Early Field Trials Research Articles

The efficacy of 1-allyloxy-4-propoxybenzene (3c{3,6}) against Varroa destructor mites in honey bee colonies from Maryland, USA.

Varroa destructor Oud (Acari: Varroidae) is a harmful ectoparasite of Apis mellifera L. honey bees causing widespread colony losses in Europe and North America. To control populations of these mites, beekeepers have an arsenal of different treatments, including both chemical and nonchemical options. However, nonchemical treatments can be labor intensive, and Varroa has gained resistance to some conventional pesticides, and the use of other chemical treatments is restricted temporally (e.g., cannot be applied during periods of honey production). Thus, beekeepers require additional treatment options for controlling mite populations. The compound 1-allyloxy-4-propoxybenzene (3c{3,6}) is a diether previously shown to be a strong feeding deterrent against Lepidopteran larvae and a repellent against mosquitoes and showed promise as a novel acaricide from laboratory and early field trials. Here we test the effect of the compound, applied at 8 g/brood box on wooden release devices, on honey bees and Varroa in field honey bee colonies located in Maryland, USA, and using a thymol-based commercial product as a positive control. 3c{3,6} had minimal effect on honey bee colonies, but more tests are needed to determine whether it affected egg production by queens. Against Varroa3c{3,6} had an estimated efficacy of 78.5%, while the positive control thymol product showed an efficacy of 91.3%. 3c{3,6} is still in the development stage, and the dose or application method needs to be revisited.

Evaluating Pomegranate Cultivars for Resistance to Anthracnose Fruit Rot, a Severe Fungal Disease in Florida and Southeast United States

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has primarily been cultivated at home in Florida and other southeastern states. Over the past 15 years, growers, nurseries, researchers, and Extension agents have explored the potential of pomegranate as an alternative fruit crop. Early field trials revealed that pomegranates are highly susceptible to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, causing severe anthracnose fruit rot and premature fruit drop. The development and use of disease-resistant cultivars are considered some of the best methods to manage this disease. This publication presents our findings from evaluating 35 pomegranate cultivars under natural disease pressure in central Florida and by artificial inoculation. The susceptibility of such pomegranate cultivars varied widely, with six exhibiting resistance to anthracnose fruit rot. More comprehensive research is warranted to further develop anthracnose-resistant cultivars and to enhance our understanding of disease resistance in this crop.

PENGEMBANGAN MODUL BERBASIS PENEMUAN (DISCOVERY LEARNING) MATERI PLANTAE UNTUK SISWA KELAS X SMA/MA

This study aims to develop a Discovery Learning Based Module on Plantae Material for Class X SMA/MA Students. This type of research is development research. The model used in this research and development is the Bord and Gall model using only 5 stages, namely (Research and information gathering, Planning, initial product development, early stage field trials, and early stage product revision). Validators consisted of 1 material expert, 1 media/design expert, and 2 biology teachers. Respondents consisted of 10 students of class XI IPA MA Darul Mahmudien NW Montong Gamang in the 2021/2022 academic year. The data collection technique used a questionnaire with a Likert scale of 5 to a scale of 4 according to the researcher's modification. Data were analysed using quantitative descriptive analysis techniques. Based on the results of data analysis and discussion, it can be concluded that the teaching material products in the form of modules developed have good criteria, both in terms of material (71.3%), in terms of teaching material design (72.85%), Biology teachers (80.31%) and student responses (81.12%). Thus, this module is suitable for use in the learning process.

Towards an open database of assessment material for STEM subjects: requirements and recommendations from early field trials

If appropriately implemented, open databases of instruction material may help teaching and learning by providing content for teaching activities, scaffolding, and self-assessment. The paper presents the current results of the development and implementation of a database that is expressly built for promoting exchange of questions and exercises, together with the associated solutions among teachers for STEM subjects. Besides presenting and motivating the initiative (together with reporting its current status), the manuscript lists a series of lessons that have been learned while executing the project – including the need for proper management of authorship and version control of the uploaded material. Moreover, the manuscript describes which features any open database of instruction material should implement to aid improved usability, together with a series of nontrivial theoretical and practical problems for future scientific investigations (e.g., developing taxonomies for indexing the difficulty levels of the instruction material uploaded in the database that do not suffer from the subjective interpretability associated with the existing taxonomies).

Economic impact of dengue in Singapore from 2010 to 2020 and the cost-effectiveness of Wolbachia interventions.

The release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is a promising disease intervention strategy that aims to control dengue and other arboviral infections. While early field trials and modelling studies suggest promising epidemiological and entomological outcomes, the overall cost effectiveness of the technology is not well studied in a resource rich setting nor under the suppression approach that aims to suppress the wild-type mosquito population through the release of Wolbachia-infected males. We used economical and epidemiological data from 2010 to 2020 to first ascertain the economic and health costs of dengue in Singapore, a high income nation where dengue is hyper-endemic. The hypothetical cost effectiveness of a national Wolbachia suppression program was then evaluated historically from 2010 to 2020. We estimated that the average economic impact of dengue in Singapore from 2010 to 2020 in constant 2010US$ ranged from $1.014 to $2.265 Billion. Using empirically derived disability weights, we estimated a disease burden of 7,645-21,262 DALYs from 2010-2020. Under an assumed steady-state running cost of a national Wolbachia suppression program in Singapore, we conservatively estimate that Wolbachia would cost an estimated $50,453-$100,907 per DALYs averted and would lead to an estimated $329.40 Million saved in economic costs over 2010 to 2020 under 40% intervention efficacy. Wolbachia releases in Singapore are expected to be highly cost-effective and its rollout must be prioritised to reduce the onward spread of dengue.

The Development of Euclid Geometry’s Teaching Materials Based on KKNI to Improve Students Cognition Analysis and Deductive Reasoning Abilities

This research aims to develop teaching materials that have been produced by the application of the learning model Means Ends Analysis in the form of Classroom Action Research. The development carried out in this study resulted in Euclid Geometry teaching materials based on KKNI to improve cognitive analytical skills and deductive reasoning of students of the Mathematics Education Study Program, State University of Jakarta. There were five steps carried out in developing this teaching material, including initial research, collecting data and information on needs, planning changes to teaching materials, developing early teaching materials, field trials, and revisions. The teaching material developed is suitable for use in Euclid's Geometry learning because it has passed the expert validation process. Also, this teaching material has been tested on students who have been and are currently taking Euclid's Geometry courses. This concludes that Euclid Geometry teaching materials based on KKNI are feasible and can be used as a handbook for students in taking Euclid Geometry courses in the Mathematics Education Study Program of FMIPA UNJ.
 Keywords: Euclid's geometry, learning models, means-ends analysis, classroom action research.

Performance of driven battered mini-pile group against expansive soil induced ground movement

Swell-shrink movement of expansive soils due to seasonal wetting and drying can cause differential ground movements. This movement can inflict substantial structural damage above foundation level to lightly loaded infrastructure. To reduce this movement, techniques have been employed to either (i) chemically restrain the soil’s reactivity, (ii) control the moisture variation within the ground, or (iii) engage a footing system that can limit the impact of the stresses generated by such differential ground movements. Recently, a new concrete-free footing system has been developed in Australia in an attempt to sufficiently resist such ground movements. This system is comprised of an adjustable steel plate attached to the ground by multiple thin steel (hollow) battered mini-piles. The technology shows promise as a low-impact, cost-effective, excavation and concrete-free, innovative alternative to traditional footing systems. It is also quick and easy to install without the use of bulky and expensive equipment. Early field trial results have indicated that this new footing system can combat against and significantly reduce the transfer of the swell-shrink ground movements to a structure. This paper will describe this new footing system and report on an experimental field trial to date, which will include measured ground movements, moisture content and soil suction results vs. depth, as well as the performance of this new driven battered mini-pile group footing system.

Winning the Tug-of-War Between Effector Gene Design and Pathogen Evolution in Vector Population Replacement Strategies.

While efforts to control malaria with available tools have stagnated, and arbovirus outbreaks persist around the globe, the advent of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based gene editing has provided exciting new opportunities for genetics-based strategies to control these diseases. In one such strategy, called “population replacement”, mosquitoes, and other disease vectors are engineered with effector genes that render them unable to transmit pathogens. These effector genes can be linked to “gene drive” systems that can bias inheritance in their favor, providing novel opportunities to replace disease-susceptible vector populations with disease-refractory ones over the course of several generations. While promising for the control of vector-borne diseases on a wide scale, this sets up an evolutionary tug-of-war between the introduced effector genes and the pathogen. Here, we review the disease-refractory genes designed to date to target Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmitted by Anopheles gambiae, and arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti, including dengue serotypes 2 and 3, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. We discuss resistance concerns for these effector genes, and genetic approaches to prevent parasite and viral escape variants. One general approach is to increase the evolutionary hurdle required for the pathogen to evolve resistance by attacking it at multiple sites in its genome and/or multiple stages of development. Another is to reduce the size of the pathogen population by other means, such as with vector control and antimalarial drugs. We discuss lessons learned from the evolution of resistance to antimalarial and antiviral drugs and implications for the management of resistance after its emergence. Finally, we discuss the target product profile for population replacement strategies for vector-borne disease control. This differs between early phase field trials and wide-scale disease control. In the latter case, the demands on effector gene efficacy are great; however, with new possibilities ushered in by CRISPR-based gene editing, and when combined with surveillance, monitoring, and rapid management of pathogen resistance, the odds are increasingly favoring effector genes in the upcoming evolutionary tug-of-war.

Willingness to Pay for Insured Loans in Northern Ghana

AbstractIndex insurance has been heralded as a potential solution to risk management problems faced by smallholder farmers in developing countries. Despite its potential, demand for standalone index insurance contracts has remained low in early field trials. We investigate the willingness to pay for drought index insurance‐backed loans in northern Ghana using contingent valuation. We find that index insurance lowers overall demand for agricultural loans. We also compare micro‐level index insurance, provided directly to farmers, with meso‐level insurance, provided to the credit agency and find that farmers appear to prefer micro‐level insurance. Finally, farmers are willing to pay to avoid basis risk.

Field testing a remote monitoring system for hand water pumps

Abstract Throughout Africa, many hand water pumps malfunction and remain inoperable for long periods of time. Previous studies from a number of sub-Saharan countries have indicated that in some regions up to 65% of hand pumps may be broken. It is reported that robust monitoring of remote water pumps can help address some of these problems. However, traditional project monitoring strategies generally rely on physical site visits to remote locations. These visits can be time consuming and resource intensive, which in turn may delay the implementation of pump repairs. In contrast, recent years have seen the emergence of a range of new monitoring technologies that use mobile phone networks to rapidly report the operational status of water projects from remote sites. The authors describe the development of a new monitoring system, called MANTIS, which is intended for hand pumps in developing regions. The paper presents data from early field trials of MANTIS in Sierra Leone and The Gambia. The unit relays ‘near real time’ operational data from the water pump to an accessible online platform.

Lessons from the first clinical trial of a non-licensed vaccine among Ugandan adolescents: a phase II field trial of the tuberculosis candidate vaccine, MVA85A

Background: A more effective vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health priority. Vaccines under development will always need evaluation in endemic settings, most of which have limited resources. Adolescents are an important target population for a new TB vaccine and for other vaccines which are relevant at school-age. However, in most endemic settings there is limited experience of trials of investigational products among adolescents, and adolescents are not routinely vaccinated. Methods: We used Modified vaccinia Ankara-expressing Ag85A (MVA85A), a well-tolerated candidate vaccine for tuberculosis, to assess the effect of Schistosoma mansoni infection on vaccine immunogenicity among Ugandan adolescents in primary school. We describe here the challenges and lessons learned in designing and implementing this first clinical trial among Ugandan adolescents using a non-licensed vaccine. Results: The school based immunization study was feasible and adhered to Good Clinical Practice principles. Engagement with the community and all stakeholders was critical for successful implementation of the trial. Creative and adaptable strategies were used to address protocol-specific, operational and logistical challenges. This study provided lessons and solutions that can be applied to other trials among adolescents in similar settings elsewhere, and to school-based immunization programs. Conclusion: Sufficient time and resources should be planned for community preparation and sensitization to ensure buy in and acceptance of a project of this kind. This trial shows that challenges to implementing early field trials in Africa are not insurmountable and that necessary well-planned high-quality ethical trials are feasible and should be encouraged. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02178748 03/06/2014

Lessons from the first clinical trial of a non-licensed vaccine among Ugandanadolescents: a phase II field trial of the tuberculosis candidate vaccine, MVA85A.

Background: A more effective vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health priority. Vaccines under development will always need evaluation in endemic settings, most of which have limited resources. Adolescents are an important target population for a new TB vaccine and for other vaccines which are relevant at school-age. However, in most endemic settings there is limited experience of trials of investigational products among adolescents, and adolescents are not routinely vaccinated. Methods: We used Modified vaccinia Ankara-expressing Ag85A (MVA85A), a well-tolerated candidate vaccine for tuberculosis, to assess the effect of Schistosoma mansoni infection on vaccine immunogenicity among Ugandan adolescents in primary school. We describe here the challenges and lessons learned in designing and implementing this first clinical trial among Ugandan adolescents using a non-licensed vaccine. Results: The school based immunization study was feasible and adhered to Good Clinical Practice principles. Engagement with the community and all stakeholders was critical for successful implementation of the trial. Creative and adaptable strategies were used to address protocol-specific, operational and logistical challenges. This study provided lessons and solutions that can be applied to other trials among adolescents in similar settings elsewhere, and to school-based immunization programs. Conclusion: Sufficient time and resources should be planned for community preparation and sensitization to ensure buy in and acceptance of a project of this kind. This trial shows that challenges to implementing early field trials in Africa are not insurmountable and that necessary well-planned high-quality ethical trials are feasible and should be encouraged. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02178748 03/06/2014.

PENGEMBANGAN BAHAN AJAR MATAKULIAH MENULIS FIKSI BERBASISNILAI-NILAI PENDIDIKAN MULTIKULTURAL PADA PROGRAM STUDI PENDIDIKAN BAHASA DAN SASTRA INDONESIA IKIP BUDI UTOMO MALANG

The purpose of this study is to describe: (1) teaching material product; (2) the presentation; (3) the use of language; and (4) graphic writing fiction teaching materials based multicultural values.The design of the teaching materials development in this study was adapted from the theory of design R & D by Borg and Gall which is carried out through five stages: (1) preliminary study, (2) planning, (3) developing type/shape of the initial product, (4) early stage field trials and revision, (5) primary field trials and revision. Data analysis of this study is obtained percentage score (1) expert literature instructional materials of 98,9%, (2) proficient writing instructional materials 97.14%,(3) field practitioners in this case teacher of 76.67%,and (4) the students of 85.125%, which means that the percentage of product development is also quite valid/ feasible for learning offiction writing based multicultural values in the education program of language and Indonesian literature IKIP Budi Utomo Malang.

Recirculation to improve progressive cavity pumps (PCPs) run life

Progressive cavity pumps (PCPs) are widely used as a method of artificial lift, commonly found in coal seam gas (CSG) wells in Queensland. One of the major challenges with PCPs is the pump torqueing up due to solids and not being able to restart, which results in lost production and the need for intervention with a flush-by unit or service rig. Up to 30% of PCPs in the Surat Basin can be down at any given time on account of this issue. We have engineered a solution whereby fluid is produced using the existing PCP, a desander is used to remove solids and the clean fluid is reinjected down the annulus, via hollow rods or by a capillary string. This complete system has many benefits: it removes sands and solids from the wells produced water stream; and it reinjects clean water down the well bore, which serves the dual purpose of diluting the concentration of downhole solids and, via the introduction of additional clean fluid, allows the PCPs to be sped up, thus increasing the velocity to aid in lifting the solids out of the well. This can all be done at a fraction of the cost of intervention with a flush-by unit or service rig. Lessons learned from field trials to date include: (1) how to account for loss of reinjected fluid in early field trials, which was solved by the introduction of hollow rods; (2) increasing PCP speed for 1 h per day to clear the solids, as a preventative flush; (3) verification of solids issues in CSG wells in the Surat Basin; and (4) quantification of produced solids.

PEM Fuel Cell Bus Stack Durability:Improvements and Current Research

Over the past 30 years Ballard’s PEM fuel technology evolved from proof-of-concept single cells via sub-scale and full-scale prototype systems to products in the areas of motive power (buses and materials handling), back-up power, co-generation, and distributed power generation which have been deployed extensively in demonstration programs and field trails. Today, Ballard is a leader in fuel cell stack design and manufacturing with products being commercially deployed in the materials handing and back-up power markets which both benefit from attractive financial value propositions. Furthermore, extensive research and development is also focused on bus stack and large scale distributed generation technology.In early technology demonstrations and field trials specifically in the transportation sector fuel cell performance was the key attribute under consideration; however, today the emphasis is on durability and cost which are the two major challenges that still hinder large-scale commercialization of fuel cell technology across all markets.Since 1991 Ballard’s fuel cell bus technology has been deployed in a variety of demonstration projects and today 49 fuel cell buses are in operation worldwide. The largest bus fleet deployed in 2009 in Whistler, B.C. has accumulated more than 150,000 hours of operational hours and a total driving distance of >3 million kilometers. The figure on the right shows the average cell performance of the buses which exceeds the warranted operational life of 8000 hours of the HD6 stack.As opportunities in the fuel cell bus market have accelerated over the last decade and with the development of over six generations of fuel cell modules, Ballard has overcome technical barriers related to power density and reliability. To date, the bus transportation platform developed by Ballard has been proven to meet the demands of range and duty cycle expectations, but the key barriers pertaining to cost and durability under the wide range of operating conditions necessary for transportation fuel cell stacks still remain.Ballard’s overall activities on reducing product cost have been driven by several approaches; (1) product design improvements that include reduced platinum loadings, lower part counts, and enhanced durability, (2) reduced sourcing costs through lower materials costs and increased volumes, (3) increased manufacturing efficiencies including use of continuous, automated assembly, (4) production scale up through increased market penetration. Since 2003 Ballard has achieved substantial cost reductions while increasing stack operational life 4-fold.Ballard’s large numbers of demonstration programs and field trials have been instrumental in providing insight into stack and MEA failure modes and this understandingtogether with modeling and fundamental research has been a driver in durability improvement through MEA design opportunities and operational mitigation strategies.The work that will be presented will provide an overview of Ballard’s Fuel Cell bus program, discuss the different aspects of stack durability that has been achieved over the last 10 years, and provide an insight into current research and development that is needed to narrow the durability and cost gap for large-scale commercialization.

Influence of enteric infections on response to oral poliovirus vaccine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background. The impaired immunogenicity of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in low-income countries has been apparent since the early field trials of this vaccine. Infection with enteropathogens at the time of vaccination may contribute to this phenomenon. However, the relative influence of these infections on OPV performance remains uncertain.Methods. We conducted a systematic review to examine the impact of concurrent enteric infections on OPV response. Using random-effects models, we assessed the effects of nonpolio enteroviruses (NPEVs) and diarrhea on the odds of seroconversion and/or vaccine virus shedding.Results. We identified 25 trials in which OPV outcomes were compared according to the presence or absence of enteric infections, the majority of which (n = 17) reported only on NPEVs. Concurrent NPEVs significantly reduced the odds of per-dose seroconversion for type 1 poliovirus (odds ratio [OR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval 0.23−0.84), but not type 2 (OR 0.53 [0.19−1.46]) or type 3 (OR 0.56 [0.27−1.12]). A similar reduction, significant for type 1 poliovirus (OR 0.50 [0.28−0.89]), was observed in the odds of vaccine virus shedding among NPEV-infected individuals. Concurrent diarrhea significantly inhibited per-dose seroconversion overall (OR 0.61 [0.38−0.87]).Conclusions. Our findings are consistent with an inhibitory effect of concurrent enteric infections on OPV response.

Coherent DWDM technology for high speed optical communications

The introduction of coherent digital optical transmission enables a new generation of high speed optical data transport and fiber impairment mitigation. An initial implementation of 40 Gb/s coherent systems using Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DP-QPSK) is already being installed in carrier networks. New systems running at 100 Gb/s DP-QPSK data rate are in development and early technology lab and field trial phase. Significant investment in the 100 Gb/s ecosystem (optical components, ASICs, transponders and systems) bodes well for commercial application in 2012 and beyond. Following in the footsteps of other telecommunications fields such as wireless and DSL, we can expect coherent optical transmission to evolve from QPSK to higher order modulations schemes such as Mary PSK and/or QAM. This will be an interesting area of research in coming years and poses significant challenges in terms of electro-optic, DSP, ADC/DAC design and fiber nonlinearity mitigation to reach practical implementation ready for real network deployments.

Thiourea orchestrates regulation of redox state and antioxidant responses to reduce the NaCl-induced oxidative damage in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.)

Thiourea (TU) has been found to enhance the stress tolerance of plants in our earlier field trials. In the present study, the TU mediated effect on the redox and antioxidant responses were studied in response to salinity (NaCl) stress in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.) seedlings. Biochemical analyses of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation revealed that TU supplementation to NaCl brought down their levels to near control values as compared to that of NaCl stress. These positive effects could be correlated to the significant increases in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging activity, in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSG (reduced/oxidized glutathione) ratio and in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.1.5.1.1) and glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2) in NaCl+TU treatment as compared to that of NaCl treatment. Further, TU supplementation allowed plants to avoid an over-accumulation of pyridine nucleotides, to stimulate alternative pathways (through higher glycolate oxidase activity; EC 1.1.3.15) for channeling reducing equivalents and thus, to maintain the redox state to near control levels. These positive responses were also linked to an increased energy utilization (analyzed in terms of ATP/ADP ratio) and presumably to an early signaling of the stress through stimulated activity of ascorbate oxidase (EC 1.10.3.3), an important component of stress signaling. A significant reduction observed in the level of sodium ion (Na(+)) accumulation indicated that TU mediated tolerance is attributable to salt avoidance. Thus, the present study suggested that TU treatment regulated redox and antioxidant machinery to reduce the NaCl-induced oxidative stress.

Mobile Transit Information from Universal Design and Crowdsourcing

Extensive interviews with riders of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, bus system revealed that, as the top priority, riders wanted to know the actual arrival time of buses. Following a universal design approach, a system called Tiramisu was created to foster a greater sense of community between riders and transit bus service providers. The design focused on acquisition of crowdsourced information for bus location and bus fullness. On the basis of that input, the system predicted the arrival time of buses and provided a convenient platform for reporting problems and positive experiences within the transit system. The intention was to create a community of riders that materially participated in the delivery of the transit service. Tiramisu also supported specific information and reporting needs for riders with disabilities and thereby provided greater independent mobility around the community. An early field trial of Tiramisu suggested that the approach was both feasible and potentially viable.

IMPLEMENTASI PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT DALAM EVALUASI HASIL BELAJAR MAHASISWA PADA MATA KULIAH TEORI PRAKTEK BOLA VOLI

Volleyball subject is both theory and practice subject. In accordance with the standards of competence and basic competence to be achieved, this course, beside providing the theory of playing volleyball game, also consist of playing the game in the field. Based on the characteristics of the course it is necessary to assess both theory and practice aspect. Performance assessment is an alternative assessment that covers all aspects of student ability. Research was carried out by implementing evaluation tools to asses learning outcomes through early field trials and the second field trials. In addition, students‟ perceptions are collected through the questionnaire and teacher‟s perception through interview. Learning outcomes in both early and later field trials showed good results. There are 98% of students agreed with the application of the evaluation system. Lecturer stated that it‟s a practical system. Keywords: Performance assessment; evaluation tools; volleyball