81%. The aim of this study is to detect the action properties of functional materials (FM) in transforming waste into resource products with high humus content. FM (MnO2 and reducing sugar) were added in different periods of chicken manure composting. During composting, concentration of humic acids (HA) as aromatic fraction of humus, was increased by FM. The promotive effects of adding FM in later period was the most obvious. While adding FM in the beginning period could accelerate organic matter degradation, but it did not promote HA formation. Meanwhile, the microbial diversity was higher in groups by adding FM in the beginning and thermophilic periods. Therefore, it was speculated that FM might improve HA formation by promoting the abiotic polymerization of precursors. Eventually, structural equation model showed that FM was beneficial to abiotic pathway of HA formation. But the formation efficiency was reduced by interfering with biotic pathway. Algae has potential to remediate heavy metals. However, the physiological responses of live algae to heavy metals are not well studied. In this study, the physiological responses of Microcystis aeruginosa to zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) ions and its ability to accumulate ions were investigated. Low concentrations ( less then 0.1 mg/l) of Zn and Cd had little influence on algal growth and physiological processes, whereas concentrations above 0.1 mg/l increased the esterase activity (from 42.5% to 621.9%), superoxide dismutase activity (from 12.8% to 45.4%), and malondialdehyde content (from 18.2% to 103.9%), and dramatically inhibited the cell division (from 12.6% to 70.0%) and photosynthetic performance (from 7.1% to 53.1%) of M. aeruginosa. The accumulation of Zn or Cd ions by M. aeruginosa increased exponentially with the initial concentration of metallic ions. Collectively, these findings reveal that M. aeruginosa has considerable potential in the remediation of freshwater lakes with heavy metal contamination during cyanobacterial blooms, where metallic ions are lower than 0.1 mg/l. OBJECTIVES Despite the accessibility of modern family planning (FP) methods, unwanted pregnancies remains a serious problem in Tanzania. This study aimed to identify the barriers to the uptake of modern FP methods among female youth reached by the Chaguo la Maisha project in Temeke District, Tanzania. STUDY DESIGN Qualitative study conducted in March 2017 involving 15 female youths aged 18-24 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Purposive sampling was used to select study participants and sampling followed the principle of data saturation. The study participants were those who received contraceptive counseling from community health mobilizers and agreed to visit a nearby health facility for FP services but did not go for the services. A semi-structured interview guide, translated into Kiswahili language was used. Data were transcribed; analyzed following qualitative content analysis. Major categories and subcategories that hindered visitations were identified. RESULTS Three categories and their subcategories were identified as hindering FP method uptake. (1) individual perception factors (a) myths and misconceptions, (b) fear of side effects, (c) fear of the possibility of being pregnant at the time of FP counseling; (2) community perception factors discouragement from an intimate partner and closest friends; and (3) health facility system factors unavailability of the preferred method and absence of the trained personnel for the FP method. CONCLUSIONS The main barriers to FP uptake were myths and misconceptions, and fear of side effects. The intimate partner or closest friends were significant decision influencers on contraceptive use, implying that FP campaigns should focus beyond the individual level. High-throughput and computational tools provide a new opportunity to calculate combined bioactivity of exposure to diverse chemicals acting through a common mechanism. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/deg-77.html We used high throughput in vitro bioactivity data and exposure predictions from the U.S. EPA's Toxicity and Exposure Forecaster (ToxCast and ExpoCast) to estimate combined estrogen receptor (ER) agonist activity of non-pharmaceutical chemical exposures for the general U.S. population. High-throughput toxicokinetic (HTTK) data provide conversion factors that relate bioactive concentrations measured in vitro (µM), to predicted population geometric mean exposure rates (mg/kg/day). These data were available for 22 chemicals with ER agonist activity and were estimated for other ER bioactive chemicals based on the geometric mean of HTTK values across chemicals. For each chemical, ER bioactivity across ToxCast assays was compared to predicted population geometric mean exposure at different levels of in vitro potency and model certainty. Dose additivitfects of estrogenic chemicals. Published by Elsevier Ltd.When modifying established, automatized skills, performers often experience proactive interference resulting in initial performance decrements. Notably, individuals seem to differ quite largely with respect to their interference susceptibility. The aim of the present study was to scrutinize the roots of these interindividual differences by examining the role of executive functions, age, baseline performance and gaze behavior applying a motor skill change task. As the ability to deal with proactive interference seems to be particularly linked to inhibitory mechanisms, we also assessed whether the application of a motor restriction which prevents unwanted movements may facilitate inhibition and hence result in less proactive interference. To this end, skilled touch-typists were confronted with a rule change that prohibited the left index finger for subsequent typing which immediately disrupted participants' automatized typing fluency. Regression analyses revealed that the amount of interference was significantly related to age and that the application of a motor restriction tended to predict less proactive interference. Additional correlation analyses revealed that a higher amount of proactive interference was also associated with higher baseline performance and lower prepotent response inhibition abilities. However, none of the remaining executive functions could explain the amount of interference. It follows that individual factors such as age, baseline performance and prepotent response inhibition as well as the physical option to execute a certain movement may play important roles in overcoming proactive interference when changing automatized skills.