Temporary Influence Research Articles

Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges with Personal Laser Scanning: Segment-based Analysis of systematic Point Cloud Deformations

Abstract. Bridge structures can be surveyed using a number of different methods. Established are image-based methods using structure from motion by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), or a combination of both methods. Beyond static terrestrial laser scanning, buildings can also be efficiently surveyed using personal laser scanner (PLS) systems. The advantage here is the greater flexibility and increased speed compared to the static method. On the other hand, the accuracy may be more critical, and the resulting point cloud will be more sensitive to systematic global or local deformations under unfavorable measurement conditions. For example, temporary influences can lead to local mapping errors. These include influences such as uneven measurement system motion or non-static, feature-sparse environments. This study investigates the acquisition of 3D point clouds representing the outer shell of a concrete bridge using a PLS system. We demonstrate a method for detecting possible deformations in PLS point clouds using the example of a bridge structure. For this purpose, the reference (TLS) and the PLS point clouds are segmented into individual clusters and a segment-based ICP fine registration is performed. Different RMSE values for the upper road section (0.061 m) and for the pillar segments (0.021 m) as well as different transformation parameters indicate slight displacements in the PLS point cloud. The analysis of the cloud-to-cloud distances showed that there were slight deformations in the Z direction in the area of the road surface. In the lateral direction, no significant residual deviations were found in the area of the bridge pillars.

Impacts of River Bank Filtration on Groundwater Hydrogeochemistry in the Upper of Hutuo River Alluvial Plain, North China

River bank filtration (RBF) under human supervision has been applied for groundwater recharge. This study clarified the characteristics of water composition and its origins during the reservoir water recharge RBF. The groundwater samples were collected during four periods: pre-recharge (June 2018), early recharge (November 2018), intermediate recharge (May 2019), and late recharge (October 2019). Hydrogeochemical methods (Piper diagram, chlor-alkali index, and ion correlation) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to analyze the chemical evolution of groundwater in the aforementioned periods. TDS concentration tended to increase in the later stage due to the aggravation of carbonate rock dissolution and cation exchange adsorption. Results demonstrated a small, temporary influence of reservoir water on groundwater, characterized as the Ca–Mg–HCO3–SO4 and Ca–Mg–SO4–HCO3 types, both before and after the recharge. The research on water chemistry changes under different mixing ratios depicts that the continuation of the recharge process promotes mineral dissolution. Rock dissolution was the primary environmental control factor of groundwater components during the recharge period. This strengthened the water–rock reaction and caused potential risk impacts such as the increase of nitrate.

EFFECTS OF PROFESSIONAL ORAL HYGIENE AND TEETH WHITENING ON THE MICROELEMENT COMPOSITION OF ENAMEL

Aim: The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of professional teeth cleaning and the substances used in modern dentistry for whitening on the microelement composition of tooth enamel. Materials and Methods: To study the morphology and microelement composition of the enamel, scanning electron microscopy was performed using the MiraLM microscope equipped with a Schottky field emission electron gun from Tescan. Results: A comparative analysis between the areas subjected to mechanical cleaning and those where it was not applied revealed a significant difference in the research results, particularly in carbon, which changed from 25.16±1.04 to 32.02±1.8. An analysis of the enamel’s chemical composition before and after whitening revealed a decrease in carbon from 45.91±1.20 to 42.46±1.74. The change in phosphorus content was determined to be from 9.77±0.39 to 9.56±0.75. A decrease in calcium from 15.96±0.64 to 15.21±1.22 and magnesium from 0.07±0.01 to 0.01±0.01 was also observed. Conclusions: Professional dental hygiene does not have a direct impact on the microelement composition of enamel, such as the levels of calcium, phosphorus, fluoride, and other microelements. However, it can have an indirect and temporary influence due to the use of abrasive materials that affect dental deposits, pellicle, and the surface layer of enamel. Teeth whitening can affect the microelement composition of enamel, but these changes are mostly temporary and associated with processes of demineralization/ remineralization and oxygenation.

THE INFLUENCE OF HOUSEMAIDS ON SAUDI YOUNG CHILDREN’S ARABIC LANGUAGE ACQUISITION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MOTHERS

Almost every upper- and middle-class family in Saudi Arabia has a foreign housemaid who does the housework and takes care of the children. This study aims to find out whether foreign housemaids have an impact on children’s acquisition of Arabic, the children’s first language. Surveys with 300 mothers with children under the age of six revealed that most housemaids speak neither English nor Arabic upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. The housemaids learn to speak Arabic by immersion. However, their language is characterized by faulty pronunciation and grammatical forms, production of incomplete sentences, and limited vocabulary. Mothers surveyed asserted that about half the children imitate the housemaid all the time when they first start to learn to speak Arabic at age two and three years. Those children cannot produce Arabic sounds correctly and make grammatical mistakes, but when they go to kindergarten, traces of foreign accent resulting from imitating the housemaid’s foreign Arabic accent disappear, and the child is able to speak Arabic correctly and natively. This means that housemaids have a temporary influence on Saudi children’s acquisition of Arabic as the children get older. It seems that the housemaid’s influence depends on how much time the child spends with her, how much time the mother spends with the child, and whether the child has siblings and playmates.

The Epidemic of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Under the Influence of COVID-19 in China.

Background: Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are major public health priorities in China, but are influenced by the COVID-19 epidemic. In this study, we aimed to quantitatively explore the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and its control measures on five major STD epidemics in China.Methods: A monthly number of newly reported cases of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea, and syphilis from January 2010 to December 2020 were extracted to establish autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. Each month's absolute percentage error (APE) between the actual value and model-predicted value of each STD in 2020 was calculated to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 epidemic on the STDs. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the confirmed COVID-19 case numbers and the COVID-19 control measures' correlations with the case numbers and the APEs of five STDs in 2020.Results: The actual number of five STDs in China was more than 50% lower than the predicted number in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic, especially in February. Among them, the actual number of cases of hepatitis C, gonorrhea, and syphilis in February 2020 was more than 100% lower than the predicted number (APE was −102.3, −109.0, and −100.4%, respectively). After the sharply declines of STDs' reported cases in early 2020, the case numbers recovered quickly after March. The epidemic of STDs was negatively associated with the COVID-19 epidemic and its control measures, especially for restrictions on gathering size, close public transport, and stay-at-home requirements (p < 0.05).Conclusion: COVID-19 had a significant but temporary influence on the STD epidemic in China. The effective control of COVID-19 is vital for STD prevention. STD services need to be improved to prevent STDs from becoming a secluded corner in the shadow of COVID-19.

Non-metallic Inclusions in Different Ferroalloys and Their Effect on the Steel Quality: A Review

Ferroalloys have become increasingly important due to their indispensable role in steelmaking. In addition, the demand for improved steel qualities has increased considerably, which in turn highlights the quality of ferroalloys. This is due to the fact that the impurities in ferroalloys directly and significantly influence the quality of steel products. To gain a better understanding of the main trace elements and inclusions in ferroalloys (such as FeSi, FeMn, SiMn, FeTi, FeCr, FeMo, FeNb, FeV, FeB, some complex ferroalloys) and their behaviours in steel melt after the additions of these ferroalloys, information from a large number of previous results on this topic was extensively reviewed in this work. The applications of different ferroalloys and their production trends were discussed. In addition, the effects of some trace element impurities from ferroalloys on the inclusion characteristics in steel were also discussed. The possible harmful inclusions in different ferroalloys were identified. Overall, the results showed that the inclusions present in ferroalloys had the following influence on the final steel cleanliness: (1) MnO, MnS and MnO–SiO2–MnS inclusions from FeMn and SiMn alloys have a temporary influence on the steel quality; (2) the effect of large size SiO2 inclusions (up to 200 μm) in FeSi and FeMo alloys on the steel cleanliness is not fully understood. The effect of Al, Ca contents should be considered before the addition of FeSi alloys. In addition, Al2O3 inclusions and relatively high Al content are commonly found in FeTi, FeNb and FeV alloys due to their production process. This information should be paid more attention to when these ferroalloys are added to steel; (3) except for the existing inclusions in these alloys, the Ti-rich, Nb-rich, V-rich carbides and nitrides, which have important effects on the steel properties also should be studied further; and (4) specific alloys containing REM oxides, Cr–C–N, Cr–Mn–O, Al2O3, Al–Ti–O, TiS and Ti(C, N) have not been studied enough to enable a judgement on their influence on the steel cleanliness. Finally, some suggestions were given for further studies for the development of ferroalloy productions.

High-dose rapamycin exerts a temporary impact on T. reesei RUT-C30 through gene trFKBP12

BackgroundKnowledge with respect to regulatory systems for cellulase production is prerequisite for exploitation of such regulatory networks to increase cellulase production, improve fermentation efficiency and reduce the relevant production cost. The target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway is considered as a central signaling hub coordinating eukaryotic cell growth and metabolism with environmental inputs. However, how and to what extent the TOR signaling pathway and rapamycin are involved in cellulase production remain elusive.ResultAt the early fermentation stage, high-dose rapamycin (100 μM) caused a temporary inhibition effect on cellulase production, cell growth and sporulation of Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30 independently of the carbon sources, and specifically caused a tentative morphology defect in RUT-C30 grown on cellulose. On the contrary, the lipid content of T. reesei RUT-C30 was not affected by rapamycin. Accordingly, the transcriptional levels of genes involved in the cellulase production were downregulated notably with the addition of rapamycin. Although the mRNA levels of the putative rapamycin receptor trFKBP12 was upregulated significantly by rapamycin, gene trTOR (the downstream effector of the rapamycin–FKBP12 complex) and genes associated with the TOR signaling pathways were not changed markedly. With the deletion of gene trFKBP12, there is no impact of rapamycin on cellulase production, indicating that trFKBP12 mediates the observed temporary inhibition effect of rapamycin.ConclusionOur study shows for the first time that only high-concentration rapamycin induced a transient impact on T. reesei RUT-C30 at its early cultivation stage, demonstrating T. reesei RUT-C30 is highly resistant to rapamycin, probably due to that trTOR and its related signaling pathways were not that sensitive to rapamycin. This temporary influence of rapamycin was facilitated by gene trFKBP12. These findings add to our knowledge on the roles of rapamycin and the TOR signaling pathways play in T. reesei.

Procjena nekonvencionalnih mjera Evropske Centralne Banke - rekurzivni VAR pristup

Unconventional monetary measures utilization has proven to be of great importance in maintaining monetary and economic stability after the Great Recession. However, we aim to test this conclusion through the impact of the quantitative easing implemented by the European Central Bank. Observed through generated shocks in the balance sheet of the Eurosystem as our main variable, we tested whether quantitative easing reestablished economic growth and rose price levels, mainly through lowering borrowing costs for banks, thus helping in the post-crisis recovery. To prove our hypotheses we construct a recursive VAR model estimated in levels using 2014M05-2018M12 data. The model incorporates variables such as the industrial production and the HICP, as output and price level proxies, and financial components such as the EONIA-MRO spread and the CISS index. The results show that the expansion shocks of the consolidated balance sheet have a positive temporary influence on industrial production and the HICP, but the reaction of the former seems to be 2.24 times greater. On the other hand, we find out that quantitative easing has an expected negative impact in widening the EONIA-MRO spread. Furthermore, we could not confirm the theoretically expected accommodative impact on financial stress.

Heat Losses Caused by the Temporary Influence of Wind in Timber Frame Walls Insulated with Fibrous Materials.

The paper presents the results of research concerning three fiber materials—mineral wool, hemp fiber and wood wool—as loose-fill thermal insulation materials. The analysis used the material parameters determined in previous works conducted by the authors, such as thermal conductivity and air permeability in relation to bulk density. These materials exhibit open porosity; thus, convection is an essential phenomenon in the heat transfer process. The paper aimed at conducting thermal simulations of various frame wall variants which were filled with the above-mentioned insulation materials. The simulations were performed with the Control Volume Method using the Delphin 5.8 software. The studies accounted for the effect of wind pressure and the time of its influence on a wall insulated by means of fiber material with a thickness of 150 as well as 250 mm. The simulation enabled us to obtain such data as maximal R-value reduction and time to return to equilibrium after filtration for the analyzed materials. The study proved that heat transfer in these insulations strongly depends on the bulk density, thickness of the insulation and wind pressure. The decrease in R is reduced as the density increases. This results from the decreased air permeability characterizing the material. Wind washing causes lower R reduction than air filtration in all models. The greater the thickness, the longer it takes for the models to return to the equilibrium state following air filtration (and wind washing). This period is comparable for air filtration and wind washing. Hemp fibers were characterized with the strongest susceptibility to air filtration; in the case of wood wool, it was also high, but lower than for hemp fibers, while mineral wool was characterized with the lowest.

Contribution to the study of the hydrochemical characteristics of the Ramsar site: Afenourir Lake, Morocco

In order to better understand and manage the surface water quality of wetlands case of the Afenourir Ramsar site, located to the south of the Ifrane National Park in the Central Middle Atlas, an assessment of the water quality was carried out during the sampling campaign June 2015-March 2018. Spatiotemporal monitoring and analysis of the different physicochemical tracers in-situ (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen) and in the laboratory (nitrites, nitrates, orthophosphates, sulphates), revealed on the one hand the temporary influence of climatic hazards (precipitation, floods, drought) and on the other hand the anthropic influence. For example, the surface water quality of Lake Afenourir can witness to a deterioration of the wetland, which would enhance an emergency management and management plan for the lake urgent .

Cross-linguistic influence in the use of objects in Japanese/English simultaneous bilingual acquisition

Aims: This study investigates whether, to what extent, and in which direction interface structure induces cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in the use of objects in Japanese/English simultaneous bilinguals. Design: Year-long observations of parent–child interactions in two two-year-olds were conducted to observe the changes taking place at the earliest stages of development. Data analysis: A total of 48 recording sessions were transcribed and coded using Computational Human Articulatory Theory conventions and were compared with mean length of utterance-matched monolingual data drawn from the CHILDES database. Findings: We report a temporary influence from Japanese to English and a mild influence from English to Japanese. Originality: This study offers evidence of CLI in object use in less-studied language pairs. Implications: The data support the interface hypothesis and further suggest that the language combination affects the intensity of influence due to the degree of the overlap. Our data also add evidence to the proposal that without language dominance, CLI occurs from the overt language to the language with null options.

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori, as add-on therapy, has a significant, but temporary influence on recovery in chronic idiopathic urticaria: a placebo-controlled, double blind trial in the Polish population.

IntroductionThe infectious factor like Helicobacter pylori (HP) has been thought to trigger the vicious circle of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), therefore its eradication could modify the course of the disease.AimTo reveal the influence of HP eradication on CIU clinical course.Material and methodsSixty-four CIU patients, receiving fexofenadine, as the basic treatment, took part in the research, divided into 3 groups: HP patients treated by eradication, HP patients receiving placebo, and patients without bacteria. Gastroscopy, urease test and histopathology were done to detect HP. Patients with HP were randomized and received eradication treatment or placebo. The efficacy of eradication was checked after 6 weeks by means of another gastroscopy, urease test and histopathology. In the 6th week and in the 4th and 6th month after eradication, the symptoms were evaluated basing on the score symptom scale.ResultsHelicobacter pylori did not occur more frequently in CIU patients than in the healthy population. A statistically significant clinical improvement of CIU symptoms was observed in the 6th week after eradication as compared to the group receiving placebo (p = 0.02) and patients who were not infected (p = 0.02). Further observation in the eradicated patients group revealed the rebound phenomenon – worsening of the clinical state (p = 0.001), which in the 4th month did not differ from the patients not infected or patients receiving placebo.ConclusionsAlthough HP occurs as frequently in CIU patients as in the healthy population, eradication, added to basic antihistaminic treatment, has a significant influence on CIU patients’ recovery parallel to the reduction of stomach inflammation features.

The influence of intravitreally applied triamcinolone acetonide on vitreal hemorrhage resorption and visual acuity in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Introduction/Objective. Vitreal hemorrhage (VH) is one of the possible complications of the diabetic retinopathy which is followed by intensive decrease of visual acuity. Corticosteroides are commonly used in treatment of different retinal diseases, due to their antiinflammatory and anti-angiogenetic effect. Triamcinolone acetonide applied invtravitreally remains in the eye for several months, releases its crystals and decreases the density of vitreal hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 20 mg intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for the managementof long lasting VH, occurred as a complication of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in non-vitrectomized eyes. Methods. In prospective study, from January 1st 2015 until the January 1st 2016, 24 patients with VH who received intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide, were compared to 21 patients from the control group (patients with PDR and similar degree of VH). All patients passed ophthalmological examination at the beginning of the study, 7 days, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after intravitreal application of 20mg triamcinolone acetonide. Besides VH and visual acuity, intraocular pressure and cataract development were also analyzed. Results. Statistically significant difference was recorded 1st and 3rd month after the usage of triamacinolone, in the density of vitreal hemorrhage and visual acuity. Twenty-nine percent of patients had temporally intraocular pressure rise after the intravitreal triamacinolone application, and 4.1% of patients ended the study with the developed cataract. Conclusion. Intravitreally applied triamcinolone acetonide has moderate and temporary influence on the velocity of vitreal hemorrhage reabsorption. It can be useful treatment option when the vitrectomy in not possible.

Hot money in disaggregated capital flows

ABSTRACTWe explore the possible existence and behavior of hot money in six categories of disaggregated bilateral capital flows (equity inflows, equity outflows, bond inflows, bond outflows, banking credit inflows, and banking credit outflows) for 12 emerging markets vis-à-vis the US from 1995 to 2012 and provides several new findings. First, we identify the existence of hot money in all six categories above and conclude that both gross inflows and gross outflows can be the sources of hot money. Second, hot money in equity inflows (outflows) engages in positive (negative) feedback trading regarding local stock market returns. Third, some categories of hot money have a temporary influence on local stock market returns while the others have a permanent influence, supporting the explanations of both price pressures and information advantage. Finally, local stock market returns in half of our sample countries, which have tightened capital controls during the late 2000s global financial crisis (GFC), are more affected by hot money than in the other half. Our findings confirm several popular conjectures of hot money, and endorse the use of capital controls to limit financial vulnerability in the run-up to and during the GFC.

Temporal and spatial comparisons of the reproductive biology of northern Gulf of Mexico (USA) red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) collected a decade apart.

In studies done a decade apart, we provide evidence of a recent shift toward a slower progression to sexual maturity as well as reduced egg production, especially among young, small female red snapper, in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). Slower maturation rates (among fish ≤6 years old), lower GSI values and decreased spawning frequency were observed, and were especially pronounced in the northwestern Gulf. Furthermore, an Index of Reproductive Importance showed that young fish (ages 2–7) are contributing far less to the spawning stock in recent years, while older fish (>8 years) are contributing more, when compared to fish from the same age groups sampled in the previous decade. Coincident with these changes in reproductive output, fishing pressure has steadily declined gulf-wide, and spawning stock biomass and spawning potential ratio have increased. Thus, it is possible that the age structure of the red snapper stock is becoming less truncated, or that reproductive effort observed is due to the temporary influence of recent strong year classes produced in 2004 and 2006 as they begin to reach full reproductive potential. If the latter is true, careful documentation of the stock’s reproductive dynamics during a time of population growth provides new understanding at the meta-population spatial and decadal temporal scales. In contrast, if the former is true, a truncated age structure due to overharvest can limit the productivity of the Gulf red snapper stock. In addition, we have learned that red snapper females in the northwestern Gulf collected on natural reefs and banks have much higher reproductive output than those on artificial reefs in the form of standing and toppled oil and gas platforms, thus making the need to know the relative abundance of females found on these disparate habitats an important next step toward better-understanding factors impacting the reproductive dynamics of this species.

Observed Long-Term Climatic Variability and Its Impacts on the Ground Water Level of Quetta Alluvial

Water is an important natural resource. Groundwater is one of most vital and consistent source of renewed water globally containing areas which have extreme rainfall and abundant of surface water. This study assesses the climate impact on groundwater level using the precipitation, temperature data from 1946 to 2015, evapotranspiration, and monthly groundwater levels from 1987 to 2013 in Quetta Valley, Balochistan. The annual precipitation analysis identifies decreasing trends at all the gauging stations. The sharp increase in maximum temperature was observed during the late 90s. Similarly, mean monthly minimum temperature was observed well below normal 1947–1987, and afterwards, a sharp increase in minimum temperature was observed which was well above normal. The annual evaporation data analyzed which identified increasing trends at all the stations except Quetta city, where it has been decreased. The trends are found to be statistically significant at all the stations except Quetta city. Similarly, the rain data of different time periods have also been examined with the perspective to study its impact on the groundwater levels. The analysis explores the fact that the groundwater is continuously depleting due to variability in rainfall. The result also illustrates that groundwater level is decreasing day by day and the rainfall temporary influences for a very short time period on the groundwater level depending upon the consumption.

Rhizospheric Bacterial Strain Brevibacterium casei MH8a Colonizes Plant Tissues and Enhances Cd, Zn, Cu Phytoextraction by White Mustard.

Environmental pollution by heavy metals has become a serious problem in the world. Phytoextraction, which is one of the plant-based technologies, has attracted the most attention for the bioremediation of soils polluted with these contaminants. The aim of this study was to determine whether the multiple-tolerant bacterium, Brevibacterium casei MH8a isolated from the heavy metal-contaminated rhizosphere soil of Sinapis alba L., is able to promote plant growth and enhance Cd, Zn, and Cu uptake by white mustard under laboratory conditions. Additionally, the ability of the rifampicin-resistant spontaneous mutant of MH8a to colonize plant tissues and its mechanisms of plant growth promotion were also examined. In order to assess the ecological consequences of bioaugmentation on autochthonous bacteria, the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was used. The MH8a strain exhibited the ability to produce ammonia, 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, indole 3-acetic acid and HCN but was not able to solubilize inorganic phosphate and produce siderophores. Introduction of MH8a into soil significantly increased S. alba biomass and the accumulation of Cd (208%), Zn (86%), and Cu (39%) in plant shoots in comparison with those grown in non-inoculated soil. Introduced into the soil, MH8a was able to enter the plant and was found in the roots and leaves of inoculated plants thus indicating its endophytic features. PLFA analysis revealed that the MH8a that was introduced into soil had a temporary influence on the structure of the autochthonous bacterial communities. The plant growth-promoting features of the MH8a strain and its ability to enhance the metal uptake by white mustard and its long-term survival in soil as well as its temporary impact on autochthonous microorganisms make the strain a suitable candidate for the promotion of plant growth and the efficiency of phytoextraction.

A powerful phenotype for gene-finding studies derived from trajectory analyses of symptoms of anxiety and depression between age seven and 18.

To investigate the utility of longitudinal data in genetic analyses of symptoms of anxiety and depression, we assessed individual differences between age 7 and 18 using growth mixture models, and investigated the genetic and non-genetic factors contributing to the trajectories. Mothers of 7,706 girl and 7,418 boy twins from the Netherlands Twin Register rated the anxious depression scale (SxAnxDep) of the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) at age 7, 10, and 12 years. Two thousand seven hundred and six girl and 1,856 boy twins completed the Youth Self Report (YSR) at age 14, 16, and 18. While individual trajectories varied considerably, these differences were largely idiosyncratic and could not be grouped into separate latent classes with class-specific average growth curves. The intercept, which reflects the individuals' baseline level of SxAnxDep across time, explained 55-58% of the total phenotypic variance. The slope factor, which captures a common average trend over time, did not explain variance in the phenotype. This finding also underlines the high level of idiosyncrasy of trajectories that lack a common longitudinal structure. The analyses of twin data showed that the random intercept factor of SxAnxDep during childhood and during adolescence is considerably more heritable than the observations at any single age, namely between 60% and 84%. One explanation is that different factors contribute to the level of symptoms of anxiety and depression at any given time point, including temporary events and emotions. When considering baseline stability, these temporary influences average out, with the result of a more reliable and more heritable phenotype. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhanced long-term memory encoding after parietal neurostimulation.

Neurostimulation, e.g., transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), shows promise as an effective cognitive intervention. In spite of low spatial resolution, limited penetration, and temporary influence, evidence highlights tDCS-linked cognitive benefits in a range of cognitive domains. The left posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is an accessible node in frontoparietal networks engaged during long-term memory (LTM). Here, we tested the hypothesis that tDCS can facilitate LTM by pairing LTM encoding and retrieval with PPC stimulation. Healthy young adults performed a verbal LTM task (California Verbal Learning Task) with four different stimulation parameters. In Experiment 1, we applied tDCS to left PPC during LTM encoding. In Experiment 2, we applied tDCS just prior to retrieval to test the temporal specificity of tDCS during a LTM task. In later experiments, we tested hemispheric specificity by replicating Experiment 1 while stimulating the right PPC. Experiment 1 showed that tDCS applied during LTM encoding improved the pace of list learning and enhanced retrieval after a short delay. Experiment 2 indicated anodal left PPC tDCS only improved LTM when applied during encoding, and not during maintenance. Experiments 3 and 4 confirmed that tDCS effects were hemisphere specific and that no effects were found after right PPC stimulation during encoding. These findings indicate that anodal tDCS to the PPC helps verbal LTM in healthy young adults under certain conditions. First, when it is applied to the left, not the right, PPC and second, when it is applied during encoding.

Reproductive, Traits, Holstein, Heritability, Repeatability

Data consisting of 2757 records from tow Holstein herds made between 2000 and 2010 were used to examine environmental factors affecting age at first calving (AFC) and calving intervals (CI) and consequently estimate genetic and phenotypic parameters and trends. The overall means and standard errors for AFC and CI were 39.4 ± 7.2 months and 487.5 ± 151.6 days, respectively. The respective heritability estimates were 0.091 ± 0.05 and 0.044 ± 0.032, while the repeatability estimate for CI was 0.096 ± 0.001. The genetic trends for CI and AFC were -0.6d/yr and -0.01mo/yr respectively and were both significant (p0.05). The low heritability for CI and AFC indicated that temporary environmental influences were much greater than genetic influences or permanent environmental influences on these traits.