Academic literature on the topic 'CA. Use studies'

Sixty highly homozygous tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) strains, some selected from previous studies and some collected from known low-Ca regions, were screened under a low-Ca culture system (10 mg of Ca per plant). Four strains were selected to represent the extremes for Ca efficiency and used as parents to create a series of F1, F2, and backcross generations for inheritance studies of Ca use under low-Ca stress. Based on total plant dry weight, additive and dominance gene effects were most important for the efficiency of Ca use. Maternal control of efficiency in Ca use was not observed. Estimates of broad-sense heritability ranged from 63% to 79% for total play dry weight. Narrow sense heritabilities, determined in only two of the families, were 47% to 49$ and 68% to 75%.

<span lang="EN-US">For more than two decades, the concept of continuous auditing (CA) has been introduced and many large firms had taken the initiatives to apply the CA system in supporting their audit functions. Despite the benefits that the CA system is offers, it is still not widely use and the number of people using the CA system is still considered low. This research focuses on the published papers on the use of CA system within the context of auditing system addressing the quality of system implementation. This paper analyzed primary studies collected using the pre-determined search strings on nine online databases. As a result, a total of 60 articles were carefully selected to undergo further analysis based on empirical evidence of CA system use. The articles were analyzed qualitatively using ATLAS.ti 7 and the elements for the CA system use are extracted from the selected papers. A total of four elements were identified contributing to the use of CA in practice. Those elements are the participant quality, system quality, information quality and products and services quality. This study answers five research objectives to understand the current studies on CA and to determine future research works on CA.</span>

Background The effect of steroid use on outcomes in patients with cardiac arrest (CA) remains controversial. We systematically reviewed the literature to investigate whether steroid use after CA increased the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate and survival to discharge in patients with CA. Methods PubMed, Embase, CNKI, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies on the effect of steroid use on outcomes in adults with CA. The outcomes were ROSC and survival to discharge. Results Seven studies (four RCTs and three observational studies) were included. Pooled analysis suggested that steroid use was associated with increased ROSC in patients with CA. Steroid use was significantly associated with survival to discharge, which was a consistent finding in RCTs and observational studies. Subgroup analysis based on the time of drug administration (during cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] vs. after CA) showed that steroid use during CPR and after CA were significantly associated with an increased rate of ROSC and survival to discharge. Conclusion Current evidence indicates that steroid use after CA could increase ROSC and survival to discharge in patients with CA. However, high-quality and adequately powered RCTs are warranted.

The aim of the present study was to investigate morphology of temporomandibular joint using cone beam computer tomography. Study included 45 adults (32 females and 13 males). Articular eminence inclination, glenoid fossa width, glenoid fossa depth, condylar mediolateral distance, condylar anteroposterior distance and condylar type were determined for each temporomandibular joint. Since independent samples t-test did not show significant differences between left and right sides for all of observed parameters (p≥0.05), left and right side values were treated as one sample. The determined glenoid fossa depth was 7.11±2.23, glenoid fossa width 19.22±2.58, condylar anteroposterior distance 7.54±1.59, condylar mediolateral distance 17.95±2.81 and articular eminence inclination was 34.59±7.35 degrees. Most of condyles were classified as convex type (32.5%), followed by flattened (23.8%), rounded (11.3%) and angled (10%). Undefined (other type) were classified 22.5% of condyles. Cone beam computer tomography measurements of temporomandibular joint bone structures in present study showed similarities to most of previous research (with different populations studied). Still, the prevalence of different condylar types differs from those obtained by most of previous studies. Interindividual differences in temporomandibular joint morphology are expected.

Abstract As the season of earthly rebirth, spring in the high and late Middle Ages provided both an ideal setting for secular love songs and a symbolic underpinning for the liturgical season of Eastertide. With the Virgin Mary acting as a spiritual point of mediation, Eastertide liturgy and secular springtime song resonated symbolically with one another, a resonance seen nowhere more clearly than in polyphonic compositions in which Eastertide chants, Marian prayers, and secular springtime songs sound simultaneously. This essay presents two case studies that explore the confluence of these diverse elements within polyphonic music. The first examines thirteenth-century compositions on the widespread tenor In seculum, positing its origins in the Mass for Easter Sunday —and by extension its associations with spring—as the reason that it was used so often and combined with such diverse textual and musical materials as pastourelles, dances, courtly love songs, and Marian prayers. The second study examines the use of multiple cantus firmi in Isaac's Laudes salvatori (from Choralis Constantinus) and Josquin's Victimae paschali laudes, both paraphrase settings of Easter sequences that comment upon their primary cantus firmus by simultaneously quoting additional melodies. Isaac uses the chants Regina caeli and Victimae paschali laudes to emphasize the central role that Mary plays in the miracle of the Resurrection, while Joquin accomplishes this same goal by employing the well-known chansons D'ung aultre amer and De tous biens plaine as vernacular symbols of Christ and the Virgin Mary, respectively. The two case studies, taken together, illustrate a consistent mode of symbolic thought that endured for over three centuries.

SUMMARYDespite the increasing burden of community-associated methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(CA-MRSA) infections, the risk factors are not well understood. We conducted a hypothesis-generating study using three parallel case-control studies to identify risk factors for CA-MRSA and community-associated methicillin-susceptibleS. aureus(CA-MSSA) infections. In the multivariate model, antimicrobial use in the 1–6 months prior to culture was associated with CA-MRSA infection compared to CA-MSSA [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1·7,P=0·07] cases. Antimicrobial use 1–6 months prior to culture (aOR 1·8,P=0·04), history of boils (aOR 1·6,P=0·03), and having a household member who was a smoker (aOR 1·3,P=0·05) were associated with CA-MRSA compared to uninfected community controls. The finding of an increased risk of CA-MRSA infection associated with prior antimicrobial use highlights the importance of careful antimicrobial stewardship.

The determination of the total calcium in juice, syrups, and other products of the sugar industry is investigated. Total calcium and free calcium is determinated by AAS and employing Ca-selective electrode respectively. A coefficient is obtained for the relation of total calcium with respect to free calcium. The coefficient is employed to determine the content of total calcium in accordance with the following equation.<img src="http:/img/fbpe/eq/v22/15e.gif" alt="15e.gif (673 bytes)" align="middle">

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) was first described in remote Indigenous populations in Australia over 20 years ago. The burden of staphylococcal disease, including S. aureus bacteraemia, disproportionately affects Indigenous populations and is likely related to socio-economic disadvantage. Factors such as domestic crowding, poor hygiene and high rates of scabies, skin sores and antibiotic use contribute to the transmission and emergence of CA-MRSA. Studies focusing on two clones, sequence type (ST) 93 and clonal complex (CC) 75, provide supportive evidence for the emergence of methicillin-resistance in Indigenous communities.

The underlying basis for Mg/Ca paleothermometry is that the amount of magnesium in calcite precipitated from seawater is dependent on temperature. Here we review the state of the art of the Mg/Ca seawater paleotemperature proxy, summarized by the following: 1) Calcite, whether formed abiotically or biologically as foraminifera and ostracode shells, incorporates variable amounts of magnesium into the crystal structure. 2) Uptake of Mg varies positively with temperature. 3) The relationship between temperature and the amount of Mg in calcite has been quantified by experiments on synthetic calcite growth and by culture, core top, and sediment trap experiments using living organisms. 4) The most careful calibrations of the Mg/Ca paleothermometer have been done for planktic foraminifera, then benthic foraminifera; there are species-specific variations in the amount of Mg incorporated into foraminifera shells. 5) The Mg/Ca ratio of calcite from planktic foraminifera in deep-sea cores has been widely used to interpret sea surface temperatures. 6) Measurement of both Mg/Ca and δ18O in planktic foraminifera have been used to calculate δ18O in seawater, and after correction for global ice volume, salinity could be inferred. 7) Mg/Ca from benthic foraminifera have been used to reconstruct deep-sea temperatures and cooling of ~12° over the last 50 million years. 8) One problem with the Mg/Ca seawater temperature proxy is partial dissolution of foraminifer shells, which lowers the Mg/Ca, and leads to an underestimation of ocean temperature. Benthic foraminifers appear to be more resistant to partial dissolution. 9) Past changes in the Mg/Ca ratio of seawater are an important factor in determining the amount of Mg in fossil skeletal calcite, and thus add another variable to the Mg/Ca temperature proxy. All Mg/Ca paleotemperature studies on fossil calcite older than Pleistocene should take into account the Mg/Ca of the seawater from which it precipitated.

Tese de Doutoramento em Biblioteconomia y Documentación apresentada à Universidade de Salamanca sob a orientação do Professor Doutor D. José Antonio Frías Montoya
O estudo da avaliação da qualidade de serviço em bibliotecas universitárias tem conhecido grande interesse no seio da Biblioteconomia e Documentação. A preocupação prende-se com a importância para os profissionais da informação de serem capazes de avaliar o serviço que é prestado do ponto de vista do utilizador, de forma a mobilizar recursos, planear novos serviços e gerar soluções face às necessidades pressentidas. Para avaliar a qualidade de serviço no contexto das bibliotecas universitárias, torna-se necessário, antes de mais, compreender os elementos da qualidade de serviço e a interacção destes elementos na perspectiva do utilizador. Pretendemos analisar o modo como os utilizadores potenciais de uma biblioteca universitária avaliam a qualidade dos serviços prestados. O ponto de partida da problemática do nosso estudo procurou responder a duas questões: - Quais as dimensões que os utilizadores potenciais elegem para avaliar a qualidade de serviço de uma biblioteca universitária? - Quais as dimensões da qualidade de uma biblioteca universitária com impacto na qualidade global percebida pelos utilizadores? Os objectivos gerais do estudo foram em primeiro lugar: (a) construir uma escala para medir a qualidade de serviço prestado por uma biblioteca universitária, segundo a percepção dos seus utilizadores; (b) testar a dimensionalidade da escala; e (c) por último, identificar, por um lado, quais os atributos considerados relevantes pelos utilizadores na percepção da qualidade global dos serviços de uma biblioteca universitária e, por outro lado, de que modo é avaliada a qualidade desses serviços e quais as variáveis diferenciais que os caracterizam. O estudo envolveu várias fases: (a) foram recolhidos itens na literatura; (b) realizaram-se sete grupos de discussão com estudantes e docentes; (c) elaborou-se um questionário contendo 29 itens; (d) estudo piloto para obter a versão final da escala; e (e) validação do instrumento de avaliação. Um segundo objectivo centrou-se na análise da influência das variáveis frequência e tempo de utilização dos serviços na avaliação da qualidade por parte dos utilizadores, seguido de uma análise das características sócio-demográficas dos estudantes e sua influência na avaliação da qualidade de serviço. Como terceiro objectivo, pretendemos analisar o modo como a perspectiva do utilizador diferencia os professores dos alunos na qualidade de serviço percebida. Por último, efectuámos a análise do modo como as dimensões da qualidade de serviço afectam a qualidade global percebida. Participaram no estudo 594 utilizadores potenciais, constituídos por estudantes e professores de uma instituição universitária da região de Lisboa, em Portugal. Obteve-se uma estrutura factorial de cinco dimensões: relacionamento directo com o utilizador, colecções, novas tecnologias, acesso e fiabilidade. Os estudos de validação comprovaram as boas propriedades psicométricas da escala e a sua respectiva multidimensionalidade. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que os utilizadores com uma frequência média e alta de utilização dos serviços avaliam as duas dimensões, Relacionamento com o Utilizador e Acesso, de forma mais positiva, do que os utilizadores com baixa utilização. Os resultados sugerem, ainda, que os utilizadores com um tempo de utilização média e alta dos serviços avaliam a dimensão da qualidade de serviço Relacionamento com o Utilizador e Qualidade Global mais positivamente que os utilizadores que tem um menor tempo de utilização. Enquanto na dimensão Colecções, os utilizadores com um tempo de utilização médio avaliam de forma mais positiva face aos utilizadores com mais tempo de utilização dos serviços. Relativamente ao segundo objectivo verificou-se que os efeitos do género traduzem-se numa percepção diferenciada mais positiva na dimensão Relacionamento por parte dos estudantes masculinos face aos estudantes femininos. Os grupos de idade dos estudantes introduzem diferenças sobre a percepção da qualidade de serviço, os estudantes mais jovens diferenciam-se mais positivamente nas dimensões Colecções e Novas Tecnologias face aos outros dois grupos de idade; o inverso ocorre na dimensão Relacionamento e na Qualidade Global. No tocante ao curso dos estudantes, encontrámos diferenças significativas na dimensão Acesso entre os cursos de Psicologia e Reabilitação com uma avaliação mais positiva face ao curso Desenvolvimento Comunitário. Verifica-se, ainda, que o ciclo de estudos dos estudantes, na dimensão Relacionamento apresenta uma diferença significativa entre os estudantes do ciclo pós -graduado face ao ciclo inicial. Por último, os resultados do ano de curso, assinalam uma menor avaliação da qualidade de serviço percebida por parte dos estudantes que frequentam o 5º ano, nas dimensões Novas Tecnologias e Qualidade Global, em relação aos colegas do 4º, 3º, 2º, 1º anos de curso; os estudantes do 5º ano diferenciam-se também nas dimensões: Fiabilidade, face aos do 4º ano, e Relacionamento com o Utilizador, face aos do 1º ano. No âmbito da perspectiva do utilizador, os resultados mostraram que os professores, em comparação com os estudantes, apresentam uma percepção mais favorável em v relação às dimensões Relacionamento com Utilizador, Novas Tecnologias, Acesso, Fiabilidade e na Qualidade Global. Os resultados obtidos no modelo de relações, testado através de modelos de equações estruturais, sugerem que a Qualidade Global percebida é predominantemente afectada pelas dimensões da qualidade de serviço: Relacionamento com o Utilizador e Colecções. Os resultados obtidos parecem permitir um conjunto de acções no quadro da gestão da qualidade a tomar pelos responsáveis da unidade de informação, no sentido da melhoria da qualidade de serviço de acordo com as cinco dimensões assinaladas, tendo como dimensões nucleares : Relacionamento com o Utilizador e as Colecções. [EN] The evaluation study of the quality of service in academic libraries has seen great interest in the Library and Documentation fields. The concern relates to the importance for information professionals to be able to evaluate the service that is provided from the point of view of the user, in order to mobilize resources, to plan new services and to generate solutions to the needs envisioned. To evaluate the quality of service in the context of the academic libraries, first of all it is necessary to understand the quality of service elements and the interaction of these elements in the user perspective. We intend to examine how potential users in an academic library evaluate the quality of services provided. The starting point of our study should answer these two questions: - Which are the dimensions that potential users elect to evaluate the quality of service of an academic library? - Which are the quality dimensions of an academic library with impact on the overall quality perceived by users? The main goals of the study were in the first place: (a) to build a scale to measure the quality of service provided by an academic library as perceived by its users, (b) to test the scale dimensionality, and (c) finally to identify, first, which are the attributes that users considered relevant for the quality perception of the services of an academic library and, on the other hand, how is it evaluated the quality of these services and which are the differential variables that characterize them. This study involved several phases: (a) we collected items in the literature, (b) we held seven focus groups with students and teachers, (c) we developed a questionnaire containing 29 items, (d) a pilot study was made for the final version of the scale, finalizing with (e) the validation of the evaluation instrument. A second goal focused on the analysis of the influence of the variables frequency and duration when the users are using services evaluated by their quality, followed by an analysis of socio-demographic characteristics of students and their influence on the evaluation of quality of service. As a third goal, we intend to examine how the user's perspective differentiates teachers to students when they perceived quality of service. Finally, we conducted an analysis of how the dimensions of quality of service affect the perceived overall quality. The study involved 594 potential users, consisting of students and teachers from an university of Lisbon, Portugal. We had a factorial structure of five dimensions: direct relationship with the user, collections, new technologies, access and reliability. Validation studies have shown good psychometric properties of their respective scale and multidimensionality. The results suggest that users with a medium and high frequency of use of services evaluate the two dimensions, Relationship with the User and Access, more positively than users with low utilization. The results also suggest that users with a time of high and medium use of services evaluate more positively the quality dimension of service Relationship with the User and Global Quality that users who have a shorter duration of use. In the dimension Collections, users with a medium use of services evaluate more positively comparing with the users with high use of services. It was found, for the second goal, that the gender effects translated into a different and positive perception by male students in Relationship dimension comparing with the female students. The age groups of students introduce differences in the perception of quality of service; the younger students differentiate themselves more positively on dimensions Collections and New Technologies compared with the other two age groups; the opposite occurs in the Relationship and Global Quality dimensions. Analyzing the students’ course, we found significant differences in Access dimension between the Psychology and Rehabilitation courses with a more positive evaluation facing the Community Development course. In Relationship dimension, the studies cycle presents a significant difference between the postgraduate students compared to the initial cycle students. Finally, in dimensions New Technologies and Global Quality the results of years of course indicate a lower evaluation of quality of service perceived by the students who attend the 5th year comparing with the 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st year course students; the students of 5th year also differ in two dimensions: Reliability, compared to the fourth grade, and Relationship with the User, compared to the 1st year. Under the user perspective, and comparing with the students, the results showed that teachers present a more favorable perception regarding the dimensions Relationship with the User, New Technologies, Access, Reliability and Global Quality. The results produced by the model of relations, tested through structural equation models, suggest that the Global Quality is predominantly affected by the dimensions of quality of service: Relationship with the User and Collections. The results seem to allow a set of actions within the quality management framework to be taken by the responsible of the information unit in the sense of improving the quality of service and according to the five dimensions indicated, with the nuclear dimensions: Relationship with the User and Collections. [ES] El estudio de la evaluación de la calidad de servicios en bibliotecas universitarias ha conocido un gran interés en el seno de la biblioteconomía y documentación. La preocupación radica en la importancia para los profesionales de la información de ser capaces de evaluar el servicio que es prestado desde el punto de vista del usuario, de forma a movilizar recursos, planear nuevos servicios y a generar soluciones a las necesidades presentidas. Para evaluar la calidad del servicio en el contexto de las bibliotecas universitarias, se hace necesario antes de nada, comprender los elementos de la calidad de servicio y la interacción de estos elementos en la perspectiva del usuario. Pretendemos analizar el modo de cómo los utilizadores potenciales de una biblioteca universitaria evalúan la calidad de los servicios prestados. El punto de partida de la problemática de nuestro estudio intentó responder a dos cuestiones: -¿Cuáles son las dimensiones que los usuarios potenciales eligen para evaluar la calidad de servicios de una biblioteca universitaria? -¿Cuáles son las dimensiones de la calidad de una biblioteca universitaria con impacto en la calidad global observada por los usuarios? Los objectivos generales del estudio fueron en primer lugar: (a) construcción de una escala para medir la calidad de los servicios prestados por una biblioteca universitaria, según la percepción de los usuarios; (b) testar la dimensionalidad de la escala; y (c) por último, identificar por un lado, cuales son los atributos considerados relevantes por los usuarios en la percepción de la calidad global de los servicios de una biblioteca universitaria, y por otro lado, de qué modo es evaluada la calidad de esos servicios y cuales son las variables diferenciales que lo caracterizan. El estudio englobó varias fases: (a) fueron recogidos varios ítens en la literatura; (b) se realizaron siete grupos de discusión con estudiantes y profesores; (c) se elaboró un cuestionario conteniendo 29 ítens; (d) estudio piloto para obtener la versión final de la escala; y (e) validación del instrumento de evaluación. Un segundo objetivo se centró en el análisis de las variables frecuencia y tiempo de utilización de los servicios en la evaluación de la calidad por parte de los usuarios, seguido de un análisis de las características sociodemográficas de los estudiantes y su influencia en la evaluación de la calidad de los servicios. Como tercer objetivo pretendemos analizar el modo de cómo la perspectiva del usuario diferencia los profesores de los alumnos en la calidad de servicios recibida. Por último, efectuamos el análisis del modo de cómo las dimensiones de la calidad de servicios afectan a la calidad global percibida. Participaron en el estudio 594 usuarios potenciales, constituidos por estudiantes y profesores de una institución universitaria de la región de Lisboa en Portugal. Se obtuvo una estructura factorial de cinco dimensiones: Relación directa con el usuario, Colecciones, Nuevas Tecnologías, Acceso y Fiabilidad. Los estudios de validación demostraron las buenas propiedades psicométricas de la escala y su respectiva multidimensionalidad. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que los usuarios con una frecuencia media y alta de utilización de los servicios, evalúan las dos dimensiones: Relación con el usuario y Acceso, de forma más positiva que los usuarios con baja utilización. Los resultados sugieren, todavía, que los usuarios con un tiempo de utilización medio y alto de los servicios evalúan la dimensión de la calidad de servicios Relación con el usuario y la Calidad Global, más positiva que los usuarios que tienen un menor tiempo de utilización. En cuanto en la dimensión Colecciones, los usuarios con un tiempo de utilización medio evalúan de forma más positiva frente a los usuarios con más tiempo de utilización de los servicios. Relativamente al segundo objetivo, se verificó que los efectos del género se traducen en una percepción diferenciada más positiva en la dimensión Relación con el usuario por parte de los estudiantes masculinos frente a los estudiantes femeninos. Los grupos de edad de los estudiantes introducen diferencias sobre la percepción de la calidad del servicio, los estudiantes más jóvenes se diferencian más positivamente en las dimensiones Colecciones y Nuevas Tecnologías frente a los otros dos grupos de edad; ocurre lo contrario en la dimensión Relación y en la Calidad Global. En lo relativo al curso de los estudiantes, encontramos diferencias significativas en la dimensión Acceso entre el curso de Psicología y Rehabilitación más positiva frente al curso de Desarrollo Comunitario. Se verifica aún, que el ciclo de estudios de los estudiantes, en la dimensión Relación presenta una diferencia significativa entre los estudiantes del ciclo de post-graduación frente al ciclo inicial. Por último, los resultados del año de curso, sugieren una menor sensibilidad perceptiva, por parte de los estudiantes que asisten al 5º año, en las dimensiones Nuevas Tecnologías y Calidad Global, en relación a los compañeros del 4º, 3º, 1º y 2º años del curso, así como en las dimensiones Fiabilidad (4º año) y Relación con el usuario (1º año). •ix Los resultados mostraron que los profesores en comparación con los estudiantes presentan una percepción más favorable en relación a las dimensiones Relación con el usuario, Nuevas Tecnologías, Acceso, Fiabilidad y en la Calidad Global. Los resultados obtenidos en el modelo de relaciones, testado a través de modelos de ecuaciones estructurales, sugieren que la Calidad Global percibida es predominantemente afectada por las dimensiones de la calidad del servicio: Relación con el usuario y Colecciones. En la posesión de los datos recogidos y de su respectivo análisis, servirían para indicar las acciones a tomar por los responsables de la unidad de información en el sentido de mejora de la calidad de servicios teniendo en línea de cuenta las cinco dimensiones señaladas, siendo como dimensiones nucleares: relación con los usuarios y las colecciones.

The importance of libraries in academia is that they constitute one of the cores of the University , bring together teachers, researchers and students involved in the process of transforming information into knowledge. University libraries are very complex administration , there must manage and control large volumes of information . Also establish information services that meet the needs of the university community , considering that each segment of that community has key features. The activity of managing a library should always aim at achieving the best possible results from foreseeable that might accrue as a result of that effort. Therefore is especially important in a library the process of obtaining information and data from the exercise of their management and valuation as a means weighted for management , ie the processes of management control and evaluation activities library. The present work aims to evaluate the service provided by the Library of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences of the National University of San Marcos, using the LibQUAL instrument + ™ , which allows to know the perceptions of users about services library. Chapter I describes the topic, objectives and methodology of work. Chapter II presents the theoretical framework supporting the work discussed , where information extracted from various authors is provided , as well as the background and methodology of the instrument used. Chapter III presents a brief information about the Library of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences at the National University of San Marcos, and shows the results obtained after the instrument has been applied. Finally, in chapter IV , proposals and conclusions that were reached at the end of this study are indicated.

The evaluation study of the quality of service in academic libraries has seen great interest in the Library and Documentation fields. The concern relates to the importance for information professionals to be able to evaluate the service that is provided from the point of view of the user, in order to mobilize resources, to plan new services and to generate solutions to the needs envisioned. To evaluate the quality of service in the context of the academic libraries, first of all it is necessary to understand the quality of service elements and the interaction of these elements in the user perspective. The main goals of the study were in the first place: (a) to build a scale to measure the quality of service provided by an academic library as perceived by its users, (b) to test the scale dimensionality, and (c) finally to identify, first, which are the attributes that users considered relevant for the quality perception of the services of an academic library and, on the other hand, how is it evaluated the quality of these services and which are the differential variables that characterize them. This study involved several phases: (a) we collected items in the literature, (b) we held seven focus groups with students and teachers, (c) we developed a questionnaire containing 29 items, (d) a pilot study was made for the final version of the scale, finalizing with (e) the validation of the evaluation instrument.

The search activities and information retrieval consist of selecting of the information mass those elements that It assist satisfactorily the information needs of a group or individual, in the instant of your solicitation. Those activities, are own of the professional librarian, because, the essence of the Librarianship consists of locating, to treat, to store, to retrieval and to disseminate the information. But, with the development of the information and communication technologies the storage capacity in databases is growing, as well as the direct access of the users to the information, turning the information retrieval in half electronic a quite complex task. These factors take to investigate if the users have been getting to supply your information needs efficiently, without the professional librarian as intermediate. It was proposed the study of the behavior of a sample of the students of the powders graduation of the UNESP-Marília in the search activities and information retrieval in databases specialized, through the application of questionnaires and observations of your search procedures. With support of pertinent theoretical referential to the theme, the data were tabulated and analyzed quantitative and qualitative. As results, it was verified that several problems impede that the users take advantage of all the potentiality that the bases of data now offer for the information retrieval. It is ended that, the studies on the behavior of the users' search and the inherent knowledge to the librarian, they can contribute to the design of systems of information retrieval and more efficient search interfaces.

Gendered, language and hate speech: Are these concepts unrelated to each other, or is it possible to find a common research thread that allows us to understand them as two aspects of the same social phenomenon? This is the question to which the book aims to give an answer, through the support of experts and scholars in the areas of Linguistics, Education, Sociology, Legal and Political Studies. The volume collects some of the papers presented at the LIGHTS (Gender equality and hate words / Language gender and HaTe Speech) conference, held at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice on October 2018, which represented a significant moment of discussion and confrontation on the power of language for the maintenance or, hopefully, the deconstruction of social and political stereotypes.

This study explores the idea of a significant business, framing it through the key concepts that define it and illustrating it through a case study that narrates the evolution of a century-old company. Born as an intellectual response to the economic and financial crisis of 2008, the significant business is conceived as an entity capable of enduring over time through the creation of value and its distribution within the community in which it operates. The significant business should be also aware of its own identity and of the need to innovate itself over time considering the synergies and the collaborations that the territory offers, to continue to create wealth. This contribution is part of a series of works that, resulting from numerous action-research projects coordinated by Professor Carlo Bagnoli, have seen as protagonists the companies and their strategic innovation. The starting point of many of these projects is the Manifesto of the Significant Company (Bagnoli et al. 2015), which aims at imagining a business model able to explore and innovate the company to increase its competitiveness, and also to restore meaning to the company itself, through the definition of its own identity. Contributing to previous works, this book explores the idea of significant enterprise by adopting a business and a historical perspective. The first part of the book deals with the business perspective, to introduce the value model commonly used in action research studies undertaken by the spin-off Strategy Innovation of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and to describe the specific model of a significant business. The second part of the book narrates the story of a centuries-long business, Barovier&Toso, exploring its evolutions. Focusing on the different perspectives that shaped the key concepts and narrating the path followed by a centenary company, this work hopes to shed further light on this fascinating theme together with the reader.

AbstractIn recent decades, cellular automata (CA) have become popular for evaluating and forecasting urban transformation over time and space, especially in rapidly developing countries. These models enhance the understanding of urban dynamics and the complex interplay between land-use changes and urban sustainability. CA help governments, planners, and stakeholders to predict and evaluate the potential outcomes of future policy alternatives before making decisions. Thus, CA are frequently used to create what-if scenarios for policy implementation. This chapter includes an overview of the basic and state-of-the-art concepts and methods in urban CA modeling, as well as the latest studies, applications, and current problems. First, we conduct a systematic review of urban CA modeling to provide critical comments on previous and recent studies. The basic techniques, including the components of a basic CA model, modifications for urban modeling, and collection of data sources, are then provided, along with a classification of different types of urban CA. Finally, the applications of CA in urban studies and planning practices are presented, as well as discussions of further research. We also point out the major problems in recent studies and applications for further research.

Abstract To achieve the challenges raised in Agenda 2063 and the Malabo Declaration, new agricultural techniques need to be promoted. Practical approaches to implement climate smart agriculture and sustainable agriculture, able to deliver at field level, are required. These include sustainable soil and land management that allows different user groups to manage their resources, including water, crops, livestock and associated biodiversity, in ways that are best suited to the prevailing biophysical, socio-economic and climatic conditions. The adoption of locally adapted sustainable soil management practices is needed to support climate change mitigation and adaptation from the agricultural perspective. In this sense, Conservation Agriculture (CA) can be adapted to local conditions, and help achieve the key objectives. The application of CA principles brings multiple benefits, especially in terms of soil conservation, but also for mitigating climate change. In fact, CA has the ability to transform agricultural soils from being carbon emitters into carbon sinks, because of no-tillage (NT) techniques and the return to the soil of diverse crop biomass from above-ground parts of plants and from diverse roots systems and root exudates. Similarly, fossil energy use decreases due to the reduction in agricultural operations, and so less CO₂ is emitted to the atmosphere. Lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in CA also result, because of reduced and more efficient use of inputs. Scientific studies confirm the sequestration potential of increased soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks on croplands in Africa on each of the continent's major bioclimatic areas. Coefficients of SOC sequestration for Africa are presented in this chapter.

Abstract Within the class of procedures termed minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), the iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent (Glaukos Corporation, San Clemente, CA, USA) is an intraocular implant that resides within Schlemm’s canal and allows for direct bypass of the trabecular meshwork by aqueous fluid. The acceptance of MIGS is growing due to its role in lowering intraocular pressure in mild-to-moderate glaucoma combined with its favorable safety profile. With transscleral glaucoma-filtering surgery, there is an increased potential for significant complications including hypotony, suprachoroidal hemorrhage, and long-term risk of endophthalmitis. By contrast, the iStent minimizes these risks and has demonstrated similarities to cataract surgery in terms of associated complications. Multiple publications have described both the safety and efficacy of the implant. These studies are reviewed in addition to a description of the implantation technique and postoperative management pearls. The second-generation model, the iStent inject, may ease implantation and the use of multiple stents may potentially play a role in more advanced disease.

Abstract The Hydrus® Microstent (Ivantis Inc., Irvine, CA, USA) is an 8-mm intracanalicular scaffold microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) device which reduces intraocular pressure (IOP) by bypassing the trabecular meshwork and by dilating and scaffolding the Schlemm’s canal. Indications for Hydrus Microstent implantation include primary open-angle glaucoma and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma and it can be implanted either in combination with cataract surgery or as a solo procedure. Studies have shown that the Hydrus Microstent lowers IOP to the mid-teens and reduces glaucoma medication use for up to 2 years. Hydrus Microstent implantation is associated with a favorable safety profile, with adverse effects being generally mild, transient, and self-resolving. Clinically significant and long-standing hypotony or other potentially sight-threatening complications have not been described so far with Hydrus Microstent implantation. This chapter summarizes the design, mechanism of action, surgical technique, and clinical outcomes of the Hydrus Microstent, which is a promising long-term treatment modality for patients with mild-to-moderate primary open-angle glaucoma.

Abstract Following the construction of the Gamma Field at the Institute of Radiation Breeding in 1960, mutation breeding was accelerated in Japan. The facility is used, with a radiation dose up to 2 Gy/day (ca. 300,000 times that of natural background), to induce mutations at a higher frequency than occurs in nature. There have been 318 direct- use mutant cultivars representing 79 species generated through irradiation of gamma-rays, X-rays, ion beams and chemicals and somaclonal variation. Approximately 79% of these direct-use cultivars were induced by radiation. There have been 375 indirect-use mutant cultivars, including 332 rice, of which 162 cultivars (48.8%) were derived from the semi-dwarf mutant cv. 'Reimei'. The economic impact of these mutant cultivars, primarily of rice and soybean, is very large. Some useful mutations are discussed for rice, such as low digestible protein content, low amylose content, giant embryo and non-shattering. Useful mutations in soybean such as radiosensitivity, fatty acid composition and super-nodulation have been identified. Japanese pear and apple resistant to Alternaria disease have also been identified. The achievements of biological research such as characterization and determination of deletion size generated by gamma-rays, the effect of deletion size and the location, and a mechanism of dominant mutation induction are identified. Similarly, genetic studies on mutations generated through the use of gamma-ray induced mutations, such as phytochrome response, aluminium tolerance, stay-green (Mendel's gene) and epicuticular wax have also been conducted. Mutation breeding is a very useful technology for isolating genes and for elucidating gene functions and metabolic pathways in various crops.

Abstract Climate change is any significant change in climatic conditions. Such changes may negatively affect productivity of the rain-fed agriculture practised by over 75% of the smallholder Kenyan farmers. The effect leads to failure to sustainably provide adequate food and revenue to famers. It is on this basis that an almost 8-year field study was conducted to evaluate and scale climate resilient agricultural technological options associated with Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems and practices (no-till; maintenance of permanent soil cover; and crop diversification - rotations and associations), complemented with good agricultural strategies. The activities involved were targeted to sustainably increase productivity of maize-legumes farming systems while reducing environmental risks. The results showed improved soil properties (physical, chemical and health) and consequently increased crop yields and human nutrition by over 30%. Such benefits were attributed to cost savings arising from NT and reduced labour requirement for weed control. This was further based on enhanced crop soil moisture and nutrients availability and use efficiency leading to over 25% yield increase advantage. Apart from the field trials, the study used the Agricultural Production Simulator (APSIM) computer model to simulate CA scenario with the aim of providing potential quick answers to adopting CA practices for farm system productivity. The results were inclusively shared, leading to over 21% increase in the number of farmers adopting the CA practices within and beyond the project sites. The study's overall recommendation affirmed the need to integrate the CA practices into Kenyan farming systems for sustainable agricultural livelihoods and economic opportunities.

Abstract The Trabectome (NeoMedix Corporation, San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA) is a US Food and Drug Administration—approved surgical device which removes a segment of the trabecular meshwork and the inner wall of the Schlemm’s canal using an ab-interno approach, enhancing aqueous outflow via increased access to the Schlemm’s canal and the collector channels. This is a bleb-less procedure which spares the conjunctiva, hence does not adversely affect the outcome of subsequent conventional glaucoma filtration surgeries. Multiple studies have shown that Trabectome surgery results in a reduction in IOP and the number of ocular hypotensive agents, though the efficacy is modest compared with conventional filtration surgery. The safety profile of Trabectome surgery is favorable compared with conventional glaucoma surgery, with the most common complication being intraoperative and postoperative bleeding. Additional research is required to understand how the efficacy of Trabectome surgery can be maximized.

Immediately after the Fifteen Years’ War with the US, China, and colonizing states of Southeast Asia, the Japanese suffered from general shortage especially food, which got worse when the repatriates from Taiwan, Micronesia, Southeast Asia and Manchuria began their new life in Japan. To make their living, both former occupants and newcomers employed all means, among which use of explosives or ‘dynamite fishing’ near the coast. This technique is now prohibited to protect fishing grounds, but the emergent economic and social conditions let the people show the generosity to overlook it. The paper reconstructs the general conditions of this fishing in coastal villages in the Southwestern Archipelago as a step to clarify the farther details of fishing innovation on individual base.

The kabuki play Osome Hisamatsu ukina no yomiuri was written by kabuki playwright Tsuruya Nanboku IV and first performed at the Morita za theatre in Edo (Tōkyō) in 1813. The plot of the play includes a fraud scene with a corpse, which is based on seventeenth-century Chinese popular novel Jingu qiguan. One of the features of Osome Hisamatsu ukina no yomiuri is that it showcases the attempted fraud by a woman of the lower classes, Dote no Oroku, first performed by onnagata actor Iwai Hanshirō V. Oroku belongs to the kabuki type cast known as akuba, which realistically depicts the life of women of the lower classes. This type of role was first made popular by onnagata actor Iwai Hanshirō IV’s performance in 1792, though lead actor Onoe Matsusuke I already performed evil female fraudsters as early as 1789. There is a possibility that the kabuki actors and playwrights were made aware of this particular female image in the Chinese novel by Dutch scholar and writer Morishima Chūryō. This paper discusses the social interactions between Tsuruya Nanboku, Onoe Matsusuke and Morishima Chūryō, and how Iwai Hanshirō V’s enacting of Dote no Oroku was influenced by Hanshirō IV’s and Matsusuke’s evil old women.

While there are several best practice standards available for minimizing the energy requirement for compressed air use in an industrial context, moving to best practice often requires investment and operational change. In production facilities, there is often a reluctance to commit to this type of change without a clear view of the benefit. Furthermore, there is very little detailed information available in the open literature that allows even a qualitative assessment of priorities. In order to address this shortcoming, analyses of two industrial compressed air systems which are already installed in manufacturing plants have been conducted in the context of energy usage. The installations are quite different in compressed air needs: one is focused on actuation and drying; while the other uses compressed air primarily for material handling. In both sites, the energy of the compressed air is evaluated at each key element of the system and the typical end use application profile is assessed. Simple models of the consumption rates are used to relate duty cycle and device count with actual total consumption. A new way of assessing the leak rate from the entire system has been developed, based on the pressure decay time, and has been implemented at one site. In this way, the energy balance of the system entire has been analyzed quantitatively, with the effect of distribution leaks accounted for directly. It is found that in both sites, open blowing operations (e.g. drying) are the largest, consumers which are amenable to optimization. It is also found that the measured leak rate at one site represented 23% of the compressed air generated, with an energy input of 455kWh per day. It is concluded that this approach can help to identify priorities for optimizing CA use at an industrial site.

Introduction: The kinetic energy of TBI generates mechanical deformation, which causes release of glutamate, activating ionotropic receptors, principally NMDA receptors, favoring the flow of Ca++ and Na+ into the cell, producing edema. Then, the neurotoxicity generated by glutamate release can be avoided by NMDA antagonists. Objectives: To define if NMDA antagonists are promising for the treatment of TBI by literature analysis and to verify if there are reports of adverse reactions. Methodology: The review utilized the Scielo and Pubmed databases and the keywords used were: NMDA antagonist, Brain edema and Brain injury. The review contains 5 animal tests and 5 clinical studies. Results: Animal tests: CP-98,133 minimized edema, motor damage and is promising in the treatment of memory dysfunction after TBI. The NPS 1506 reduced edema in 24h, without altering the necrosis significantly. Ketamine decreased the volume of necrosis without altering the edema. HU-211 reduced the edema slightly. Clinical studies: NPS 1506 showed a neuroprotective profile and no serius effects. Traxoprodil decreased the mortality rate by 7%. CP-101.606 improved the patient’s condition, without adverse effects. Conclusion: Although NMDA antagonists demonstrate effectiveness in TBI treatment, more studies about adverse effects and efficiency are still needed. Among those analyzed, traxoprodil, NPS-1506 and CP-101.606 still don’t present serious adverse effects and demonstrate effectiveness, proving promising for new studies.

We have developed an assay for the determination of factor VIII in human plasma. The criteria that such an assay must fulfil are: the method should be simple, the reagents should be stable for several hours at room temperature, the method should be sensitive and linear in the amount of factor VIII. The assay we have developed fulfils all these criteria.The working procedure is simple. Both a lyophilized factor VIII assay (containing factor IXa, thrombin, phospholipids and Ca++) and lyophilized factor X are reconstituted with water. A reaction tube is filled with 100 pi factor VIII assay, prewarmed at 25° or 37 °C, then 100 pi of a diluted (10-20 times) plasma sample is added (t = 0) and after 30 seconds activation time the reaction is started with 100 pi factor X. After 1-2 minutes a sample is taken and diluted in an EDTA-containing buffer to stop the reaction. The formed factor Xa is meausured with a FXa-substrate from which p-nitroaniline will be split, causing an increase of the A405nm. The lyophilized reagents are stable for several months (at least) and after reconstitution they do not loose activity during a whole working day. The sensitivity of the method Is high. A plasma containing 1% factor VIII gives an increase in absorption of three to four times of a fully factor VIII deficient plasma. Extensive studies have shown that a complete linearity excists between 0 - 200% factor VIII in the plasma and the increase of the A405nm

Cellular Automata (CA) models are among the most popular models for simulating land use change/growth in urban areas around the world and have experienced a significant development over the last twenty years. These models have their origins on the efforts of devising mathematical rules for biological systems and for evolution developed by mathematicians von Neumann and Stanislaw Ulam in the 1940s. Two main features made CA interesting for urban studies, to which they were introduced by Waldo Tobler in the early 1970s. First, their intrinsic spatiality, which is suitable for the simulation of a variety of geographic phenomena. Second, the possibility of simulating complex patterns of, for example, land use starting from a simple conceptual framework that includes the definition of a cell space, a neighborhood, and a finite set of transition rules applied to a finite set of cell states. These models have been developed for different urban contexts and are mainly based on the use of regular cells derived from remote sensing imagery. This is a simplification in the representation of urban areas: on the one hand, regular cells do not represent common urban form and, on the other hand, they do not held information of any type other than land use, obtained from automatic classification. These issues suggested the consideration of irregular cells linked to reliable information, that is, census blocks. Census blocks are drawn considering the form of urban areas and they are the most reliable source of data on a wide variety of subjects, being a natural choice for the design of CA cells. We present in this paper an application of a CA model to simulate urban change in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, in a prospective analysis of 20 years. The model uses irregular cells designed considering census blocks.We describe the main features of the model and the calibration process, as well as the simulation results. We also discuss some new features that are the core of our current research on CA.

The use of air containment systems has been a growing trend in the data center industry and is an important energy saving strategy for data center optimization. Cold Aisle Containment (CAC) is one of the most effective passive cooling solutions for high density heat load applications. Cold Aisle Containment provides a physical separation between the cold air and the hot exhaust air by enclosing the cold aisle, preventing hot air recirculation and cold air bypass. This separation provides uniform inlet air temperatures to the servers, which can further contribute to overall data center efficiency. This paper includes the thermal test data for a data center lab with and without a CAC set up. The paper quantifies the thermal impact of implementing a CAC system over an open Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle (HA/CA) arrangement for three different cabinet heat load conditions at two different CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioner) return air set point conditions. It studies the advantages of CAC over standard HA/CA arrangement. A case study has been presented showing a cooling energy savings of 22% with the use of a CAC system over a standard HA/CA arrangement.

In recent years, magnesium (Mg) and its alloy are being studied for their potential use in orthopedic implants with the novel ability to biodegrade after the implant serves its therapeutic function. Pure Mg, by itself, would not be suitable for use in a load-bearing implant application, due to its high corrosion rate and poor tribological properties. However, through proper alloying, this degradable metal is capable of achieving good mechanical properties reasonably similar to bone, a retarded rate of corrosion and enhanced biocompatibility. Previous studies have shown that alloying Mg with aluminum, lithium, rare earth (RE), zinc (Zn), and calcium (Ca) result in lower corrosion rates and enhanced mechanical properties. Despite the growing popularity of Mg and it alloys, there is relatively little information in the literature on their wear performance. In this paper, we report on an investigation of the directional tribological properties of Mg and Mg-Zn-Ca-RE alloy fabricated via two different manufacturing processing routes: as-cast and hot-extruded after casting, with extrusion ratios of 10 and 50. Pure Mg was cast 350°C. After casting, Mg-Zn-Ca-RE alloy was heat-treated at 510°C. Another Mg-Zn-Ca-RE alloy was hot-extruded at 400°C. Dry sliding wear tests were performed on as-cast and hot-extruded pure Mg and Mg-Zn-Ca-RE alloys using a reciprocating test configuration. Wear rate, coefficient of friction and wear coefficient were measured under applied loads ranging from 0.5–2.5N at sliding frequency of 0.2 Hz for 120 cycles, using microtribometery. Wear properties of the extruded specimen were measured in cross-section and longitudinal section. In the longitudinal section studies, wear properties were investigated along the extrusion direction and the transverse direction. Hardness properties were evaluated using microindentation. Cross-section and longitudinal section were indented with a Vickers indenter under applied load of 2.94 N. Alloying and extrusion enhanced the mechanical properties significantly, increased hardness by 80% and wear resistance by 50% compared to pure Mg. Despite the low hardness in both Mg and the Mg alloy cross-sections, the cross-sections for both displayed higher wear resistance compared to the longitudinal section. In the longitudinal section, wear resistance was higher along the transverse direction of the longitudinal section for both Mg and the Mg alloy. The wear coefficient was used to evaluate how the wear behavior of the material varied with respect to alloying, fabrication process, and direction of wear. The wear coefficient of pure Mg decreased as the extrusion ratio increased, thus, increasing the specific wear rate. The opposite behavior was found in the Mg alloy: as the wear coefficient increases, the specific wear rate decreases. The active wear mechanisms observed on the worn surface of Mg were fatigue, abrasive, adhesive and delamination wear. The same wear mechanisms were observed in the Mg alloy except for fatigue wear. Surface microstructure and topographical characterization were conducted using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy mechanical stylus profilometry, and optical profilometry.

Abstract Coralline hydroxyapalite (Pro-Osteon 500, Interpore International, Irvine, CA) is an artificial bone substitute that has been approved by the FDA since 1993. Despite previous in vitro and animal studies on the mechanical behavior of coralline hydroxyapatite [1–3], its mechanical properties are not well understood. Further, the relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of coralline hydroxyapatite is unknown. Knowledge of this relationship is important in determining the optimal clinical use of this bone substitute.

Abstract A literature review of experimental and computational hydrodynamic research is presented with the objective of highlighting the parameters that affect riser added mass coefficient (Ca) and drag coefficient (Cd). Typical riser analysis is conducted assuming constant values of hydrodynamic coefficients. However, depending on the flow regime, the hydrodynamic coefficients can vary significantly, and hence using the most conservative values in all analyses can result in overly conservative riser responses. For example, the appropriate coefficients for a steady current on the straked portion of a riser near the surface may be very different from those for small oscillatory motions of the riser near the Touch Down Point (TDP). Several opportunities of reducing conservatism are presented based on using variable hydrodynamic coefficient-based analysis. Hydrodynamic coefficients are dependent on surface roughness, nature of the flow (steady vs. unsteady) and presence of Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) suppression devices (strakes or fairings), among other factors. Relevant and important bodies of work as documented in papers, test reports or doctoral theses in the public domain are used to determine sensitivity of Cd and Ca values to Reynold's number (Re) and the Keulegan Carpenter (Kc) number. Steady and unsteady flows are treated separately, as are unstraked (bare) and straked pipes. The practice of using constant values of hydrodynamic coefficients in riser analysis is simplistic and often overly conservative. A common practice is to use Cd of 0.7 in bare pipe fatigue analysis as a lower bound. Several tests have demonstrated that Cd can in fact lie in the 1 – 2 range depending on Kc number and Re number. Higher Cd is associated with higher hydrodynamic damping and considerable improvement in TDP fatigue life prediction. Similarly, strake Cd's in low Kc flow have also been observed to be higher than what is used in typical riser analysis, sometimes by a factor of 3 or more. On the other hand, higher Ca values can lead to higher fatigue damage prediction. The correct input of Ca is thus essential to avoid being under conservative. Ca variations with respect to Kc number for both bare and straked pipes are provided in this paper. A refined approach to application of hydrodynamic coefficients in riser analysis is necessary to avoid over or under conservatism. This is especially important in life extension studies where there is little room for additional conservatism. The riser design codes typically do not provide an in-depth review of hydrodynamic coefficients based on factors such as roughness, nature of flow or pipe cross section. This review paper of fundamental experimental and computational work on hydrodynamic parameters is a useful reference to be used in design and life extension assessments.

Abstract Machine learning was used to predict three combustion metrics based on the flow field data at spark angle (SA), obtained from large eddy simulations (LES). These metrics were peak cylinder pressure (PCP), crank angle of PCP (CA of PCP), and indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP). The ML model was evaluated for use as a surrogate for detailed combustion model in studies of cycle-to-cycle variation (CCV). The computational time for combustion predictions (from SA to exhaust valve opening (EVO)) was 15 hours on 24 cores while the trained ML model was able to make predictions in 3 seconds (a speed up factor of 7200). The ML model was trained on a single core in 45 minutes using 88 LES simulation cycles. As the LES simulation data at SA has high fidelity (in this case approximately 260,000 computational cells) a workflow to filter the data to a reasonably sized feature set for use in ML was developed. Subvolumes were defined and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) was used to evaluate the features. An ensemble ML approach was employed, which combines the predictions of multiple base learners to improve the final prediction. The ML model predictions for the three combustion metrics showed good correlation with the CFD simulations.

Restoration of degraded lands and the development of beneficial uses for waste products are important challenges facing our society. In addition there is a need to find useful and environmentally friendly applications for the organic fractions of municipal and other solid waste. Recent studies have shown that composted wastes combined with gypsum or gypsum-containing flue gas desulfurization by-products enhance restoration of sodic soils and acidic minespoils. The mechanism by which this synergistic effect occurs in systems at opposite pH extremes appears to involve enhanced Ca migration and exchange. Our original research objectives were to (1) identify and quantify the active compost components involved in Ca transport, (2) determine the relative affinity of the compost components for Ca and competing metals in the two soil/spoil systems, (3) determine the efficacy of the compost components in Ca transport to subjacent soil and subsequent exchange with native soil cations, and (4) assess the impacts of compost enhanced Ca transport on soil properties and plant growth. Acidic mine spoils: During the course of the project the focus for objective (1) and (2) shifted more towards developing and evaluating methods to appropriately quantify Ca2+ and Al3+ binding to compost derived dissolved organic matter (DOM). It could be shown that calcium complexation by sewage sludge compost derived DOM did not significantly change during the composting process. A method for studying Al3+ binding to DOM was successfully developed and should allow future insight into DOM-Al3+ interactions in general. Laboratory column experiments as well as greenhouse experiments showed that in very acidic mine spoil material mineral dissolution controls solution Al3+ concentration as opposed to exchange with Ca2+. Therefore compost appeared to have no effect on Al3+ and Ca2+ mobility and did not affect subsoil acidity. Sodic alkaline soils: Batch experiments with Na+ saturated cation exchange resins as a model for sodic soils showed that compost home cations exchanged readily with Na+. Unlike filtered compost extracts, unfiltered compost suspensions also significantly increased Ca2+ release from CaCO3. Soil lysimeter experiments demonstrated a clear impact of compost on structural improvement in sodic alkaline soils. Young compost had faster, clearer and longer lasting effects on soil physical and chemical properties than mature compost. Even after 2 growing seasons differences could still be observed. Compost increased Ca2+ concentration in soil solution and solubility of pedogenic CaCO3 that is highly insoluble under alkaline conditions. The solubilized Ca2+ efficiently exchanged Na+ in the compost treated soils and thus greatly improved the soil structure.

Monilinia fructicola causes brown rot blossom blight and fruit rot in stone fruits. Immature fruit are highly resistant to brown rot but can become infected. These infections typically remain superficial and quiescent until they become active upon maturation of the fruit. High levels of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and related compounds occur in the peel of immature fruit but these levels decline during ripening. CGA inhibits cutinase expression, a putative virulence factor, with little or no effect on spore germination or hyphal growth. To better understand the regulation of cutinase expression by fruit phenolics, we examined the effect of CGA, caffeic acid (CA) and related compounds on the redox potential of the growth medium and intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels. The presence of CA in the medium initially lowered the electrochemical redox potential of the medium, increased GSH levels and inhibited cutinase expression. Conidia germinated in the presence of CA, CGA, or GSH produced fewer appressoria and had elongated germ tubes compared to the controls. These results suggest that host redox compounds can regulate fungal infectivity. In order to genetically manipulate this fungus, a transformation system using Agrobacterium was developed. The binary transformation vector, pPTGFPH, was constructed from the plasmid pCT74, carrying green fluorescent protein (GFP) driven by the ToxA promoter of Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) under control of the trpC promoter of from Aspergillus nidulans, and the binary vector pCB403.2, carrying neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) between the T-DNA borders. Macroconidia of M. fructicola were coincubated with A. tumefaciens strain LBA 4404(pPTGFPH) on media containing acetosyringone for two days. Hygromycin- and G418-resistant M. fructicola transformants were selected while inhibiting A. tumefaciens with cefotaxime. Transformants expressing GFP fluoresced brightly, and were formed with high efficiency and frequency of T-DNA integration frequency. The use of these transformants for in situ studies on stone fruit tissues is discussed.

Review question / Objective: This study will provide evidence-based references for the efficacy of 5 different non-pharmaceutical therapies in the treatment of post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI). 1. Types of studies. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(TMS), Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation(tDCS), Acupuncture, Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy(VR) and Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation(CA) for PSCI will be recruited. Additionally, Studies should be available in full papers as well as peer reviewed and the original data should be clear and adequate. 2. Types of participants. All adults with a recent or previous history of ischaemic or hemorrhagic stroke and diagnosed according to clearly defined or internationally recognized diagnostic criteria, regardless of nationality, race, sex, age, or educational background. 3.Types of interventions and controls. The control group takes non-acupuncture treatment, including conventional rehabilitation or in combination with symptomatic support therapy. The experimental group should be treated with acupuncture on basis of the control group. 4.The interventions of the experimental groups were Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(TMS), Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation(tDCS), Acupuncture, Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy(VR) or Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation(CA), and the interventions of the control group takes routine rehabilitation and cognition training or other therapies mentioned above that were different from the intervention group. 5.Types of outcomes. The primary outcomes are measured with The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and/or The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), which have been widely used to evaluate the cognitive abilities. The secondary outcome indicator was the Barthel Index (BI) to assess independence in activities of daily living (ADLs).

The long-term goal of this research is to understand how pollen cope with stress, and identify genes that can be manipulated in crop plants to improve reproductive success during heat stress. The specific aims were to: 1) Compare heat stress dependent changes in gene expression between wild type pollen, and mutants in which pollen are heat sensitive (cngc16) or heat tolerant (apx2-1). 2) Compare cngc16 and apx2 mutants for differences in heat-stress triggered changes in ROS, cNMP, and Ca²⁺ transients. 3) Expand a mutant screen for pollen with increased or decreased thermo-tolerance. These aims were designed to provide novel and fundamental advances to our understanding of stress tolerance in pollen reproductive development, and enable research aimed at improving crop plants to be more productive under conditions of heat stress. Background: Each year crop yields are severely impacted by a variety of stress conditions, including heat, cold, drought, hypoxia, and salt. Reproductive development in flowering plants is highly sensitive to hot or cold temperatures, with even a single hot day or cold night sometimes being fatal to reproductive success. In many plants, pollen tube development and fertilization is often the weakest link. Current speculation about global climate change is that most agricultural regions will experience more extreme environmental fluctuations. With the human food supply largely dependent on seeds, it is critical that we consider ways to improve stress tolerance during fertilization. The heat stress response (HSR) has been intensively studied in vegetative tissues, but is poorly understood during reproductive development. A general paradigm is that HS is accompanied by increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induction of ROS-scavenging enzymes to protect cells from excess oxidative damage. The activation of the HSR has been linked to cytosolic Ca²⁺ signals, and transcriptional and translational responses, including the increased expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and antioxidative pathways. The focus of the proposed research was on two mutations, which have been discovered in a collaboration between the Harper and Miller labs, that either increase or decrease reproductive stress tolerance in a model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana (i.e., cngc16--cyclic nucleotide gated channel 16, apx2-1--ascorbate peroxidase 2,). Major conclusions, solutions, achievements. Using RNA-seq technology, the expression profiles of cngc16 and apx2 pollen grains were independently compared to wild type under favourable conditions and following HS. In comparison to a wild type HSR, there were 2,776 differences in the transcriptome response in cngc16 pollen, consistent with a model in which this heat-sensitive mutant fails to enact or maintain a normal wild-type HSR. In a comparison with apx2 pollen, there were 900 differences in the HSR. Some portion of these 900 differences might contribute to an improved HSR in apx2 pollen. Twenty-seven and 42 transcription factor changes, in cngc16 and apx2-1, respectively, were identified that could provide unique contributions to a pollen HSR. While we found that the functional HS-dependent reprogramming of the pollen transcriptome requires specific activity of CNGC16, we identified in apx2 specific activation of flavonol-biosynthesis pathway and auxin signalling that support a role in pollen thermotolerance. Results from this study have identified metabolic pathways and candidate genes of potential use in improving HS tolerance in pollen. Additionally, we developed new FACS-based methodology that can quantify the stress response for individual pollen in a high-throughput fashion. This technology is being adapted for biological screening of crop plant’s pollen to identify novel thermotolerance traits. Implications, both scientific and agricultural. This study has provided a reference data on the pollen HSR from a model plant, and supports a model that the HSR in pollen has many differences compared to vegetative cells. This provides an important foundation for understanding and improving the pollen HSR, and therefor contributes to the long-term goal of improving productivity in crop plants subjected to temperature stress conditions. A specific hypothesis that has emerged from this study is that pollen thermotolerance can be improved by increasing flavonol accumulation before or during a stress response. Efforts to test this hypothesis have been initiated, and if successful have the potential for application with major seed crops such as maize and rice.

In this 1-year feasibility study, we tried polymerization of several different monomers, commercial as well as novel, specially designed and synthesized for this project in the presence of the nitrate ion to produce imprinted conductive polymers. Polymers 1 and 2 (shown below) produced a response to nitrate, but one inferior to that produced by a polypyrrole (Ppy)-based sensor (which we demonstrated prior to this study). Thus, we elected to proceed with improving the stability of the Ppy-based sensor. In order to improve stability of the Ppy-based sensor, we created a two-layer design which includes nitrate-doped Ppy as an inner layer, and nitrate-doped PEDOT as the outer layer. PEDOT is known for its high environmental stability and conductivity. This design has demonstrated promise, but is still undergoing optimization and stability testing. Previously we had failed to create nitrate-doped PEDOT in the absence of a Ppy layer. Nitrate-doped PEDOT should be very promising for sensor applications due to its high stability and exceptional sensing properties as we showed previously for sensing of perchlorate ions (by perchlorate-doped PEDOT). During this year, we have succeeded in preparing nitrate-doped PEDOT (4 below) by designing a new starting monomer (compound 3 below) for polymerization. We are currently testing this design for nitrate sensing. In parallel with the fabrication design studies, we fabricated and tested nitrate-doped Ppy sensors in a series of flow studies under laboratory and field conditions. Nitrate-doped Ppy sensors are less stable than is desirable but provide excellent nitrate sensing characteristics for the short-term experiments focusing on packaging and deployment strategies. The fabricated sensors were successfully interfaced with a commercial battery-powered self-logging (Onset Computer Hobo Datalogger) and a wireless data acquisition and transmission system (Crossbow Technologies MDA300 sensor interface and Mica2 wireless mote). In a series of flow-through experiments with water, the nitrate-doped Ppy sensors were exposed to pulses of dissolved nitrate and compared favorably with an expensive commercial sensor. In 24-hour field tests in both Merced and in Palmdale, CA agricultural soils, the sensors responded to introduced nitrate pulses, but with different dynamics relative to the larger commercial sensors. These experiments are on-going but suggest a form factor (size, shape) effect of the sensor when deployed in a porous medium such as soil. To fill the need for a miniature reference electrode, we identified and tested one commercial version (Cypress Systems, ESA Mini-reference electrode) which works well but is expensive ($190). To create an inexpensive miniature reference electrode, we are exploring the use of AgCl-coated silver wire. This electrode is not a “true” reference electrode; however, it can calibrated once versus a commercial reference electrode at the time of deployment in soil. Thus, only one commercial reference electrode would suffice to support a multiple sensor deployment.

Beneficial use of reclaimed wastewater (RW) and biosolids (BS) in soils is accompanied by large input of sewage-originated P. Prolonged application may result in P accumulation up to levelsBeneficial use of reclaimed wastewater (RW) and biosolids (BS) in soils is accompanied by large input of sewage-originated P. Prolonged application may result in P accumulation up to levels that impair plant nutrition, increase P loss, and promote eutrophication in downstream waters. This study aims to shed light on the RW- and BS-P forms in soils and to follow the processes that determine P reactivity, solubility, availability, and loss in RW and BS treated soils. The Technion group used sequential P extraction combined with measuring stable oxygen isotopic composition in phosphate (δ18OP) and with 31P-NMR studies to probe P speciation and transformations in soils irrigated with RW or fresh water (FW). The application of the δ18OP method to probe inorganic P (Pi) speciation and transformations in soils was developed through collaboration between the Technion and the UCSC groups. The method was used to trace Pi in water-, NaHCO3-, NaOH-, and HCl- P fractions in a calcareous clay soil (Acre, Israel) irrigated with RW or FW. The δ18OP signature changes during a month of incubation indicated biogeochemical processes. The water soluble Pi (WSPi) was affected by enzymatic activity yielding isotopic equilibrium with the water molecules in the soil solution. Further it interacted rapidly with the NaHCO3-Pi. The more stable Pi pools also exhibited isotopic alterations in the first two weeks after P application, likely related to microbial activity. Isotopic depletion which could result from organic P (PO) mineralization was followed by enrichment which may result from biologic discrimination in the uptake. Similar transformations were observed in both soils although transformations related to biological activity were more pronounced in the soil treated with RW. Specific P compounds were identified by the Technion group, using solution-state 31P-NMR in wastewater and in soil P extracts from Acre soils irrigated by RW and FW. Few identified PO compounds (e.g., D-glucose-6-phosphate) indicated coupled transformations of P and C in the wastewater. The RW soil retained higher P content, mainly in the labile fractions, but lower labile PO, than the FW soil; this and the fact that P species in the various soil extracts of the RW soil appear independent of P species in the RW are attributed to enhanced biological activity and P recycling in the RW soil. Consistent with that, both soils retained very similar P species in the soil pools. The HUJ group tested P stabilization to maximize the environmental safe application rates and the agronomic beneficial use of BS. Sequential P extraction indicated that the most reactive BS-P forms: WSP, membrane-P, and NaHCO3-P, were effectively stabilized by ferrous sulfate (FeSul), calcium oxide (CaO), or aluminum sulfate (alum). After applying the stabilized BS, or fresh BS (FBS), FBS compost (BSC), or P fertilizer (KH2PO4) to an alluvial soil, P availability was probed during 100 days of incubation. A plant-based bioassay indicated that P availability followed the order KH2PO4 >> alum-BS > BSC ≥ FBS > CaO-BS >> FeSul-BS. The WSPi concentration in soil increased following FBS or BSC application, and P mineralization further increased it during incubation. In contrast, the chemically stabilized BS reduced WSPi concentrations relative to the untreated soil. It was concluded that the chemically stabilized BS effectively controlled WSPi in the soil while still supplying P to support plant growth. Using the sequential extraction procedure the persistence of P availability in BS treated soils was shown to be of a long-term nature. 15 years after the last BS application to MN soils that were annually amended for 20 years by heavy rates of BS, about 25% of the added BS-P was found in the labile fractions. The UMN group further probed soil-P speciation in these soils by bulk and micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). This newly developed method was shown to be a powerful tool for P speciation in soils. In a control soil (no BS added), 54% of the total P was PO and it was mostly identified as phytic acid; 15% was identified as brushite and 26% as strengite. A corn crop BS amended soil included mostly P-Fe-peat complex, variscite and Al-P-peat complex but no Ca-P while in a BS-grass soil octacalcium phosphate was identified and o-phosphorylethanolamine or phytic acid was shown to dominate the PO fraction that impair plant nutrition, increase P loss, and promote eutrophication in downstream waters. This study aims to shed light on the RW- and BS-P forms in soils and to follow the processes that determine P reactivity, solubility, availability, and loss in RW and BS treated soils. The Technion group used sequential P extraction combined with measuring stable oxygen isotopic composition in phosphate (δ18OP) and with 31P-NMR studies to probe P speciation and transformations in soils irrigated with RW or fresh water (FW). The application of the δ18OP method to probe inorganic P (Pi) speciation and transformations in soils was developed through collaboration between the Technion and the UCSC groups. The method was used to trace Pi in water-, NaHCO3-, NaOH-, and HCl- P fractions in a calcareous clay soil (Acre, Israel) irrigated with RW or FW. The δ18OP signature changes during a month of incubation indicated biogeochemical processes. The water soluble Pi (WSPi) was affected by enzymatic activity yielding isotopic equilibrium with the water molecules in the soil solution. Further it interacted rapidly with the NaHCO3-Pi. The more stable Pi pools also exhibited isotopic alterations in the first two weeks after P application, likely related to microbial activity. Isotopic depletion which could result from organic P (PO) mineralization was followed by enrichment which may result from biologic discrimination in the uptake. Similar transformations were observed in both soils although transformations related to biological activity were more pronounced in the soil treated with RW. Specific P compounds were identified by the Technion group, using solution-state 31P-NMR in wastewater and in soil P extracts from Acre soils irrigated by RW and FW. Few identified PO compounds (e.g., D-glucose-6-phosphate) indicated coupled transformations of P and C in the wastewater. The RW soil retained higher P content, mainly in the labile fractions, but lower labile PO, than the FW soil; this and the fact that P species in the various soil extracts of the RW soil appear independent of P species in the RW are attributed to enhanced biological activity and P recycling in the RW soil. Consistent with that, both soils retained very similar P species in the soil pools. The HUJ group tested P stabilization to maximize the environmental safe application rates and the agronomic beneficial use of BS. Sequential P extraction indicated that the most reactive BS-P forms: WSP, membrane-P, and NaHCO3-P, were effectively stabilized by ferrous sulfate (FeSul), calcium oxide (CaO), or aluminum sulfate (alum). After applying the stabilized BS, or fresh BS (FBS), FBS compost (BSC), or P fertilizer (KH2PO4) to an alluvial soil, P availability was probed during 100 days of incubation. A plant-based bioassay indicated that P availability followed the order KH2PO4 >> alum-BS > BSC ≥ FBS > CaO-BS >> FeSul-BS. The WSPi concentration in soil increased following FBS or BSC application, and P mineralization further increased it during incubation. In contrast, the chemically stabilized BS reduced WSPi concentrations relative to the untreated soil. It was concluded that the chemically stabilized BS effectively controlled WSPi in the soil while still supplying P to support plant growth. Using the sequential extraction procedure the persistence of P availability in BS treated soils was shown to be of a long-term nature. 15 years after the last BS application to MN soils that were annually amended for 20 years by heavy rates of BS, about 25% of the added BS-P was found in the labile fractions. The UMN group further probed soil-P speciation in these soils by bulk and micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). This newly developed method was shown to be a powerful tool for P speciation in soils. In a control soil (no BS added), 54% of the total P was PO and it was mostly identified as phytic acid; 15% was identified as brushite and 26% as strengite. A corn crop BS amended soil included mostly P-Fe-peat complex, variscite and Al-P-peat complex but no Ca-P while in a BS-grass soil octacalcium phosphate was identified and o-phosphorylethanolamine or phytic acid was shown to dominate the PO fraction.

The overall objective was to understand the cloud flocculation of citrus juice by characterization of the interactions between proteins and pectins, and to determine the role of PE isozymes in catalyzing this phenomenon. Specific objectives were to: 1. identify/characterize cloud-proteins in relation to their coagulable properties and affinity to pectins; 2. to determine structural changes of PME and other proteins induced by cation/pectin interactions; 3. localize cloud proteins, PME and bound protein/pectates in unheated and pasteurized juices; 4. to create "sensitized" pectins and determine their effect on clarification. The original objectives were not changed but the methods and approach were modified due to specific research requirements. Two i postulates were: 1. there is a specific interaction of cloud proteins with de-esterified regions of ! pectin and this contributes to cloud loss; 2. isozymes of pectin-methyl-esterase (PME) vary in efficiency to create sensitized pectins. The appearance of citrus fruit juice is an important quality factor and is determined by the color and turbidity that .are conferred by the suspended particles, i.e., by the cloud and its homogeneity. Under some circumstances the cloud tend to flocculate and the juice clarifies. The accepted approach to explain the clarification is based on pectin demethoxylation by PME that promotes formation of Ca-pectate. Therefore, the juice includes immediate heat-inactivation upon ~ squeezing. Protein coagulation also promotes cloud instability of citrus fruit extracts. However, the clarification mechanism is not fully understood. Information accumulated from several laboratories indicates that clarification is a more complex process than can be explained by a single mechanism. The increasing trend to consume natural-fresh juice emphasizing the importance of the knowledge to assure homogeneity of fresh juice. The research included complementary directions: Conditions that induce cloud-instability of natural- juice [IL]. Evaluate purification schemes of protein [USA]. Identifications of proteins, pectin and neutral sugars ([IL]; Structure of the cloud components using light and electron microscopy and immuno-labeling of PME, high-methoxyl-pectin (HMP) and low-methoxyl-pectin (LMP); Molecular weight of calcium sensitized pectins [US]; Evaluation of the products of PME activity [US]. Fractions and size distribution and cloud components [IL-US]. The optimal pH activity of PME is 7 and the flocculation pH of the cloud is 3-4. Thus, the c roles of PME, proteins and pectins in the cloud instability, were studied in pH ranges of 2- 7. The experiments led to establish firstly repeatable simulate conditions for cloud instability [IL]. Thermostable PME (TS-PE) known to induce cloud instability, but also thermolabile forms of PME (TL-PE) caused clarification, most likely due to the formation and dissolution of inactive :. PE-pectin complexes and displacement of a protective colloid from the cloud surface [US]. Furthermore, elimination of non-PME protein increases TS-PE activity, indicating that non-PME proteins moderate PME activity [US]. Other experiments Concomitantly with the study of the PME activity but promotes the association of cloud-proteins to pectin. Adjusting of the juice pH to f 7 retains the cloud stability and re-adjusting of the pH to 40% DE reacts to immuno-labeling in the cloud fragments, whereas

Objectives: 1) develop a thorough understanding of the sorption mechanisms of Pi and Po onto the Al/O- WTR; 2) determine the breakthrough range of the composite Al/O-WTR during P capturing from agro- wastewaters; and 3) critically evaluate the performance of the composite Al/O-WTR as a fertilizer using selected plants grown in lysimeters and test-field studies. Instead of lysimeters we used pots (Israel) and one- liter cone-tainers (USA). We conducted one field study but in spite of major pretreatments the soils still exhibited high enough P from previous experiments so no differences between control and P additions were noticeable. Due to time constrains the field study was discontinued. Background: Phosphorous, a non-renewable resource, has been applied extensively in fields to increase crop yield, yet consequently has increased the potential of waterway eutrophication. Our proposal impetus is the need to develop an innovative method of P capturing, recycling and reuse that will sustain agricultural productivity while concurrently reducing the level of P discharge from and to agricultural settings. Major Conclusions & Achievements: An innovative approach was developed for P removal from soil leachate, dairy wastewater (Israel), and swine effluents (USA) using Al-based water treatment residuals (Al- WTR) to create an organic-Al-WTR composite (Al/O-WTR), potentially capable of serving as a P fertilizer source. The Al-WTR removed 95% inorganic-P, 80% to 99.9% organic P, and over 60% dissolved organic carbon from the agro-industrial waste streams. Organic C accumulation on particles surfaces possibly enhanced weak P bonding and facilitated P desorption. Analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM- EDS), indicated that P was sparsely sorbed on both calcic and Al (hydr)oxide surfaces. Sorption of P onto WW-Al/O-WTR was reversible due to weak Ca-P and Al-P bonds induced by the slight alkaline nature and in the presence of organic moieties. Synchrotron-based microfocused X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) spectrometry, bulk P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES), and P K-edge micro-XANES spectroscopy indicated that adsorption was the primary P retention mechanism in the Al- WTR materials. However, distinct apatite- or octocalciumphosphatelike P grains were also observed. Synchrotron micro-XRF mapping further suggested that exposure of the aggregate exteriors to wastewater caused P to diffuse into the porous Al-WTR aggregates. Organic P species were not explicitly identified via P K-edge XANES despite high organic matter content, suggesting that organic P may have been predominantly associated with mineral surfaces. In screen houses experiments (Israel) we showed that the highest additions of Al/O-WTR (5 and 7 g kg⁻¹) produced the highest lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolial) yield. Lettuce yield and P concentration were similar across treatments, indicating that Al/O- WTR can provide sufficient P to perform similarly to common fertilizers. A greenhouse study (USA) was utilized to compare increasing rates of swine wastewater derived Al/O-WTR and inorganic P fertilizer (both applied at 33.6, 67.3, and 134.5 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹) to supply plant-available P to spring wheat (TriticumaestivumL.) in either sandy loam or sandy clay loam soil. Spring wheat straw and grain P uptake were comparable across all treatments in the sandy loam, while Al/O-WTR application to the sandy clay loam reduced straw and grain P uptake. The Al/O-WTR did not affect soil organic P concentrations, but did increase phosphatase activity in both soils; this suggests that Al/O-WTR application stimulated microorganisms and enhance the extent to which microbial communities can mineralize Al/O-WTR-bound organic P. Implications: Overall, results suggest that creating a new P fertilizer from Al-WTR and agro-industrial waste sources may be a feasible alternative to mining inorganic P fertilizer sources, while protecting the environment from unnecessary waste disposal.