated into cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) that robustly expressed the acetylcholine-activated potassium channel [I(KACh); also known as IK,ACh]. Baseline electrophysiological properties of the lines did not differ. Upon application of carbachol (CCh), homozygous p.S81L hiPSC-CMs displayed an increased acetylcholine-activated potassium current (IK,ACh) density and a more pronounced decrease of spontaneous activity as compared to wild-type and heterozygous p.S81L hiPSC-CMs, explaining the bradycardia in homozygous carriers. Application of the specific I(KACh) blocker XEN-R0703 resulted in near-complete reversal of the phenotype. Our results provide mechanistic insights and proof of principle for potential therapy in patients carrying GNB5 mutations.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper
IMPLEMENTASI TRANSAKSI PEMBIAYAAN GRIYA DALAM PERSPEKTIF FIKIH MU’AMALAH DI BANK SYARIAH INDONESIA KANTOR CABANG PEMBANTU SITUBONDO
No full textAt this time there are many emerging Islamic banking with the many developments of sharia. The birth of Islamic financial institutions in Indonesia brings an interesting competitive atmosphere in the banking business discourse. In addition to the presence of conventional banks, our society is now presented with alternative options to invest their funds, of course through the presence of Islamic banking services.
Islamic banking services offer products with a different scheme from conventional banks. In accordance with the title "sharia" it bears, Islamic banking claims the principle of justice in accordance with Islamic teachings as a differentiator of its identity from conventional banks. Including one of the Islamic banks in Situbondo, namely Bank Mandiri Syariah which is currently changing its name to Bank Syariah Indonesia
Of all the products available at BSI, there is one financing product that is currently in great demand by the public, especially at the Bank Shariah Indonesian Cabang Situbondo Branch, namely the Griya financing product. Griya financing is short, medium, or long term financing to finance the purchase of residential (consumer) houses, both new and used, in the developer environment with a murabahah system.
In relation to the murabahah concept in Fiqh Mu\u27amalah, it is necessary to combine its conformity with the practice of home financing transactions at BSI KCP Situbondo, where in practice the margin provisions obtained by BSI are not transparent, when purchasing property uses the practice of debt. , the delivery of money is directly given to the customer, not the BSI party who buys the needs of the customer and many other things that the author does not know. According to the author, this is not appropriate if the contract used is murabahah
The G-protein on cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains mediates mucosal sensing of short-chain fatty acid and secretory response in rat colon
No full textAim: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) stimulate colonic contraction and secretion, which are mediated by an enteric reflex via a mucosal sensing and cholinergic mechanisms. The involvement of G-protein signal transduction was examined in the secretory response to luminal propionate sensing in rat distal colon. Methods: Mucosa-submucosa and mucosa preparations were used to measure short-circuit current (I_[sc]) and acetylcholine (ACh) release respectively. Cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains, lipid rafts/caveolae, were fractionated using a sucrose-gradient ultra-centrifugation after detergent-free extraction of the isolated colonic crypt. Results: Luminal addition of methyl-β-cyclodextrin (10 mM) and mastoparan (30 μM), lipid rafts/caveolae disruptors, significantly inhibited luminal propionate-induced (0.5 mM) increases in I_[sc], but did not affect increases in I_[sc] induced by serosal ACh (0.05 mM) or electrical field stimulation (EFS). Luminal addition of YM-254890 (10 μM), a Gα_[q/11]-selective inhibitor, markedly inhibited propionate-induced increase in I_[sc], but did not affect I_[sc] responses to ACh and EFS. Both methyl-β-cyclodextrin and YM-254890 significantly inhibited luminal propionate-induced non-neuronal release of ACh from colonocytes. Real-time PCR demonstrated that in mRNA expression of SCFA receptors, GPR 43 was far higher than that of GPR41 in the colon. Western blotting analysis revealed that the cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains that fractionated from colonic crypt cells were associated with caveolin-1, flotillin-1 and Gα_[q/11], but not GPR43. Uncoupling of Gα_[q/11] from flotillin-1 in lipid rafts occurred under desensitization of the I_[sc] response to propionate. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that the secretory response to luminal propionate in rat colon is mediated by G-protein on cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains, provably via Gα_[q/11]
Cost recovery and pricing of payment services
No full textA modern payment system is essential for promoting domestic and international trade and exchange as well as developing financial markets. Payment users will be directed toward the most efficient payment methods when the costs of producing those services are reflected in the prices paid. Resources are being wasted in the United States because consumers see no important difference in transaction prices or bank costs between using a check or using electronic direct debit in paying a bill, even though the social costs of these two instruments are different. Electronic payments cost only a third to half as much as paper-based payments. An estimated $100 billion (or 1.5 percent of GDP) is being lost by the continued use of paper-based checks. When payment instruments are not appropriately priced, the costs must be covered elsewhere. One common solution is to let loan revenues cover part of payment expenses (keeping loan rates higher to compensate). When prices reflect the full cost of producing the service, users demand the services that use the fewest real resources. The authors give examples of payment prices and price schedules and show how underlying cost data are used to"build up"to a price. They outline how payment services may best be structured to: a) Appropriately reflect economies of scale or scope in the production of payment services; b) Adjust cost recovery percentages to accommodate how much demand conditions associated with start-up differ from those associated with mature operation. (During a new system's early years of operation, the transaction volume may be low and some form of underrecovery of costs may be required to encourage use of the system. But any such underrecovery must be built into future pricing arrangements oncethe systems are established and traffic volumes are at a level where full cost recovery is practical. To ensure fairness, the pricing structure must also guarantee that latecomers to the system not get more favorable treatment than the initial user group.); and c) Induce efficient use of scarce resources. They note the economic principles that recommend certain pricing methods over others and apply equally to payment services provided by the private sector or through a government agency. They show why costs should be recovered through user transaction fees.Banks&Banking Reform,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Economic Theory&Research,Markets and Market Access,Decentralization,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Economic Theory&Research,Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Markets and Market Access
Final state effects on charge asymmetry of pion elliptic flow in high-energy heavy-ion collisions
No full textAbstractWithin a multi-phase transport (AMPT) model with the string melting mechanism and imported initial electric quadrupole moment, the difference between the elliptic flow of positive and negative pions is calculated. The slope parameter r of the linear dependence of Δv2=v2(π−)−v2(π+) on Ach=(N+−N−)/(N++N−) is yielded owing to the parton cascade, which converts the initial electric quadrupole distribution into the final charge-dependent elliptic flow. The slope parameter r is found to be increased by the hadronization given by the coalescence, and decreased by the resonance decays. The slope parameter r is very sensitive to both the initial electric quadrupole percentage and centrality bin and consequently a helpful constraint on the quadrupole moment of the chiral magnetic wave is obtained for Au + Au collisions at the top RHIC energy
Cycloheximide and actinomycin D delay death and affect bcl-2, bax, and ice gene expression in astrocytes under in vitro ischemia
No full textAn in vitro ischemia model was established and the effect of the metabolic inhibitors cycloheximide (CHX) and actinomycin D (ActD) on apoptosis in astrocytes under ischemia studied. CHX decreased by 75% the number of cells dying after 6 hr of ischemia compared with control cultures. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining of comparable cultures was reduced by 40%. ActD decreased cell death by 60% compared with controls. The number of TUNEL-positive cells was reduced by 38%. The nuclear shrinkage in TUNEL-positive astrocytes in control cultures did not occur in ActD-treated astrocytes, indicating that nuclear shrinkage and DNA fragmentation during apoptosis are two unrelated processes. Expression of bcl-2 (alpha and beta), bax, and Ice in astrocytes under similar ischemic conditions, as measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, indicated that ischemia down-regulated bcl-2 (alpha and beta) and bax. Ice was initially down-regulated from 0 to 4 hr, before returning to control levels after 8 hr of ischemia. ActD decreased the expression of these genes. CHX reduced the expression of bcl-2 (alpha and beta) but increased bax and Ice expression. It is hypothesized that the balance of proapoptotic (Bad, Bax) and antiapoptotic (Bcl-2, Bcl-XI) proteins determines apoptosis. The data suggest that the ratio of Bcl-2/Bad in astrocytes following ActD and CHX treatment does not decrease as much in untreated cells during ischemia. Our data indicate that it is the ratio of Bcl-2 family members that plays a critical role in determining ischemia-induced apoptosis. It is also important to note that ischemia-induced apoptosis involves the regulation of RNA and protein synthesis. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.NeurosciencesSCI(E)PubMed8ARTICLE2318-3257
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