Sample records for abiline rein laaneots

  1. Length and elasticity of side reins affect rein tension at trot.

    PubMed

    Clayton, Hilary M; Larson, Britt; Kaiser, LeeAnn J; Lavagnino, Michael

    2011-06-01

    This study investigated the horse's contribution to tension in the reins. The experimental hypotheses were that tension in side reins (1) increases biphasically in each trot stride, (2) changes inversely with rein length, and (3) changes with elasticity of the reins. Eight riding horses trotted in hand at consistent speed in a straight line wearing a bit and bridle and three types of side reins (inelastic, stiff elastic, compliant elastic) were evaluated in random order at long, neutral, and short lengths. Strain gauge transducers (240 Hz) measured minimal, maximal and mean rein tension, rate of loading and impulse. The effects of rein type and length were evaluated using ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc tests. Rein tension oscillated in a regular pattern with a peak during each diagonal stance phase. Within each rein type, minimal, maximal and mean tensions were higher with shorter reins. At neutral or short lengths, minimal tension increased and maximal tension decreased with elasticity of the reins. Short, inelastic reins had the highest maximal tension and rate of loading. Since the tension variables respond differently to rein elasticity at different lengths, it is recommended that a set of variables representing different aspects of rein tension should be reported. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects on behaviour and rein tension on horses ridden with or without martingales and rein inserts.

    PubMed

    Heleski, C R; McGreevy, P D; Kaiser, L J; Lavagnino, M; Tans, E; Bello, N; Clayton, H M

    2009-07-01

    Unsteady hand position can cause discomfort to the horse, potentially leading to conflict behaviours (CB) such as head tossing or tail lashing. Some instructors feel that martingales or elastic rein inserts can reduce discomfort caused by inexperienced and unsteady hands. Others consider these devices to be inappropriate 'crutches'. Four horses and nine riders were tested under three conditions in random order: plain reins, adjustable training martingales (TM), and elasticised rein inserts (RI). Rein-tension data (7s) and behavioural data (30s) were collected in each direction. Rein-tension data were collected via strain-gauge transducers. Behavioural data were assessed using an ethogram of defined behaviours. No differences in the number of CB were observed. Mean rein tension for TM was higher than that of RI or controls. Relative to the withers, the head was lower for horses ridden with martingales. Carefully fitted martingales may have a place in riding schools that teach novices.

  3. Rein tension acceptance in young horses in a voluntary test situation.

    PubMed

    Christensen, J W; Zharkikh, T L; Antoine, A; Malmkvist, J

    2011-03-01

    During riding, horses are frequently exposed to pressure from the rider, e.g. through the bit and reins, but few studies have investigated at which point rein tension becomes uncomfortable for the horse. To investigate how much rein tension young inexperienced horses are willing to accept in order to obtain a food reward; whether the tension acceptance changes during 3 consecutive test days; and whether rein tension correlates with the expression of conflict behaviour and heart rate. Pressure-naïve horses will apply only little rein tension in the first voluntary trial, but their acceptance will gradually increase. High levels of rein tension will lead to expression of conflict behaviour and increases in heart rate. Fifteen 2-year-old, bridle-naïve mares were encouraged to stretch their head forward (across a 0.95 m high metal bar) to obtain a food reward in a voluntary test situation. On each test day, each horse was exposed to 2 control sessions (loose reins), an intermediate and a short rein session (1 min/session). Rein tension, heart rate and behaviour were recorded. The horses applied significantly more tension on the first day (mean rein tension: 10.2 N), compared to the second and third test day (Day 2: 6.0 and Day 3: 5.7 N). The horses showed significantly more conflict behaviour in the short rein treatment. There was no treatment effect on heart rate. The horses applied the highest rein tension on the first day, and apparently learned to avoid the tension, rather than habituate to it. Rein tension correlated with expression of conflict behaviour, indicating that the horses found the tension aversive. Further studies should focus on the correlation between rein tension and conflict behaviour in ridden horses. © 2010 EVJ Ltd.

  4. Stride-related rein tension patterns in walk and trot in the ridden horse.

    PubMed

    Egenvall, Agneta; Roepstorff, Lars; Eisersiö, Marie; Rhodin, Marie; van Weeren, René

    2015-12-30

    The use of tack (equipment such as saddles and reins) and especially of bits because of rein tension resulting in pressure in the mouth is questioned because of welfare concerns. We hypothesised that rein tension patterns in walk and trot reflect general gait kinematics, but are also determined by individual horse and rider effects. Six professional riders rode three familiar horses in walk and trot. Horses were equipped with rein tension meters logged by inertial measurement unit technique. Left and right rein tension data were synchronized with the gait. Stride split data (0-100 %) were analysed using mixed models technique to elucidate the left/right rein and stride percentage interaction, in relation to the exercises performed. In walk, rein tension was highest at hindlimb stance. Rein tension was highest in the suspension phase at trot, and lowest during the stance phase. In rising trot there was a significant difference between the two midstance phases, but not in sitting trot. When turning in trot there was a significant statistical association with the gait pattern with the tension being highest in the inside rein when the horse was on the outer fore-inner hindlimb diagonal. Substantial between-rider variation was demonstrated in walk and trot and between-horse variation in walk. Biphasic rein tensions patterns during the stride were found mainly in trot.

  5. Conclusions and future directions for the REiNS International Collaboration

    PubMed Central

    Blakeley, Jaishri O.; Dombi, Eva; Fisher, Michael J.; Hanemann, Clemens O.; Walsh, Karin S.; Wolters, Pamela L.; Plotkin, Scott R.

    2013-01-01

    The Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration was established with the goal to develop consensus recommendations for the use of endpoints in neurofibromatosis (NF) clinical trials. This supplement includes the first series of REiNS recommendations for the use of patient-reported, functional, and visual outcomes, and for the evaluation of imaging response in NF clinical trials. Recommendations for neurocognitive outcome measures, the use of whole-body MRI in NF, the evaluation of potential biomarkers of disease, and the comprehensive evaluation of functional and patient-reported outcomes in NF are in development. The REiNS recommendations are made based on current knowledge. Experience with the use of the recommended endpoints in clinical trials, development of new tools and technologies, new knowledge of the natural history of NF, and advances in the methods used to analyze endpoints will likely lead to modifications of the currently proposed guidelines, which will be shared with the NF research community through the REiNS Web site www.reinscollaboration.org. Due to the clinical complexity of NF, there is a need to seek expertise from multiple medical disciplines, regulatory agencies, and industry to develop trial endpoints and designs, which will lead to the identification and approval of effective treatments for NF tumor and nontumor manifestations. The REiNS Collaboration welcomes anyone interested in providing his or her expertise toward this effort. PMID:24249805

  6. Alternatives to conventional evaluation of rideability in horse performance tests: suitability of rein tension and behavioural parameters.

    PubMed

    König von Borstel, Uta; Glißman, Chantal

    2014-01-01

    Rideability, i.e. the ease and comfort with which a horse can be ridden, is considered to be one of the most important traits in riding horses. However, at present rideability is evaluated rather subjectively in breeding horse performance tests. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role horse behaviour as well as degree and quality of rein tension might play in judges' evaluation of horses' rideability. Mares (n=33) and stallions (n=13) from two different mare- and one stallion-testing station were observed twice during their performance test dressage training. During these rides, rein tension was measured continuously, and frequency of behaviour patterns such as head-tossing, tail swishing, and snorting was recorded. Rein tension parameters showed reasonable repeatabilities within horse-rider pairs (e.g. mean rein tension: r(2)=0.61 ± 0.11; variance of rein tension: r(2)=0.52 ± 0.14). Regression analysis revealed that a larger proportion of variance in rideability scores could be explained by maximum (17%), mean (16%) and variance (15%) of rein tension compared to horses' or riders' behavioural parameters (tail-swishing: 5% and rider's use of hands: 5%, respectively). According to mixed model analysis, rideability scores dropped (all P<0.05) with increasing mean, maximum and variability in rein tension (e.g. -0.37 ± 0.14 scores per additional 10 Newton in mean tension). However, mean rein tension differed between testing stations (P<0.0001) ranging between 9.1 ± 1.6 N in one station and 21.7 ± 1.3 N in another station. These results indicate that quantity and consistency of rein tension is either directly or indirectly an important factor for judges to derive rideability scores. Given the importance of rein tension parameters to both rider comfort and horse welfare, potentially, measurements of rein tension along with behaviour observations assessing the quality of rein contact (e.g. distinguishing a light contact from attempts to evade contact

  7. The use of a rein tension device to compare different training methods for neck flexion in base-level trained Warmblood horses at the walk.

    PubMed

    Veen, I; Killian, D; Vlaminck, L; Vernooij, J C M; Back, W

    2018-03-08

    Debate surrounds the use of high rein tension for obtaining different head and neck positions in the training of sport horses on account of possible welfare issues. To compare auxiliary rein tension in two methods (Draw Reins and Concord Leader) for obtaining a standardised head and neck position on a hard and a soft surface. Intervention study. Left and right rein tensions were measured in 11 base-level trained client-owned sport horses (mean age ± s.d.; 10 ± 3.2 years) exercised in-hand with, in a random order, conventional draw reins or the newly developed Concord Leader in a standardised head and neck position. Rein tension was measured using a calibrated device operating at 10 Hz during six runs of 15 s in a straight line for each training method on both a hard and a soft surface. A linear mixed model and grouped logistic regression analysis were applied to compare the two methods (P<0.05). The odds of a tension of 0 N were lower with draw reins than with the Concord Leader. The rein tension (mean sum of the force applied, in N) of the draw reins was 13.8 times higher than that of the Concord Leader. This study was performed on horses exercised in-hand; however, these auxiliary aids are normally used when lungeing. Possible redirection of rein tension towards the poll was not measured. We showed that when using the Concord Leader a similar head and neck position is achieved with a much lower rein tension than with the draw reins and, more importantly, with a much greater likelihood of 0 N. It is unnecessary to use high auxiliary rein tension to obtain a standard, flexed head and neck position. © 2018 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.

  8. System overview of the fully implantable destination therapy--ReinHeart-total artificial heart.

    PubMed

    Pelletier, Benedikt; Spiliopoulos, Sotirios; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Graef, Felix; Kuipers, Kristin; Laumen, Marco; Guersoy, Dilek; Steinseifer, Ulrich; Koerfer, Reiner; Tenderich, Gero

    2015-01-01

    Owing to the lack of suitable allografts, the demand for long-term mechanical circulatory support in patients with biventricular end-stage heart failure is rising. Currently available Total Artificial Heart (TAH) systems consist of pump units with only limited durability, percutaneous tubes and bulky external equipment that limit the quality of life. Therefore we are focusing on the development of a fully implantable, highly durable destination therapy total artificial heart. The ReinHeart-TAH system consists of a passively filling pump unit driven by a low-wear linear drive between two artificial ventricles, an implantable control unit and a compliance chamber. The TAH is powered by a transcutaneous energy transmission system. The flow distribution inside the ventricles was analysed by fluid structure interaction simulation and particle image velocimetry measurements. Along with durability tests, the hydrodynamic performance and flow balance capability were evaluated in a mock circulation loop. Animal trials are ongoing. Based on fluid structure interaction simulation and particle image velocimetry, blood stagnation areas have been significantly reduced. In the mock circulation loop the ReinHeart-TAH generated a cardiac output of 5 l/min at an operating frequency of 120 bpm and an aortic pressure of 120/80 mmHg. The highly effective preload sensitivity of the passively filling ventricles allowed the sensorless integration of the Frank Starling mechanism. The ReinHeart-TAH effectively replaced the native heart's function in animals for up to 2 days. In vitro and in vivo testing showed a safe and effective function of the ReinHeart-TAH system. This has the potential to become an alternative to transplantation. However, before a first-in-man implant, chronic animal trials still have to be completed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

  9. The lateral crural rein flap: a novel technique for management of tip rotation in primary rhinoplasty.

    PubMed

    Kuran, Ismail; Öreroğlu, Ali Rıza; Efendioğlu, Kamran

    2014-09-01

    An important consideration in rhinoplasty is maintenance of the applied tip rotation. Different techniques have been proposed to accomplish this. Loss of rotation after surgery not only results in a derotated tip but also can create a supratip deformity. As a supplement to dorsal reconstruction, the authors introduced and applied the lateral crural rein flap technique, whereby cartilage flaps are created from the cephalic portion of the lateral crura to control and stabilize tip rotation. Eleven patients underwent primary open-approach rhinoplasty that included the lateral crural rein technique; the mean follow-up time was 18 months. Excess cephalic portions of the lateral crura were prepared as medial crura-based cartilaginous flaps and were incorporated into the nasal dorsum (similar to spreader grafts) and stabilized to achieve the desired tip rotation. The lateral crural rein flap technique provided stability to the nasal tip while minimizing derotation in the postoperative period. Long-term follow-up revealed maintenance of the nasal tip rotation and symmetric dorsal aesthetic lines. The lateral crural rein flap technique is effective for controlling nasal tip rotation while reducing lateral crural cephalic excess. Longevity of the applied tip rotation is reinforced by secure attachment of the lower nasal cartilage complex to the midvault structures. 4. © 2014 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.

  10. Rein and Zheng Elected to American Academy of Microbiology | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer Earlier this year, Alan Rein, Ph.D., and Zhi-Ming (Thomas) Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., were elected to fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). They were among 88 microbiologists who were elected to the academy “through a highly selective, peer-review process,

  11. A little rein on addiction.

    PubMed

    Mathuru, Ajay S

    2018-06-01

    Rewarding and aversive experiences influence emotions, motivate specific behaviors, and modify future action in animals. Multiple conserved vertebrate neural circuits have been discovered that act in a species-specific manner to reinforce behaviors that are rewarding, while attenuating those with an adverse outcome. A growing body of research now suggests that malfunction of the same circuits is an underlying cause for many human disorders and mental ailments. The habenula (Latin for "little rein") complex, an epithalamic structure that regulates midbrain monoaminergic activity has emerged in recent years as one such region in the vertebrate brain that modulates behavior. Its dysfunction, on the other hand, is implicated in a spectrum of psychiatric disorders in humans such as schizophrenia, depression and addiction. Here, I review the progress in identification of potential mechanisms involving the habenula in addiction. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Rein and Zheng Elected to American Academy of Microbiology | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer Earlier this year, Alan Rein, Ph.D., and Zhi-Ming (Thomas) Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., were elected to fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). They were among 88 microbiologists who were elected to the academy “through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology,” according to the society’s website.

  13. [The development of Rein van Bemmelens (1904-1983) undation theory: forty years of Dutch geology].

    PubMed

    Barzilay, Willemjan

    2009-01-01

    The Dutch geologist Rein van Bemmelen was the greatest opponent of plate tectonics in The Netherlands. He lived and worked during an important period in the history of earth sciences. He had studied geology when Wegeners theory was introduced and enthusiastically received in the Netherlands and he worked as a geologists during the period in which, after Wegeners theory was rejected in The Netherlands, several Dutch geologists came with their own theories to explain the origin of continents and oceans and in which plate tectonics was introduced in The Netherlands. He had proposed his own theory, the undation theory, at the beginning of the 1930s and kept on developing it during the following years. He continued to do so until his death in 1983. The history of the undation theory thus sheds light on the history of geology in The Netherlands. I will trace the history of geology in The Netherlands using Rein van Bemmelen and his undation theory as a lens.

  14. Prise en charge des traumatismes graves du rein

    PubMed Central

    Lakmichi, Mohamed Amine; Jarir, Redouane; Sadiki, Bader; Zehraoui; Bentani; Wakrim, Bader; Dahami, Zakaria; Moudouni; Sarf, Ismail

    2015-01-01

    Les traumatismes graves du rein de grade III, IV et V selon la classification de l'Amercan Society for Surgery For Trauma (ASST) sont plus rares et se retrouvent dans 5% des cas en moyenne. Leur prise en charge est souvent délicate, nécessitant alors des centres expérimentés dotés de moyen adéquats d'imagerie (scanner spiralé). Cependant, durant ces dernières années, la prise en charge de ces traumatismes a évolué vers une attitude de moins en moins chirurgicale grâce à l’évolution des techniques de la radiologie interventionnelle, de l'endourologie et des moyens de surveillance aux urgences et de réanimation. L'objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer notre expérience dans la prise en charge des traumatismes rénaux de haut grade. Notre étude rétrospective porte sur 25 cas de traumatismes grave du rein de grade III, IV et V selon la classification de l'ASST, colligés entre Janvier 2002 et Juin 2009 au service d'urologie du centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mohammed VI, Université Cadi Ayyad de Marrakech, Maroc. Nous avons étudié les données épidémiologiques, les signes cliniques et biologiques à l'admission (état de choc hémorragique, taux d'hémoglobine), les données radiologiques (échographie et scanner), les lésions associées, la prise en charge thérapeutique et les complications. L’âge moyen de nos patients était de 24,9 ans 15 et 58 ans, avec une prédominance masculine (sex-ratio = 7, 3). Le rein droit était intéressé dans 15 cas (60%). Le traumatisme rénal était fermé dans 15 cas, et ouvert par arme blanche dans 10 cas. Huit patients se sont présentés en état de choc hémorragique (32%). Une anémie inférieur à 10g /100ml a été observée dans 10 cas (40%). L'uroscanner fait systématiquement à l'admission a retrouvé un grade III (10 cas), grade IV (13 cas) et grade V (2 cas). La prise en charge a consisté en une exploration chirurgicale avec néphrectomie chez 2 cas de Grade IV pour une instabilité h

  15. A new method used in laparoscopic hysterectomy for uterine manipulation: uterine rein technique.

    PubMed

    Boztosun, Abdullah; Atılgan, Remzi; Pala, Şehmus; Olgan, Şafak

    2018-03-22

    The aim of this study is to define a new method of manipulating the uterus during laparoscopic hysterectomy. A total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) with the newly defined technique was performed in 29 patients between July 2016 and July 2017. In this new technique, the uterus was bound from uterine corpus and fundus like a bridle with polyester tape, to allow abdominal manipulation. The technique was successfully performed at the first attempt in 93.1% of cases. It was repeated in two cases (6.9%) since the polyester tape departed away from the uterus at the first attempt. The mean application time was 11.2 min. The vaginal manipulator was not required in any of the cases. There were no intraoperative complications. In conclusion, this method has the advantages of not requiring any vaginal manipulator, reducing the number of people required during operation, permitting a near maximum manipulation of the uterus in all three dimensions, and giving the control of these manipulations directly to the surgeon. On the other hand, the technique also has some inadequacies which should be discussed and improved on in the future. Impact of statement What is already known on this subject? In a laparoscopic hysterectomy, manipulation of the uterus is essential for anatomical dissection of the regions and completion of the operation without complications. An ideal uterine manipulator is defined as inexpensive, as convenient, fast and suitable for injecting solutions, removing the need for an assistant and most importantly offering the most suitable range of motion. In this study, we describe a new and different technique (rein technique) allowing the abdominal manipulation of the uterus in a laparoscopic hysterectomy and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this method. What do the results of this study add? The procedure was easily accomplished in most patients. We did not need to use an extra uterine manipulator in any of the cases. What are the implications of these

  16. The French Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN) cohort study.

    PubMed

    Stengel, Bénédicte; Combe, Christian; Jacquelinet, Christian; Briançon, Serge; Fouque, Denis; Laville, Maurice; Frimat, Luc; Pascal, Christophe; Herpe, Yves-Edouard; Deleuze, Jean-François; Schanstra, Joost; Pisoni, Ron L; Robinson, Bruce M; Massy, Ziad A

    2014-08-01

    While much has been learned about the epidemiology and treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the last 30 years, chronic kidney disease (CKD) before the end-stage has been less investigated. Not enough is known about factors associated with CKD progression and complications, as well as its transition to ESRD. We designed the CKD-renal epidemiology and information network (REIN) cohort to provide a research platform to address these key questions and to assess clinical practices and costs in patients with moderate or advanced CKD. A total of 46 clinic sites and 4 renal care networks participate in the cohort. A stratified selection of clinic sites yields a sample that represents a diversity of settings, e.g. geographic region, and public versus for-profit and non-for-profit private clinics. In each site, 60-90 patients with CKD are enrolled at a routine clinic visit during a 12-month enrolment phase: 3600 total, including 1800 with Stage 3 and 1800 with Stage 4 CKD. Follow-up will continue for 5 years, including after initiation of renal replacement therapy. Data will be collected from medical records at inclusion and at yearly intervals, as well as from self-administered patient questionnaires and provider-level questionnaires. Patients will also be interviewed at baseline, and at 1, 3 and 5 years. Healthcare costs will also be determined. Blood and urine samples will be collected and stored for future studies on all patients at enrolment and at study end, and at 1 and 3 years in a subsample of 1200. The CKD-REIN cohort will serve to improve our understanding of the biological, clinical and healthcare system determinants associated with CKD progression and adverse outcomes as well as of international variations in collaboration with the CKD Outcome and Practice Pattern Study (CKDopps). It will foster CKD epidemiology and outcomes research and provide evidence to improve the health and quality of life of patients with CKD and the performances of the

  17. [The French Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN) cohort study: To better understand chronic kidney disease].

    PubMed

    Stengel, Bénédicte; Combe, Christian; Jacquelinet, Christian; Briançon, Serge; Fouque, Denis; Laville, Maurice; Frimat, Luc; Pascal, Christophe; Herpe, Yves-Édouard; Morel, Pascal; Deleuze, Jean-François; Schanstra, Joost P; Pisoni, Ron L; Robinson, Bruce M; Massy, Ziad A

    2016-04-01

    Preserving kidney function and improving the transition from chronic kidney disease to end stage is a research and healthcare challenge. The national Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN) cohort was established to identify the determinants, biomarkers and practice patterns associated with chronic kidney disease outcomes. The study will include more than 3000 adult patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease from a representative sample of 40 nephrology clinics with respect to regions and legal status, public or private. Patients are recruited during a routine visit and followed for 5 years, before and after starting renal replacement therapy. Patient-level clinical, biological, and lifestyle data are collected annually, as well as provider-level data on clinical practices, coordinated with the International Chronic Kidney Disease Outcomes and Practice Pattern Study. Blood and urine samples are stored in a biobank. Major studied outcomes include survival, patient-reported outcomes, disease progression and hospitalizations. More than 13,000 eligible patients with chronic kidney disease were identified, 60% with stage 3 and 40% with stage 4. Their median age is 72 years [interquartile range, 62-80 years], 60% are men and 38% have diabetes. By the end of December 2015, 2885 patients were included. The CKD-REIN cohort will serve to improve our understanding of chronic kidney disease and provide evidence to improve patient survival and quality of life as well as health care system performances. Copyright © 2016 Association Société de néphrologie. All rights reserved.

  18. Risk profile, quality of life and care of patients with moderate and advanced CKD : The French CKD-REIN Cohort Study.

    PubMed

    Stengel, Bénédicte; Metzger, Marie; Combe, Christian; Jacquelinet, Christian; Briançon, Serge; Ayav, Carole; Fouque, Denis; Laville, Maurice; Frimat, Luc; Pascal, Christophe; Herpe, Yves-Edouard; Morel, Pascal; Deleuze, Jean-François; Schanstra, Joost P; Lange, Céline; Legrand, Karine; Speyer, Elodie; Liabeuf, Sophie; Robinson, Bruce M; Massy, Ziad A

    2018-04-09

    The French Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN) cohort study was designed to investigate the determinants of prognosis and care of patients referred to nephrologists with moderate and advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). We examined their baseline risk profile and experience. We collected bioclinical and patient-reported information from 3033 outpatients with CKD and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) of 15-60 mL/min/1.73 m2 treated at 40 nationally representative public and private facilities. The patients' median age was 69 (60-76) years, 65% were men, their mean eGFR was 33 mL/min/1.73 m2, 43% had diabetes, 24% had a history of acute kidney injury (AKI) and 57% had uncontrolled blood pressure (BP; >140/90 mmHg). Men had worse risk profiles than women and were more likely to be past or current smokers (73% versus 34%) and have cardiovascular disease (59% versus 42%), albuminuria >30 mg/mmol (or proteinuria > 50) (40% versus 30%) (all P < 0.001) and a higher median risk of end-stage renal disease within 5 years, predicted by the kidney failure risk equation {12% [interquartile range (IQR) 3-37%] versus 9% [3-31%], P = 0.008}. During the previous year, 60% of patients reported one-to-two nephrologist visits and four or more general practitioner visits; only 25% saw a dietician and 75% were prescribed five or more medications daily. Physical and mental quality of life (QoL) were poor, with scores <50/100. The CKD-REIN study highlights high-risk profiles of cohort members and identifies several priorities, including improving BP control and dietary counselling and increasing doctors' awareness of AKI, polypharmacy and QoL. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03381950.

  19. Salient Feature of Haptic-Based Guidance of People in Low Visibility Environments Using Hard Reins.

    PubMed

    Ranasinghe, Anuradha; Sornkarn, Nantachai; Dasgupta, Prokar; Althoefer, Kaspar; Penders, Jacques; Nanayakkara, Thrishantha

    2016-02-01

    This paper presents salient features of human-human interaction where one person with limited auditory and visual perception of the environment (a follower) is guided by an agent with full perceptual capabilities (a guider) via a hard rein along a given path. We investigate several salient features of the interaction between the guider and follower such as: 1) the order of an autoregressive (AR) control policy that maps states of the follower to actions of the guider; 2) how the guider may modulate the pulling force in response to the trust level of the follower; and 3) how learning may successively apportion the responsibility of control across different muscles of the guider. Based on experimental systems identification on human demonstrations from ten pairs of naive subjects, we show that guiders tend to adopt a third-order AR predictive control policy and followers tend to adopt second-order reactive control policy. Moreover, the extracted guider's control policy was implemented and validated by human-robot interaction experiments. By modeling the follower's dynamics with a time varying virtual damped inertial system, we found that it is the coefficient of virtual damping which is most sensitive to the trust level of the follower. We used these experimental insights to derive a novel controller that integrates an optimal order control policy with a push/pull force modulator in response to the trust level of the follower monitored using a time varying virtual damped inertial model.

  20. Place du traitement chirurgical sous circulation extracorporelle à cœur battant dans les cancers du rein avec envahissement cave supra-diaphragmatique: à propos de sept cas

    PubMed Central

    Lahyani, Mounir; Karmouni, Tarik; Elkhader, Khalid; Koutani, Abdellatif; Andaloussi, Ahmed Ibn Attya

    2014-01-01

    Ce travail vise à analyser les résultats de la néphrectomie avec thrombectomie atrio-cave sous circulation extracorporelle (CEC) chez sept patients ayant un cancer du rein avec envahissement cave supra-diaphragmatique et de discuter les indications opératoires. Sept patients, six hommes et une femme dont l’âge varie entre 46ans et 65ans, ont été opérés d'un cancer du rein avec extension atrio-cave. L’écho-doppler a toujours permis la mise en évidence de l'extension veineuse mais la limite supérieure du thrombus était formellement identifiée par l'examen tomodensitométrique quatre fois, et par la résonance magnétique nucléaire dans tous les cas. Tous les patients ont été opérés sous CEC à cœur battant en normothermie. Un seul décès postopératoire est survenu. La durée du séjour en réanimation a été de 4,5 jours. Cinq patients ont eu à distance une dissémination métastatique. Cinq malades ont eu une médiane de survie de 11,5 mois (de 7 à16). Un malade a subi une métastasectomie pulmonaire 6 mois après la néphrectomie. L'exérèse des thrombi atrio-caves a été facilitée par la CEC avec une mortalité et une morbidité postopératoires acceptables mais les résultats à distance ont été décevants. Cette intervention ne peut être proposée qu'aux patients n'ayant aucune extension locorégionale et générale décelable, ce qui souligne l'importance des examens morphologiques préopératoires. PMID:25995777

  1. End stage renal disease in French Guiana (data from R.E.I.N registry): South American or French?

    PubMed

    Rochemont, Dévi Rita; Meddeb, Mohamed; Roura, Raoul; Couchoud, Cécile; Nacher, Mathieu; Basurko, Célia

    2017-06-30

    End-Stage renal disease (ESRD) causes considerable morbidity and mortality, and significantly alters patients' quality of life. There are very few published data on this problem in the French Overseas territories. The development of a registry on end stage renal disease in French Guiana in 2011 allowed to describe the magnitude of this problem in the region for the first time. Using data from the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network registry (R.E.I.N). Descriptive statistics on quantitative and qualitative variables in the registry were performed on prevalent cases and incident cases in 2011, 2012 and 2013. French Guiana has one of the highest ESRD prevalence and incidence in France. The two main causes of ESRD were hypertensive and diabetic nephropathies. The French Guianese population had a different demographic profile (younger, more women, more migrants) than in mainland France. Most patients had at least one comorbidity, predominantly (95.3%) hypertension. In French Guiana dialysis was initiated in emergency for 71.3% of patients versus 33% in France (p < 0.001). These first results give important public health information: i) End stage renal disease has a very high prevalence relative to mainland France ii) Patients have a different demographic profile and enter care late in the course of their renal disease. These data are closer to what is observed in the Caribbean or in Latin America than in Mainland France.

  2. Lungeing on hard and soft surfaces: Movement symmetry of trotting horses considered sound by their owners.

    PubMed

    Pfau, T; Jennings, C; Mitchell, H; Olsen, E; Walker, A; Egenvall, A; Tröster, S; Weller, R; Rhodin, M

    2016-01-01

    Lungeing is often part of the clinical lameness examination. The difference in movement symmetry, which is a commonly employed lameness measure, has not been quantified between surfaces. To compare head and pelvic movement symmetry between surfaces and reins during lungeing. Quantitative gait analysis in 23 horses considered sound by their owners. Twenty-three horses were assessed in-hand and on the lunge on both reins on hard and soft surfaces with inertial sensors. Seven movement symmetry parameters were quantified and used to establish 2 groups, namely symmetrical (n = 9) and forelimb-lame horses (n = 14), based on values from straight-line assessment. Movement symmetry values for left rein measurements were side corrected to allow comparison of the amount of movement symmetry between reins. A mixed model (P<0.05) was used to study effects on movement symmetry of surface (hard/soft) and rein (inside/outside with respect to movement symmetry on the straight). In forelimb-lame horses, surface and rein were identified as significantly affecting all head movement symmetry measures (rein, all P<0.0001; surface, all P<0.042). In the symmetrical group, no significant influence of surface or rein was identified for head movement symmetry (rein, all P>0.245; surface, all P>0.073). No significant influence of surface or rein was identified for any of the pelvic movement symmetry measures in either group. While more symmetrical horses showed a consistent amount of movement symmetry across surfaces/reins, horses objectively quantified as lame on the straight showed decreased movement symmetry during lungeing, in particular with the lame limb on the inside of a hard circle. The variation within group questions straight-line movement symmetry as a sole measure of lameness without quantification of movement symmetry on the lunge, ideally on hard and soft surfaces to evaluate differences between reins and surfaces. In future, thresholds for lungeing need to be determined using

  3. The activation of OsEIL1 on YUC8 transcription and auxin biosynthesis is required for ethylene-inhibited root elongation in rice early seedling development

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Juan; Wei, Pengcheng; Huang, Rongfeng

    2017-01-01

    Rice is an important monocotyledonous crop worldwide; it differs from the dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis in many aspects. In Arabidopsis, ethylene and auxin act synergistically to regulate root growth and development. However, their interaction in rice is still unclear. Here, we report that the transcriptional activation of OsEIL1 on the expression of YUC8/REIN7 and indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA)-dependent auxin biosynthesis is required for ethylene-inhibited root elongation. Using an inhibitor of YUC activity, which regulates auxin biosynthesis via the conversion of IPA to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), we showed that ethylene-inhibited primary root elongation is dependent on YUC-based auxin biosynthesis. By screening phenotypes of seedling primary root from mutagenesis libraries following ethylene treatment, we identified a rice ethylene-insensitive mutant, rein7-1, in which YUC8/REIN7 is truncated at its C-terminus. Mutation in YUC8/REIN7 reduced auxin biosynthesis in rice, while YUC8/REIN7 overexpression enhanced ethylene sensitivity in the roots. Moreover, YUC8/REIN7 catalyzed the conversion of IPA to IAA, truncated version at C-terminal end of the YUC8/REIN7 resulted in significant reduction of enzymatic activity, indicating that YUC8/REIN7 is required for IPA-dependent auxin biosynthesis and ethylene-inhibited root elongation in rice early seedlings. Further investigations indicated that ethylene induced YUC8/REIN7 expression and promoted auxin accumulation in roots. Addition of low concentrations of IAA rescued the ethylene response in the rein7-1, strongly demonstrating that ethylene-inhibited root elongation depends on IPA-dependent auxin biosynthesis. Genetic studies revealed that YUC8/REIN7-mediated auxin biosynthesis functioned downstream of OsEIL1, which directly activated the expression of YUC8/REIN7. Thus, our findings reveal a model of interaction between ethylene and auxin in rice seedling primary root elongation, enhancing our understanding of

  4. [Is cancer incidence different between type 2 diabetes patients compared to non-diabetics in hemodialysis? A study from the REIN registry].

    PubMed

    Le Guillou, Aurélie; Pladys, Adelaide; Kihal, Wahida; Siebert, Muriel; Haddj-Elmrabet, Atman; Cernon, Charlotte; Bernard, Anne; Charasse, Christophe; Mandart, Lise; Hamel, Didier; Tanquerel, Tugdual; Strullu, Bernard; Richer, Christine; Siohan, Pascale; Sawadogo, Théophile; Baleynaud, Juliette; Baluta, Simona; Bayat, Sahar; Vigneau, Cécile

    2018-05-01

    In France, diabetes mellitus is now the second cause of end stage renal disease. In a large previous French national study, we observed that dialyzed diabetics have a significant lower risk of death by cancer. This first study was focused on cancer death but did not investigate cancer incidence. In this context, the aim of this second study was to compare the incidence of cancer in diabetic dialyzed patients compared to non-diabetic dialyzed patients in a French region. This epidemiologic multicentric study included 588 diabetic and non-diabetic patients starting hemodialysis between 2002 and 2007 in Bretagne. Data were issued from REIN registry and cancer incidence were individually collected from medical records. Diabetics and non-diabetics were matched one by one on age, sex and year of dialysis initiation. During the follow-up, we observed 28 cancers (9.4%) in diabetic patients and 26 cancers (8.9%) in non-diabetics patients. The cumulative incidence to develop a cancer 2 years after the dialysis start was approximately 6% in both diabetics and non-diabetics patients. In univariate Fine and Gray analysis, BMI, hemoglobin, statin use had P-value<0.2. However, in the adjusted model, these variables were not significantly associated with cancer incidence. This study lead on a little number of dialyzed patients did not show any significant difference on cancer incidence between diabetic and non-diabetic patients after hemodialysis start. Copyright © 2017 Société francophone de néphrologie, dialyse et transplantation. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. The essential of 2012 results from the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) ESRD registry.

    PubMed

    Lassalle, Mathilde; Ayav, Carole; Frimat, Luc; Jacquelinet, Christian; Couchoud, Cécile

    2015-04-01

    The French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry began in 2002 to provide a tool for public health decision support, evaluation and research related to renal replacement therapies (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It is relying on a network of nephrologists, epidemiologists, patients and public health representatives. Continuous registration covers all dialysis and transplanted patients. In 2012, in France, 10,048 patients started a RRT (154 per million inhabitants). Elders provided majority of new patients (median age at RRT start: 70 years old). New patients had a high and age increasing rate of comorbidities, especially diabetes (42% of the new patients) and cardiovascular comorbidities (>50% of the new patients). Like previous years, incidence is stabilized. On December 31, 2012, 73,491 patients were receiving a RRT in France (1127 per million inhabitants, 56% on dialysis and 44% living with a functional renal transplant). More than 50% of patients were undergoing in-center hemodialysis with significant variations among regions. An increase in medical satellite unit hemodialysis but a decrease in self-care unit hemodialysis rates were noticed across the time, whereas peritoneal dialysis remained stable at 7%. Five years after starting RRT, the overall survival rate was 51% but only 16% among patients over 85 years. Mortality rate was highly dependent on treatment and age; transplanted patients aged 60-69 had a 27/1000 patients-year mortality rate versus 133 for a dialysis patient. Patients who started dialysis had a probability of first wait-listing of 4.8% at the start of dialysis (pre-emptive registrations) and 27% at 72 months. Whatever their diabetes status was, patients older than 60 had poor access to the waiting list. Seventeen percent of the patients received a first renal transplant within 15.4 month median time; 3% had received a pre-emptive graft. Ten years after the start of the French ESRD registry, this report provides

  6. Hemodiafiltration Versus Hemodialysis and Survival in Patients With ESRD: The French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) Registry.

    PubMed

    Mercadal, Lucile; Franck, Jeanna-Eve; Metzger, Marie; Urena Torres, Pablo; de Cornelissen, François; Edet, Stéphane; Béchade, Clémence; Vigneau, Cécile; Drüeke, Tilman; Jacquelinet, Christian; Stengel, Bénédicte

    2016-08-01

    Recent randomized trials report that mortality is lower with high-convection-volume hemodiafiltration (HDF) than with hemodialysis (HD). We used data from the French national Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry to investigate trends in HDF use and its relationship with mortality in the total population of incident dialysis patients. The study included those who initiated HD therapy from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2011, and were dialyzed for more than 3 months; follow-up extended to the end of 2012. HDF use at the patient and facility level. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality, using Cox models to estimate HRs of HDF as time-dependent covariate at the patient level, with age as time scale and fully adjusted for comorbid conditions and laboratory data at baseline, catheter use, and facility type as time-dependent covariates. Analyses completed by Cox models for HRs of the facility-level exposure to HDF updated yearly. Of 28,407 HD patients, 5,526 used HDF for a median of 1.2 (IQR, 0.9-1.9) years; 2,254 of them used HDF exclusively. HRs for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality associated with HDF use were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.77-0.91) and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.61-0.88), respectively. In patients treated exclusively with HDF, these HRs were 0.77 (95% CI, 0.67-0.87) and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.50-0.86). At the facility level, increasing the percentage of patients using HDF from 0% to 100% was associated with HRs for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.77-0.99) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54-0.96), respectively. Observational study. Whether analyzed as a patient- or facility-level predictor, HDF treatment was associated with better survival. Copyright © 2015 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. REINS Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY

    2013-02-26

    Senate - 02/26/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. Free Rein

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galley, Michelle

    2004-01-01

    This article presents Fairhaven School, located in a still-bucolic area near Washington, which operates in a way that would baffle many educators, much less the public. Known as a "free school," Fairhaven offers students a radical alternative to the demands of traditional education since it was founded in 1998. In this article, the author…

  9. REINS Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY

    2011-02-07

    Senate - 07/20/2011 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-220. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  10. Effects of cyclosporine A pretreatment of deceased organ donors on kidney graft function (Cis-A-rein): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Orban, Jean-Christophe; Fontaine, Eric; Cassuto, Elisabeth; Baumstarck, Karine; Leone, Marc; Constantin, Jean-Michel; Ichai, Carole

    2018-04-17

    Renal transplantation represents the treatment of choice of end-stage kidney disease. Delayed graft function (DGF) remains the most frequent complication after this procedure, reaching more than 30%. Its prevention is essential as it impedes early- and long-term prognosis of transplantation. Numerous pharmacological interventions aiming to prevent ischemia-reperfusion injuries failed to reduce the rate of DGF. We hypothesize that cyclosporine as an early preconditioning procedure in donors would be associated with decreased DGF. The Cis-A-rein study is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled study performed to assess the effects of a donor preconditioning with cyclosporine A on kidney grafts function in transplanted patients. After randomization, a brain dead donor will receive 2.5 mg kg -1 of cyclosporine A or the same volume of 5% glucose solution. The primary objective is to compare the rate of DGF, defined as the need for at least one dialysis session within the 7 days following transplantation, between both groups. The secondary objectives include rate of slow graft function, mild and severe DGF, urine output and serum creatinine during the first week after transplantation, rate of primary graft dysfunction, renal function and mortality at 1 year. The sample size (n = 648) was determined to obtain 80% power to detect a 10% difference for rate of DGF at day 7 between the two groups (30% of the patients in the placebo group and 20% of the patients in the intervention group). Delayed graft function is a major issue after renal transplantation, impeding long-term prognosis. Cyclosporine A pretreatment in deceased donors could improve the outcome of patients after renal transplantation. ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02907554 Registered on 20 September 2016.

  11. General Urban Warfare Amphibious Logistics Applications. Volume 4. Operational Plans.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-06-23

    region. b. Enemy Forces (1) Enem Situation. Survivors and stragglers from the MRB (Rein) that originally defended SYN City are still present in the city in...requirements and priorities in this region. b. Enemy Forces (1) Enem Situation. Survivors and stragglers from the MRB (Rein) that originally defended SYN City

  12. Realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics and encounter-delayed-choice experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Long, GuiLu; Qin, Wei; Yang, Zhe; Li, Jun-Lin

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, a realistic interpretation (REIN) of the wave function in quantum mechanics is briefly presented. We demonstrate that in the REIN, the wave function of a microscopic object is its real existence rather than a mere mathematical description. Specifically, the quantum object can exist in disjointed regions of space just as the wave function is distributed, travels at a finite speed, and collapses instantly upon a measurement. Furthermore, we analyze the single-photon interference in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) using the REIN. Based on this, we propose and experimentally implement a generalized delayed-choice experiment, called the encounter-delayed-choice experiment, where the second beam splitter is decided whether or not to insert at the encounter of two sub-waves along the arms of the MZI. In such an experiment, the parts of the sub-waves, which do not travel through the beam splitter, show a particle nature, whereas the remaining parts interfere and thus show a wave nature. The predicted phenomenon is clearly demonstrated in the experiment, thus supporting the REIN idea.

  13. External Validation of a risk stratification model to assist shared decision making for patients starting renal replacement therapy.

    PubMed

    Peeters, Patrick; Van Biesen, Wim; Veys, Nic; Lemahieu, Wim; De Moor, Bart; De Meester, Johan

    2016-04-07

    Shared decision making is nowadays acknowledged as an essential step when deciding on starting renal replacement therapy. Valid risk stratification of prognosis is, besides discussing quality of life, crucial in this regard. We intended to validate a recently published risk stratification model in a large cohort of incident patients starting renal replacement therapy in Flanders. During 3 years (2001-2003), the data set collected for the Nederlandstalige Belgische Vereniging voor Nefrologie (NBVN) registry was expanded with parameters of comorbidity. For all incident patients, the abbreviated REIN score(aREIN), being the REIN score without the parameter "mobility", was calculated, and prognostication of mortality at 3, 6 and 12 month after start of renal replacement therapy (RRT) was evaluated. Three thousand four hundred seventy-two patients started RRT in Flanders during the observation period (mean age 67.6 ± 14.3, 56.7 % men, 33.6 % diabetes). The mean aREIN score was 4.1 ± 2.8, and 56.8, 23.1, 12.6 and 7.4 % of patients had a score of ≤4, 5-6, 7-8 or ≥9 respectively. Mortality at 3, 6 and 12 months was 8.6, 14.1 and 19.6 % in the overall and 13.2, 21.5 and 31.9 % in the group with age >75 respectively. In RoC analysis, the aREIN score had an AUC of 0.74 for prediction of survival at 3, 6 and 12 months. There was an incremental increase in mortality with the aREIN score from 5.6 to 45.8 % mortality at 6 months for those with a score ≤4 or ≥9 respectively. The aREIN score is a useful tool to predict short term prognosis of patients starting renal replacement therapy as based on comorbidity and age, and delivers meaningful discrimination between low and high risk populations. As such, it can be a useful instrument to be incorporated in shared decision making on whether or not start of dialysis is worthwhile.

  14. Effects of pre-conditioning on behavior and physiology of horses during a standardised learning task

    PubMed Central

    Webb, Holly; Starling, Melissa J.; Freire, Rafael; Buckley, Petra; McGreevy, Paul D.

    2017-01-01

    Rein tension is used to apply pressure to control both ridden and unridden horses. The pressure is delivered by equipment such as the bit, which may restrict voluntary movement and cause changes in behavior and physiology. Managing the effects of such pressure on arousal level and behavioral indicators will optimise horse learning outcomes. This study examined the effect of training horses to turn away from bit pressure on cardiac outcomes and behavior (including responsiveness) over the course of eight trials in a standardised learning task. The experimental procedure consisted of a resting phase, treatment/control phase, standardised learning trials requiring the horses (n = 68) to step backwards in response to bit pressure and a recovery phase. As expected, heart rate increased (P = 0.028) when the handler applied rein tension during the treatment phase. The amount of rein tension required to elicit a response during treatment was higher on the left than the right rein (P = 0.009). Total rein tension required for trials reduced (P < 0.001) as they progressed, as did time taken (P < 0.001) and steps taken (P < 0.001). The incidence of head tossing decreased (P = 0.015) with the progression of the trials and was higher (P = 0.018) for the control horses than the treated horses. These results suggest that preparing the horses for the lesson and slightly raising their arousal levels, improved learning outcomes. PMID:28358892

  15. Armed Helicopters: How the Army Fought Its Way into Attack Aviation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-01

    the Graduation Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF OPERATIONAL ARTS AND SCIENCES Advisor: Dr. Christopher M. Rein Maxwell Air...and firepower.68 Colonel Trevor Dupuy accurately described the critical nature of capturing these developments during the Vietnam war when he said...Washington D.C.: United States Air Force, 1987. Rein, Dr Christopher M., ACSC/DEL. To the author. E-mail, 26 November 2014. Stockfisch, J.A

  16. Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) 1999 National Conference

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-06-04

    State Coordinators • Advises State Coordinators on how to manage the State programs - Denver , Colorado Rome, New York - Paul Reining and Robert...Rocky Mountain~(Univ. Denver ) Interoperability, crime mapping, EOD, excess, (Paul Reining and Mike McGee) 20 Tech Beat How to obtain copies How...State Coordinator Room 3331 Colorado State Patrol Ft. Belvoir, VA 22066-6221 700 Kipling (800) 532-9946 (703) 767-3083 Lakewood, CO 80228 (303

  17. The Institutionalization of Drug Trafficking Organizations: Comparing Colombia and Brazil

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    Shifter, “Latin America’s Drug Problem,” Current History (February 2007): 58. 6 Henry Veltmeyer and James Petras , “Social Structure and Change in Latin...In The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, by Michael Moran, Martin Rein and Robert E. Goodwin (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2008), 691...Johan P. Olsen, “Chapter 34: The Logic of Appropriateness.” In The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, by Michael Moran, Martin Rein and Robert E

  18. Dimensions rénales en Service de Néphrologie Clinique, Befelatanana, Antananarivo

    PubMed Central

    Ramilitiana, Benja; Dodo, Mihary; Rakotoarimanga, Henintsoa Nirina; Randriamboavonjy, Rado Lalao; Randriamarotia, Willy Franck

    2016-01-01

    La connaissance des dimensions rénales pour tout individu et pour toute ethnie, aide à une décision médicale d'ordre diagnostique et thérapeutique. Pour un pays à faible revenu comme Madagascar, l’échographie constitue un outil idéal à cette fin. Ce travail a comme objectifs de recueillir les dimensions rénales, puis de chercher la corrélation entre ces dernières et les paramètres démographiques ou anthropométriques des Malgaches. Il s'agit d'une étude rétrospective, s’étalant sur une période de 3 ans, effectuée dans le service de Néphrologie du centre hospitalier de Befelatanana, Antananarivo, recrutant 200 patients non diabétiques, sans maladie rénale chronique. L’âge moyen de nos patients était de 45 ans ±16, avec un sex ratio de 0,9. En moyenne, les dimensions (longueur × largeur × épaisseur) étaient de 98 mm × 42 mm × 30 mm pour le rein droit et 99 mm × 45 mm × 31 mm pour le rein gauche. Nous avons retrouvé une différence significative entre le rein droit et gauche sur la longueur (p<0,00001) et la largeur (p = 0,03). Une relation significative était aussi retrouvée entre la longueur rénale et l’âge (p = 0,0016 et p = 0,04 respectivement pour le rein droit et le rein gauche). Aucune relation significative n'a été établie entre les dimensions rénales et la taille ni le poids de nos patients. Malgré ses limites, notre étude apporterait une aide sur le plan pratique clinique ainsi que pour une étude ultérieure. PMID:27642455

  19. [REIN Report 2011--summary].

    PubMed

    Couchoud, C; Lassalle, M; Jacquelinet, C

    2013-09-01

    In 2011, in France, we estimate that 9 400 patients started a treatment by dialysis (incidence of dialysis: 144 per million inhabitants) and 335 patients with a pre-emptive graft without previous dialysis (incidence of pre-emptive graft: 5 per million inhabitants). As in 2010, incidence rate seems to stabilize. Elders provide the majority of new patients (median age at RRT start: 71 years old). New patients present a high rate of disabilities especially diabetes (41% of the new patients) and cardiovascular disabilities (>50% of the new patients) that increase with age. Considering treatment and follow-up, the first treatment remains center's hemodialysis and we do not notice any progression of self-dialysis. RRT started in emergency in 33% of the patients. This finding contrasts with the fact that 56% of patients started hemodialysis on a catheter. This, together with the major inter-region variability, suggests that different strategies of management exist. Finally, the hemoglobin level at RRT start seems to be an interesting indicator of good management and follow-up since 13% of patients presenting an underprovided follow-up have a hemoglobin level under 10g/dl, whereas only 2.5% of patients with an appropriate follow-up presented such a condition. On December 31, 2011, in France, we estimate that 70.700 patients were receiving a renal replacement therapy, 39.600 (56%) on dialysis and 31.100 (44%) living with a functional renal transplant. The overall crude prevalence was 1091 per million inhabitants. It was 1.6 higher in males. Prevalence was subject to regional variations with 5 regions (3 overseas) above the national rate. Renal transplant share varied from 33% in Nord-Pas de Calais to 53% in Pays de Loire, and from 16 to 25% in overseas regions. The study of temporal variations for 18 regions contributing to the registry since 2007 demonstrated a +4% increase in standardized prevalence of ESRD patients with a functional transplant vs. +2% increase for dialysis, resulting in a decreasing gap between dialysis and transplantation prevalence, due to an increase number of renal transplant and a longer survival of transplanted patients. The main dialysis technique was hemodialysis (93.3% of patients). Even if an important inter-region variability remains considering the choices of treatment, more than 50% of the patients are undergoing hemodialysis in a hospital-based incenter unit, and we noticed an increase in hemodialysis in a medical satellite unit with time whereas the rate of self-care hemodialysis decreases. The rate of peritoneal dialysis remains stable. When comparing guidelines to real-life treatments, 77.5% of patients receive adequate dose of treatment (12 H/week, KT/ V>1.2), the rate of patients with a hemoglobin blood-level lower than 10g/dl and without erythropoietin treatment is 1.3%, which confirmed a good management of anemia. On the contrary, 34% of patients have a BMI lower than 23kg/m(2) and only 23% have an albumin blood-level over 40g/l, which underlines that nutritional management of ESRD patients can be improved. Age strongly influences survival on dialysis. Thus, one year survival of patients under age 65 is over 90%. After 5 years, among patients over 85 years, it is more than 15%. The presence of diabetes or one or more cardiovascular comorbidities also significantly worse patient survival. In terms of trend, we do not find significant improvement in the 2-year survival between patients in the cohort 2006-2007 and the 2008-2009 cohort. Cardiovascular diseases account for 27% of causes of death to infectious diseases (12%) and cancer (10%). Life expectancy of patients is highly dependent on their treatment. Thus, a transplant patient aged 30 has a life expectancy of 41 years versus 23 years for a dialysis patient. In 2011, the incidence and the prevalence of ESRD among patients under 20 years old remained stable at 8 and 53 per million inhabitants respectively. The first causes of ESDR remain uropathies and hypodysplasia followed by glomerulonephritis and genetic diseases. Considering the initial treatment, we found a high rate of hemodialysis and a low rate of peritoneal dialysis that is mainly used in younger children. In 2011, 31 preemptive transplantations were performed accounting for 27.7% of new patients. Finally, survival analysis confirm that younger children (under 4 years old) have the highest risk of death (88% survival rate at 2 years vs. 98% in patients over 4 years old) and that the treatment of choice remains the renal transplantation since it increases the expected remaining lifetime of 20 to 40 years depending on the considered age. Access to the waiting list is evaluated on a cohort of 51,846 new patients who started dialysis between 2002 and 2011 in 25 regions. The probability of first wait-listing was of 3.7% at the start of dialysis (pre-emptive registrations), 15% at 12, 22% at 36 and 24% to 60 months. Patient older than 60 had a very poor access to the waiting list, whatever their diabetes status was. Among 13,653 patients less than 60 years old, the probability of being registered was 11% at the start of dialysis, 43% to 12 months, 62% to 36 months and 66% to 60 months (median dialysis duration: 16 months). Seventeen regions with up to 5 years follow-up show an increase of 8 to 15% in pre-emptive registrations between 2007 and 2001, without change at 1 year. Access to kidney transplant is evaluated on a cohort of 53,301 new patients who started a renal replacement therapy (dialysis or pre-emptive renal transplant) between 2002 and 2011 in 25 regions. The probability of first kidney transplant was of 7% at 12, 17% at 36 and 21% at 60 months. 8,633 patients (16,2%) had received a first renal transplant within 14.7 month median time; 1,455 (2.7%) had received a pre-emptive graft. Among the 14.770 new patients less than 60 years old, the probability of being transplanted was of 21% at 12, 46% at 36 and 58% at 60 months (median dialysis duration: 42 months). When pre-emptive graft were excluded, the probability of being transplanted was of 5% at 12, 15% to 36 and 19% to 60 months FLOW BETWEEN TREATMENT MODALITIES: Among the 36.849 patients on dialysis at 31/10/2010, 79% were already on RRT at 31/12/2009. Respectively 91%, 85% and 93% of the patients on HD in-center, HD self-care unit and peritoneal dialysis were in the same modality of treatment the year before. Among the 29.758 patients with a functioning graft at 31/12/2010, 98% were already on RRT at 31/12/2009, 95% of them with a functioning graft.72%, 72% and 74% of the patients with in-center HD, out-center HD and self-care unit were in the same modality of treatment at 31/12/2011. But 37% of the patients on PD at 31/12/2010 were not on PD at 31/12/2011. In 2011, new patients represented 89% of the entries in peritoneal dialysis. Renal transplantation represented 10% of the outcomes of the HD patients in self-care unit or at home. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Strong-coupling induced damping of spin-echo modulations in magic-angle-spinning NMR: Implications for J coupling measurements in disordered solids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerry, Paul; Brown, Steven P.; Smith, Mark E.

    2017-10-01

    In the context of improving J coupling measurements in disordered solids, strong coupling effects have been investigated in the spin-echo and refocused INADEQUATE spin-echo (REINE) modulations of three- and four-spin systems under magic-angle-spinning (MAS), using density matrix simulations and solid-state NMR experiments on a cadmium phosphate glass. Analytical models are developed for the different modulation regimes, which are shown to be distinguishable in practice using Akaike's information criterion. REINE modulations are shown to be free of the damping that occurs for spin-echo modulations when the observed spin has the same isotropic chemical shift as its neighbour. Damping also occurs when the observed spin is bonded to a strongly-coupled pair. For mid-chain units, the presence of both direct and relayed damping makes both REINE and spin-echo modulations impossible to interpret quantitatively. We nonetheless outline how a qualitative comparison of the modulation curves can provide valuable information on disordered networks, possibly also pertaining to dynamic effects therein.

  1. Operation Plan I-45 ICEBERG

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1945-02-01

    8217COmIIAND OF MAJOR- GENERAL del VALLE: R. O, BARE, Col, USMC, ·C of S. ANNEXES: ABLE - Distribution B1iKER - Intelligence CHARLIE - Naval Gunfire Support Plan...3. ABLE Annex BAKER to Opn Plan 1-45, 1st MarDiv-(Rein) INTELLIGENCE 00015 1st Mar Div (Rein). 1990-5-80 In The Field 475/355 . 1100, 1OFeb, 1945. AP...distributed. (c) JANIS No. 86, August, 1944; JANIS No. 86 (Change 1), October 1944. (d) Engineer Intelligence Information of OKINAWA SHIMA prepared by Eng

  2. Achieving consensus for clinical trials

    PubMed Central

    Blakeley, Jaishri O.; Dombi, Eva; Fisher, Michael J.; Hanemann, C. Oliver; Walsh, Karin S.; Wolters, Pamela L.; Widemann, Brigitte C.

    2013-01-01

    The neurofibromatoses (NF)—including neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis—are related tumor-suppressor syndromes characterized by a predisposition to multiple tumor types and other disease manifestations, which often result in functional disability, reduced quality of life, pain, and, in some cases, malignancy. With increasing knowledge of the biology and pathogenesis of NF, clinical trials with targeted agents directed at NF tumors have become available. Most clinical trials for patients with NF have used designs and endpoints similar to oncology trials. However, differences in the disease manifestations and natural history of NF (compared to cancers) require the development of new designs and endpoints to perform meaningful NF clinical trials. The Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration was established in 2011 at the Children's Tumor Foundation meeting to achieve consensus within the NF community about the design of future clinical trials, with a specific emphasis on endpoints. The REiNS Collaboration includes 7 working groups that focus on imaging of tumor response; functional, visual, patient-reported, and neurocognitive outcomes; whole-body MRI; and disease biomarkers. This supplement includes the first series of recommendations by the REiNS Collaboration. The hope is that these recommendations will be used by members of the group and by researchers outside of the REiNS International Collaboration to standardize the measurement of outcomes and thus improve clinical trials for patients with NF. Ultimately, we plan to engage industry partners and national regulatory agencies in this process to facilitate the approval of drugs for patients with NF. PMID:24249801

  3. Head and pelvic movement symmetry in horses during circular motion and in rising trot.

    PubMed

    Robartes, Helen; Fairhurst, Harriet; Pfau, Thilo

    2013-12-01

    Lameness examinations in horses often include lungeing and ridden exercise. To incorporate these exercises into the evidence-based decision making process aided by quantitative sensor based gait analysis, guideline values for movement asymmetry are needed. In this study, movement symmetry (MS) was quantified in horses during unridden and ridden trot on the straight and on the circle. Systematic changes in MS were expected as a result of the 'asymmetrical loading' caused by circular movement, the rising trot and the combination of the two. Out of 23 horses (age 4-20 years, height 13.3-17.2 hands), 13 presented within normal limits for head movement and 22 for pelvic movement. Inertial measurement units assessed MS of vertical head and sacral movement during trot in-hand, on the lunge and in rising trot (straight, left/right circle). Changes in MS between straight line trot and ridden exercise on the circle were more pronounced for the head than for the sacrum. The highest amount of asymmetry was observed during rising trot on the circle (symmetry index of the head: 1.23 for the left rein, 0.83 for the right rein; symmetry index of the sacrum 0.84 for the left rein, 1.15 for the right rein). Change in MS was significant between exercise conditions except for the difference between head displacement maxima. Horses had greatest asymmetry during rising trot on the circle, with MS values of comparable magnitude to mild lameness. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Impact of sex and glucose-lowering treatments on hypoglycaemic symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. The French Chronic Kidney Disease - Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN) Study.

    PubMed

    Balkau, B; Metzger, M; Andreelli, F; Frimat, L; Speyer, E; Combe, C; Laville, M; Jacquelinet, C; Briançon, S; Ayav, C; Massy, Z; Pisoni, R L; Stengel, B; Fouque, D

    2018-04-06

    To describe current practices of glucose-lowering treatments in people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), the associated glucose control and hypoglycaemic symptoms, with an emphasis on sex differences. Among the 3033 patients with CKD stages 3-5 recruited into the French CKD-REIN study, 645 men and 288 women had type 2 diabetes and were treated by glucose-lowering drugs. Overall, 31% were treated only with insulin, 28% with combinations of insulin and another drug, 42% with non-insulin glucose-lowering drugs. In CKD stage 3, 40% of patients used metformin, 12% at stages 4&5, similar for men and women; in CKD stage 3, 53% used insulin, similar for men and women, but at stages 4&5, 59% of men and 77% of women used insulin. Patients were reasonably well controlled, with a median HbA1c of 7.1% (54mmol/mol) in men, 7.4% (57mmol/mol) in women (P=0.0003). Hypoglycaemic symptoms were reported by 40% of men and 59% of women; they were not associated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate, nor with albuminuria or with HbA1c in multivariable analyses, but they were more frequent in people treated with insulin, particularly with fast-acting and pre-mixed insulins. Glucose-lowering treatment, HbA1c and hypoglycaemic symptoms were sex dependent. Metformin use was similar in men and women, but unexpectedly low in CKD stage 3; its use could be encouraged rather than resorting to insulin. Hypoglycaemic symptoms were frequent and need to be more closely monitored, with appropriate patient-education, especially in women. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Patient-reported outcomes of pain and physical functioning in neurofibromatosis clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Wolters, Pamela L; Martin, Staci; Merker, Vanessa L; Tonsgard, James H; Solomon, Sondra E; Baldwin, Andrea; Bergner, Amanda L; Walsh, Karin; Thompson, Heather L; Gardner, Kathy L; Hingtgen, Cynthia M; Schorry, Elizabeth; Dudley, William N; Franklin, Barbara

    2016-08-16

    Tumors and other disease complications of neurofibromatosis (NF) can cause pain and negatively affect physical functioning. To document the clinical benefit of treatment in NF trials targeting these manifestations, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) assessing pain and physical functioning should be included as study endpoints. Currently, there is no consensus on the selection and use of such measures in the NF population. This article presents the recommendations of the PRO group of the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration for assessing the domains of pain and physical functioning for NF clinical trials. The REiNS PRO group reviewed and rated existing PRO measures assessing pain intensity, pain interference, and physical functioning using their systematic method. Final recommendations are based primarily on 4 main criteria: patient characteristics, item content, psychometric properties, and feasibility for clinical trials. The REiNS PRO group chose the Numeric Rating Scale-11 (≥8 years) to assess pain intensity, the Pain Interference Index (6-24 years) and the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference Scale (≥18 years) to evaluate pain interference, and the PROMIS Physical Functioning Scale to measure upper extremity function and mobility (≥5 years) for NF clinical trials. The REiNS Collaboration currently recommends these PRO measures to assess the domains of pain and physical functioning for NF clinical trials; however, further research is needed to evaluate their use in individuals with NF. A final consensus recommendation for the pain interference measure will be disseminated in a future publication based on findings from additional published research. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

  6. Frederick Reines and the Neutrino

    Science.gov Websites

    the Detection of the Free Neutrino, DOE Technical Report, August 1953 The Free Antineutrino Absorption Cross Section. Part I. Measurement of the Free Antineutrino Absorption Cross Section. Part II. Expected

  7. Professionalism: Teachers Taking the Reins

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helterbran, Valeri R.

    2008-01-01

    It is essential that teachers take a proactive look at their profession and themselves to strengthen areas of professionalism over which they have control. In this article, the author suggests strategies that include collaborative planning, reflectivity, growth in the profession, and the examination of certain personal characteristics.

  8. Body lean angle in sound dressage horses in-hand, on the lunge and ridden.

    PubMed

    Greve, Line; Dyson, Sue

    2016-11-01

    Animals can minimise the risk of falling by leaning into a curve. The aims of this study were: (1) to quantify the difference between observed (measured by an inertial measurement unit, IMU) and predicted body lean angle (calculated as a cyclist when turning) in horses; and (2) to compare circles versus straight lines ridden versus in-hand and trot with canter, and investigate the influence of age, rein and ridden work quality in trot (Fédération Equestre Internationale grading scale 1-10) in horses. Thirteen non-lame horses were assessed prospectively in a non-random, cross-sectional survey. The horses were trotted in straight lines, lunged and ridden on both reins. A global positioning system-aided IMU attached to the skin over the tuber sacrale quantified body lean and recorded the velocity and the radius, which were used to calculate predicted lean. Horses ≤ 6 years of age leant more than predicted (mean ± standard deviation 2.9 ± 2.6°) and more than horses ≥ 7 years old (0.4 ± 3°) (P = 0.01). Horses that scored ≥ 7 in ridden work quality leant less than predicted (-1.1 ± 2.7°) and less than horses which scored ≤ 6 in ridden work quality (2.4 ± 1.5°) (P = 0.02). There were no significant differences between trot and canter, either on the lunge or ridden (P = 0.3), or between left and right reins (P = 0.2). Asymmetry of body lean between reins may be abnormal and may be helpful for recognition of lameness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The production process of "Étude sur le Rein des Urinaires", doctoral thesis of Joaquin María Albarrán at the Faculty of Medicine in Paris.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Arias, M; Otero, I; Pérez-Albacete, M; Fariña, L A; Angulo, J C

    2014-01-01

    The manuscript of the Doctoral Thesis of Joaquín Albarrán in the Faculty of Medicine in Paris "Étudesur le Rein des Urinaires" has been donated to Asociación Española de Urología. Direct comparison of the original and printed material gives information of the production process of this master work. Direct comparison between the original hand-written work, a single hard bound volume covered with loin cloth and water paper composed of 145 numbered pages plus 206 newly numbered pages of clinico-pathological (37 subjects) and experimental (19 assays in 20 rabbits) data, and the printed work edited by Georges Steinheil in 1889. Prints included 4 plates with 14 figures, 9 temperature charts and 5 tables describing urine examinations. Figures were trichromic and charts and tables black & white. Chromolithographs were produced by Mr. Leuba in the printing owned by Lemercier et Cie, Paris. The original work was completed in 1887 without any correction or deletion. Differences are noticeable between the text in the master and printed works: rearrangement of data and inclusion of a new clinical observation, 5 new experiments, summary and dedications. Changes in iconography are noticeable. The masterwork included 24 plates (numbered from 1 to 22, 13bis, 16bis) with 46 figures (44 colored) integrated within the text and 26 double-page temperature registries that accompany clinical observations. Anatomical, histological and microbiological illustrations, including culture media, microbiological stains and histobacteriological preparations were depicted as watercolors (44%), watercolors mixed with pencil or ink (52%) or pencil drawings (4%). Four (9%) were signed by the author, 5 (11%) had numerical annotations and only 14 (30%) were definitely printed with loss of the black component and redrawn of 4/14 (29%) images. The largest images were not printed. Joaquín Albarrán described and beautifully illustrated himself the role "pyogenic bacillus" (E. coli) played in renal

  10. States Eye Looser Rein on Districts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacobson, Linda

    2008-01-01

    The push to give school districts greater operating flexibility--a grassroots rallying cry eclipsed in recent years by the charter school movement--is seeing a resurgence, as states seek to spur innovation that will help raise student achievement. In Georgia, Governor Sonny Perdue is proposing "performance contracts" that would free…

  11. REBOUND-ing Off Asteroids: An N-body Particle Model for Ejecta Dynamics on Small Bodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larson, Jennifer; Sarid, Gal

    2017-10-01

    Here we describe our numerical approach to model the evolution of ejecta clouds. Modeling with an N-body particle method enables us to study the micro-dynamics while varying the particle size distribution. A hydrodynamic approach loses many of the fine particle-particle interactions included in the N-body particle approach (Artemieva 2008).We use REBOUND, an N-body integration package (Rein et al. 2012) developed to model various dynamical systems (planetary orbits, ring systems, etc.) with high resolution calculations at a lower performance cost than other N-body integrators (Rein & Tamayo 2017). It offers both symplectic (WHFast) and non-symplectic (IAS15) methods (Rein & Spiegel 2014, Rein & Tamayo 2015). We primarily use the IAS15 integrator due to its robustness and accuracy with short interaction distances and non-conservative forces. We implemented a wrapper (developed in Python) to handle changes in time step and integrator at different stages of ejecta particle evolution.To set up the system, each particle is given a velocity away from the target body’s surface at a given angle within a defined ejecta cone. We study the ejecta cloud evolution beginning immediately after an impact rather than the actual impact itself. This model considers effects such as varying particle size distribution, radiation pressure, perturbations from a binary component, particle-particle collisions and non-axisymmetric gravity of the target body. Restrictions on the boundaries of the target body’s surface define the physical shape and help count the number of particles that land on the target body. Later, we will build the central body from individual particles to allow for a wider variety of target body shapes and topographies.With our particle modeling approach, individual particle trajectories are tracked and predicted on short, medium and long timescales. Our approach will be applied to modeling of the ejecta cloud produced during the Double Asteroid Redirection Test

  12. Stages of Development in Poverty Program Neighborhood Action Committees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zurcher, Louis A., Jr.

    1969-01-01

    Two discussion papers, commenting on the main article, are included: (1) "Community Action: The Limits of a Developmental Framework by Martin Rein, and (2) "For the Advocate and the Innovator by Franklin M. Zweig.

  13. 75 FR 41179 - Sunshine Act Notices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-15

    .... Laham, Esq., and D. Mark Renaud, Esq., of Wiley Rein LLP. Draft Advisory Opinion 2010-10: National Right... Ten, by its counsel, Marc E. Elias, Esq., and Ezra Reese, Esq., of Perkins Coie LLP. Management and...

  14. 75 FR 44792 - Sunshine Act Notices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-29

    ...: Club for Growth, by its counsel, Carol A. Laham, Esq., and D. Mark Renaud, Esq., of Wiley Rein LLP. Draft Advisory Opinion 2010-11: Commonsense Ten, by its counsel, Marc E. Elias, Esq., and Ezra Reese...

  15. 75 FR 43983 - Sunshine Act Notices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-27

    ...: Club for Growth, by its counsel, Carol A. Laham, Esq., and D. Mark Renaud, Esq., of Wiley Rein LLP. Draft Advisory Opinion 2010-11: Commonsense Ten, by its counsel, Marc E. Elias, Esq., and Ezra Reese...

  16. 75 FR 42444 - Sunshine Act Notices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-21

    ... Opinion 2010-09: Club for Growth, by its counsel, Carol A. Laham, Esq., and D. Mark Renaud, Esq., of Wiley Rein LLP. Draft Advisory Opinion 2010-11: Commonsense Ten, by its counsel, Marc E. Elias, Esq., and...

  17. Measurement of Coherent π+ Production in Low Energy Neutrino-Carbon Scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abe, K.; Andreopoulos, C.; Antonova, M.; Aoki, S.; Ariga, A.; Assylbekov, S.; Autiero, D.; Ban, S.; Barbi, M.; Barker, G. J.; Barr, G.; Bartet-Friburg, P.; Batkiewicz, M.; Bay, F.; Berardi, V.; Berkman, S.; Bhadra, S.; Blondel, A.; Bolognesi, S.; Bordoni, S.; Boyd, S. B.; Brailsford, D.; Bravar, A.; Bronner, C.; Buizza Avanzini, M.; Calland, R. G.; Campbell, T.; Cao, S.; Caravaca Rodríguez, J.; Cartwright, S. L.; Castillo, R.; Catanesi, M. G.; Cervera, A.; Cherdack, D.; Chikuma, N.; Christodoulou, G.; Clifton, A.; Coleman, J.; Collazuol, G.; Coplowe, D.; Cremonesi, L.; Dabrowska, A.; De Rosa, G.; Dealtry, T.; Denner, P. F.; Dennis, S. R.; Densham, C.; Dewhurst, D.; Di Lodovico, F.; Di Luise, S.; Dolan, S.; Drapier, O.; Duffy, K. E.; Dumarchez, J.; Dytman, S.; Dziewiecki, M.; Emery-Schrenk, S.; Ereditato, A.; Feusels, T.; Finch, A. J.; Fiorentini, G. A.; Friend, M.; Fujii, Y.; Fukuda, D.; Fukuda, Y.; Furmanski, A. P.; Galymov, V.; Garcia, A.; Giffin, S. G.; Giganti, C.; Gizzarelli, F.; Gonin, M.; Grant, N.; Hadley, D. R.; Haegel, L.; Haigh, M. D.; Hamilton, P.; Hansen, D.; Harada, J.; Hara, T.; Hartz, M.; Hasegawa, T.; Hastings, N. C.; Hayashino, T.; Hayato, Y.; Helmer, R. L.; Hierholzer, M.; Hillairet, A.; Himmel, A.; Hiraki, T.; Hirota, S.; Hogan, M.; Holeczek, J.; Horikawa, S.; Hosomi, F.; Huang, K.; Ichikawa, A. K.; Ieki, K.; Ikeda, M.; Imber, J.; Insler, J.; Intonti, R. A.; Irvine, T. J.; Ishida, T.; Ishii, T.; Iwai, E.; Iwamoto, K.; Izmaylov, A.; Jacob, A.; Jamieson, B.; Jiang, M.; Johnson, S.; Jo, J. H.; Jonsson, P.; Jung, C. K.; Kabirnezhad, M.; Kaboth, A. C.; Kajita, T.; Kakuno, H.; Kameda, J.; Karlen, D.; Karpikov, I.; Katori, T.; Kearns, E.; Khabibullin, M.; Khotjantsev, A.; Kielczewska, D.; Kikawa, T.; Kim, H.; Kim, J.; King, S.; Kisiel, J.; Knight, A.; Knox, A.; Kobayashi, T.; Koch, L.; Koga, T.; Konaka, A.; Kondo, K.; Kopylov, A.; Kormos, L. L.; Korzenev, A.; Koshio, Y.; Kropp, W.; Kudenko, Y.; Kurjata, R.; Kutter, T.; Lagoda, J.; Lamont, I.; Larkin, E.; Lasorak, P.; Laveder, M.; Lawe, M.; Lazos, M.; Lindner, T.; Liptak, Z. J.; Litchfield, R. P.; Li, X.; Longhin, A.; Lopez, J. P.; Ludovici, L.; Lu, X.; Magaletti, L.; Mahn, K.; Malek, M.; Manly, S.; Marino, A. D.; Marteau, J.; Martin, J. F.; Martins, P.; Martynenko, S.; Maruyama, T.; Matveev, V.; Mavrokoridis, K.; Ma, W. Y.; Mazzucato, E.; McCarthy, M.; McCauley, N.; McFarland, K. S.; McGrew, C.; Mefodiev, A.; Metelko, C.; Mezzetto, M.; Mijakowski, P.; Minamino, A.; Mineev, O.; Mine, S.; Missert, A.; Miura, M.; Moriyama, S.; Mueller, Th. A.; Murphy, S.; Myslik, J.; Nakadaira, T.; Nakahata, M.; Nakamura, K. G.; Nakamura, K.; Nakamura, K. D.; Nakayama, S.; Nakaya, T.; Nakayoshi, K.; Nantais, C.; Nielsen, C.; Nirkko, M.; Nishikawa, K.; Nishimura, Y.; Novella, P.; Nowak, J.; O'Keeffe, H. M.; Ohta, R.; Okumura, K.; Okusawa, T.; Oryszczak, W.; Oser, S. M.; Ovsyannikova, T.; Owen, R. A.; Oyama, Y.; Palladino, V.; Palomino, J. L.; Paolone, V.; Patel, N. D.; Pavin, M.; Payne, D.; Perkin, J. D.; Petrov, Y.; Pickard, L.; Pickering, L.; Pinzon Guerra, E. S.; Pistillo, C.; Popov, B.; Posiadala-Zezula, M.; Poutissou, J.-M.; Poutissou, R.; Przewlocki, P.; Quilain, B.; Radermacher, T.; Radicioni, E.; Ratoff, P. N.; Ravonel, M.; Rayner, M. A. M.; Redij, A.; Reinherz-Aronis, E.; Riccio, C.; Rojas, P.; Rondio, E.; Roth, S.; Rubbia, A.; Rychter, A.; Sacco, R.; Sakashita, K.; Sánchez, F.; Sato, F.; Scantamburlo, E.; Scholberg, K.; Schoppmann, S.; Schwehr, J.; Scott, M.; Seiya, Y.; Sekiguchi, T.; Sekiya, H.; Sgalaberna, D.; Shah, R.; Shaikhiev, A.; Shaker, F.; Shaw, D.; Shiozawa, M.; Shirahige, T.; Short, S.; Smy, M.; Sobczyk, J. T.; Sobel, H.; Sorel, M.; Southwell, L.; Stamoulis, P.; Steinmann, J.; Stewart, T.; Stowell, P.; Suda, Y.; Suvorov, S.; Suzuki, A.; Suzuki, K.; Suzuki, S. Y.; Suzuki, Y.; Tacik, R.; Tada, M.; Takahashi, S.; Takeda, A.; Takeuchi, Y.; Tanaka, H. K.; Tanaka, H. A.; Terhorst, D.; Terri, R.; Thakore, T.; Thompson, L. F.; Tobayama, S.; Toki, W.; Tomura, T.; Touramanis, C.; Tsukamoto, T.; Tzanov, M.; Uchida, Y.; Vacheret, A.; Vagins, M.; Vallari, Z.; Vasseur, G.; Wachala, T.; Wakamatsu, K.; Walter, C. W.; Wark, D.; Warzycha, W.; Wascko, M. O.; Weber, A.; Wendell, R.; Wilkes, R. J.; Wilking, M. J.; Wilkinson, C.; Wilson, J. R.; Wilson, R. J.; Yamada, Y.; Yamamoto, K.; Yamamoto, M.; Yanagisawa, C.; Yano, T.; Yen, S.; Yershov, N.; Yokoyama, M.; Yoo, J.; Yoshida, K.; Yuan, T.; Yu, M.; Zalewska, A.; Zalipska, J.; Zambelli, L.; Zaremba, K.; Ziembicki, M.; Zimmerman, E. D.; Zito, M.; Żmuda, J.; T2K Collaboration

    2016-11-01

    We report the first measurement of the flux-averaged cross section for charged current coherent π+ production on carbon for neutrino energies less than 1.5 GeV, and with a restriction on the final state phase space volume in the T2K near detector, ND280. Comparisons are made with predictions from the Rein-Sehgal coherent production model and the model by Alvarez-Ruso et al., the latter representing the first implementation of an instance of the new class of microscopic coherent models in a neutrino interaction Monte Carlo event generator. We observe a clear event excess above background, disagreeing with the null results reported by K2K and SciBooNE in a similar neutrino energy region. The measured flux-averaged cross sections are below those predicted by both the Rein-Sehgal and Alvarez-Ruso et al. models.

  18. 75 FR 66781 - Habitat Conservation Plan for Pacific Gas & Electric Company's Operation, Maintenance, and Minor...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-29

    ... Dunes evening-primrose E Oenotherawolfii Wolf's evening-primrose -- Orcuttiapilosa Hairy orcutt grass E Orcuttiatenuis Slender orcutt grass T Orcuttiaviscida Sacramento orcutt grass E Packeralayneae Layne's ragwort T... Monterey pine -- Piperiayadonii Yadon's rein orchid E Pleuropogonhooverianus North Coast semaphore grass...

  19. Endoscopic Removal of a Giant Gastric Bezoar in a Gastric pouch Diverticulum

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-08-15

    hair ), pharmacobezoars (medications), mid laclobezoars (milk). This is a case of a giant phytobezoar. requiring endoscopic rein oval. 1S. SUBJECT...classified into four types, depending on the material constituting the indigestible mass of the bezoar: phytobezoars (plants), trichobezoars ( hair

  20. The Case for Case-Based Transfer Learning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    Thorndike and Woodworth 1901; Perkins and Salomon 1994; Bransford, Brown, and Cocking 2000), among other disciplines. Transfer learning uses knowledge...Transfer Learning for Rein- forcement Learning Domains: A Survey. Journal of Machine Learning Research 10(1): 1633–1685. Thorndike , E. L., and

  1. Pity the Poor Professor of Educational Administration: The Puzzlements of Knowledge and of Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burlingame, Martin

    1985-01-01

    Professors of educational administration are being pressed to hold one of three conflicting viewpoints about knowledge and practice: "behavioral science,""symbolic," or "critical." Using Rein's notion of stories, the author urges professors to debate these viewpoints among themselves but use stories to study…

  2. Act Now or Risk HIV Rebounding.

    PubMed

    Kresge, Kristen Jill

    Long-time pharmaceutical company veteran Emilio Emini took over the reins of the HIV program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation over a year ago. Here, he describes the Foundation's efforts to combat HIV and why this task is more important than ever.

  3. Measurement of Coherent π^{+} Production in Low Energy Neutrino-Carbon Scattering.

    PubMed

    Abe, K; Andreopoulos, C; Antonova, M; Aoki, S; Ariga, A; Assylbekov, S; Autiero, D; Ban, S; Barbi, M; Barker, G J; Barr, G; Bartet-Friburg, P; Batkiewicz, M; Bay, F; Berardi, V; Berkman, S; Bhadra, S; Blondel, A; Bolognesi, S; Bordoni, S; Boyd, S B; Brailsford, D; Bravar, A; Bronner, C; Buizza Avanzini, M; Calland, R G; Campbell, T; Cao, S; Caravaca Rodríguez, J; Cartwright, S L; Castillo, R; Catanesi, M G; Cervera, A; Cherdack, D; Chikuma, N; Christodoulou, G; Clifton, A; Coleman, J; Collazuol, G; Coplowe, D; Cremonesi, L; Dabrowska, A; De Rosa, G; Dealtry, T; Denner, P F; Dennis, S R; Densham, C; Dewhurst, D; Di Lodovico, F; Di Luise, S; Dolan, S; Drapier, O; Duffy, K E; Dumarchez, J; Dytman, S; Dziewiecki, M; Emery-Schrenk, S; Ereditato, A; Feusels, T; Finch, A J; Fiorentini, G A; Friend, M; Fujii, Y; Fukuda, D; Fukuda, Y; Furmanski, A P; Galymov, V; Garcia, A; Giffin, S G; Giganti, C; Gizzarelli, F; Gonin, M; Grant, N; Hadley, D R; Haegel, L; Haigh, M D; Hamilton, P; Hansen, D; Harada, J; Hara, T; Hartz, M; Hasegawa, T; Hastings, N C; Hayashino, T; Hayato, Y; Helmer, R L; Hierholzer, M; Hillairet, A; Himmel, A; Hiraki, T; Hirota, S; Hogan, M; Holeczek, J; Horikawa, S; Hosomi, F; Huang, K; Ichikawa, A K; Ieki, K; Ikeda, M; Imber, J; Insler, J; Intonti, R A; Irvine, T J; Ishida, T; Ishii, T; Iwai, E; Iwamoto, K; Izmaylov, A; Jacob, A; Jamieson, B; Jiang, M; Johnson, S; Jo, J H; Jonsson, P; Jung, C K; Kabirnezhad, M; Kaboth, A C; Kajita, T; Kakuno, H; Kameda, J; Karlen, D; Karpikov, I; Katori, T; Kearns, E; Khabibullin, M; Khotjantsev, A; Kielczewska, D; Kikawa, T; Kim, H; Kim, J; King, S; Kisiel, J; Knight, A; Knox, A; Kobayashi, T; Koch, L; Koga, T; Konaka, A; Kondo, K; Kopylov, A; Kormos, L L; Korzenev, A; Koshio, Y; Kropp, W; Kudenko, Y; Kurjata, R; Kutter, T; Lagoda, J; Lamont, I; Larkin, E; Lasorak, P; Laveder, M; Lawe, M; Lazos, M; Lindner, T; Liptak, Z J; Litchfield, R P; Li, X; Longhin, A; Lopez, J P; Ludovici, L; Lu, X; Magaletti, L; Mahn, K; Malek, M; Manly, S; Marino, A D; Marteau, J; Martin, J F; Martins, P; Martynenko, S; Maruyama, T; Matveev, V; Mavrokoridis, K; Ma, W Y; Mazzucato, E; McCarthy, M; McCauley, N; McFarland, K S; McGrew, C; Mefodiev, A; Metelko, C; Mezzetto, M; Mijakowski, P; Minamino, A; Mineev, O; Mine, S; Missert, A; Miura, M; Moriyama, S; Mueller, Th A; Murphy, S; Myslik, J; Nakadaira, T; Nakahata, M; Nakamura, K G; Nakamura, K; Nakamura, K D; Nakayama, S; Nakaya, T; Nakayoshi, K; Nantais, C; Nielsen, C; Nirkko, M; Nishikawa, K; Nishimura, Y; Novella, P; Nowak, J; O'Keeffe, H M; Ohta, R; Okumura, K; Okusawa, T; Oryszczak, W; Oser, S M; Ovsyannikova, T; Owen, R A; Oyama, Y; Palladino, V; Palomino, J L; Paolone, V; Patel, N D; Pavin, M; Payne, D; Perkin, J D; Petrov, Y; Pickard, L; Pickering, L; Pinzon Guerra, E S; Pistillo, C; Popov, B; Posiadala-Zezula, M; Poutissou, J-M; Poutissou, R; Przewlocki, P; Quilain, B; Radermacher, T; Radicioni, E; Ratoff, P N; Ravonel, M; Rayner, M A M; Redij, A; Reinherz-Aronis, E; Riccio, C; Rojas, P; Rondio, E; Roth, S; Rubbia, A; Rychter, A; Sacco, R; Sakashita, K; Sánchez, F; Sato, F; Scantamburlo, E; Scholberg, K; Schoppmann, S; Schwehr, J; Scott, M; Seiya, Y; Sekiguchi, T; Sekiya, H; Sgalaberna, D; Shah, R; Shaikhiev, A; Shaker, F; Shaw, D; Shiozawa, M; Shirahige, T; Short, S; Smy, M; Sobczyk, J T; Sobel, H; Sorel, M; Southwell, L; Stamoulis, P; Steinmann, J; Stewart, T; Stowell, P; Suda, Y; Suvorov, S; Suzuki, A; Suzuki, K; Suzuki, S Y; Suzuki, Y; Tacik, R; Tada, M; Takahashi, S; Takeda, A; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, H K; Tanaka, H A; Terhorst, D; Terri, R; Thakore, T; Thompson, L F; Tobayama, S; Toki, W; Tomura, T; Touramanis, C; Tsukamoto, T; Tzanov, M; Uchida, Y; Vacheret, A; Vagins, M; Vallari, Z; Vasseur, G; Wachala, T; Wakamatsu, K; Walter, C W; Wark, D; Warzycha, W; Wascko, M O; Weber, A; Wendell, R; Wilkes, R J; Wilking, M J; Wilkinson, C; Wilson, J R; Wilson, R J; Yamada, Y; Yamamoto, K; Yamamoto, M; Yanagisawa, C; Yano, T; Yen, S; Yershov, N; Yokoyama, M; Yoo, J; Yoshida, K; Yuan, T; Yu, M; Zalewska, A; Zalipska, J; Zambelli, L; Zaremba, K; Ziembicki, M; Zimmerman, E D; Zito, M; Żmuda, J

    2016-11-04

    We report the first measurement of the flux-averaged cross section for charged current coherent π^{+} production on carbon for neutrino energies less than 1.5 GeV, and with a restriction on the final state phase space volume in the T2K near detector, ND280. Comparisons are made with predictions from the Rein-Sehgal coherent production model and the model by Alvarez-Ruso et al., the latter representing the first implementation of an instance of the new class of microscopic coherent models in a neutrino interaction Monte Carlo event generator. We observe a clear event excess above background, disagreeing with the null results reported by K2K and SciBooNE in a similar neutrino energy region. The measured flux-averaged cross sections are below those predicted by both the Rein-Sehgal and Alvarez-Ruso et al.

  4. Patient-reported outcomes in neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis clinical trials

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Staci; Merker, Vanessa L.; Gardner, Kathy L.; Hingtgen, Cynthia M.; Tonsgard, James H.; Schorry, Elizabeth K.; Baldwin, Andrea

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disease with multiple clinical manifestations that can significantly impact quality of life (QOL). Clinical trials should include patient-reported outcomes (PROs) as endpoints to assess treatment effects on various aspects of QOL, but there is no consensus on the selection and use of such measures in NF. This article describes the PRO Working Group of the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) Collaboration, its main goals, methods for identifying appropriate PRO measures for NF clinical trials, and recommendations for assessing pain intensity. Methods: The REiNS PRO group selected core endpoint domains important to assess in NF. The members developed criteria to rate PRO measures, including patient characteristics, psychometric properties, and feasibility, and utilized a systematic process to evaluate PROs for NF clinical trials. Within the subdomain of pain intensity, the group reviewed the Numerical Rating Scale-11 (NRS-11), the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised using this process. Results: Based on the review criteria, each of these pain intensity scales is brief, reliable, valid, and widely used. However, the NRS-11 was given the highest rating for use in NF clinical trials due to recommendations from pain experts and other consensus groups, its extensive use in research, strong psychometric data including sensitivity to change, and excellent feasibility in ages ≥8 years. Conclusions: The systematic review criteria and process are effective for identifying appropriate PRO measures and provide information utilized by the REiNS Collaboration to achieve consensus regarding PROs in NF clinical trials. PMID:24249806

  5. Patient-reported outcomes in neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Wolters, Pamela L; Martin, Staci; Merker, Vanessa L; Gardner, Kathy L; Hingtgen, Cynthia M; Tonsgard, James H; Schorry, Elizabeth K; Baldwin, Andrea

    2013-11-19

    Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disease with multiple clinical manifestations that can significantly impact quality of life (QOL). Clinical trials should include patient-reported outcomes (PROs) as endpoints to assess treatment effects on various aspects of QOL, but there is no consensus on the selection and use of such measures in NF. This article describes the PRO Working Group of the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) Collaboration, its main goals, methods for identifying appropriate PRO measures for NF clinical trials, and recommendations for assessing pain intensity. The REiNS PRO group selected core endpoint domains important to assess in NF. The members developed criteria to rate PRO measures, including patient characteristics, psychometric properties, and feasibility, and utilized a systematic process to evaluate PROs for NF clinical trials. Within the subdomain of pain intensity, the group reviewed the Numerical Rating Scale-11 (NRS-11), the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised using this process. Based on the review criteria, each of these pain intensity scales is brief, reliable, valid, and widely used. However, the NRS-11 was given the highest rating for use in NF clinical trials due to recommendations from pain experts and other consensus groups, its extensive use in research, strong psychometric data including sensitivity to change, and excellent feasibility in ages ≥ 8 years. The systematic review criteria and process are effective for identifying appropriate PRO measures and provide information utilized by the REiNS Collaboration to achieve consensus regarding PROs in NF clinical trials.

  6. Taking the Reins: Preservice Teachers Practicing Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunlap, Karen; Hansen-Thomas, Holly

    2011-01-01

    What makes the difference between a good teacher and a great one? Knowing one's content is important, but having strong leadership skills can tip the scales from mediocrity to excellence. The best time to begin practicing being a teacher leader is during the preservice years. By practicing leadership skills, one can begin to view oneself not only…

  7. Behind the habits of the hermit nation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McElligott, Thomas J.

    1974-01-01

    Discussed the conflict of Ireland's religious orders and their stranglehold on the reins of education versus the rising discontent of parents, the decline of religious personnel and the wan of the influence of religion on the development of education in the "hermit nation ". (RK)

  8. Can We Choose a Management Style?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    James, Thomas O.

    1985-01-01

    Options in management style from corporate administration literature available to educational institutions include the choices of Theory X vs. Theory Y, the managerial vs. academic grid, management by objectives, autocratic vs. bureaucratic vs. participative vs. free-rein leadership styles, situational leadership, presidential role, leadership…

  9. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Armando Oliu, Final Inspection Team lead for the Shuttle program, speaks to reporters about the aid the Image Analysis Lab is giving the FBI in a kidnapping case. Behind him at right is Mike Rein, External Affairs division chief. Oliu oversees the image lab that is using an advanced SGI® TP9500 data management system to review the tape of the kidnapping in progress in Sarasota, Fla. KSC installed the new $3.2 million system in preparation for Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle fleet. The lab is studying the Sarasota kidnapping video to provide any new information possible to law enforcement officers. KSC is joining NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama in reviewing the tape.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-04

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Armando Oliu, Final Inspection Team lead for the Shuttle program, speaks to reporters about the aid the Image Analysis Lab is giving the FBI in a kidnapping case. Behind him at right is Mike Rein, External Affairs division chief. Oliu oversees the image lab that is using an advanced SGI® TP9500 data management system to review the tape of the kidnapping in progress in Sarasota, Fla. KSC installed the new $3.2 million system in preparation for Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle fleet. The lab is studying the Sarasota kidnapping video to provide any new information possible to law enforcement officers. KSC is joining NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama in reviewing the tape.

  10. Developing Expatriates for the Asia-Pacific Region: A Comparative Analysis of Multinational Enterprise Managers from Five Countries across Three Continents. [and] Invited Reaction: Developing Expatriates for the Asia-Pacific Region.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Osman-Gani, AAhad M.; van Reine, Peter Prud'homme; Trompenaars, Fons

    2000-01-01

    Osman-Gani's study surveyed 501 U.S., Germany, Japanese, Korean, and Singaporean managers working abroad, finding significant differences in views of types of training (pre- and postarrival, repatriation, language, cross-cultural) and appropriate delivery methods. Van Reine and Trompenaars' reaction article highlights how cultural background,…

  11. Multispectral Digital Image Analysis of Varved Sediments in Thin Sections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jäger, K.; Rein, B.; Dietrich, S.

    2006-12-01

    An update of the recently developed method COMPONENTS (Rein, 2003, Rein & Jäger, subm.) for the discrimination of sediment components in thin sections is presented here. COMPONENTS uses a 6-band (multispectral) image analysis. To derive six-band spectral information of the sediments, thin sections are scanned with a digital camera mounted on a polarizing microscope. The thin sections are scanned twice, under polarized and under unpolarized plain light. During each run RGB images are acquired which are subsequently stacked to a six-band file. The first three bands (Blue=1, Green=2, Red=3) result from the spectral behaviour in the blue, green and red band with unpolarized light conditions, and the bands 4 to 6 (Blue=4, Green=5, Red=6) from the polarized light run. The next step is the discrimination of the sediment components by their transmission behaviour. Automatic classification algorithms broadly used in remote sensing applications cannot be used due to unavoidable variations of sediment particle or thin section thicknesses that change absolute grey values of the sediment components. Thus, we use an approach based on band ratios, also known as indices. By using band ratios, the grey values measured in different bands are normalized against each other and illumination variations (e.g. thickness variations) are eliminated. By combining specific ratios we are able to detect all seven major components in the investigated sediments (carbonates, diatoms, fine clastic material, plant rests, pyrite, quartz and resin). Then, the classification results (compositional maps) are validated. Although the automatic classification and the analogous classification show high concordances, some systematic errors could be identified. For example, the transition zone between the sediment and resin filled cracks is classified as fine clastic material and very coarse carbonates are partly classified as quartz because coarse carbonates can be very bright and spectra are partly

  12. Hybrid PV HgCdTe Detectors: Technology Reliability and Failure Physics Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-01-01

    interconnect reliability. 3-1 8912-16 SECTION 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank Dr. Marion Reine, Dr. Andrei Szilagyi , Nancy Hartle... Szilagyi , Mat. Res. Soc. Syrnp. Proc. 69, 257, (1986) 9. Private communications with Andrei Szilagy. 10. R.J. Briggs, J.W. Marciniec, P.H. Zimmermann and

  13. A Good Fit?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Violino, Bob

    2010-01-01

    Outsourcing has evolved into a strategic imperative at a growing number of community colleges, especially as administrators rein in spending and streamline operations in the face of shrinking budgets. Across the country, more colleges are outsourcing a range of functions, including information technology (IT), course instruction, food service,…

  14. Interfacial contributions in lignocellulosic fiber-reinforced polyurethane composites

    Treesearch

    Timothy G. Rials; Michael P. Wolcott; John M. Nassar

    2001-01-01

    Whereas lignocellulosic fibers have received considerable attention as a rein- forcing agent in thermoplastic composites, their applicability to reactive polymer systems remains of considerable interest. The hydroxyl-rich nature of natural lignocellulosic fibers suggests that they are particularly useful in thermosetting systems such as polyurethanes. To further this...

  15. The Management of Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hersey, Paul; Blanchard, Kenneth H.

    1972-01-01

    Second of three articles cites research indicating employee productivity is usually higher under employee-centered" supervisors who keep a loose rein than under job-centered" ones who exercise close supervision. Since high expectations lead to increasingly high performance, and vice versa, authors suggest ways to turn around low-producing…

  16. Maritime Science and Technology Experimentation Capability Project: Maritime Capability Evaluation Laboratory (MCEL) Data Centre Requirements

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la...12 2.2 Recommended Internal LAN Connections...35 vi 6.1 External Noise Reduction............................................................................................ 35 6.2 Internal

  17. Automated System Organizations Under Spatial Grasp Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    Schade, M. R Hieb, “Formalizing Battle Management Language: A Grammar for Specifying Orders”, Paper 06S- SIW -068, 2006 Spring Simulation...Interoperability Workshop (Paper 06S- SIW -068), Huntsville, Alabama, April 2006. [13] U. Schade, M. R. Hieb, M. Frey, K. Rein, “Command and Control Lexical

  18. Rare earth indates (RE: La-Yb): influence of the synthesis route and heat treatment on the crystal structure.

    PubMed

    Shukla, Rakesh; Grover, Vinita; Srinivasu, Kancharlapalli; Paul, Barnita; Roy, Anushree; Gupta, Ruma; Tyagi, Avesh Kumar

    2018-05-15

    Rare earth indates are an interesting class of compounds with rich crystallography. The present study explores the crystallographic phases observed in REInO3 (RE: La-Yb) systems and their dependence on synthesis routes and annealing temperature. All REInO3 compositions were synthesized by a solid state route as well as gel-combustion synthesis (GC) followed by annealing at different temperatures. The systems were well characterized by powder XRD studies and were analysed by Rietveld refinement for the structural parameters. The cell parameters were observed to decrease in accordance with the trend in ionic radii on proceeding from lighter to heavier rare earth ions. Interestingly, the synthesis route and the annealing temperature had a profound bearing on the phase relationships observed in the REInO3 series. The solid state synthesized samples depicted an orthorhombic phase (Pbnm) field for LaInO3 to SmInO3, followed by a hexagonal-type phase (P63cm) for GdInO3 to DyInO3. However, the phase field distribution was greatly influenced upon employing gel-combustion (GC) wherein both single-phasic hexagonal and orthorhombic phase fields were found to shrink. Annealing the GC-synthesized compositions to still higher temperatures (1250 °C) further evolved the phase boundaries. An important outcome of the study is observance of polymorphism in SmInO3 which crystallized in the hexagonal phase when synthesized by GC and orthorhombic phase by solid state synthesis. This reveals the all-important role played by synthesis conditions. The existence and energetics of the two polymorphs have been elucidated and discussed with the aid of theoretical studies.

  19. Understanding Soviet Foreign Policy. The Tradition of Change in Soviet Foreign Policy. Two Schools of Soviet Diplomacy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-04-01

    the works of Victor Hugo, :he Russian classics, and the works of other writers. Isaac Deutscher, Stalin: A Political Biography, New York, Oxford... panache and the scope of the gesture further rein- force the Soviet leader’s ascension and his auctoritas. It vastly adds to the feeling of confidence which

  20. Schools in the New Economy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kennedy, Mike

    2011-01-01

    Schools and universities across the United States have been forced to cope with a grim financial situation that has left them without adequate resources. Administrators are cutting programs, reining in salaries and jettisoning employees to keep operating budgets in line. Education institutions also have had to shutter facilities or postpone,…

  1. Morality as a Yardstick of Educational Leadership.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roepke, William J.

    1995-01-01

    Ponders the role of journalism and mass communication education in America and its apparent failure to impress the importance of leadership and morality on some of its students. Discusses how journalism schools can take up the reins of moral leadership, with applications in the professional curriculum, non-major course selection, faculty…

  2. 75 FR 22179 - Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Renewals; Vision

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-27

    ... Federal vision exemptions for Alberto Blanco, Michael B. Canedy, Larry A. Cossin, Charles W. Cox, Gary W. Ellis, Dennis J. Evers, Hector O. Flores, W. Roger Goold, Lee Guse, Steven W. Halsey, Clifford J. Harris, John C. Henricks, Thomas M. Leadbitter, John L. Lewis, Jonathan P. Lovel, Kent S. Reining, Enrique G...

  3. Report on Spending Trends Highlights Inequities in Model for Financing Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blumenstyk, Goldie

    2009-01-01

    An analysis of spending trends that is designed to discourage policy makers' focus on finding new revenue rather than reining in spending suggests that the model for financing colleges has reinforced educational inequities and failed to increase the rate at which students graduate. According to the analysis, "serious fault lines" in the current…

  4. Tyche 3.0 Simulation Engine Project Review

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-09

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 DRDC-RDDC-2014-C220 Page 2 RECORD OF...During the technical evaluation, it was found that the representation of internal data as class objects and collections had performance drawbacks and

  5. Linking Costs and Postsecondary Degrees: Key Issues for Policymakers. Working Paper 2011-03

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Nate

    2011-01-01

    In this paper the author offers practical advice for decision-makers who are struggling to rein in college costs while improving productivity. He provides a step-by-step guide to different approaches for calculating costs, highlights the tremendous variability in cost across programs within institutions, and documents some of the "hidden costs" of…

  6. Early Retirement Payoff

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzpatrick, Maria D.; Lovenheim, Michael F.

    2014-01-01

    As public budgets have grown tighter over the past decade, states and school districts have sought ways to control the growth of spending. One increasingly common strategy employed to rein in costs is to offer experienced teachers with high salaries financial incentives to retire early. Although early retirement incentive (ERI) programs have been…

  7. Enterprising Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robelen, Erik W.

    2006-01-01

    A master's-degree program blends courses in education and business to prepare leaders for the entrepreneurial world of charter schooling. Verree D. Laughlin wants to launch a network of small, community-oriented charter schools, starting with one near the Mexican border in Yuma, Arizona. Katheryn Crayton-Shay recently took the reins of a…

  8. In Canada: Under the Rainbow

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robertson, Heather-jane

    2005-01-01

    Inclusive education seeks to provide a welcoming environment for all students, not by ignoring gender, race, disability, or sexual identities, but by recognizing and validating difference. It is precisely this validation that alarms those who are attempting to rein in schools that have initiated anti-heterosexist programs. But no one is satisfied…

  9. Order and Containment in Concurrent System Design

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-01-01

    Simple. I created O.C. Jones with the help of Marshell D. Jones. iv Contents List of Figures vi List of Tables viii 1 Managing Inconsistency And Complexity...chapter. My extended family and friends provided immeasurable support. Marshell D. Jones re- minded me to take graduate school and life by the reins

  10. The Election of 1800: Teaching about a Critical Moment in the History of American Constitutional Democracy. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nixon, William A.

    In 1800 the U.S. democracy faced a challenge when Republican Thomas Jefferson defeated Federalist President John Adams. The Federalists handed over the reins of power to their hated rivals, setting a precedent that has guided U.S. politics ever since. This precedent established the tradition of the peaceful transfer of power. The bicentennial of…

  11. Charters as a Solution?: So Far, States and Districts Have Opted for Anything But

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Nelson

    2007-01-01

    "Reopening the school as a public charter school" is Option #1 on the list of NCLB's restructuring alternatives for failing schools. But this has not proved a popular choice. NCLB made the bold assumption that states and districts would voluntarily turn over the reins to charter operators. The authors of the legislation must have…

  12. Unintended Consequences: An Uncertain Future for Distance Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halfond, Jay A.

    2011-01-01

    While most in the academic community know about the attempt to rein in the for-profits, few are aware of its collateral damage. In October, the Department of Education (DOE) issued its Program Integrity Rules, intended to protect federal funds especially from those for-profit institutions with high student loan default rates. Well-intentioned…

  13. Manual for Teaching Western Riding.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shannon, Elizabeth

    This manual for teaching western riding is divided into two parts. Part one is composed of discussions of general aspects of riding instruction. Included are discussions of the basic goals of riding, characteristics of a basic position, styles of holding reins, standing position, and elementary control. Part two is composed of 20 suggested lesson…

  14. The Untamed Imagination: Creative Writing in Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cross, Gillian

    1999-01-01

    Offers thoughts on mastering creative writing, and why a good teacher is essential to the process. Asserts that students must ultimately satisfy themselves and not their teachers, and that a pupil's innermost imagination must be nurtured and given free-rein. Makes emphatic the view that good teaching is one of the most unselfish activities that…

  15. Beating Swords into . . . Chips?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshall, Eliot

    1991-01-01

    Discussed are the efforts of the Pentagon to help U.S. companies remain competitive in high-tech civilian markets. The tug-of-war for these companies between Congress, which has come to view them as a vehicle for pork-barrel funding, and the administration, which is trying to rein them in, is described. (KR)

  16. Prospective Health: Duke's Approach to Improving Employee Health and Managing Health Care Costs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, H. Clint, Jr.

    2004-01-01

    If developing a healthy workforce is critical to reining in the skyrocketing cost of health care, then why have so many attempts at preventive health or disease management fallen short? How can employers connect with employees to engage them in changing unhealthy habits or lifestyles? Duke University has launched an innovative new approach called…

  17. A Critical Feminist and Race Critique of Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moeller, Kathryn

    2016-01-01

    Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-first Century" documents the foreboding nature of rising wealth inequality in the twenty-first century. In an effort to promote a more just and democratic global society and rein in the unfettered accumulation of wealth by the few, Piketty calls for a global progressive annual tax on corporate…

  18. Affirmative Action Redux: Who Is behind the Latest Effort to End the Consideration of Race in College Admissions?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Susan

    2012-01-01

    The homepage of the Project on Fair Representation (POFR) features a smiling photo of Abigail Fisher, the young White woman at the center of "Fisher v. the University of Texas," which could end race as a criterion in university admissions. Edward Blum, founder of POFR, a conservative advocacy group, connected Fisher with Wiley Rein LLP,…

  19. A Fine Reach Home: Excerpts from a Sailor's Wind Journal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fels, Lynn

    2008-01-01

    Sailing, a harnessing of wind with canvas to propel a sailboat across distances of water, in winds shaped by landforms, airflow and temperature, requires constant renegotiation by skipper and crew in response to the wind's changeable presence. In a choreography of movement, sails secured by sheets are loosened or reined in by hand to allow wind…

  20. Prescriptions for Change: Can Ideas from Health Care Cure Higher Education's Ills?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eckel, Peter D.

    2012-01-01

    Higher education is facing a series of tough questions: (1) Is its business model broken beyond repair?; (2) How can costs that are fast outpacing median family income be reined in?; (3) How can higher education demonstrate that students are getting the quality education they expect and deserve?; and (4) Is higher education competing in ways that…

  1. KSC-04PD-1959

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. The Damage Assessment Recovery Team (DART) meets at the NASA KSC News Center following Hurricane Jeanne. At left (red shirt) is Center Director Jim Kennedy and Media Services Division Chief Mike Rein. A category 3 storm, Jeanne barreled through Central Florida Sept. 25-26, the fourth hurricane in 6 weeks to batter the state.

  2. KSC-04pd1959

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-09-27

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Damage Assessment Recovery Team (DART) meets at the NASA KSC News Center following Hurricane Jeanne. At left (red shirt) is Center Director Jim Kennedy and Media Services Division Chief Mike Rein. A category 3 storm, Jeanne barreled through Central Florida Sept. 25-26, the fourth hurricane in 6 weeks to batter the state.

  3. You're a CEO--Now What? Veteran Advice for a New Generation of Community College Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ullman, Ellen

    2013-01-01

    What does it take to be an effective leader? That's a question 146 first-time community college presidents will be attempting to answer as they take the reins at their respective institutions this fall. Whether it's figuring out how to be a better listener or how to form relationships with trustees and board members and other stakeholders in the…

  4. Tightening the Purchasing Process: Superintendents Get More Involved in Buying Policies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rivero, Victor

    2009-01-01

    Over the last 18 months, school district purchasing offices across the country have been tightening the reins like never before while more top-level administrators get involved in the budget process. "When the economy really hit the skids, states got hit hard, so a lot of school districts were forced to make severe budget cuts," says John Musso,…

  5. Five Uncommon but Useful Knots.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chisnall, Rob

    1997-01-01

    Describes five useful, little-known knots: mooring hitch for securing a line to a stump or post; highwayman's cutaway for securing canoe lines or horses' reins; taut-line hitch or midshipman's hitch for securing tent guys; and Hedden knot and C&F belay hitch, used by rock climbers and mountaineers, which combine in a simple rescue haul system.…

  6. Hung out to Dry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pluviose, David

    2006-01-01

    It was only three years ago that Dr. R. Wayne Branch was tapped to take over the reins at Clark College, a 70-year-old private college in Vancouver, Washington. As president of the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex, Branch oversaw the reorganization of the college after it was folded into a three-college system. Those organizational…

  7. "Finger Kits:" An Interactive Demonstration of Biomaterials and Engineering for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canavan, Heather E.; Stanton, Michael; Lopez, Kaori; Grubin, Catherine; Graham, Daniel J.

    2008-01-01

    This article describes a hands-on activity and demonstration developed at the University of Washington and further reined at the University of New Mexico. In this activity, the authors present a real-world problem to the student: Someone has an injured finger joint, and the students in the class need to design an implant to replace it. After…

  8. Ohio Vote to Scrap Bargaining a Labor Victory--For Now

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNeil, Michele

    2011-01-01

    Voters in Ohio sent an unequivocal message to the state's Republican governor and lawmakers that they went too far in reining in collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees. But analysts say the conflict between the GOP and teachers' unions in Ohio and elsewhere is not over. By an overwhelming, 22-percentage-point margin,…

  9. Last Step to Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finkel, Ed

    2016-01-01

    First-time community college presidents are typically chosen from the senior ranks of two-year colleges' administrations, so they know what the job entails to some extent--at least from a close secondhand perspective. Leaders of community colleges who have taken the reins in the mid-2010s say that a close secondhand view only goes so far in…

  10. Fuller Employment with Less Inflation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegel, Irving H.

    This series of 10 essays, written at various times since the mid-1960s, explores the U.S. economy's proneness to both high inflation and high unemployment during this period. The essays present ideas that the author believes could have reined in price increases in the early stages, and that presently could speed the reduction of inflation and…

  11. Mayoral School Leadership and Integrated Governance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for the Study of Education Policy, 2009

    2009-01-01

    The past two decades have seen an emerging trend in urban school governance: mayors taking the reins of school district leadership. The impetus for putting the mayor in charge of a city's schools usually stems from at least one of the following being documented or generally perceived about an urban school district: (1) Lack of accountability; (2)…

  12. Extreme Agility Micro Aerial Vehicle - Control of Hovering Maneuvers for a Mini-Aerial Vehicle with an Onboard Autopilot System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-02-01

    Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2011 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que...que de faire voler le MiniAV. Dans ce rapport, l’aboutissement des efforts déployés pour mettre en oeuvre un auto- pilote à bord en cours qui exécute

  13. Focusing on function to mine cancer genome data | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    CCR scientists have devised a strategy to sift through the tens of thousands of mutations in cancer genome data to find mutations that actually drive the disease. They have used the method to discover that the JNK signaling pathway, which in different contexts can either spur cancerous growth or rein it in, acts as a tumor suppressor in gastric cancers. 

  14. Using Design-Based Research in Informal Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reisman, Molly

    2008-01-01

    Design-Based Research (DBR) has been a tool of the learning sciences since the early 1990s, used as a way to improve and study learning environments. Using an iterative process of design with the goal of reining theories of learning, researchers and educators now use DBR seek to identify "how" to make a learning environment work. They then draw…

  15. Twenty years (actually 16) in retrospect

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Spall, H.

    1990-01-01

    I have been editor of Earthquakes and Volcanoes for the last 16 years. Since I will soon be handing over the reins to a consortium of editors who will produce the magazine at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado, I thought I would offer a tetrospective view of editing a magazine designed for a diversified audience. 

  16. In Iowa, a Life of the Mind, Heart, and Soul

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selingo, Jefery

    2005-01-01

    When Dr. Skorton was tapped as Iowa's president, in 2003, his appointment was widely favored by faculty and staff members. Unlike most academics who give up their day jobs when they become college presidents, Dr. David J. Skorton 55, kept his when he took the reins at Iowa two years ago. A cardiologist by training, he still sees patients with…

  17. AGARD Bulletin. Meetings, Publications, Membership.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-01-01

    Chattin, 99 Directeur Technique SDT/C B-I 1180 Bru xelles Centre d’Essais en Vol 91 220 Br~tigny-sur-Orge CANADA Dr S.R.M.SINCLAIRGEMN (see under Deputy...Chef de Ia Sous-Seetion Contr6le et 31056 Toulouso- Cedex R&cption Technique (VDT/C) Etat-Major de la Force A&ienne M. GJUBE Quartier Reine Elizabeth

  18. Changing Course: Thurgood Marshall College Fund President Johnny Taylor Seeks New Partnerships and Avenues of Support for Public HBCUs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stuart, Reginald

    2011-01-01

    When veteran educator Dr. N. Joyce Payne handed the reins of the organization she founded, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, to entertainment lawyer and board member Johnny Taylor, Taylor began pursuing a remake of the prestigious group that has turned it on its head in just a matter of months. Today, with just more than a year of leading the…

  19. Shaking up the Joint? When Mark Chassin takes over as president of the Joint Commission next year, sources say, don't expect business as usual.

    PubMed

    Robeznieks, Andis

    2007-08-06

    The Joint Commission named Mark Chassin as its new president last week. He will take the reins from Dennis O'Leary on Jan. 1. John Toussaint, left, president of ThedaCare in Appleton, Wis., says Chassin has his work cut out for him at the Joint Commission. "The idea of compliance with processes that aren't working, in my opinion, needs to change".

  20. A Linguistic Foundation for Communicating Geo-Information in the context of BML and geoBML

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-23

    BML Standard. 2009 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop (09S- SIW -046). San Diego, CA. Rein, K., Schade, U. & Hieb, M.R. (2009). Battle...Formalizing Battle Management Language: A Grammar for Specifying Orders. 2006 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop (06S- SIW - 068). Huntsville...Hieb, M.R. (2007). Battle Management Language: A Grammar for Specifying Reports. 2007 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop (07S- SIW -036

  1. Design and Evaluation of a Fully Implantable Control Unit for Blood Pumps

    PubMed Central

    Unthan, Kristin; Gräf, Felix; Laumen, Marco; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Sommer, Christoph; Lanmüller, Hermann; Steinseifer, Ulrich

    2015-01-01

    As the number of donor hearts is limited while more and more patients suffer from end stage biventricular heart failure, Total Artificial Hearts become a promising alternative to conventional treatment. While pneumatic devices sufficiently supply the patients with blood flow, the patient's quality of life is limited by the percutaneous pressure lines and the size of the external control unit. This paper describes the development of the control unit of the ReinHeart, a fully implantable Total Artificial Heart. General requirements for any implantable control unit are defined from a technical and medical point of view: necessity of a Transcutaneous Energy Transmission, autonomous operation, safety, geometry, and efficiency. Based on the requirements, a prototype is designed; it incorporates a LiFePo4 battery pack with charger, a rectifier for transcutaneous energy transmission, the motor's driver electronics, and a microcontroller which monitors and controls all functions. In validation tests, the control unit demonstrated a stable operation on TET and battery supply and a safe switching from one supply to the other. The overall mean efficiency is 14% on TET and 22% on battery supply. The control unit is suitable for chronic animal trials of the ReinHeart. PMID:26583095

  2. Mobile Ad Hoc Networks: An Evaluation of Smartphone Technologies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    National Defence, 2011 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 Abstract A...déploiement de protocoles au cours d’opérations des FC ; 4. le développement d’une implémentation de validation de principe sur un téléphone

  3. The Coast Artillery Journal. Volume 80, Number 4, July-August 1937

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1937-08-01

    800 Massachusetts and 200 Connecticut infantry commanded by Colore ! Prescott marched from Cambridge to seize and hold the heights above Charlestown... effectof additional rounds to each man of Prescott’s command. their close-rangefire. Furthermore, many rounds had been allocated to rein- Another...been without food throughout the entire day. Despite these various de- moralizing factors, the corps maintained its discipline. The retirement began

  4. Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR). Volume 1. Army Abstracts of Phase 1 Awards 1987.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-04-01

    TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT LAMINATED FIBERGLASS REIN- FORCES STRUCTURES FROM CHEMICAL AGENTS AND DECONTAMINANTS . FLAME0 RETARDENCY, ADHESION, ABRASION RESISTANCE...OFFICE: BRDC- PVD ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NO INTRINSIC CONFLICTS FOR THE SAME MATERIAL SYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE BOTH THE RADAR ABSORPTION AND THERMAL SUPPRESSION...VEHICLE TOPIC# 135 OFFICE: BRDC- PVD THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE I RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED HEREIN IS TO DETERMINE WHICH MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE

  5. KSC-04PD-0038

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mike Rein (at left), division chief of KSC External Affairs, moderates the press conference featuring (second from left to right) U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, Center Director Jim Kennedy and U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon. The media were interested in hearing Kennedys and the congressmens reactions to the new mission for NASA outlined by President George W. Bush Jan. 14.

  6. Criteria for electrically heated temperature probes in flames.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, I. M.; Schryer, D. R.

    1971-01-01

    Measurement techniques proposed by Gilbert and Lobdell (1953) and Rein and O'Laughlin (1967) are considered, giving attention to an apparent paradox. The criteria under which the assumptions made for the measurement techniques apply are specified. If sensors of different diameters are tested and the resultant plots of the parameter ?S' vs the wire temperature intersect below the abscissa, the considered measurement techniques are not applicable.

  7. Toward Adversarial Online Learning and the Science of Deceptive Machines

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-11-14

    noise . Adver- saries can take advantage of this inherent blind spot to avoid detection (mimicry). Adversarial label noise is the intentional switching...of classification labels leading to de- terministic noise , error that the model cannot capture due to its generalization bias. An experiment in user...potentially infinite and with imperfect information. We will combine Monte-Carlo tree search ( MCTS ) with rein- forcement learning because the manipulation

  8. Current state of total artificial heart therapy and introduction of the most important total artificial heart systems.

    PubMed

    Spiliopoulos, Sotirios; Hergesell, Vera; Wasler, Andrae; Dapunt, Otto

    2018-06-14

    Due to the declining instances of organ donation, total artificial heart (TAH) therapy is of increasing importance for the management of end-stage biventricular heart failure. We introduce the currently most important established and novel TAH systems (SynCardia, CARMAT, ReinHeart, BiVACOR), report clinical outcomes and discuss technical requirements for the successful implementation of TAH therapy as an alternative to cardiac transplantation.

  9. Naval Gunfire Support of Amphibious Operations: Past, Present, and Future

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-10-01

    New Zealand set two frigates in motion toward the Yellow Sea. British rein- forcements were not insignificant; they consisted of a light carrier and...destroyed by main battery fire of NEW YORK and NEVADA ....... 21 6 Examples of Omaha Beach defenses .... ........... ... 25 7 BOISE, one of the four light...leading to rocket-launcher emplacement on Iwo Jima ............. ..................... ... 80 vii PHOTOS (Continued) Photo__.ge 18 Battleship NEW YORK

  10. Europe’s New Security Vocation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-01-01

    military force. The greatest need is for sustained consultation in the adaptation of modes and methods for Euro-American cooperation. Reining in the...instruments and methods through which Europe will assert itself are something that no one is able to predict confidently. Accordingly, adaptations in... constructionist position. French flexibility in using a loose interpretation of existing UNSC resolutions on Kosovo (1160, 1199, 1203), which were

  11. Tribology of Ceramics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-01-01

    Surface crystallography must be studied as modified by friction. Toughening and embrittling phase transformations have been discovered and modify the...2) dispersed ceramic whiskers, (3) long fiber rein- forcement, (4) precipitation , and (5) ductile metal phase . Each of these results in a...structure. Metastable structures of certain ceramics (Kingery et al., 1976) such as ZrO 2 allow a martensitic transformation under stress, which confers

  12. Medicare up, up and ... a way for the industry to get more money may be difficult, experts says, since CMS finds Medicare spending rose 19% in '06.

    PubMed

    DoBias, Matthew

    2008-01-14

    Medicare spending skyrocketed nearly 19% in 2006, fueled by the Part D drug benefit and expanded Medicare Advantage enrollment. That's likely to put pressure on lawmakers to rein in spending, but one expert said it could have been worse. "We are fortunate that the actual cost of Part D has continued to come in under what our earlier projections were," says CMS Chief Actuary Richard Foster, left.

  13. Porter Takes Reins of the FNL Green Team | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    Courtesy of the FNL Green Team Melissa Porter, who recently joined the staff of Craig Reynolds, Ph.D., director, Office of Scientific Operations, as administrative manager, has stepped forward to lead the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) Green Team in its efforts to promote a “green” work environment. “I am excited to lead the FNL Green Team and have

  14. Pakistan’s Nuclear Future: Reining in the Risk

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-12-01

    Pakistan has developed gaps between average yields and yields obtained by the best farmers; between the best farmers and those obtained by research... yield gap —outputs of the current livestock population compared with the output obtained in more developed systems—at between 60 to 80 percent. The...unprecedented increase in rate of inflation, a significant increase in the incidence of poverty, a widening in the already large regional income gap

  15. Porter Takes Reins of the FNL Green Team | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    Courtesy of the FNL Green Team Melissa Porter, who recently joined the staff of Craig Reynolds, Ph.D., director, Office of Scientific Operations, as administrative manager, has stepped forward to lead the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) Green Team in its efforts to promote a “green” work environment. “I am excited to lead the FNL Green Team and have been impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of the FNL Green Team,” Porter said.

  16. Testing of a Shrouded, Short Mixing Stack Gas Eductor Model Using High Temperature Primary Flow.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-10-01

    problem but of less significance than the heated surfaces of shipboard structure. Various types of electronic equipments and sensors carried by a combatant...here was to validate current procedures by comparison with previous data it was not considered essential to rein- stall these sensors or duplicate...sec) 205 tABLE XIX Mixing Stack Temperatura Data, Model B Thermocouple Axial Mixing Stack Temperature _ mbjr Posii--- .. (I IF) . Uptake 180 850 950

  17. Issues in Intelligence Production: Summary of Interviews with Canadian Managers of Intelligence Analysts

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-12-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de ...organisationnelles, ainsi qu’aux préjugés des analystes et des organismes du renseignement. Un tel constat exige la tenue d’un examen en profondeur de la ...processus de production du renseignement que l’on pourrait expliquer par la mise en application des connaissances et des méthodes acquises dans

  18. Engineering Investigation of Information Integration Display (IID) Integration with Platform Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-07-01

    Chair DRP © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en...Objectives Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Atlantic has conducted a Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) for key Victoria Class Submarine...tables, were added. The “Virtual Victoria Data Model” (reference [2]), “Assumptions and Specifications Matrix” (reference [3]), and a DRDC Atlantic

  19. New York City group leads the way toward a more optimistic future for ASOs. ASO went from near bankruptcy to $26 million.

    PubMed

    2004-07-01

    A do-it-yourself AIDS social organization: AIDS service organizations are struggling because of tighter reins on government funding, but an alternative organization in New York City is showing how it can be done. It has developed a successful social entrepreneur program that employs HIV-infected clients, pays them living wages, and makes money from retail, food services, and medical care business entities, contributing three-quarters of the organization's revenues.

  20. Hybrid Warfare: Implications for CAF Force Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014...the spirit of international law. Finally, these basic definitions, however flawed, serve an additional purpose. Any investigation into the...Beyond official internal lessons learned reports from various militaries much useful information is contained in, for example, the many and topically

  1. Face Recognition and Event Detection in Video: An Overview of PROVE-IT Projects

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-07-01

    with Public Safety Canada. Led by Canada Border Services Agency partners included : Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Defence Research Development Canada...represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense...each of these settings. As secondary outputs, the projects produced technology demonstrations, refereed publications , and an alternative assessment

  2. Survey of Commercial Technologies for Face Recognition in Video

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada. Led by Canada Border Services...Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 Science and Engineering Directorate Border...Objectives CO1 – Engage in rapid assessment, transition and deployment of innovative technologies for public safety and security practitioners to achieve

  3. Architecture and Assessment: Privacy Preserving Biometrically Secured Electronic Documents

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-01

    very large public and private fingerprint databases comprehensive risk analysis and system security contribution to developing international ...Safety and Security Program which is led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety...201 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 201 Science and Engineering

  4. Experimental Evaluation of the IP Address Space Randomisation (IASR) Technique and Its Disruption to Selected Network Services

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-11-01

    Canada (Department of National Defence), 2014 c© Sa Majesté la Reine en droit du Canada (Ministère de la Défense nationale), 2014 Abstract In recent...2006), Network security mechanisms utilising network address translation, International journal of critical infrastructures, 2(1), 10–49. [5] Dunlop...Lu, S. (2008), Full service hopping for proactive cyber-defense, In ICNSC 2008: IEEE International Conference on Networking, Sensing and Control, pp

  5. The Current State and TRL Assessment of Unattended and Left-Behind Object Detection Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada. Led by Canada Border Services Agency partners included: Royal Canadian Mounted...Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée...methodology established in previous technical challenges that were put in place during international conferences. Keywords: video-surveillance

  6. Conceiving an Army for the 21st Century

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-12-01

    the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2010 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit...international cooperation and peace through increased mutual- dependence in the North, poverty and subjugation of human rights in the South create conditions...based on the limitation of the rights of sovereign nations with respect to one another. DRDC CORA TM 2010-264 7 Investigation of the

  7. Surface soil characterization of explosives and metals at the Land Force Central Area Training Centre (LFCA TC) Meaford, Ontario (Phase 2) Final report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-10-01

    Environment and Director General Environment © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2009 © Sa...Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale , 2009 DRDC Valcartier TR 2009-218 i...evaluation of the soil contamination by explosives and metals. In parallel, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) conducted

  8. CapDEM Exercise Gamma: Results and Discussion

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-01

    DU MATERIEL Assurer la gestion et la prestation de services d’infrastructure fiables. L’utilisation d’infrastructures de ...Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 DRDC Ottawa TR 2011-044 i Abstract...définition, l’ingénierie et la gestion collaboratives des capacités (DIGCap). L’objectif principal de ce dernier volet de la Stratégie

  9. Picard Trajectory Approximation Iteration for Efficient Orbit Propagation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-07-21

    Eqn (8)) for an iterative ap- proximation of eccentric anomaly, and is transformed back to . The Lambert/ Kepler time – eccentric anomaly relationship...of Kepler motion based on spinor regulari- zation, Journal fur die Reine und Angewandt Mathematik 218, 204-219, 1965. [3] Levi-Civita T., Sur la...transformed back to  , ,x y z . The Lambert/ Kepler time – eccentric anomaly relationship is iterated by a Newton/Secant method to converge on the

  10. Evaluation of Different Features for Face Recognition in Video

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    and Security Program (CSSP) which is led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public ...Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014...deployment of innovative technologies for public safety and security practitioners to achieve specific objectives; 4. Threats/Hazards F – Major trans-border

  11. Automated Border Control Systems as Part of e-border Crossing Process

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-01

    which is led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada. The project was led...Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2015 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de...FAST US,EU (2013): AVATAR kiosks Examples: US, Canada: Deployed in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, and Chicago International Airports

  12. A Class of CFAR Detectors Implemented in the SAR-GMTI Processor gmtipro2: Mathematical Formulation of the Algorithms

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-02-01

    Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2015 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le...References [1] Chiu, S. (2010), Moving target parameter estimation for RADARSAT-2 Moving Object Detection EXperiment (MODEX), International Journal of...of multiple sinusoids in noise, In Proceedings. (ICASSP ’01). 2001 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, Vol. 5

  13. Traffic De-Anonymizer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-11-01

    November 2014 © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du...partnership with Public Safety Canada. The project was led by Public Safety Canada in partnership with Dalhousie University. Canadian Safety and...Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science in partnership with Public Safety Canada. The project was led by Public Safety Canada in partnership with

  14. Modelling Metrics for Mine Counter Measure Operations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014...a random search derived by Koopman is widely used yet it assumes no angular dependence (Ref [10]). In a series of publications considering tactics...Node Placement in Sensor Localization by Optimization of Subspace Principal Angles, In Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Acoustics

  15. Using the Smooth Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) Method for Evaluation and Decision Making in Biometric Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-07-01

    partnership with Public Safety Canada. Led by Canada Border Services Agency partners included : Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Defence Research...Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la...innovative technologies for public safety and security practitioners to achieve specific objectives; 4. Threats/Hazards F – Major trans-border criminal

  16. The 2007 Surge in Iraq: An Alternative View

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-11-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 DRDC-RDDC-2014-R105 i Abstract...9 Figure 4 US, international (coalition partners), and ISF troop strength. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Figure 5 Sum of monthly SIGACT...Testing the Surge: Why Did Violence Decline in Iraq in 2007?” International Security, 37(1), (2012), pp. 7–40. 9 A SIGACT usually refers to

  17. North Korea’s Provocation and Escalation Calculus: Dealing with the Kim Jong-un Regime

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-08-01

    regime. “The Interview” In the early 2000s, Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg conceived of a plot for a comic take on the assassination of a world...responsible for the education and training of the regime’s cyber warriors.55  The State Security Department’s (secret police) communications monitoring and...is young and lacks the expansive and deep education his father had before taking the reins of power. This has created a certain narrative in the

  18. Casualties Produced by Impact and Related Topics of People Survivability in a Direct Effects Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1974-08-01

    COPY Reinforced concrete members ( beams and columns ): sizes, spans, support conditions, reinforcement ratios Steel members (open web joists, beams ...order of 30 to 50 percent of gross wall area are expected in upper portions butnt i n areas ’housing EOC’s. Open web joists and precast concrete units...are expected to dominate roof systems. Floors over the EOC’s are expected to be of rein- forced concrete . Cast-in-place flat plates and precast

  19. Public Safety Technical Program Planning Scenario Framework Final Report (Rapport Final sur le Cadre de Creation de Scenarios de Planification du Programme Technique de Securite Publique)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-12-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la ...scénarios sont essentiels pratiquement pour tous les aspects de la Sureté et de la sécurité publique et de la gestion des urgences. Tous les utilisateurs...création de scénarios de planification du Programme technique de sécurité publique (PTSP) soumis vise à aider une gamme d’intervenants, à la fois

  20. V2010 Security Planning and Operations: A Social Network Study of Key Information Sharing Relationships

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-01

    la scurit. Je vous remercie de votre temps et de votre contribution. Susan G. McIntyre Knowledge Management/ Gestion du savoir...National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 DRDC CSS TR 2011...avantages du renforcement de la communication horizontale au sein du gouvernement fédéral, surtout en présence d’organismes de

  1. Defence Output Measures: An Economics Perspective

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-11-01

    Des budgets de la comptabilité des intrants, des extrants, de la gestion et des ressources ont été utilisés comme mesures relatives aux résultats...Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 Abstract …….. This Contract Report...présent rapport de contrat examine la mesure des extrants en matière de

  2. Soviet Military Objectives in the Artic Theater and How They Might be Attained

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-09-01

    on NATO’s Northern Flank," Armed Forces Journal International, April 1984, 88 ff.; Roy Breivik , "Assuring the Security of Reinforcements to Norway...Publishing Co., 1985), 72-78 passim; Patrick Wall, "The Importance of NATO’s North- em Flank," Defence, vol. 10, no. 1 (January 1979), 9-11. 48. The...Ellingsen, Militaerbalansen 1983-1984; Breivik , "Assuring the Security of Rein- forcements to Norway," 66. 50. The reinforcements include a

  3. Digitalisierung in der Energiewirtschaft - empirische Untersuchung und Wertschöpfungskette

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dell, Timo

    Die Energiewirtschaft nutzt seit je her digitale Strukturen zur Umsetzung ihrer Prozesse. Durch den (neuen) verabschiedeten politischen Ordnungsrahmen - dem Gesetz zur Digitalisierung der Energiewende - und durch die rasante Fortentwicklung technologischer Strukturen ergeben sich jedoch die Wertschöpfungsstufen erweiternde, diversifizierende und innovative Möglichkeiten für Energieversorger (EVU) Geschäftsfelder auszubauen bzw. neue zu erschließen. Dabei ist die digitale (R)Evolution keine rein technische Umsetzung, sondern insbesondere auch eine unternehmensinterne, strategische und intern-kulturelle Herausforderung.

  4. Southeast Asia Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-02-25

    employment as possible relief measure. There are about 150,000 voters in this province where a significant anti- charter drive has been mounted by the...New People’s Army, the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, and the Iglesia ni Cristo [Church of Christ], Local leaders said the Charter may just the same get at...the other hand, reportedly holds rein in the towns of Guimba, Talavera, Bongabon and San Jose. Officials here said the Iglesia ni Cristo leaders had

  5. Analysis of Metrics for Human Detection behind Walls Using Experimental 3-D Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-01

    Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 Abstract …….. Defence Research and Development... International Symposium on Phased Array Systems and Technology, 551-558 (2010). [10] Chetty, K., Smith, G. E., Woodbridge, K., “Through-the-wall sensing of...radar,” IEEE International Conference on Communications and Signal Processing, 579-583 (2011). [13] Sévigny, P., DiFilippo, D., Laneve, T., Chan, B

  6. 3D Face Generation Tool Candide for Better Face Matching in Surveillance Video

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-07-01

    Safety and Security Program (CSSP) which is led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public ...by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale... public safety and security practitioners to achieve specific objectives; 4. Threats/Hazards F – Major trans-border criminal activity – e.g. smuggling

  7. Simulation Tool for Optimizing Non-Combatant Evacuation (STONE): Optimization of Evacuation Time and Transportation Resource Utilization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-05-01

    2015 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2015 Abstract A Non-Combatant Evacuation...Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade recommended that more frequent assessments of NEO plans be conducted...étrangères et du commerce international a recommandé que des évaluations dans ses missions à l’étranger soient faites plus fréquemment

  8. Usability and Utility of a Mobile Application for Marksmanship Training

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-01

    Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2015 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le...Empirical Evaluation of the System Usability Scale. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 24(6), 574-594. BenMoussa, C. (2003). Workers on...Behavioral and Social Sciences. Jumisko-Pyykko, S., & Vainio, T. (2011). Framing the Context of Use for Mobile HCI. International Journal of Mobile

  9. A Bayesian Approach to Estimating Detection Performance in a Multi-Sensor Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 DRDC...emphasis can be seen in CF publications such as the Maritime Capability Planning Guidance (MCPG) 2010 [3]. To make effective use of these new remote...fixed installation, ship, aircraft, or satellite. Ships of a certain size or type are required by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to

  10. Using Sentence-Level Classifiers for Cross-Domain Sentiment Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 DRDC-RDDC...domain sentiment classification via spectral feature alignment. In Proceedings of the 19th international conference on World Wide Web, WWW ’10...Dennis, S. 5. DATE OF PUBLICATION (Month and year of publication of document.) September 2014 6a. NO. OF PAGES (Total containing information

  11. Assessment of Nuclear Medicine Capabilities in Responding to a Radiological Terrorism Event

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-01

    Defence, 2006 © Sa Majesté la Reine , représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2006 DRDC Ottawa TM 2006-237 i Abstract...important suite à un tel incident. Il serait donc avantageux d’établir des points de contact officiels avec cette communauté, de développer du matériel...both didactic and clinical training. Didactic course work includes: mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, radiation protection, anatomy

  12. Loosening the Reins: How Flexibility Policies Contribute to Student Achievement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO.

    Many states give individual schools the authority to make decisions in response to local conditions while still meeting state and district goals. Providing flexibility to local decision-makers is also a potential means for improving student achievement. This report provides a snapshot of several states' recent experiences with flexibility and…

  13. Amid Fiscal Crisis, L.A. Gives Site Councils Budget Reins

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawchuk, Stephen

    2009-01-01

    At Jefferson High School, a governing body made up of teachers, nonclassroom-based educators, parents, and Principal Michael Taft appears to be living the dream, to the extent such a thing is possible during a staggering fiscal crisis. The leadership team, officially known as a "school site council," has mainly used an infusion of…

  14. High Court Case Could Rein in Private Placements under IDEA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walsh, Mark

    2007-01-01

    This article reports on starkly contrasting portraits of special education that the justices are sure to hear on the first day of the new U.S. Supreme Court term. In a case from New York City, the 1.1 million-student district argues that school officials made every attempt to provide an appropriate education plan under the federal Individuals with…

  15. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe talks to the media at the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. He and government officials were at the park for a presentation about the assets of the research park as the site of NASA’s new Shared Services Center. Behind O’Keefe are (left to right) Pamella J. Dana, Ph.D., director, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development in Florida; U.S. Representative Ric Keller; Florida Congressman Tom Feeney; and Congressman Dave Weldon. At right is Mike Rein, division chief of KSC External Affairs. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration for location of the Center, which would centralize NASA’s payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Others attending the presentation included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Center Director Jim Kennedy.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-19

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe talks to the media at the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. He and government officials were at the park for a presentation about the assets of the research park as the site of NASA’s new Shared Services Center. Behind O’Keefe are (left to right) Pamella J. Dana, Ph.D., director, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development in Florida; U.S. Representative Ric Keller; Florida Congressman Tom Feeney; and Congressman Dave Weldon. At right is Mike Rein, division chief of KSC External Affairs. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration for location of the Center, which would centralize NASA’s payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Others attending the presentation included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Center Director Jim Kennedy.

  16. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe talks to the media at the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. He and government officials were at the park for a presentation about the assets of the research park as the site of NASA’s new Shared Services Center. Behind O’Keefe are (left to right) Pamella J. Dana, Ph.D., director, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development in Florida; Florida Congressman Tom Feeney; U.S. Representative Ric Keller; and Congressman Dave Weldon. At right is Mike Rein, division chief of KSC External Affairs. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration for location of the Center, which would centralize NASA’s payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Others attending the presentation included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Center Director Jim Kennedy.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-19

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe talks to the media at the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. He and government officials were at the park for a presentation about the assets of the research park as the site of NASA’s new Shared Services Center. Behind O’Keefe are (left to right) Pamella J. Dana, Ph.D., director, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development in Florida; Florida Congressman Tom Feeney; U.S. Representative Ric Keller; and Congressman Dave Weldon. At right is Mike Rein, division chief of KSC External Affairs. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration for location of the Center, which would centralize NASA’s payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Others attending the presentation included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Center Director Jim Kennedy.

  17. Fine Resolution Imaging of Space Objects.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-02-01

    Figur einschliesst," J. reine agnew. Math. 123, 241 (1901). 5. J. Christou, "Imaging of Star Clusters from Speckle Inter- ferometry," Opt. Commun...Also, at any point x, by definition g.+,(x) is the near- est value to gMx ) that satisfies the object-domain constraints. Therefore, at all...the point gk(x) rather than from g^(x) since presumably gMx ) is closer to the solution than gk(x). After using Eq. (40), one would employ Eq. (35

  18. Translations on Eastern Europe. Political, Sociological, and Military Affairs, Number 1461

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-10-17

    traditional and other social determinants. This at once amounts to a strict rejection of such theories as, for instance, advocated by Kelsen , in his "Pure...1975, pp 334 ff. 5. As to the pure law doctrine, H. Kelsen would like it understood as "a pure law theory, that is to say, cleansed of all political...ideology and all natural science elements" (cf. H. Kelsen , "Reine Rechtslehre," Vienna, 1960, preface). For a criticism of Kelsen’s legal positivism

  19. eSecurity Portfolio : Overview, Analysis of Value Added, and Way Ahead

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-11-01

    de mesurer l’ampleur et la profondeur du portefeuille, en plus de consolider et de récapituler les produits livrables pour que les...Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 DRDC-RDDC-2014-R113 i Abstract …….. The...ii DRDC-RDDC-2014-R113 Résumé …….. La communauté de pratique de la sécurité électronique du Centre des

  20. Research Using In Vivo Simulation of Meta-Organizational Shared Decision-making (SDM). Task 4: Modeling of Communication and Decision Functions within a Shared Decision-making (SDM) Framework

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale 2011, Abstract...modélisation des fonctions de communication et de prise de décision dans le cadre de la prise de décision partagée (PDP) du volet de travail « Recherche par... la simulation in-vivo sur la prise de décision partagée des méta-organisations ». Cette composante du programme

  1. Toward the Development of a Canadian Less Lethal Weapon Approval Process: A Study of Contemporary Process Models

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011...validés par l’autorité d’approbation. Lorsqu’il n’existe pas de normes officielles, on utilise une approche de gestion du risque qui comprend une plus...gouvernance qui reprend les éléments clés du modèles du Royaume-Uni, l’incorporation d’un processus de gestion du risque, un énoncé des

  2. The Meta-Organization: A Research and Conceptual Landscape

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale...une approche globale en nous intéressant plus particulièrement aux problèmes pernicieux, à la convergence et à l’association, et à la gestion des ...rédigé dans le cadre du projet de modélisation de la collaboration et de la prise de décisions méta-organisationnelles financé par le

  3. Development of Measures of Effectiveness and Performance from Cognitive Work Analysis Products

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-02-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2012 DRDC Atlantic CR 2011...le nouveau concept du système. Ce rapport vise à déterminer si les résultats du travail de conception peuvent aider à élaborer des mesures de ...l’information (IIDS). Le contrat actuel comportait deux objectifs : élaborer des mesures de l’efficacité (MOE) et du rendement (MOP) pour

  4. Hierarchical Goal Analysis of Dynamic Decision Making in Microworld Experiments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-01

    7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) Defence R&D Canada - Toronto,1133 Sheppard Avenue West,PO Box 2000,Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3M...3B9, 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR...Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2009 DRDC Toronto TM 2008-211 i

  5. Capability Challenges in the Human Domain for Intelligence Analysis: Report on Community-Wide Discussions with Canadian Intelligence Professionals

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-01

    renseignement au cours de l’AF 2012-2013. Cette enquête examinera plus en profondeur les problèmes humains dans la production du renseignement afin...the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine ( en droit du Canada), telle que...ensemble. L’étude a également analysé de quelle façon la recherche en science du comportement peut aider la collectivité du renseignement à aborder

  6. Likelihood Ratio Test Polarimetric SAR Ship Detection Application

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-12-01

    menu. Under the Matlab menu, the user can export an area of an image to the MatlabTM MAT file format, as well as call RGB image and Pauli...must specify various parameters such as the area of the image to analyze. Export Image Area to MatlabTM (PoIGASP & COASP) Generates a MatlabTM file...represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2005 (0 Sa majest6 la reine, repr(sent(e par le ministre de la Defense nationale, 2005 Abstract This

  7. Was leistet ein Sportler? Kraft, Leistung und Energie im Muskel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thaller, Sigrid; Mathelitsch, Leopold

    2006-01-01

    Der Leistungsbegriff ist im Sport weiter gefasst als in der Physik. In beiden Fällen liegt der Fokus jedoch auf einer pro Zeiteinheit erfolgten Energieumsetzung. Allerdings gibt die rein physikalische Leistung nicht immer Auskunft über den Energieumsatz der Muskeln. Die Muskelkraft hängt von der Kontraktionsgeschwindigkeit des Muskels ab. Ein Muskel verhält sich also anders als eine Feder. Für den Hochleistungssport müssen die Energieumsätze der Muskeln durch spezielle Trainings- und Nahrungsprogramme optimiert werden.

  8. First Responder Immersive Training Environment (FRITSE): Development of a Games-Based Simulator for CBRN First Responder Training

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-11-01

    SV © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada... dragged over to fire hydrants to be attached to the steamer caps. Bolt cutters can be used to cut holes in fences allowing better access to the train...derailment fire. Ground monitors (for blitz fire) can be positioned for fire attack. 65mm attack lines can be dragged from fire engines and

  9. LRIT and AIS: An Analysis of October 2010 Data

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 DRDC Atlantic TM 2012-234 i Abstract...There have been amendments in the recent decade to Chapter V of the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) which is...des modifications ont été apportées au chapitre V de la Convention internationale de 1974 pour la sauvegarde de la vie humaine en mer (SOLAS), qui

  10. Power Analysis for a Proposed Group Randomized Control Trial (GRCT) on the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MP) Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale...specifically for the target GRCT population. The internal consistency and factorial validity of this new measure has been established in a series of studies...measure. Journal of general internal medicine. 2001;16(9):606-13. [11] Richards K, Fikretoglu D. Using Administrative Data to Inform the Design of a

  11. Experimental Investigations on the Distortion of ISAR Images Using Different Radar Waveforms

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-09-01

    des cibles fera partie int~grante d’une nouvelle approche pour la gestion des donn~es relatives A l’espace de combat, comme les nouvelles initiatives de ... risque de tir fratricide en conditions de combat. En somme, l’identification des cibles, particuli~rement en mode de non-cooperation, jouera un r~le...Defence, 2003 © Sa majest6 la reine, repr~sent~e par le ministre de la Defense nationale, 2003 Abstract Experimental results have shown that the

  12. Simulation of the CRIPT Detector

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-01

    National Defence, 2015 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que réprésentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2015 Abstract The...iron slabs of the spectrometer. The red plates are the panels containing the scintillator bars. 3 3 Monte Carlo Geometry The geometry of the detector is...instead of hollow), • parts were in wrong location (eg. spectrometer iron plates). To fix this, Computer Aided Design ( CAD ) drawings were provided for

  13. Mixed-Signal Electronics Technology for Space (MSETS)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-02-16

    N A L P R O C E S S IN G (IN TE R P O LA TO R ) (D E LT A _S IG M A ) SCR Figure 1: Schematic representation of...Meeting on Electrical Performance of Electronic Packaging, pp 128-131, Oct. 1998 [8] M . Rickelt, H.- M . Rein and E . Rose, “ Influence of Impact... Embabi , J. Pineda de Gyvez, D.J. Allstot and E . Sanchez- Sinencio, “A capacitor cross-coupled common-gate low noise amplifier,” IEEE Trans. on

  14. Optimal Alignment of Search and Rescue Response Posture with Historical Incident Occurrence

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-04-01

    and Development Canada Scientific Report DRDC-RDDC-2014-R12 April 2014 © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of...National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine en droit du Canada, telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 Abstract The ...hour response posture (RP2hrs) for remaining hours. This report details the data, modelling and analysis for optimizing CAF SAR RP30 hours. Based on

  15. Implementing Capability Based Planning within the Public Safety and Security Sector: Lessons from the Defence Experience

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-01

    de l’équipement, cela comprend la doctrine et l’instruction. La gestion et la production de capacités sont généralement du ressort...les tendances en matière de gestion et de planification des activités et, en particulier, elle est étayée par l’évolution de la gestion du risque et...National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de

  16. Virtual Reality (VR) as a Disruptive Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-07-01

    gestion et l’emploi de la M & S en tant que ressource du ministère de la Défense nationale (MDN). Quels sont les principaux facteurs favorables...represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense...nous expliquerons comment la RV pourrait être mise au service de l’instruction militaire en répondant à des questions précises du

  17. Risk Assessment References: Documented Literature Search

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-01

    the Minister of National Defence, 2012 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale...vise à démontrer la valeur de l’approche scientifique pour améliorer les capacités de gestion des situations d’urgence en se concentrant sur...l’évaluation des risques et les infrastructures essentielles. Au cours de la première phase du projet, RDDC a effectué une analyse documentaire

  18. Spaceborne Ocean Intelligence Network: SOIN - Fiscal Year 10/11 Year-End Summary

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de ...d’ouverture (RSO) de RADARSAT-2. La phase II en cours, d’une durée de trois ans, portera sur l’opérationnalisation et la mise en œuvre des capacités du RSRO...gouvernementales en observation de la Terre (IGOT). Le présent rapport donne un résumé des activités et des réalisations du projet durant l’exercice

  19. Technology Insertion and Management: Options for the Canadian Forces

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    Minister of National Defence, 2010 © Sa Majesté la Reine ( en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2010...semble indiquer qu’un changement de paradigme est en cours dans la façon dont les militaires élaborent et emploient la technologie à utiliser avec leurs...coûts-avantages fondée sur l’optimisation des options en matière d’insertion technologique. ii DRDC CORA TM 2010-015 This page

  20. Combinatorial Problems of Applied Discrete Mathematics.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-12-01

    204 .I (30) 3. Steiner, Combinatorische Aufgabe, Z. Reine Angew. Math. 45 (1853) 18 1—182. (31) IC. Takeuchi, A table of difference sets generating...Assoc. Fr. Ay. Sd . 1 (1900) 122— 123; 2 (1901) 170—203. • (33) R.M. Wilson, Cyclotomy and difference fam ilies in elementary Abelian groups , 3. Number...the differe nt cliques containing either A or B. Let us first introduce the following notations. If A is a vertex in G, then 1(A) denotes the set of

  1. Technologies for Protection and Resistance Enhancement of Critical Infrastructures againstExtreme Fire

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-01

    in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ...extreme fire protection of critical infrastructures. Résumé …..... Le présent rapport fournit de l’information qui pourrait aider à élaborer des...démarches nationales pour une atténuation du risque émergeant des conditions d’incendie extrêmes pour les infrastructures essentielles (IE). Les résultats

  2. Findings of the Test and Evaluation Proof of Concept Trial at the NCOT Facility

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-04-01

    Submitted by: M. L . Matthews, R. D. G. Webb, A. R. Keeble Humansystems Incorporated® 111 Farquhar Street, 2nd Floor Guelph, Ontario N1H 3N4 Project...Report DRDC- Toronto No. CR-2002-056 Q\\ l Humansystems Incorporated April2002 NCOT: Proof of Concept P517839.PDF [Page: 4 of 39] ~· ©HER MAJESTY THE...QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA (2002) as represented by the Minister of National Defense ©SA MAJESTE LA REINE EN DROIT DUE CANADA (2002) Defense Nationale

  3. Colloque S&T Symposium 2007: Understanding The Human Dimension in 21st Century Conflict/Warfare (Comprendre la Dimension Humaine du Conflit et de la Conduite de la Guerre au XXIe Siecle)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-08-01

    represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2007 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense...grandes œuvres historiques de fiction : Guerre et paix de Tolstoï, Le vieil homme et la mer d’Hemingway, Hamlet de Shakespeare, et Les Misérables de ...Colloque S&T Symposium 2007 Understanding The Human Dimension in 21st Century Conflict/Warfare - Comprendre la dimension humaine du conflit et de

  4. An investigation of the Attenuation Provided by the Surefire EP3 Sonic Defender (Trademark) Earplug

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-05-01

    Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2008 DRDC Toronto TR 2008-040 i Abstract...Surefire chez cinq hommes et cinq femmes. Selon le fabricant, un orifice percé dans le bouchon permet aux sons dont le niveau est sans danger de ...dispositif avec l’orifice ouvert et fermé en l’absence de bruits impulsifs. Cinq hommes et cinq femmes y ont participé. Le seuil d’audibilité de chaque

  5. Preliminary Review of Psychophysiological Technologies to Support Multimodal UAV Interface Design

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-05-01

    l’information et réduire la charge de travail de l’opérateur et ainsi optimiser le rendement du système homme -machine. Les technologies de surveillance...Aviation Psychology, 12(1), 63-77. De Rivecourt, M., Kuperus, M. N., Post, W. J. & Mulder, L . J. M. (2008). Cardiovascular and eye activity measures as...Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2010 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que

  6. VENUS Ranging Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-01

    Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que réprésentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 Abstract The underwater acoustic propagation...50 km des capteurs sous-marins situés aux nœuds du réseau VENUS dont les données acoustiques et sismiques sont accessibles au public sur Internet...Southwest British Columbia, Geophysical Journal International , 170(2), 800–812. [15] Hamilton, E. L. (1979), Vp/Vs and Poisson’s ratios in marine

  7. Gas Dynamics, Characterization, and Calibration of Fast Flow Flight Cascade Impactor Quartz Crystal Microbalances (QCM) for Aerosol Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grant, J.R.; Thorpe, A. N.; James, C.; Michael, A.; Ware, M.; Senftle, F.; Smith, S.

    1997-01-01

    During recent high altitude flights, we have tested the aerosol section of the fast flow flight cascade impactor quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) on loan to Howard University from NASA. The aerosol mass collected during these flights was disappointingly small. Increasing the flow through the QCM did not correct the problem. It was clear that the instrument was not being operated under proper conditions for aerosol collect ion primarily because the gas dynamics is not well understood. A laboratory study was therefore undertaken using two different fast flow QCM's in an attempt to establish the gas flow characteristics of the aerosol sections and its effect on particle collection, Some tests were made at low temperatures but most of the work reported here was carried out at room temperature. The QCM is a cascade type impactor originally designed by May (1945) and later modified by Anderson (1966) and Mercer et al (1970) for chemical gas analysis. The QCM has been used extensively for collecting and sizing stratospheric aerosol particles. In this paper all flow rates are given or corrected and referred to in terms of air at STP. All of the flow meters were kept at STP. Although there have been several calibration and evaluation studies of moderate flow cascade impactors of less than or equal to 1 L/rein., there is little experimental information on the gas flow characteristics for fast flow rates greater than 1 L/rein.

  8. Executive Director Fred Spilhaus Steps Down; Interim Leader Takes AGU Reins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiss, Peter

    2009-02-01

    After 39 years as AGU executive director, Fred Spilhaus has stepped down from his post; he will become executive director emeritus. At a 27 January 2009 staff meeting at AGU headquarters, in Washington, D. C., three of the Union officers introduced Robert T. Van Hook, who will serve as interim executive director while AGU conducts a worldwide search for a new executive director. The search is expected to start in the summer of 2009 and to take from 6 to 18 months. ``AGU is a growing, vibrant organization that wishes to thoughtfully chart its course for the coming decades,'' Van Hook said. ``I am a professional interim executive, here to build on Fred Spilhaus's legacy. I want to help this extraordinary Union of researchers, teachers, and students take careful stock of where it is today, where it wants to go tomorrow, and what kind of staff leader it needs to help it get there,'' he said. ``My job is to get you ready for the next executive director,'' Van Hook told AGU staff, noting that he is not a candidate for the position himself.

  9. Surgical inflammatory stress: the embryo takes hold of the reins again

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    The surgical inflammatory response can be a type of high-grade acute stress response associated with an increasingly complex trophic functional system for using oxygen. This systemic neuro-immune-endocrine response seems to induce the re-expression of 2 extraembryonic-like functional axes, i.e. coelomic-amniotic and trophoblastic-yolk-sac-related, within injured tissues and organs, thus favoring their re-development. Accordingly, through the up-regulation of two systemic inflammatory phenotypes, i.e. neurogenic and immune-related, a gestational-like response using embryonic functions would be induced in the patient’s injured tissues and organs, which would therefore result in their repair. Here we establish a comparison between the pathophysiological mechanisms that are produced during the inflammatory response and the physiological mechanisms that are expressed during early embryonic development. In this way, surgical inflammation could be a high-grade stress response whose pathophysiological mechanisms would be based on the recapitulation of ontogenic and phylogenetic-related functions. Thus, the ultimate objective of surgical inflammation, as a gestational process, is creating new tissues/organs for repairing the injured ones. Since surgical inflammation and early embryonic development share common production mechanisms, the factors that hamper the wound healing reaction in surgical patients could be similar to those that impair the gestational process. PMID:23374964

  10. Leading Change to Improve Student Achievement: Novice Leaders Take the Reins

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brazer, S. David; Bauer, Scott C.

    2011-01-01

    This article addresses the effects of education leadership candidates' experiences taking a non-traditional research course in which they identify a specific instructional performance gap in their school sites, then engage in action research, consult published literature, and develop an action plan to address the gap. Candidates are required to…

  11. Take the Reins on Model Quality with ModelCHECK and Gatekeeper

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Corey

    2012-01-01

    Model quality and consistency has been an issue for us due to the diverse experience level and imaginative modeling techniques of our users. Fortunately, setting up ModelCHECK and Gatekeeper to enforce our best practices has helped greatly, but it wasn't easy. There were many challenges associated with setting up ModelCHECK and Gatekeeper including: limited documentation, restrictions within ModelCHECK, and resistance from end users. However, we consider ours a success story. In this presentation we will describe how we overcame these obstacles and present some of the details of how we configured them to work for us.

  12. Using Profiles in GOSSIP to Examine Concepts Associated with the Afghan National Police in Open Source Media

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    Scientist © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du...raisonnables en raison de leur volume. Au cours des dernières années, les pays membres de l’Organisation du Traité de l’Atlantique Nord (OTAN) ont mis sur pied...pouvant être lus dans des délais raisonnables en raison de leur volume. Au cours des dernières années, les pays membres de l’Organisation du Traité

  13. Superomniphobic Surfaces for Military Applications: Nano- and Micro-Fabrication Methods. Chapter 2: Investigation of Wear for Superhydrophobic Surfaces and Development of New Coatings

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par...alors que dans d’autres, elles sont faibles (Ra, Rq, Rz) et ne permettent pas d’extraire les diverses transitions qui surviennent au cours du...existe une corrélation élevée entre certains paramètres de rugosité et les étapes de transition au cours du mouillage de la surface. On observe aussi que

  14. Proceedings of Gas Turbine Materials 1972 Conference Held at the Naval Ship Engineering Center, Hyattsville, MD. on October 1972

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1972-10-01

    available. The. ranking of the oxides rendering it noirprotective. The normally protective oxide Al203,Cr203,MoO3, V2O5 ,SiO2,WO 3 and 102 based on scale...oxide scales in acidic Na 2 SO4 solution cannot occur; only " glass " was insoluble in water. Based upon the AI 20 3 - that, based upon the experimental...soluble in water, it is concluded that pansion between the glass and the substrate. When rein- the fused salt present on the surface of the alloyed

  15. Ship Dynamics Identification Using Simulator and Sea Trial Data

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-04-29

    Committee "© Her Majesty the Queen as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2002 "© Sa majest6 la reine, repr~sent~e par le ministre de la...cotes d’instructeurs. Le but du present rapport est de ddterminer la nature de la dynamique des navires virtuels et r6els de mani&re A ce que des...la dynamique du navire. Le pr6sent document pr6cise la dynamique du navire pour un navire de classe Bay des FC, ainsi que pour un navire simul6. Les

  16. Harbour Siren: Technical Recommendations Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-01

    de recommandations et une feuille de route à court terme pour l’interopérabilité dans la gestion des urgences (IGU) et l’interopérabilité du système...Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 DRDC Atlantic CR 2010-179 i...maritime du Groupe de travail interministériel sur la sûreté maritime (GTISM). Le document présente un ensemble d’observations et de

  17. Coalition Interoperability Measurement Frameworks Literature Survey

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-08-01

    National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 Abstract...interarmées élabore actuellement ce cadre et les travaux sont parrainés par le Groupe du Sous- ministre adjoint ( Gestion de l’information). L’intérêt...Groupe du Sous-ministre adjoint ( Gestion de l’information). Le type d’interopérabilité qui nous intéresse : 1. touche les Cinq pays (Australie

  18. Validation of New Crack Monitoring Technique for Victoria Class High-Pressure Air Bottles

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    technique de corrélation d’images numériques a été employée pour mesurer le champ de déforma- tion dans la zone située du côté opposé à l’entaille... la Reine en droit du Canada (Ministère de la Défense nationale), 2014 Abstract High-pressure air bottles are used in the Victoria class submarines to...charges cycliques pouvant provoquer l’apparition et favoriser la croissance de fissures de fatigue. L’ob- servation d’une marque interne semblable à une

  19. Research Using In Vivo Simulation of Meta-Organizational Shared Decision Making (SDM). Task 2: Development of an Experimental Plan for In Vivo Exercise and Simulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 DRDC CSS CR 2011-31 ii...participants. Résumé …..... Introduction : Ce rapport présente la Tâche 2 du projet « Recherche par la simulation in-vivo sur la prise de décision partagée...environnement sur la prise de décision partagée in-vivo des opérations de gestion des urgences et pour colliger des données

  20. Study on Cyber Security and Threat Evaluation in SCADA Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-01

    la sécurité de l’infrastructure essentielle du Canada. DRDC CSS CR 2012-06 vii • Les cadres de gestion des cybermenaces et des ...Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2012 DRDC CSS CR 2012-06 i Abstract …….. This...ii DRDC CSS CR 2012-06 Résumé …..... Le présent rapport fait la synthèse des résultats du projet PTSP 02-0347eSec

  1. Building Resilient Communities Workshop Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 CSSP-2013-CD-1120...EMBC) [ Gestion des urgences Colombie-Britannique], le Programme canadien pour la sûreté et la sécurité (PCSS) et Recherche et développement pour la ...comptes rendus de la mise à jour du rapport du RCERD sur la résilience des communautés autochtones. L’événement a aussi donné une tribune pour un groupe

  2. Effects of Self-Esteem and Mortality Salience on Attitudes Toward Canadian Security: Exploring the Significance of Implicit-Explicit and Personal-Collective Distinctions (Les Effets de L’Estime de soi et de la Pregnance de la Mort sur les Attitudes a L’Egard de la Securite Canadienne: Analyse de L’Importance des Distinctions entre Implicite et Explicite d’une Part et entre Personnel et Collectif D’Autre Part)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 DRDC Toronto TR... la gestion de la terreur, c’est parce que les êtres humains sont les seuls à posséder la capacité de comprendre la finitude de la vie qu’ils ont...entre autres l’adhésion à une vision du monde culturellement significative et un sentiment de sécurité basé sur l’estime de soi. À ce jour,

  3. Current Flow Through Two Dimensional Arrays of Metal Nanoparticles as a Novel Sensor Platform

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-01

    Suffield TM 2009-068; R & D pour la défense Canada – Suffield; août 2009. Les indicateurs d’exposition de type macarons sont une composante essentielle...fait que ces films de nanoparticules sont très at- trayants comme génération future des indicateurs d’exposition de type macaron personnel. Les ...Minister of National Defence, 2009 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale

  4. Expedition 50 Crew Hands Over the Space Station to Expedition 51

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-04-09

    The reins of the International Space Station were passed from NASA’s Shane Kimbrough to NASA’s Peggy Whitson during a ceremony on the orbital outpost April 9. Kimbrough is returning to Earth April 10 with his Expedition 50 crewmates, Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos in the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft for a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan to complete a 173-day mission. Whitson remains on the station as commander of Expedition 51 along with Flight Engineers Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency.

  5. Contractor Final Report: For the Technology Demonstration of the Joint Network Defence and Management System (JNDMS)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    opérationnel. Importance: Nous avons démontré des fonctions cruciales en utilisant des outils d’entreprise pour comprendre en profondeur un domaine...by the Minister of National Defence, 2009 © Sa Majesté la Reine ( en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale...interarmées de défense et de gestion des réseaux (SIDGR), en vertu du contrat W7714-04-0875/001/SV. Il touche l’exécution et les résultats de cette

  6. Constraint-Based Argumentation for Decision Support in the Context of Combat Power Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    module anticipe les objections de l’opérateur et contre- argumente. Recherches futures : Cette méthodologie sera étudiée plus en profondeur , dans le...Scientist c© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2008 c© Sa Majesté la Reine ( en droit du...l’opérateur à prendre des décisions efficaces et sans erreur en temps opportun, tout en réduisant sa charge de travail. Or, étant donné la

  7. Tailoring Wettability Through the Surface Modification of Electro-spun Polymers by Plasma and Sol-gel Treatments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-11-01

    Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2014 DRDC-RDDC-2014-R102 i...avec la surface des matériaux est d’une importance fondamentale pour de nombreux processus, dont l’adhésion, les réactions chimiques, le transport...hydrodynamique et la nettoyabilité des surfaces. Les propriétés des surfaces peuvent se situer dans une gamme allant d’un caractère hydrophile ou

  8. Change of Command aboard the Space Station

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-09-02

    The reins of the International Space Station were passed from Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos to Randy Bresnik of NASA during a ceremony on the orbital outpost Sept. 1. Yurchikhin is returning to Earth with his crewmates, Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer of NASA in the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft for a landing Sept. 3. Whitson, who has logged more days in space than any other U.S. astronaut, is completing a 10-month mission, her third long duration flight, while Yurchikhin and Fischer are completing 136 days in space.

  9. The Concentration Probability Density Function With Implications for Probabilistic Modeling of Chemical Warfare Agent Detector Responses for Source Reconstruction

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-05-01

    efforts de gestion rétroactive des situations d’urgence actuelles comportant l’mission cachée d’agents chi- miques, biologiques et radiologiques (CBR...Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2008 Original signed by E. Yee Original...context of the source reconstruction problem. DRDC Suffield TR 2008-077 i Résumé On a étudié les relations entre des moments variés de

  10. Effects of Integrated Hearing Protection Headsets on the Quality of Radio Communications (Effets des Casques D’ecoute Munis d’un Dispositif Integre de Protection de L’Ouie sur la Qualite des Communications Radio)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-07-01

    National Defence, 2009 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2009 DRDC Toronto TR...Parallèlement, on a évalué le degré d’acceptation de l’utilisateur à l’aide d’un questionnaire. Méthode: Cinq hommes ayant un seuil d’audition...hearing protection and usability. Résumé …..... L’intelligibilité de la parole en provenance d’un poste radio personnel (PRR) muni de casques

  11. Biometrics of Intent: From Psychophysiology to Behaviour

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-11-01

    pourrons comparer les profils de sujets individuels avec la base de données normatives. La mise sur pied de cette banque de données constitue donc la...of National Defence, 2009 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2009 DRDC...intentionnel des états émotionnels négatifs engendrés par le stress. Ce qui est proposé ici, c’est un cadre théorique préliminaire qui applique les

  12. Design and Test Results of AMIGO: A Novel Remote Ground Sensor System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-01-01

    prix ou dans l’IR à prix élevé); le corps principal équipé de capteurs et de composants électroniques de base à faible prix ; et une plate-forme...reine, représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2007 DRDC Valcartier TR 2005-272 i Abstract The objectives of the project...Observation) a pour but d’étudier les technologies relatives aux systèmes de détecteurs autonomes au sol (DAS) et de mettre au point, puis de

  13. Comparing the sensitivity of linear and volumetric MRI measurements to detect changes in the size of vestibular schwannomas in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 on bevacizumab treatment.

    PubMed

    Morris, Katrina A; Parry, Allyson; Pretorius, Pieter M

    2016-09-01

    To compare the sensitivity of linear and volumetric measurements on MRI in detecting schwannoma progression in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 on bevacizumab treatment as well as the extent to which this depends on the size of the tumour. We compared retrospectively, changes in linear tumour dimensions at a range of thresholds to volumetric tumour measurements performed using Brainlab iPlan(®) software (Feldkirchen, Germany) and classified for tumour progression according to the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) criteria. Assessment of 61 schwannomas in 46 patients with a median follow-up of 20 months (range 3-43 months) was performed. There was a mean of 7 time points per tumour (range 2-12 time points). Using the volumetric REiNS criteria as the gold standard, a sensitivity of 86% was achieved for linear measurement using a 2-mm threshold to define progression. We propose that a change in linear measurement by 2 mm (particularly in tumours with starting diameters 20-30 mm, the majority of this cohort) could be used as a filter to identify cases of possible progression requiring volumetric analysis. This pragmatic approach can be used if stabilization of a previously growing schwannoma is sufficient for a patient to continue treatment in such a circumstance. We demonstrate the real-world limitations of linear vs volumetric measurement in tumour response assessment and identify limited circumstances where linear measurements can be used to determine which patients require the more resource-intensive volumetric measurements.

  14. Treatment of patella baja by a modified Z-plasty.

    PubMed

    Guido, Wierer; Christian, Hoser; Elmar, Herbst; Elisabeth, Abermann; Christian, Fink

    2016-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a modified Z-plasty for patellar tendon lengthening for the treatment of patella baja. Rather than adapting only two tendon reins according to the conventional Z-plasty method, the modified Z-plasty provides four reins to enable multifold overlapping of the tendon tissue. Between 2010 and 2012, a modified Z-plasty procedure was performed in four patients suffering from patella baja. Physical examinations and standardized scoring instruments served as the evaluation measures. The median preoperative CD ratio of 0.53 (range 0.43-0.62) was corrected to 1.03 (range 1-1.06) after a median follow-up of 34 months (range 23-41 months). The median preoperative flexion of 108° (range 80-135°) improved to 143° (range 110-145°) compared with the flexion of 145° (range 140-145°) of the unaffected knee. No patients showed any signs of extension lag. The median Lysholm score improved from 49 (range 22-80) to 91 (range 67-95), and the Tegner activity level improved from 2 (range 0-6) to 6 (range 2-6). The median VAS status for pain decreased from an average of 8.5 (range 4-10) to 1 (range 0-2). No complications were observed. The modified Z-plasty procedure is a valuable technique for the treatment of patella baja, especially if allografts are not available. This procedure allowed for early mobilization and achieved excellent clinical results. IV.

  15. Science Town 2.0: An integrating Concept for S&T Support for Multi-Agency Crisis and Disaster Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-01

    la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2012 DRDC CSS TM 2012-029 i...importantes forces d’application de la loi et de sécurité nationale de l’histoire du Canada. L’empreinte de la sécurité du théâtre d’opérations des Jeux...sécurité et de défense par la mise en place d’une « ville scientifique » mobile. La réussite du déploiement des

  16. Engine Fluid Leakage Detection: A Feasibility Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-07-01

    2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2011 DRDC Atlantic TM 2011-050 i... de détecter tout problème possible lié à la sécurité ou aux performances des moteurs à turbine à gaz d’aéronefs. Le signalement immédiat d’une fuite...carburant ou d’huile moteur nuisent non seulement aux performances d’un moteur, mais elles représentent également une menace réelle pour la sécurité de

  17. Equations of Motion of a Ground Moving Target for a Multi-Channel Spaceborne SAR

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-01

    Canada as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2009 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de...ex., RADARSAT- 2 ou TerraSAR-X). Les travaux menant au présent mémoire technique visaient à dériver un ensemble d’équations de mouvement d’une cible...Dragos̆ević ; DRDC Ottawa TM 2008-326 ; R & D pour la défense Canada – Ottawa ; mars 2009. Introduction : Le traitement des données des radars à synthèse

  18. Synthetic Aperture Processing of Wideband Scattering Measurements Made in the DRDC Atlantic Acoustic Calibration Tank

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2008 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la...des mines ventouses d’entraînement réelles, sur un disque de un mètre de diamètre qui était suspendu dans le bassin d’étalonnage acoustique de RDDC...Atlantique à l’aide d’une perche rotative. Deux disques ont été examinés : un en aluminium et l’autre en fibre de verre . Ces disques ont été tournés

  19. Netz ohne doppelten Boden: Internet-Sicherheit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fichtner, Johann

    2002-07-01

    Die Sicherheitslücken des heutigen Internets haben zwei Ursachen: sein ursprüngliches Design für rein militärische Zwecke sowie die gefährliche Sorglosigkeit der Entwickler und Betreiber von Internet-Komponenten. Dabei kann ein kleiner Kreis von Experten Angriffe auf die eigentlichen Netzknoten ausführen. Typische Hacker-Angriffe kommen von Endsystemen des Internets und richten sich auch gegen Endsysteme wie Firmen-Intranets oder einzelne PCs. Dagegen gibt es eine Reihe von Schutzmöglichkeiten. Es ist jedoch keine einfache Lösung zur Erhöhung der Internet-Sicherheit in Sicht.

  20. Discrimination Power Control for Adaptive Target Tracking Applications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-07-01

    represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2008 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense...classification. Résumé Le travail présenté dans ce rapport porte sur le problème de la capacité discriminatoire dans des applications de pistage de cibles...objectifs d’une mission. La stratégie de contrôle est basée sur deux boucles imbriquées. La boucle externe utilise des techniques de regroupement de

  1. Single pion production in neutrino-nucleon interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kabirnezhad, M.

    2018-01-01

    This work represents an extension of the single pion production model proposed by Rein [Z. Phys. C 35, 43 (1987)., 10.1007/BF01561054]. The model consists of resonant pion production and nonresonant background contributions coming from three Born diagrams in the helicity basis. The new work includes lepton mass effects, and nonresonance interaction is described by five diagrams based on a nonlinear σ model. This work provides a full kinematic description of single pion production in the neutrino-nucleon interactions, including resonant and nonresonant interactions in the helicity basis, in order to study the interference effect.

  2. Combat Identification (15au): Project Summary and Closeout Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-07-01

    represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2009 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la...l’interface homme -machine pour amener une utilisation en confiance plus appropriée de l’aide automatisée à la décision. D’autre part, le projet a...examen des objectifs du projet, ainsi qu’une mise en perspective sur ce qui rend le travail nécessaire. Il y a un résumé des réussites du projet et

  3. Shin Clearance in the Hawk Mk115

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-01-01

    represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2008 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense... de sélection anthropométrique pour les pilotes. La nouvelle norme base l’acceptation ou le rejet des candidats selon qu’ils sont physiquement...compatibles avec les postes de pilotage de la flotte; la norme précédente n’était pas aussi spécifique. En conséquence, la compatibilité des élèves pilotes

  4. Development of Norms for the Post-deployment Reintegration Scale

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    semble pas y avoir de groupes manifestement à risque au sein des FC (Réserve par rapport à Force régulière, femmes par rapport aux hommes , renforts par...which read “j’ ai eu de la difficulté à réconcilier l ’ état de dévastation que j ’ai constaté là- bas et ma vie au Canada” in the French version...Canada. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2010 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du

  5. Who chooses a consumer-directed health plan?

    PubMed

    Barry, Colleen L; Cullen, Mark R; Galusha, Deron; Slade, Martin D; Busch, Susan H

    2008-01-01

    Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) hold the promise of reining in health spending by giving consumers a greater stake in health care purchasing, yet little is known about employers' experience with these products. In examining the characteristics of those selecting a CDHP offered by one large employer, we found stronger evidence of selection than has been identified in prior research. Our findings suggest that in the context of plan choice, CDHPs may offer little opportunity to greatly lower employers' cost burden, and they highlight concerns about the potential for risk segmentation and the value of conferring preferential tax treatment to CDHPs.

  6. Who Chooses A Consumer-Directed Health Plan?

    PubMed Central

    Barry, Colleen L.; Cullen, Mark R.; Galusha, Deron; Slade, Martin D.; Busch, Susan H.

    2012-01-01

    Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) hold the promise of reining in health spending by giving consumers a greater stake in health care purchasing, yet little is known about employers’ experience with these products. In examining the characteristics of those selecting a CDHP offered by one large employer, we found stronger evidence of selection than has been identified in prior research. Our findings suggest that in the context of plan choice, CDHPs may offer little opportunity to greatly lower employers’ cost burden, and they highlight concerns about the potential for risk segmentation and the value of conferring preferential tax treatment to CDHPs. PMID:18997225

  7. Putting reins on the brain. How the body and environment use it

    PubMed Central

    Dotov, Dobromir G.

    2014-01-01

    Radical embodied cognitive neuroscience (RECN) will probably rely on dynamical systems theory (DST) and complex systems theory for methods and formalism. Yet, there have been plenty of non-radical neurodynamicists out there for quite some time. How much of their work fits with radical embodied cognitive science, what do they need RECN for, and what are the inconsistencies between RECN and established neurodynamics that would have to be resolved? This paper is both theoretical hypothesis and review. First, it provides a brief overview of the typical, purely structural considerations why the central nervous systems (CNS) should be treated as a nonlinear dynamical system and what this entails. The reader will learn about the circular causality enclosing brain and behavior and different attempts to formalize this circularity. Then, three different attempts at linking dynamics and theory of brain function are described in more detail and criticized. A fourth method based on ecological psychology could fix some of the issues that the others encounter. It is argued that studying self-organization of the brain without taking its ecological embedding into account is insufficient. Finally, based on existing theoretical work we propose two roles that the CNS has to be fulfilling in order to allow an animal to behave adequately in its niche. In its first role the CNS has to be enslaved easily by patterns of behavior that guide the animal through its environment. In the second role the brain has to flexibly switch among patterns, what can be called the metastable circuit breaker. The relevance of this idea is supported using certain motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). These symptoms can be explained as consequent to an excessive stability of the (metastable) circuit breaker. PMID:25346675

  8. One Way to Rein in the Cost of Textbooks: Make Them Free

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delespinasse, Paul F.

    2008-01-01

    The prices for college texts have soared way beyond inflation for the last quarter-century. As such, they have become a burden on today's financially strapped students. From the point of students and of faculty members who are concerned about their students' welfare, the important question is what can be done to drive text prices back down. In…

  9. Functionality and Usability Assessment of the Complement Generation Tool (CGT): A Preliminary Review (Evaluation de la Fonctionnalite et de la Convivialite de Generation de Complements (CGT) - Examen Preliminaire)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-01

    Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2011 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle...l’utilité et la convivialité du CGT en ce qui concerne la détermination des besoins de main- d’œuvre au cours de la phase initiale de la conception d’une...lesquelles il a été conçu. L’évaluation a confirmé l’utilité du CGT en ce qui concerne la détermination des besoins de main-d’œuvre au cours de la phase

  10. Measurement of Charged Pions from Neutrino-produced Nuclear Resonance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simon, Clifford N.

    2014-01-01

    A method for identifying stopped pions in a high-resolution scintillator bar detector is presented. I apply my technique to measure the axial mass M Δ Afor production of the Δ(1232) resonance by neutrino, with the result M Δ A = 1.16±0.20 GeV (68% CL) (limited by statistics). The result is produced from the measured spectrum of reconstructed momentum-transfer Q 2. I proceed by varying the value of M Δ A in a Rein-Sehgal-based Monte Carlo to produce the best agreement, using shape only (not normalization). The consistency of this result with recent reanalyses of previous bubble-chamber experiments is discussed.

  11. Simulated-Altitude Investigations of Performance of Tubular Aircraft Oil Coolers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1948-04-01

    lb/see W. oil flow, lb/rein AP static-~ essure drop, in. water AT temperature change of air across oil cooler, OF v viscosity of air, lb/(ft)(sec) p...K67 17 APEENDIX B PRESSURE-RROP-CORRELATION2JWMXERS IN FLOW TEIKKE3 TU8ES Inasmuch as the air p? essure hop is a function of the wei~ht flow, the...that PO = PI and PL = P2. Cl’ LWa 1.8 () w 2.0 ‘1 PI APO-L =~ () —+1+C2’.Q—. —— - 1 PI P2 P1 P2 (3) Upon entr~oe into the passage, the static ~ essure

  12. Determining Fleet Size for a Modernized Canadian Maritime Patrol Aircraft

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-02-01

    nécessiteraient une mise à jour si on devait retarder l’acquisition des CMA, comme on l’annonçait en février 2014. Importance pour la défense et la sécurité...on procède à la mise à jour du CP-140, cette étude conclue qu’il en faudra au moins 14 pour satisfaire aux critères de surveillance énoncés. C’est...RDDC-2014-R2 February 2014 c© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (Department of National Defence), 2014 c© Sa Majesté la Reine en droit du Canada

  13. New Advanced Mass Casualty Breathing System for Oxygen Therapy: Phase 1

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-10-01

    of National Defence, 2006 © Sa Majesté la Reine , représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2006 DRDC Toronto TM 2006-201 i...Toronto a été chargé d’examiner la performance du masque PulmanexMD Hi-OxMD (Hi-Ox) à des débits d’oxygène (O2) de 4 litres par minute (L·min-1) en...d’examiner la performance du masque PulmanexMD Hi-OxMD (Hi-Ox) à des débits d’oxygène (O2) de 4 litres par minute (L·min-1). Le masque Hi-Ox est un

  14. Los Alamos Science, Number 25 -- 1997: Celebrating the Neutrino

    DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

    Cooper, N. G. ed.

    1997-01-01

    This issue is devoted to the neutrino and its remaining mysteries. It is divided into the following areas: (1) The Reines-Cowan experiment -- detecting the poltergeist; (2) The oscillating neutrino -- an introduction to neutrino masses and mixing; (3) A brief history of neutrino experiments at LAMPF; (4) A thousand eyes -- the story of LSND (Los Alamos neutrino oscillation experiment); (5) The evidence for oscillations; (6) The nature of neutrinos in muon decay and physics beyond the Standard Model; (7) Exorcising ghosts -- in pursuit of the missing solar neutrinos; (8) MSW -- a possible solution to the solar neutrino problem; (8) Neutrinos and supernovae; and (9) Dark matter and massive neutrinos.

  15. A frame-critical policy analysis of Canada's response to the World Food Summit 1998-2008.

    PubMed

    Mah, Catherine L; Hamill, Catherine; Rondeau, Krista; McIntyre, Lynn

    2014-01-01

    The 2012 visit to Canada of Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, led to a public rebuff by Canadian governmental officials. This paper adapts the frame-critical policy analysis of Schön and Rein (1994), to explore the rhetorical basis for this conflict. This examination is offered as an illustrative example of how food insecurity is framed as a public policy problem in a high-income nation and how this framing has changed over time. We analyze Canada's decade of sequential responses to the 1996 World Food Summit, spanning 1998-2008, in the form of Canada's Action Plan on Food Security, and its subsequent Progress Reports. We conducted a qualitative policy analysis, adapting the frame-critical approach first delineated by Schön and Rein (1994). This analysis uses a social constructionist approach to map out the relationships between tacit understanding of policy by particular actors, explicit rhetoric in the public domain, and action in this policy area over time. We identify three key ways in which competing rhetorical frames arise over time: frame shifts (e.g., a shift away from language highlighting the right to food and health); frame blending (e.g., discussion about poverty becomes obscured by complexity discourse); and within-frame incongruence (e.g., monitoring for health indicators that are unrelated to policy solutions). Together, these frames illustrate how the conflict embodied in the UN Special Rapporteur's visit has been deeply woven into the policy discourse on food insecurity in Canada over time. Frame-critical analysis is instructive for exposing and also predicting tensions that impede forward progress on difficult policy issues. Accordingly, such analyses may be helpful in not only dissecting how policy can become 'stuck' in the process of change but in active reframing towards new policy solutions.

  16. KSC-05PD-1529

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Mike Rein (right), division chief of Media Services at the NASA News Center, walks the area near the countdown clock (far right) at sunrise. The scene is the calm before the storm of journalists, photographers and television media who have descended upon KSC to capture the Return to Flight mission STS-114 to the International Space Station. This is the first Space Shuttle flight since the loss of Columbia, STS-107, on Feb. 1, 2003. Launch is scheduled for 3:51 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:06 a.m. July 25.

  17. Los Alamos Science, Number 25 -- 1997: Celebrating the neutrino

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cooper, N.G.

    1997-12-31

    This issue is devoted to the neutrino and its remaining mysteries. It is divided into the following areas: (1) The Reines-Cowan experiment -- detecting the poltergeist; (2) The oscillating neutrino -- an introduction to neutrino masses and mixing; (3) A brief history of neutrino experiments at LAMPF; (4) A thousand eyes -- the story of LSND (Los Alamos neutrino oscillation experiment); (5) The evidence for oscillations; (6) The nature of neutrinos in muon decay and physics beyond the Standard Model; (7) Exorcising ghosts -- in pursuit of the missing solar neutrinos; (8) MSW -- a possible solution to the solarmore » neutrino problem; (8) Neutrinos and supernovae; and (9) Dark matter and massive neutrinos.« less

  18. E54-55 Change of Command Ceremony_622857_hires

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-27

    Expedition 54 Crew Hands Over the Space Station to Expedition 55---- The reins of the International Space Station were passed from Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos to his cosmonaut crewmate Anton Shkaplerov during a ceremony on the orbital laboratory on Feb. 26. Misurkin is returning to Earth with his Expedition 54 crewmates, Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA, in the Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft. They will land on the steppe of Kazakhstan Feb. 28 (Feb. 27, U.S. time) to complete a five-and-a-half-month mission. Shkaplerov remains on the station as commander of Expedition 55 along with Flight Engineers Scott Tingle of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

  19. KSC-04PD-0158

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Armando Oliu, Final Inspection Team lead for the Shuttle program, speaks to reporters about the aid the Image Analysis Lab is giving the FBI in a kidnapping case. Behind him at right is Mike Rein, External Affairs division chief. Oliu oversees the image lab that is using an advanced SGI TP9500 data management system to review the tape of the kidnapping in progress in Sarasota, Fla. KSC installed the new $3.2 million system in preparation for Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle fleet. The lab is studying the Sarasota kidnapping video to provide any new information possible to law enforcement officers. KSC is joining NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama in reviewing the tape.

  20. KSC-04PD-0710

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- NASA-KSC representatives pose with two students in front of Oscar Patterson Elementary Magnet School in Panama City, Fla. From left are Pam Biegert (chief of KSCs Education Programs and University Research Office), astronaut Sam Durrance, Center Director Jim Kennedy, John Halsema (chief, Government Relations Office), Steve Lewis (assistant to Kennedy), and Mike Rein (division chief, Communications). NASA-KSC officials are visiting NASA Explorer Schools in Florida and Georgia to share Americas new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers. Kennedy is talking with students about our destiny as explorers, NASAs stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space.

  1. Easy Words: Reference Resolution in a Malevolent Referent World.

    PubMed

    Gleitman, Lila R; Trueswell, John C

    2018-06-15

    This article describes early stages in the acquisition of a first vocabulary by infants and young children. It distinguishes two major stages, the first of which operates by a stand-alone word-to-world pairing procedure and the second of which, using the evidence so acquired, builds a domain-specific syntax-sensitive structure-to-world pairing procedure. As we show, the first stage of learning is slow, restricted in character, and to some extent errorful, whereas the second procedure is determinative, rapid, and essentially errorless. Our central claim here is that the early, referentially based learning procedure succeeds at all because it is reined in by attention-focusing properties of word-to-world timing and related indicants of referential intent. Copyright © 2018 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  2. A Lie-theoretic Description of the Solution Space of the tt*-Toda Equations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guest, Martin A.; Ho, Nan-Kuo

    2017-12-01

    We give a Lie-theoretic explanation for the convex polytope which parametrizes the globally smooth solutions of the topological-antitopological fusion equations of Toda type (tt ∗-Toda equations) which were introduced by Cecotti and Vafa. It is known from Guest and Lin (J. Reine Angew. Math. 689, 1-32 2014) Guest et al. (It. Math. Res. Notices 2015, 11745-11784 2015) and Mochizuki (2013, 2014) that these solutions can be parametrized by monodromy data of a certain flat S L n+ 1 ℝ-connection. Using Boalch's Lie-theoretic description of Stokes data, and Steinberg's description of regular conjugacy classes of a linear algebraic group, we express this monodromy data as a convex subset of a Weyl alcove of S U n+ 1.

  3. Observations of electron phase-space holes driven during magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fox, W.; Porkolab, M.; Egedal, J.; Katz, N.; Le, A.

    2012-03-01

    This work presents detailed experimental observations of electron phase-space holes driven during magnetic reconnection events on the Versatile Toroidal Facility. The holes are observed to travel on the order of or faster than the electron thermal speed, and are of large size scale, with diameter of order 60 Debye lengths. In addition, they have 3D spheroidal structure with approximately unity aspect ratio. We estimate the direct anomalous resistivity due to ion interaction with the holes and find it to be too small to affect the reconnection rate; however, the holes may play a role in reining in a tail of accelerated electrons and they indicate the presence of other processes in the reconnection layer, such as electron energization and electron beam formation.

  4. Taking the Reins: Institutional Transformation in Higher Education. The ACE Series on Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eckel, Peter D.; Kezar, Adrianna

    2011-01-01

    Peter Eckel and Adrianna Kezar have written this book to offer insight to campus leaders who face transformational change--to help them mount a proactive, rather than a reactive, process to effect transformation. They believe that most institutional leaders have little to no experience with implementing large-scale change and lack a solid…

  5. Clinical Research Abstracts of the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress 2015.

    PubMed

    Simons, V; Weller, R; Stubbs, N C; Rombach, N; Pfau, T

    2015-09-01

    Training and rehabilitation techniques which improve core muscle strength are beneficial for improvement of dynamic stability of the equine vertebral column. The Equiband™ system, consisting of resistance bands attached to a customised saddle pad, is suggested to provide constant proprioceptive feedback during motion to encourage recruitment of abdominal and hindquarter musculature. To quantify the effect of the Equiband™ system on back kinematics and movement symmetry. Longitudinal intervention study. Quantitative analysis of back movement and gait symmetry before/after a 4-week exercise programme. Inertial sensor data was collected from 7 horses at Weeks 0 and 4 of a fixed exercise protocol. Analysis with and without the Equiband™ system was completed at trot in hand on a hard surface, and for both reins on the lunge on a soft surface. Six back kinematic and 3 movement symmetry parameters were calculated according to published methods. Movement symmetry values were side-corrected to allow comparison between reins on the lunge. A mixed model (P<0.05) evaluated the effects of the Equiband™ system over time, and trotting direction on back kinematic and movement symmetry parameters. The Equiband™ system significantly reduced (all P<0.02) roll, pitch and mediolateral displacement in the cranial-mid thoracic region. Across all horses, back displacement and range of motion values were significantly greater (P<0.01) on the lunge than in a straight line, movement symmetry was consistent with having corrected all horses to be left-sided. Preliminary results suggest the Equiband™ system may aid dynamic stabilisation of the vertebral column. Ethical animal research: This study was authorised by the Ethics and Welfare Committee of the Royal Veterinary College, London (URN Approval Number 1238). Written consent was obtained from the owner/keeper of each animal. Royal Veterinary College. Competing interests: N.C. Stubbs and N. Rombach developed the Equiband

  6. Preventing Proximal Adjacent Level Kyphosis With Strap Stabilization.

    PubMed

    Zaghloul, Khaled M; Matoian, Brett J; Denardin, Nicholas B; Patel, Vikas V

    2016-07-01

    A substantial proportion of patients develop proximal junctional kyphosis following spinal surgery. To combat this postoperative change, several techniques have focused on maintaining the structural integrity of adjacent spinal levels and adapting the proximal end of the fusion construct to accommodate the increased mechanical stressors produced by long spinal fusion. The use of Mersilene tape (Ethicon, Somerville, New Jersey) for spine and orthopedic surgery is well documented, although considerably less is known about its use for preventing proximal junctional kyphosis. This article describes a proposed technique using Mersilene tape to provide a check-rein strap stabilization at the proximal end of fusion constructs. Initial data suggest that use of this technique may prevent formation of proximal junctional kyphosis. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(4):e794-e799.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  7. Einsatz molekularer Methoden für Starterkulturen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehrmann, Matthias A.; Pavlovic, Melanie

    Unter Starterkulturen versteht man Mikroorganismen (Bakterien, Hefen, Pilze), die pflanzlichen bzw. tierischen Rohstoffen zur gezielten Veränderung ihrer chemischen Zusammensetzung zugesetzt werden. Sie dienen im Wesentlichen der Aromabildung, der Strukturveränderung und der Konservierung der Lebensmittel und werden aufgrund spezieller, funktioneller Eigenschaften selektiert. Die Zugabe von Starterkulturen erfolgt in der Regel in relativ hohen Keimzahlen in Form von Rein- oder Mischkulturen. Die zum Einsatz kommenden Mikroorganismen sind ebenso zahlreich wie die daraus resultierenden Produkte und reichen von der Fermentation von Milchprodukten, Fleisch und Gemüse durch Milchsäurebakterien über die Essigsäureherstellung bis hin zum Einsatz von Hefen in der Brau- und Weinindustrie. Hieraus ergibt sich auch eine zunehmende Bedeutung schneller und zuverlässiger Methoden zur taxonomischen Identifizierung, aber auch zur Charakterisierung des genetischen Potenzials der jeweiligen Starterkulturen.

  8. The habenula.

    PubMed

    Namboodiri, Vijay Mohan K; Rodriguez-Romaguera, Jose; Stuber, Garret D

    2016-10-10

    The habenula is a tiny brain region the size of a pea in humans. This region is highly conserved across vertebrates and has been traditionally overlooked by neuroscientists. The name habenula is derived from the Latin word habena, meaning "little rein", because of its elongated shape. Originally its function was thought to be related to the regulation of the nearby pineal gland (which Rene Descartes described as the "principal seat of the soul"). More recent evidence, however, demonstrates that the habenula acts as a critical neuroanatomical hub that connects and regulates brain regions important for divergent motivational states and cognition. In this Primer, we will discuss the recent and converging evidence that points to the habenula as a key brain region for motivation and decision-making. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. The brave new world of managed care.

    PubMed

    Korcok, M

    1995-07-01

    Canadian hospitals that think they can charge higher-than-normal rates to foreign visitors are learning a lesson as US-style managed care moves north of the border. Dr. Robert MacMillan, president and medical director of Florida-based Insurance Claims Management Systems and past president of the Ontario Medical Association, says that south of the border US-style managed care has already hauled in the reins on wild expectations about high payments, and it is expected to do the same for Canadian hospitals that charge private insurers "as much as the traffic will bear." He says it is no longer uncommon for a large Toronto hospital to charge a foreign patient $3000 a day for care that can now be purchased in a US hospital for one-third that price.

  10. "Relinquish the reins": persuasion and consensus in the discourse of pregnancy and childbirth advice literature.

    PubMed

    Rodgers, Ornaith

    2015-03-01

    Popular pregnancy and childbirth advice books constitute an important source of information for pregnant women. These texts shape women's perceptions of pregnancy, childbirth and the medical care they will receive during this time. This article reports on a study of the enactment of power relations between pregnant women and their medical caregivers in the discourse of pregnancy and childbirth advice literature and its implications for practice. The study focuses on the discursive positioning of women in relation to medical personnel through a critical discourse analysis of two popular advice books, one in English and one in French. The article suggests that through the use of a number of key discursive strategies, pregnant women are constructed as under the control of the medical institution in these texts. However, this control is not achieved by an overt oppressive discourse, instead it is achieved through persuasion and consensus by generating the consent of pregnant women to comply with medical norms. The medical institution is represented in these texts as a dominant force while women are constructed as powerless recipients of medical care. Medical professionals should firstly consider whether the power relations represented in these texts correspond to those enacted in clinics and delivery rooms. Secondly, caregivers should be cautious about recommending popular pregnancy and childbirth advice books to women as the relationship between pregnant women and their caregivers may be undermined by the negative power asymmetry enacted in these texts. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Taking the reins: the effects of new leader status and leadership style on team performance.

    PubMed

    Sauer, Stephen J

    2011-05-01

    New leaders face a challenging task when they take charge of their teams. They have to determine how best to guide the work process, and they must understand how their behaviors will affect the members of their team. This research examines how a newly assigned team leader's status moderates subordinates' reactions to different leadership styles to affect assessments of the leader's self-confidence and effectiveness, and how this impacts team performance. Across 2 experimental studies, results demonstrate that low-status leaders are rated as more effective when they use a directive style, whereas high-status leaders are viewed as more effective when they use a participative style, and this relationship is mediated by perceptions of self-confidence. In addition, teams whose leaders are viewed more favorably perform better on a complex group task. These findings imply that low-status individuals are able to enhance their level of personal power by drawing on whatever positional power they hold, whereas high-status individuals are better off relying solely on their personal power to influence others. This research also provides a clear demonstration that assessments of new leaders' behaviors are subject to an appraisal that is clouded by observers' status perceptions and attributions.

  12. Understanding differences between high- and low-price hospitals: implications for efforts to rein in costs.

    PubMed

    White, Chapin; Reschovsky, James D; Bond, Amelia M

    2014-02-01

    Private insurers pay widely varying prices for inpatient care across hospitals. Previous research indicates that certain hospitals use market clout to obtain higher payment rates, but there have been few in-depth examinations of the relationship between hospital characteristics and pricing power. This study used private insurance claims data to identify hospitals receiving inpatient prices significantly higher or lower than the median in their market. High-price hospitals, compared to other hospitals, tend to be larger; be major teaching hospitals; belong to systems with large market shares; and provide specialized services, such as heart transplants and Level I trauma care. High-price hospitals also receive significant revenues from nonpatient sources, such as state Medicaid disproportionate-share hospital funds, and they enjoy healthy total financial margins. Quality indicators for high-price hospitals were mixed: High-price hospitals fared much better than low-price hospitals did in U.S. News & World Report rankings, which are largely based on reputation, while generally scoring worse on objective measures of quality, such as postsurgical mortality rates. Thus, insurers may face resistance if they attempt to steer patients away from high-price hospitals because these facilities have good reputations and offer specialized services that may be unique in their markets.

  13. New Therapeutic Targets in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Aiming to Rein in Runaway Wound-Healing Responses

    PubMed Central

    Ahluwalia, Neil; Shea, Barry S.

    2014-01-01

    Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease, with a median survival as short as 3 years from the time of diagnosis and no pharmacological therapies yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. To address the great unmet need for effective IPF therapy, a number of new drugs have recently been, or are now being, evaluated in clinical trials. The rationales for most of these therapeutic candidates are based on the current paradigm of IPF pathogenesis, in which recurrent injury to the alveolar epithelium is believed to drive aberrant wound healing responses, resulting in fibrosis rather than repair. Here we discuss drugs in recently completed or currently ongoing phase II and III IPF clinical trials in the context of their putative mechanisms of action and the aberrant repair processes they are believed to target: innate immune activation and polarization, fibroblast accumulation and myofibroblast differentiation, or extracellular matrix deposition and stiffening. Placed in this context, the positive results of recently completed trials of pirfenidone and nintedanib, and results that will come from ongoing trials of other agents, should provide valuable insights into the still-enigmatic pathogenesis of this disease, in addition to providing benefits to patients with IPF. PMID:25090037

  14. [Ambroise Paré in French literature].

    PubMed

    Dumaitre, P

    1995-01-01

    The 16th century by its passionate side has been the favourite one of authors of historical novels in which among the heroes of "cloak and dagger stories" appears sometime Ambroise Paré. Alexandre Dumas (the father) has shown him at the court of Charles IX in La Reine Margot (1845) where he does not however play a great role. On the contrary, Balzac in Le Martyr calviniste (1842) has given him a capital part close to the dying François II, whom he intended to trepanize but had to give up this idea as a consequence of the opposition of the queen-mother Catherine de Médicis. In the present century, Robert Merle in Paris ma bonne ville (Fortune de France, 3, 1980) shows Paré at the time of the Saint Barthélemy.

  15. Much Ado About (Almost!) Nothing: The Experimental Study of Neutrino Masses and Mixing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Messier, Mark

    2009-11-01

    Neutrinos have been described by their discoverer Frederick Reines as ``the most tiny quantity of reality ever imagined by a human being.'' Yet these particles which verge on nothingness have had an enormous influence on the past and future evolution of the universe and are the subject of an increasingly active program of experimental physics. In this talk I will review some of the basic properties of neutrinos and summarize the recent results on neutrino masses and mixing from studies of neutrinos produced in the Sun, cosmic rays, reactors, and accelerators including searches for zero neutrino double beta decay. Looking ahead, I will outline the future course of experiments in the U.S., Asia, and Europe which will address the questions of the fundamental character of the neutrino, the hierarchy of their masses, and their matter anti-matter symmetries.

  16. Genetic mitigation strategies to tackle agricultural GHG emissions: The case for biological nitrification inhibition technology.

    PubMed

    Subbarao, G V; Arango, J; Masahiro, K; Hooper, A M; Yoshihashi, T; Ando, Y; Nakahara, K; Deshpande, S; Ortiz-Monasterio, I; Ishitani, M; Peters, M; Chirinda, N; Wollenberg, L; Lata, J C; Gerard, B; Tobita, S; Rao, I M; Braun, H J; Kommerell, V; Tohme, J; Iwanaga, M

    2017-09-01

    Accelerated soil-nitrifier activity and rapid nitrification are the cause of declining nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) and enhanced nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from farming. Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) is the ability of certain plant roots to suppress soil-nitrifier activity, through production and release of nitrification inhibitors. The power of phytochemicals with BNI-function needs to be harnessed to control soil-nitrifier activity and improve nitrogen-cycling in agricultural systems. Transformative biological technologies designed for genetic mitigation are needed, so that BNI-enabled crop-livestock and cropping systems can rein in soil-nitrifier activity, to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and globally make farming nitrogen efficient and less harmful to environment. This will reinforce the adaptation or mitigation impact of other climate-smart agriculture technologies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The coming fiscal crisis: nephrology in the line of fire.

    PubMed

    Andersen, Martin J; Friedman, Allon N

    2013-07-01

    Nephrologists in the United States face a very uncertain economic future. The astronomical federal debt and unfunded liability burden of Medicare combined with the aging population will place unprecedented strain on the health care sector. To address these fundamental problems, it is conceivable that the federal government will ultimately institute rationing and other budget-cutting measures to rein in costs of ESRD care, which is generously funded relative to other chronic illnesses. Therefore, nephrologists should expect implementation of cost-cutting measures, such age-based rationing, mandated delayed dialysis and home therapies, compensated organ donation, and a shift in research priorities from the dialysis to the predialysis patient population. Nephrologists also need to recognize that these changes, which are geared toward the population level, may make it more difficult to advocate effectively for the needs of individual patients.

  18. KSC-05PD-0359

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During an End-to-End (ETE) Mission Management Team (MMT) launch simulation at KSC, Mike Rein, division chief of Media Services, and Lisa Malone, director of External Relations and Business Development at KSC, work the consoles. In Firing Room 1 at KSC, Shuttle launch team members put the Shuttle system through an integrated simulation. The control room is set up with software used to simulate flight and ground systems in the launch configuration. The ETE MMT simulation included L-2 and L-1 day Prelaunch MMT meetings, an external tanking/weather briefing, and a launch countdown. The ETE transitioned to the Johnson Space Center for the flight portion of the simulation, with the STS-114 crew in a simulator at JSC. Such simulations are common before a launch to keep the Shuttle launch team sharp and ready for liftoff.

  19. Proceedings of the 1973 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Endocrine Program Conference

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    Papers given at the conference are presented. Subjects covered include the following: biochemical changes during 28 days of space flight, modulating the pituitary-adrenal response to stress, the significance of biorhythms in space flight, the importance of the rein-angiotensin system in normal cardiovascular homeostasis, a progress report of stress-induced changes in corticosteroid metabolism, recent studies of physiological factors involved in the regulation of serotonin content and turnover in the brain, the role of brain biogenic amines in the control of pituitary-adrenocortical activity, application of the water immersion model to man by studies of acid-base homeostasis during simulated weightlessness, the present status of physiological studies and analysis of calcium homeostasis in the Apollo and Skylab programs, and endocrine considerations in the red-cell-mass and plasma-volume changes of Skylab 2 and 3 crews.

  20. Surprise: Dwarf Galaxy Harbors Supermassive Black Hole

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2011-01-01

    The surprising discovery of a supermassive black hole in a small nearby galaxy has given astronomers a tantalizing look at how black holes and galaxies may have grown in the early history of the Universe. Finding a black hole a million times more massive than the Sun in a star-forming dwarf galaxy is a strong indication that supermassive black holes formed before the buildup of galaxies, the astronomers said. The galaxy, called Henize 2-10, 30 million light-years from Earth, has been studied for years, and is forming stars very rapidly. Irregularly shaped and about 3,000 light-years across (compared to 100,000 for our own Milky Way), it resembles what scientists think were some of the first galaxies to form in the early Universe. "This galaxy gives us important clues about a very early phase of galaxy evolution that has not been observed before," said Amy Reines, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Supermassive black holes lie at the cores of all "full-sized" galaxies. In the nearby Universe, there is a direct relationship -- a constant ratio -- between the masses of the black holes and that of the central "bulges" of the galaxies, leading them to conclude that the black holes and bulges affected each others' growth. Two years ago, an international team of astronomers found that black holes in young galaxies in the early Universe were more massive than this ratio would indicate. This, they said, was strong evidence that black holes developed before their surrounding galaxies. "Now, we have found a dwarf galaxy with no bulge at all, yet it has a supermassive black hole. This greatly strengthens the case for the black holes developing first, before the galaxy's bulge is formed," Reines said. Reines, along with Gregory Sivakoff and Kelsey Johnson of the University of Virginia and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Crystal Brogan of the NRAO, observed Henize 2-10 with the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array radio telescope and

  1. Surprise: Dwarf Galaxy Harbors Supermassive Black Hole

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2011-01-01

    The surprising discovery of a supermassive black hole in a small nearby galaxy has given astronomers a tantalizing look at how black holes and galaxies may have grown in the early history of the Universe. Finding a black hole a million times more massive than the Sun in a star-forming dwarf galaxy is a strong indication that supermassive black holes formed before the buildup of galaxies, the astronomers said. The galaxy, called Henize 2-10, 30 million light-years from Earth, has been studied for years, and is forming stars very rapidly. Irregularly shaped and about 3,000 light-years across (compared to 100,000 for our own Milky Way), it resembles what scientists think were some of the first galaxies to form in the early Universe. "This galaxy gives us important clues about a very early phase of galaxy evolution that has not been observed before," said Amy Reines, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Supermassive black holes lie at the cores of all "full-sized" galaxies. In the nearby Universe, there is a direct relationship -- a constant ratio -- between the masses of the black holes and that of the central "bulges" of the galaxies, leading them to conclude that the black holes and bulges affected each others' growth. Two years ago, an international team of astronomers found that black holes in young galaxies in the early Universe were more massive than this ratio would indicate. This, they said, was strong evidence that black holes developed before their surrounding galaxies. "Now, we have found a dwarf galaxy with no bulge at all, yet it has a supermassive black hole. This greatly strengthens the case for the black holes developing first, before the galaxy's bulge is formed," Reines said. Reines, along with Gregory Sivakoff and Kelsey Johnson of the University of Virginia and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Crystal Brogan of the NRAO, observed Henize 2-10 with the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array radio telescope and

  2. Keeping a tight grip on the reins: donor control over aid coordination and management in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Buse, K

    1999-09-01

    A long-standing consensus that aid coordination should be owned by recipient authorities has been eclipsed by accord on the desirability of recipient management of aid along-side domestic resources. Nonetheless, in many low and lower-middle income countries, donors remain remarkably uncoordinated; where attempts at coordination are made, they are often donor-driven, and only a small proportion of aid is directly managed by recipients. This paper draws on evidence from an in-depth review of aid to the health sector in Bangladesh to analyze the systems by which external resources are managed. Based on interviews with key stakeholders, a questionnaire survey and analysis of documentary sources, the factors constraining the government from assuming a more active role in aid management are explored. The results suggest that donor perceptions of weak government capacity, inadequate accountability and compromised integrity only partially account for the propensity for donor leadership. Equally important is the consideration that aid coordination has a markedly political dimension. Stakeholders are well aware of the power, influence and leverage which aid coordination confers, an awareness which colours the desire of some stakeholders to lead aid coordination processes, and conditions the extent and manner by which others wish to be involved. It is argued that recipient management of external aid is dependent on major changes in the attitudes and behaviours of recipients and donors alike.

  3. VizieR Online Data Catalog: FARGO_THORIN 1.0 hydrodynamic code (Chrenko+, 2017)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chrenko, O.; Broz, M.; Lambrechts, M.

    2017-07-01

    This archive contains the source files, documentation and example simulation setups of the FARGO_THORIN 1.0 hydrodynamic code. The program was introduced, described and used for simulations in the paper. It is built on top of the FARGO code (Masset, 2000A&AS..141..165M, Baruteau & Masset, 2008ApJ...672.1054B) and it is also interfaced with the REBOUND integrator package (Rein & Liu, 2012A&A...537A.128R). THORIN stands for Two-fluid HydrOdynamics, the Rebound integrator Interface and Non-isothermal gas physics. The program is designed for self-consistent investigations of protoplanetary systems consisting of a gas disk, a disk of small solid particles (pebbles) and embedded protoplanets. Code features: I) Non-isothermal gas disk with implicit numerical solution of the energy equation. The implemented energy source terms are: Compressional heating, viscous heating, stellar irradiation, vertical escape of radiation, radiative diffusion in the midplane and radiative feedback to accretion heating of protoplanets. II) Planets evolved in 3D, with close encounters allowed. The orbits are integrated using the IAS15 integrator (Rein & Spiegel, 2015MNRAS.446.1424R). The code detects the collisions among planets and resolve them as mergers. III) Refined treatment of the planet-disk gravitational interaction. The code uses a vertical averaging of the gravitational potential, as outlined in Muller & Kley (2012A&A...539A..18M). IV) Pebble disk represented by an Eulerian, presureless and inviscid fluid. The pebble dynamics is affected by the Epstein gas drag and optionally by the diffusive effects. We also implemented the drag back-reaction term into the Navier-Stokes equation for the gas. Archive summary: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- directory/file Explanation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- /in_relax Contains setup of the first example simulation /in_wplanet Contains setup of the second

  4. The period function of the generalized Lotka-Volterra centers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Villadelprat, J.

    2008-05-01

    The present paper deals with the period function of the quadratic centers. In the literature different terminologies are used to classify these centers, but essentially there are four families: Hamiltonian, reversible , codimension four Q4 and generalized Lotka-Volterra systems . Chicone [C. Chicone, Review in MathSciNet, Ref. 94h:58072] conjectured that the reversible centers have at most two critical periods, and that the centers of the three other families have a monotonic period function. With regard to the second part of this conjecture, only the monotonicity of the Hamiltonian and Q4 families [W.A. Coppel, L. Gavrilov, The period function of a Hamiltonian quadratic system, Differential Integral Equations 6 (1993) 1357-1365; Y. Zhao, The monotonicity of period function for codimension four quadratic system Q4, J. Differential Equations 185 (2002) 370-387] has been proved. Concerning the family, no substantial progress has been made since the middle 80s, when several authors showed independently the monotonicity of the classical Lotka-Volterra centers [F. Rothe, The periods of the Volterra-Lokta system, J. Reine Angew. Math. 355 (1985) 129-138; R. Schaaf, Global behaviour of solution branches for some Neumann problems depending on one or several parameters, J. Reine Angew. Math. 346 (1984) 1-31; J. Waldvogel, The period in the Lotka-Volterra system is monotonic, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 114 (1986) 178-184]. By means of the first period constant one can easily conclude that the period function of the centers in the family is monotone increasing near the inner boundary of its period annulus (i.e., the center itself). Thus, according to Chicone's conjecture, it should be also monotone increasing near the outer boundary, which in the Poincaré disc is a polycycle. In this paper we show that this is true. In addition we prove that, except for a zero measure subset of the parameter plane, there is no bifurcation of critical periods from the outer boundary. Finally we

  5. Efficient calculation of the polarizability: a simplified effective-energy technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, J. A.; Reining, L.; Sottile, F.

    2012-09-01

    In a recent publication [J.A. Berger, L. Reining, F. Sottile, Phys. Rev. B 82, 041103(R) (2010)] we introduced the effective-energy technique to calculate in an accurate and numerically efficient manner the GW self-energy as well as the polarizability, which is required to evaluate the screened Coulomb interaction W. In this work we show that the effective-energy technique can be used to further simplify the expression for the polarizability without a significant loss of accuracy. In contrast to standard sum-over-state methods where huge summations over empty states are required, our approach only requires summations over occupied states. The three simplest approximations we obtain for the polarizability are explicit functionals of an independent- or quasi-particle one-body reduced density matrix. We provide evidence of the numerical accuracy of this simplified effective-energy technique as well as an analysis of our method.

  6. Older persons' lived experiences of depression and self-management.

    PubMed

    Holm, Anne Lise; Lyberg, Anne; Lassenius, Erna; Severinsson, Elisabeth; Berggren, Ingela

    2013-10-01

    Mental ill-health, such as depression in the elderly, is a complex issue that is influenced by the life-world perspective of older persons. Their self-management ability should be strengthened based on an understanding of their situation, perspectives, and vulnerability. The aim of this study was to explore and increase understanding of old persons' lived experiences of depression and self-management using an interpretative explorative design. Understanding was developed by means of hermeneutic interpretation. One theme, Relationships and Togetherness, and four subthemes, A Sense of Carrying a Shoulder Bag, Walking on Eggshells, Holding the Reins, and Estrangement--a Loss of Togetherness, emerged. A collaborative approach can be important for empowering older persons through self-development and management. Although the findings of the present study cannot be considered conclusive or definitive, they nevertheless contribute new knowledge of older persons' lived experiences of depression in everyday life.

  7. The Einstein-Vlasov System/Kinetic Theory.

    PubMed

    Andréasson, Håkan

    2011-01-01

    The main purpose of this article is to provide a guide to theorems on global properties of solutions to the Einstein-Vlasov system. This system couples Einstein's equations to a kinetic matter model. Kinetic theory has been an important field of research during several decades in which the main focus has been on non-relativistic and special relativistic physics, i.e., to model the dynamics of neutral gases, plasmas, and Newtonian self-gravitating systems. In 1990, Rendall and Rein initiated a mathematical study of the Einstein-Vlasov system. Since then many theorems on global properties of solutions to this system have been established. This paper gives introductions to kinetic theory in non-curved spacetimes and then the Einstein-Vlasov system is introduced. We believe that a good understanding of kinetic theory in non-curved spacetimes is fundamental to a good comprehension of kinetic theory in general relativity.

  8. Neutrino-induced meson productions off nucleon at forward limit in nucleon resonance region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakamura, S. X.; Kamano, H.; Lee, T.-S. H.; Sato, T.

    2015-05-01

    We study forward neutrino-induced meson production off the nucleon in the resonance region. Our calculation is based on a dynamical coupled-channels (DCC) model that reasonably describes π(γ)N → πN, ηN, KΛ, KΣ data in the resonance region. We apply the PCAC hypothesis to the DCC model to relate the πN reaction amplitude to the forward neutrino reaction amplitude. In this way, we give a prediction for νN → πN, ππN, ηN, KΛ, KΣ reaction cross sections. The predicted νN → ππN, ηN, KΛ, KΣ cross sections are, for the first time, based on a model extensively tested by data. We compare our results with those from the Rein-Sehgal model that has been very often used in the existing Monte Carlo simulators for neutrino experiments. We find a significant difference between them.

  9. The emotionally competent leader.

    PubMed

    Goleman, D

    1998-01-01

    Aristotle once challenged man "to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way" (The Nicomachean Ethics). Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., a journalist for the New York Times, expands on this statement in his new book, "Emotional Intelligence." He defines emotional intelligence as the ability to rein in emotional impulses, to read another's innermost feelings and to handle relationships and conflict smoothly. This new model of intelligence puts emotions at the center of our aptitudes for living. Goleman asserts that these emotional aptitudes can preserve relationships, protect our health and improve our success at work. The following adaptation from "Emotional Intelligence" (Bantam Books, 1995) offers suggestions to managers and supervisors on how they can create a more cost-effective and healthier workplace for their employees by becoming more aware of their own emotional. intelligence.

  10. Military Wives' Transition and Coping: Deployment and the Return Home

    PubMed Central

    Marnocha, Suzanne

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences of wives of deployed soldiers. Semistructured interviews were used to answer the research questions. Meleis' Transitions Theory was used to guide the understanding of the wives' experiences. Phase One: news of deployment, property of awareness, themes of emotional chaos and making preparations. Phase Two: during deployment, property of engagement, themes of taking the reins and placing focus elsewhere, along with the property of change and difference, with themes of emotional and physical turmoil, staying strong, and reaching out. Phase Three: after deployment, property of time span, themes of absence makes the heart grow fonder and reestablishing roles. The study concluded that the wife often feels forgotten during deployment. Nurses can give better care by understanding how the different phases of deployment and separation affect the wife's coping ability and her physical and emotional health. PMID:22844613

  11. Detecting the Neutrino

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arns, Robert G.

    In 1930 Wolfgang Pauli suggested that a new particle might be required to make sense of the radioactive-disintegration mode known as beta decay. This conjecture initially seemed impossible to verify since the new particle, which became known as the neutrino, was uncharged, had zero or small mass, and interacted only insignificantly with other matter. In 1951 Frederick Reines and Clyde L. Cowan, Jr., of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory undertook the difficult task of detecting the free neutrino by observing its inverse beta-decay interaction with matter. They succeeded in 1956. The neutrino was accepted rapidly as a fundamental particle despite discrepancies in reported details of the experiments and despite the absence of independent verification of the result. This paper describes the experiments, examines the nature of the discrepancies, and discusses the circumstances of the acceptance of the neutrino's detection by the physics community.

  12. KSC-04PD-0280

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASA Administrator Sean OKeefe talks to the media at the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. He and government officials were at the park for a presentation about the assets of the research park as the site of NASAs new Shared Services Center. Behind OKeefe are (left to right) Pamella J. Dana, Ph.D., director, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development in Florida; Florida Congressman Tom Feeney; U.S. Representative Ric Keller; and Congressman Dave Weldon. At right is Mike Rein, division chief of KSC External Affairs. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration for location of the Center, which would centralize NASAs payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Others attending the presentation included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Center Director Jim Kennedy.

  13. KSC-04PD-0290

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASA Administrator Sean OKeefe talks to the media at the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. He and government officials were at the park for a presentation about the assets of the research park as the site of NASAs new Shared Services Center. Behind OKeefe are (left to right) Pamella J. Dana, Ph.D., director, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development in Florida; U.S. Representative Ric Keller; Florida Congressman Tom Feeney; and Congressman Dave Weldon. At right is Mike Rein, division chief of KSC External Affairs. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration for location of the Center, which would centralize NASAs payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Others attending the presentation included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Center Director Jim Kennedy.

  14. Faster, better, cheaper: lean labs are the key to future survival.

    PubMed

    Bryant, Patsy M; Gulling, Richard D

    2006-03-28

    Process improvement techniques have been used in manufacturing for many years to rein in costs and improve quality. Health care is now grappling with similar challenges. The Department of Laboratory Services at Good Samaritan Hospital, a 560-bed facility in Dayton, OH, used the Lean process improvement method in a 12-week project to streamline its core laboratory processes. By analyzing the flow of samples through the system and identifying value-added and non-value-added steps, both in the laboratory and during the collection process, Good Samaritan's project team redesigned systems and reconfigured the core laboratory layout to trim collection-to-results time from 65 minutes to 40 minutes. As a result, virtually all morning results are available to physicians by 7 a.m., critical values are called to nursing units within 30 minutes, and core laboratory services are optimally staffed for maximum cost-effectiveness.

  15. A review of new drugs and indications in 2002: financial speculation or better patent care?

    PubMed

    2003-04-01

    (1) Once again, our review of drug developments in France in 2002 shows that, in an unfettered market drugs that offer patients no concrete advantages are announced with the biggest fanfare, while drugs that represent real therapeutic advance risk going unnoticed. (2) Regulatory agencies continue to fail in their duty to provide health professionals and patients with the information they need to cut through the hype and to use (correctly) the drugs with the best risk-benefit ratios. (3) The draft modifications to the European Regulation on medicinal products published in 2002 would have made the situation even worse (and may still do so). Fortunately, the European Parliament reined in the Commission's eagerness to please the drugs industry. But all of us who want to see a European drugs policy that serves patients' best interests rather than stockholders' portfolios must remain vigilant in 2003.

  16. Home Health Aides' Perceptions of Quality Care: Goals, Challenges, and Implications for a Rapidly Changing Industry.

    PubMed

    Franzosa, Emily; Tsui, Emma K; Baron, Sherry

    2018-02-01

    Home care payment models, quality measures, and care plans are based on physical tasks workers perform, ignoring relational care that supports clients' cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. As states seek to rein in costs and improve the efficiency and quality of care, they will need to consider how to measure and support relational care. In four focus groups ( n = 27) of unionized, agency-based New York City home health aides, workers reported aide-client relationships were a cornerstone of high-quality care, and building them required communication, respect, and going the extra mile. Since much of this care was invisible outside the worker-client relationship, aides received little supervisory support and felt excluded from the formal care team. Aligning payment models with quality requires understanding the full scope of services aides provide and a quality work environment that offers support and supervision, engages aides in patient care, and gives them a voice in policy decisions.

  17. Modulare und durchgängige Produktmodelle als Erfolgsfaktor zur Bedienung einer Omni-Channel-Architektur - PLM 4.0

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golovatchev, Julius; Felsmann, Marcus

    Mit der Transformation der Wertschöpfungsstrukturen von Utility 1.0 zu Utility 4.0 erfolgt offensichtlich auch eine Veränderung des Produkts. Vor dem Hintergrund disruptiver Technologien (IoT, Big Data, Cloud, Robotics etc.) und auch gesellschaftlicher Veränderungen entstehen ständig neue Geschäftsmodelle und Produkte, die über die reine Versorgungsdienstleistung (z. B. Strom) hinausgehen. Dabei muss der wertvolle Rohstoff Produktdaten für smarte Produkte durchgängiger und schneller nutzbar gemacht werden. Die modularen und durchgängigen Produktstrukturen leisten einen Beitrag zur Beherrschung von Komplexität und stellen somit einen wesentlichen Hebel für erfolgreiche Produktentwicklung und -management dar. In diesem Beitrag werden Ansätze beschrieben, wie es den vor der Herausforderung Utility 4.0 stehenden Unternehmen gelingen kann, Smart-Energy-Produkte so zu modellieren, dass sie die Interoperabilität der einzelnen Produktionsmodule sicherstellt und ein Ende-zu-Ende-Management ermöglicht.

  18. Depth of origin of solar active regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parker, E. N.

    1984-01-01

    Observations show that the individual bipolar magnetic regions on the sun remain confined during their decay phase, with much of the magnetic field pulling back under the surface, in reverse of the earlier emergence. This suggests that the magnetic field is held on a short rein by subsurface forces, for otherwise the region would decay entirely by dispersing across the face of the sun. With the simple assumption that the fields at the surface are controlled from well-defined anchor points at a depth h, it is possible to relate the length l of the bipolar region at the surface to the depth h, with h about equal to l. The observed dimensions l about equal to 100,000 km for normal active regions, and l about equal to 10,000 km for the ephemeral active regions, indicate comparable depths of origin. More detailed observational studies of the active regions may be expected to shed further light on the problem.

  19. [The effect of denture base resins coated with antibacterial coating on water sorption, solubility and monomer elution].

    PubMed

    Yang, Yang; Gong, Hai-Huan; Song, Ai-Yang; Feng, Dan; Jin, Jie; Zhu, Song

    2015-02-01

    To determine the influence of denture base resins coated with antibacterial coating on water sorption, solubility and monomer elution. The values of water sorption and solubility were measured according to YY 0270-2003 and gas chromatography was used to examine the leachability of 4 commercially available heat-cured acrylic resins between experimental group and control group. Degree of crosslinking of the experimental heat-cured acrylic denture bases we remeasured by soxhlet extraction method. The data was analyzed by 17.0 software package. The values of water sorption, solubility and monomer elution of experimental group were lower compared to the control group. Degree of crosslinking of Heraeus reins was the highest among the experimental heat-cured acrylic denture bases. There is a same trend among water sorption, degree of crosslinking and the monomer elution. When the degree of crosslinking increases, the values of water sorption and monomer elution decrease. Antibacterial coating can improve the comprehensive properties of the denture base resins.

  20. A Blended Learning Course Design in Clinical Pharmacology for Post-graduate Dental Students

    PubMed Central

    Rosenbaum, Paul-Erik Lillholm; Mikalsen, Øyvind; Lygre, Henning; Solheim, Einar; Schjøtt, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Postgraduate courses in clinical pharmacology are important for dentists to be updated on drug therapy and information related to their clinical practice, as well as knowledge of relevant adverse effects and interactions. A traditional approach with classroom delivery as the only method to teaching and learning has shortcomings regarding flexibility, individual learning preferences, and problem based learning (PBL) activities compared to online environments. This study examines a five week postgraduate course in clinical pharmacology with 15 hours of lectures and online learning activities, i.e. blended course design. Six postgraduate dental students participated and at the end of the course they were interviewed. Our findings emphasize that a blended learning course design can be successfully used in postgraduate dental education. Key matters for discussion were time flexibility and location convenience, change in teacher’s role, rein-forced learning strategies towards professional needs, scarcity in online communication, and proposed future utilization of e-learning components. PMID:23248716

  1. "My reins admonish me at night" (Psalm 16:7): the kidneys in ancient and medieval Jewish sources.

    PubMed

    Kottek, Samuel S

    2010-01-01

    David Macht already stated that in several ancient languages the same term is used for kidneys and testes. "Preparation or elaboration of the semen was considered to be one of the functions of the kidneys in man". In the Bible, however, this confusion does not exist, at least not on the anatomical level. Together with the heart, the kidneys are paradigmatic of the innermost organs, wherefrom result their metaphoric association in being the seat of emotions and of wisdom. Some of these aspects will be delineated in the present study, briefly in Bible and Talmud, while stressing medieval Jewish sources, including the works of Shabtai Donnolo, Judah Halevi, Shem-Tov Falaquera, and Meir ibn Aldabi.

  2. The kidneys in the Bible: what happened?

    PubMed

    Eknoyan, Garabed

    2005-12-01

    The kidneys, always used in the plural (kelayot), are mentioned more than 30 times in the Bible. In the Pentateuch, the kidneys are cited 11 times in the detailed instructions given for the sacrificial offering of animals at the altar. Whereas those instructions were for purification ceremonies at the Temple, sacrificial offerings were made subsequently in seeking divine intervention for the relief of medical problems. In the books of the Bible that follow the Pentateuch, mostly in Jeremiah and Psalms, the human kidneys are cited figuratively as the site of temperament, emotions, prudence, vigor, and wisdom. In five instances, they are mentioned as the organs examined by God to judge an individual. They are cited either before or after but always in conjunction with the heart as mirrors of the psyche of the person examined. There is also reference to the kidneys as the site of divine punishment for misdemeanors, committed or perceived, particularly in the book of Job, whose suffering and ailments are legendary. In the first vernacular versions of the Bible in English, the translators elected to use the term "reins" instead of kidneys in differentiating the metaphoric uses of human kidneys from that of their mention as anatomic organs of sacrificial animals burned at the altar. This initial effort at linguistic purity or gentility has progressed further in recent versions of the Bible, in which the reins are now replaced by the soul or the mind. The erosion may have begun in the centuries that followed the writing of the Bible, when recognition of the kidneys as excretory organs deprived them of the ancient aura of mysterious organs hidden deep in the body but accessible to the look of God. At approximately the same time, Greek analytical philosophy argued that the brain, which is never mentioned in the Bible, was the most divine and sacred part of the body. This argument gained ground in the past century, when the functions of the brain were elucidated, and

  3. Pills, shots, implants, vaccines: can the elusive sperm be reined in? Male contraceptive research extremely slow, but promising.

    PubMed

    1995-08-01

    Although it may be 20 years before a male contraceptive is marketed, researchers continue to explore various options. Part of the difficulty with male contraception is the fact that the oral contraceptives were so successful in women that they cornered the market. Another problem is that it is easier to control one egg per month than hundreds of millions of sperm cells each day. Another is that it is more expensive to do research on male than on female rats since the males require separate cages. The physiologic targets for male birth control are 1) the process of spermatogenesis, 2) the process of sperm maturation, and 3) the process of capacitation. The substance gossypol, which suppresses sperm without affecting androgen levels, has been the subject of male contraceptive research in the US since the 1970s. Clinical trials of gossypol are planned by a collaborative groups of investigators from developing countries. Research has also continued for more than 20 years on compounds to alter male hormone levels. The use of one such compound, testosterone enanthate, required weekly injections, so current research is centered on finding a more marketable product, such as a 3-month injectable that uses testosterone buciclate. The combination of testosterone enanthate with cyproterone acetate is also showing promise in achieving complete azoospermia in trials in men. The dosing schedule makes this regimen unmarketable, however. Protocols have also been completed for a clinical trial using two implanted rods to deliver a GnRH analog and a specially developed androgen. Work is also proceeding on the development of a GnRH vaccine and on a vaccine specific only to follicle-stimulating hormone. Other avenues of research are focusing on nifedipine, a drug used to treat high blood pressure, on mifepristone (RU-486) which temporarily blocks calcium, and on etoprine, which suppresses rapidly dividing sperm cells. Research has halted on two compounds that protect cells from oxidative damage (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) because of the potential damage to sperm DNA, which could cause early miscarriage or birth defects.

  4. Social heuristics shape intuitive cooperation.

    PubMed

    Rand, David G; Peysakhovich, Alexander; Kraft-Todd, Gordon T; Newman, George E; Wurzbacher, Owen; Nowak, Martin A; Greene, Joshua D

    2014-04-22

    Cooperation is central to human societies. Yet relatively little is known about the cognitive underpinnings of cooperative decision making. Does cooperation require deliberate self-restraint? Or is spontaneous prosociality reined in by calculating self-interest? Here we present a theory of why (and for whom) intuition favors cooperation: cooperation is typically advantageous in everyday life, leading to the formation of generalized cooperative intuitions. Deliberation, by contrast, adjusts behaviour towards the optimum for a given situation. Thus, in one-shot anonymous interactions where selfishness is optimal, intuitive responses tend to be more cooperative than deliberative responses. We test this 'social heuristics hypothesis' by aggregating across every cooperation experiment using time pressure that we conducted over a 2-year period (15 studies and 6,910 decisions), as well as performing a novel time pressure experiment. Doing so demonstrates a positive average effect of time pressure on cooperation. We also find substantial variation in this effect, and show that this variation is partly explained by previous experience with one-shot lab experiments.

  5. The Einstein-Vlasov System/Kinetic Theory.

    PubMed

    Andréasson, Håkan

    2005-01-01

    The main purpose of this article is to provide a guide to theorems on global properties of solutions to the Einstein-Vlasov system. This system couples Einstein's equations to a kinetic matter model. Kinetic theory has been an important field of research during several decades in which the main focus has been on nonrelativistic and special relativistic physics, i.e. to model the dynamics of neutral gases, plasmas, and Newtonian self-gravitating systems. In 1990, Rendall and Rein initiated a mathematical study of the Einstein-Vlasov system. Since then many theorems on global properties of solutions to this system have been established. The Vlasov equation describes matter phenomenologically, and it should be stressed that most of the theorems presented in this article are not presently known for other such matter models (i.e. fluid models). This paper gives introductions to kinetic theory in non-curved spacetimes and then the Einstein-Vlasov system is introduced. We believe that a good understanding of kinetic theory in non-curved spacetimes is fundamental to good comprehension of kinetic theory in general relativity.

  6. The Einstein-Vlasov System/Kinetic Theory.

    PubMed

    Andréasson, Håkan

    2002-01-01

    The main purpose of this article is to provide a guide to theorems on global properties of solutions to the Einstein-Vlasov system. This system couples Einstein's equations to a kinetic matter model. Kinetic theory has been an important field of research during several decades in which the main focus has been on nonrelativistic and special relativistic physics, i.e. to model the dynamics of neutral gases, plasmas, and Newtonian self-gravitating systems. In 1990, Rendall and Rein initiated a mathematical study of the Einstein-Vlasov system. Since then many theorems on global properties of solutions to this system have been established. The Vlasov equation describes matter phenomenologically, and it should be stressed that most of the theorems presented in this article are not presently known for other such matter models (i.e. fluid models). This paper gives introductions to kinetic theory in non-curved spacetimes and then the Einstein-Vlasov system is introduced. We believe that a good understanding of kinetic theory in non-curved spacetimes is fundamental to good comprehension of kinetic theory in general relativity.

  7. Follow the heart or the head? The interactive influence model of emotion and cognition.

    PubMed

    Luo, Jiayi; Yu, Rongjun

    2015-01-01

    The experience of emotion has a powerful influence on daily-life decision making. Following Plato's description of emotion and reason as two horses pulling us in opposite directions, modern dual-system models of decision making endorse the antagonism between reason and emotion. Decision making is perceived as the competition between an emotion system that is automatic but prone to error and a reason system that is slow but rational. The reason system (in "the head") reins in our impulses (from "the heart") and overrides our snap judgments. However, from Darwin's evolutionary perspective, emotion is adaptive, guiding us to make sound decisions in uncertainty. Here, drawing findings from behavioral economics and neuroeconomics, we provide a new model, labeled "The interactive influence model of emotion and cognition," to elaborate the relationship of emotion and reason in decision making. Specifically, in our model, we identify factors that determine when emotions override reason and delineate the type of contexts in which emotions help or hurt decision making. We then illustrate how cognition modulates emotion and how they cooperate to affect decision making.

  8. HNBody: A Simulation Package for Hierarchical N-Body Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rauch, Kevin P.

    2018-04-01

    HNBody (http://www.hnbody.org/) is an extensible software package forintegrating the dynamics of N-body systems. Although general purpose, itincorporates several features and algorithms particularly well-suited tosystems containing a hierarchy (wide dynamic range) of masses. HNBodyversion 1 focused heavily on symplectic integration of nearly-Kepleriansystems. Here I describe the capabilities of the redesigned and expandedpackage version 2, which includes: symplectic integrators up to eighth order(both leap frog and Wisdom-Holman type methods), with symplectic corrector andclose encounter support; variable-order, variable-timestep Bulirsch-Stoer andStörmer integrators; post-Newtonian and multipole physics options; advancedround-off control for improved long-term stability; multi-threading and SIMDvectorization enhancements; seamless availability of extended precisionarithmetic for all calculations; extremely flexible configuration andoutput. Tests of the physical correctness of the algorithms are presentedusing JPL Horizons ephemerides (https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?horizons) andpreviously published results for reference. The features and performanceof HNBody are also compared to several other freely available N-body codes,including MERCURY (Chambers), SWIFT (Levison & Duncan) and WHFAST (Rein &Tamayo).

  9. Semi-exact concentric atomic density fitting: Reduced cost and increased accuracy compared to standard density fitting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hollman, David S.; Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061; Schaefer, Henry F.

    2014-02-14

    A local density fitting scheme is considered in which atomic orbital (AO) products are approximated using only auxiliary AOs located on one of the nuclei in that product. The possibility of variational collapse to an unphysical “attractive electron” state that can affect such density fitting [P. Merlot, T. Kjærgaard, T. Helgaker, R. Lindh, F. Aquilante, S. Reine, and T. B. Pedersen, J. Comput. Chem. 34, 1486 (2013)] is alleviated by including atom-wise semidiagonal integrals exactly. Our approach leads to a significant decrease in the computational cost of density fitting for Hartree–Fock theory while still producing results with errors 2–5 timesmore » smaller than standard, nonlocal density fitting. Our method allows for large Hartree–Fock and density functional theory computations with exact exchange to be carried out efficiently on large molecules, which we demonstrate by benchmarking our method on 200 of the most widely used prescription drug molecules. Our new fitting scheme leads to smooth and artifact-free potential energy surfaces and the possibility of relatively simple analytic gradients.« less

  10. U.S. National Science Foundation Slated for Large Budget Increase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showstack, Randy

    2010-03-01

    Although the Obama administration has promoted its proposed $3.8 trillion federal budget for fiscal year (FY) 2011 as one that works toward reining in budget deficits and living within the nation's means, research is among the areas slated for increases. The National Science Foundation (NSF) would receive $7.42 billion, an 8% increase above the FY 2010 enacted level of $6.87 billion, which pleases NSF administrators. This proposal would keep the agency on track for doubling its budget between about 2007 and 2017. “The president sees science as a way to build our economy. It’s a way to make the nation strong in the future. It’s a way of bringing change in society, and in addressing some of the global challenges that we are facing,” NSF director Arden Bement Jr. explained at a 1 February briefing. Bement, who has been at the helm of the agency for more than 6 years, announced in early February that he is leaving later this year to head up the Global Policy Research Institute at Purdue University.

  11. Obituary: Glenn M. Frye (1926-2007)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fickinger, William

    2011-12-01

    Glenn M. Frye, professor emeritus of physics at Case Western Reserve University, died in January 2007. His research interests at Case centered on the detection and identification of cosmic rays at the top of the atmosphere. Glenn was born in Michigan in 1926. He completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Michigan. After earning his doctorate in 1950, he joined the nuclear physics research staff at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Frye's research changed direction when he joined Fred Reines, who was also at LASL, in a cosmic ray experiment. In 1959, Reines moved east to become chair of the Case Institute of Technology physics department, and the following year Frye joined him there. The first years at Case Tech were devoted to the development of the rather complex spark chamber detectors which were destined to be suspended from high altitude balloons. Frye s experiments would be carried by the winds for hundreds of miles at altitudes greater than thirty miles, in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The maiden flights were launched in 1965 from the Palestine, Texas National Center for Atmospheric Research Balloon Base. The object was to search for gammas in the 30 to 500 MeV range coming from discrete point sources. Three years later the Frye team, along with collaborators from the University of Melbourne, reported success in this search. In a later Texas flight, high energy gammas were observed to come from the direction of the Crab Nebula, and, much more significantly, they arrived in the correct one millisecond bin of the known thirty millisecond period of the responsible pulsar. In later flights, involving ever more sophisticated detection schemes, Frye and his team collected valuable data on energetic gamma rays emitted by a dozen other sources. Through the 1970s and 1980s, they employed detectors with improved sensitivity and directionality to determine the energy distribution of cosmic gammas. With the participation of

  12. Holding the Reins of the Professional Learning Community: Eight Themes from Research on Principals' Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cranston, Jerome

    2009-01-01

    Using a naturalistic inquiry approach and thematic analysis, this paper outlines the findings of a research study that examined 12 Manitoba principals' conceptions of professional learning communities. The study found that these principals consider the development of professional learning communities to be a normative imperative within the…

  13. Chinese Students in Canadian Higher Education: A Case for Reining in Our Use of the Term "Generation 1.5"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshall, Steve; Lee, Ena

    2017-01-01

    Roberge defines the 1.5 Generation as "those who immigrate as young children and have life experiences that span two or more countries, cultures and languages" (2009, p. 4). In US and Canadian higher education, the term has gained considerable recognition, with the scope of the term broadening among some educators to include…

  14. [The decree of June 15th, 1888, the first text that legislates the pharmacy practice in Tunisia and the progress of the pharmaceutical legislation before and after the independence].

    PubMed

    Ben Azzouna, Rana; Hamdane, Ridha

    2007-01-01

    In 1881, the French protectorate is established in Tunisia whose independence will not be officially declared before March 20th, 1956. This article presents the content of the decree of June 15th, 1888, the first text that legislates pharmacy practice in Tunisia. The publication of this decree, a real fundamental text, did not put an end to the illegal practice of pharmacy in the Regency, which could be explained by the few shortcomings of the text, the legislator's inability to implement the law, the ignorance and the inadvertency of the diplomats, and also the "regime of the surrenders" (le régime des capitulations) which, by preventing the pharmaceutical inspection, gave free rein to all the offenders. This situation led in the course of time to the promulgation of a number of laws which progressively allowed a better organization of the pharmaceutical profession in the Regency. The progress made by the pharmaceutical legislation throughout the French protectorate continued after the independence of Tunisia as is attested by the law number 73-55 of August 3rd, 1973 which is still in use at present.

  15. Follow the heart or the head? The interactive influence model of emotion and cognition

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Jiayi; Yu, Rongjun

    2015-01-01

    The experience of emotion has a powerful influence on daily-life decision making. Following Plato’s description of emotion and reason as two horses pulling us in opposite directions, modern dual-system models of decision making endorse the antagonism between reason and emotion. Decision making is perceived as the competition between an emotion system that is automatic but prone to error and a reason system that is slow but rational. The reason system (in “the head”) reins in our impulses (from “the heart”) and overrides our snap judgments. However, from Darwin’s evolutionary perspective, emotion is adaptive, guiding us to make sound decisions in uncertainty. Here, drawing findings from behavioral economics and neuroeconomics, we provide a new model, labeled “The interactive influence model of emotion and cognition,” to elaborate the relationship of emotion and reason in decision making. Specifically, in our model, we identify factors that determine when emotions override reason and delineate the type of contexts in which emotions help or hurt decision making. We then illustrate how cognition modulates emotion and how they cooperate to affect decision making. PMID:25999889

  16. Die Energiebranche am Beginn der digitalen Transformation: aus Versorgern werden Utilities 4.0

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doleski, Oliver D.

    Die traditionelle Energieversorgung befindet sich in einer Zäsur. Das seit Jahrzehnten bewährte und stabile Geschäftsmodell einer zuverlässig planbaren, zentralen Energieerzeugung mit anschließender unidirektionaler Verteilung geriet spätestens seit der Energiewende des Jahres 2011 immer mehr unter Druck. Angesichts fortschreitender Digitalisierung und Dezentralisierung einerseits und gestiegener Erwartungshaltung der Kunden gegenüber "ihrem" Versorger andererseits sieht sich die Energiebranche heute einem epochalen Transformationsprozess gegenübergestellt. Bei diesem entwickeln sich aus den monopolistischen Versorgern des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts (Utility 1.0), über die liberalisierten Energieversorgungsunternehmen (Utility 2.0) und Energiedienstleistungsunternehmen (Utility 3.0) heutiger Prägung, die digitalen Energiedienstleistungsunternehmen (Utility 4.0) von morgen. Oliver D. Doleski beschränkt sich in seinem Beitrag nicht auf die reine Beschreibung dieses Veränderungsprozesses an sich. Vielmehr werden darüber hinaus sowohl die mit dieser Entwicklung verbundenen übergeordneten Ziele als auch die wesentlichen Anforderungen an erfolgreiche Utilities 4.0 skizziert. Das Kapitel endet mit einem prägnanten Überblick profitabler Betätigungsfelder, die zur Sicherung der ökonomischen Zukunft von Energiekonzernen, Regionalversorgern und Stadtwerken beitragen können.

  17. Selling space colonization and immortality: A psychosocial, anthropological critique of the rush to colonize Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slobodian, Rayna Elizabeth

    2015-08-01

    Extensive media coverage regarding the proposal to send four people to Mars by 2025 has exploded recently. Private enterprise has taken the reins to venture into space, which has typically only been reserved for government agencies. I argue, that with this new direction comes less regulation, raising questions regarding the ethics of sending people into outer space to colonize Mars within a decade. Marketers selling colonization to the public include perspectives such as biological drives, species survival, inclusiveness and utopian ideals. I challenge these narratives by suggesting that much of our desire to colonize space within the next decade is motivated by ego, money and romanticism. More specifically, I will examine the roles that fear and stories of immortality play within selling space and how those stories are marketed. I am passionate about space and hope that one day humanity will colonize other worlds, but the rush to settle is dangerous and careless. I assert that humanity should first gain more experience and knowledge before colonizing outer space, using this research to mitigate the risk to astronauts and proceed with careful consideration for the lives of potential astronauts.

  18. Models for psychiatry: icons or effigies?

    PubMed

    Morrison, H L

    1982-01-01

    Toulmin notes that a good model takes us beyond the phenomena from which we began [67]. It also tempts us. Models demand that we attempt to represent the dynamic relationships between variables. When we use them, we risk insulating our findings from empirical disproof [68]. Self-certifying myths, like articles of faith, need to yield to the demands of science. Psychiatric theory and practice need to yield to the demands of experience. We need to move away from ethereal assumptions to tangible mastery of the understanding of behavior. Freud, in The Interpretation of Dreams [69], writes, "Analogies of this kind are only intended to assist us in our attempt to make the complications of mental functioning intelligible. We are justified, in my view, in giving free rein to our speculations so long as we retain the coolness of our judgment and do not mistake the scaffolding for the building. We have been obliged to build. If we are not wholly in error, other lines of approach are bound to lead us into much the same region and the time may come when we shall find ourselves more at home in it!"

  19. The darker side of fatherhood: clinical and developmental ramifications of the "Laius motif".

    PubMed

    Ross, J M

    "The Darker Side of Fatherhood" is intended as a clinical sequel to an earlier article, "Oedipus Revisited: Laius and the 'Laius Complex'". After briefly summarizing the allegorical implications of the various forgotten Oedipus myths and the father's fateful role within the Theban tragedy, this paper elaborates on those pederastic and filicidal inclinations that I believe to be universal among fathers. When such wishes are subject to primal repression, they enhance adaptation, fueling a father's aggressive dialogue with sons and daughters from infancy through the oedipal era into adolescence. Maladaptations arise when fathers give free rein to a more or less unalloyed destructive aggressivity toward offspring, a manifest hostility that can further serve to defend against ambisexual amibitions or identifications. Another pathogenic situation occurs when a father succumbs to an excessive neurotic inhibition in a desperate effort to repress such urges, thereby depriving his children of age- and state-appropriated aggressive stimulation in the form of play, active providing, and necessary discipline. Observational, analytic, and clinical case examples are presented to illustrate the implications for observation, developmental theory, and technique of an emphasis on a father's gender- and generation-specific aggression toward his offspring and its abiding intrapsychic reverberations.

  20. Nom et lumière: enlightenment through nomenclature (the 1996 Kenneth F. Russell Memorial Lecture).

    PubMed

    Pearn, J

    1997-08-01

    The classification of living things is both an acknowledgement of biological relationships and an identification of their differences. When Linnaeus, in 1735, published Systema Naturae, he set in place a system of biological classification that saw its apogee in the invention of binomial nomenclature: the description of every living thing being embodied simply in two names, (i.e. a genus and the species within it). Linnaeus built on the work of scientific forebears, of whom Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712) was one of the most influential. Grew was a surgeon-physician whose passionate interest was plant anatomy; his work led to the discovery and documentation of sexual dimorphism in plants. Grew's life and works are a witness to that philosophy which views nature as a continuum, a broad holistic entity in which discoveries in one biological field have ramifications in other areas. Grew allowed his scientific curiosity full rein, manifested the courage to publish his work and possessed the self-discipline to stand by the audit of his peers. Modern biological research and contemporary clinical practice owes much to the enlightenment engendered by the classification and nomenclature that developed from his work.

  1. Not a slippery slope or sudden subversion: German medicine and national socialism in 1933.

    PubMed

    Hanauske-Abel, H M

    1996-12-07

    The history of medicine this century is darkened by the downfall of the German medical profession, exposed during the doctors' trial at Nuremberg in 1946. Relying largely on documents published during 1933 in German medical journals, this paper examines two widely accepted notions of those events, metaphorically termed "slippery slope" and "sudden subversion." The first connotes a gradual slide over infinitesimal steps until, suddenly, all footing is lost; the second conveys forced take over of the profession's leadership and values. Both concepts imply that the medical profession itself became the victim of circumstances. The slippery slope concept is a prominent figure of argument in the current debate on bioethics. The evidence presented here, however, strongly suggests that the German medical community set its own course in 1933. In some respects this course even outpaced the new government, which had to rein in the profession's eager pursuit of enforced eugenic sterilizations. In 1933 the convergence of political, scientific, and economic forces dramatically changed the relationship between the medical community and the government. That same convergence is occurring again and must be approached with great caution if medicine is to remain focused on the preservation of physical and medical integrity.

  2. Blockbusters and controlled substances: Miltown, Quaalude, and consumer demand for drugs in postwar America.

    PubMed

    Herzberg, David

    2011-12-01

    In 1955 Carter Products launched its new tranquilizer Miltown with a huge marketing blitz; Miltown soon became one of America's earliest "blockbuster" celebrity drugs. In 1981, federal agents shut down a network of "stress clinics" and arrested the owners, medical staff, and other personnel for illegally trafficking in the sedative Quaalude; Quaalude soon became a "Schedule I Controlled Substance." Both of these stories are familiar, indeed archetypal, moments from America's postwar medical system. As the Miltown example reminds us, this fundamentally commercial system was built on the creation and courting of consumer demand for medical products and services, particularly drugs. As the Quaalude example shows, however, this system also incorporated tools for reining in excessive consumer demand. Together the two episodes affirm an enduring irony of the American medical system: the need for regulatory campaigns to tame lively markets for drugs that had become popular, in part, because of advertising campaigns. This article uses the Miltown and Quaalude sagas to explore the issue of consumer demand for prescription medicines, arguing that efforts to stoke or quash that demand have shaped (and linked) America's medical system and its drug control regimes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Finding The Most Important Actor in Online Crowd by Social Network Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuliana, I.; Santosa, P. I.; Setiawan, N. A.; Sukirman

    2017-02-01

    Billion of people create trillions of connections through social media every single day. The increasing use of social media has led to dramatic changes in the of way science, government, healthcare, entertainment and enterprise operate. Large-scale participation in Technology-Mediated Social Participation (TMSP) system has opened up incredible new opportunities to deploy online crowd. This descriptive-correlational research used social network analysis (SNA) on data gathered from Fanpage Facebook of Greenpeace Indonesia related to important critical issues, the bushfires in 2015. SNA identifies relations on each member by sociometrics parameter such as three centrality (degree, closeness and betweenesse) for measuring and finding the most important actor in the online community. This paper use Fruchterman Rein-gold algorithm to visualize the online community in a graph, while Clauset-Newman-Moore is a technique to identify groups in community. As the result found 3735 vertices related to actors, 6927 edges as relation, 14 main actors in size order and 22 groups in Greenpeace Indonesia online community. This research contributes to organize some information for Greenpeace Indonesia managing their potency in online community to identify human behaviour.

  4. Black Hole Masses for Type I Active Galactic Nuclei in the Chandra Cosmos Legacy Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagaraj, Gautam; Fornasini, Francesca; Civano, Francesca Maria

    2018-01-01

    Tight local relations between SMBH masses and galaxy properties have established the fundamental connection between SMBHs and their host galaxies. However, in order to better understand the coevolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies over cosmic time, we need measurements of black hole masses, AGN luminosities, and galaxy stellar masses from sizable samples of AGN covering lower luminosities than the brightest quasars spanning a wide redshift range. In this study, we report masses of the SMBHs of 224 Type I AGNs from the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey as determined by the line widths of Mg II 2798, Hb 4862, and Ha 6564 via scaling relations derived from reverberation mapping. Preliminary comparison with host galaxy luminosities and stellar masses suggests an increase in Eddington ratio with redshift, consistent with previous studies. In addition, our derived SMBH masses fall above the local AGN MBH--M* (galactic stellar mass) relation from Reines & Volonteri (2015), but it is still not clear whether this results from redshift evolution of the MBH--M* relation or from the incompleteness of the spectroscopic surveys available. The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

  5. 2011 Einstein Fellows Chosen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2011-03-01

    ASA has announced the selection of the 2011 Einstein Fellows who will conduct research related to NASA's Physics of the Cosmos program, which aims to expand our knowledge of the origin, evolution, and fate of the Universe. The Einstein Fellowship provides support to the awardees for three years, and the Fellows may pursue their research at a host university or research center of their choosing in the United States. The new Fellows will begin their programs in the fall of 2011. The new Einstein Fellows and their host institutions are listed below: * Akos Bogdan (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Mass.) * Samuel Gralla (University of Maryland, College Park, Md.) * Philip Hopkins (University of California at Berkeley) * Matthew Kunz (Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.) * Laura Lopez (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.) * Amy Reines (National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, Virg.) * Rubens Reis (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) * Ken Shen (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif.) * Jennifer Siegal-Gaskins (California Institute of Technology, Pasadena) * Lorenzo Sironi (Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.) NASA has two other astrophysics theme-based fellowship programs: the Sagan Fellowship Program, which supports research into exoplanet exploration, and the Hubble Fellowship Program, which supports research into cosmic origins. More information on the Einstein Fellowships can be found at: http://cxc.harvard.edu/fellows/

  6. Gauß and beyond: the making of Easter algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bien, Reinhold

    2004-07-01

    It is amazing to see how many webpages are devoted to the art of finding the date of Easter Sunday. Just for illustration, the reader may search for terms such as Gregorian calendar, date of Easter, or Easter algorithm. Sophisticated essays as well as less enlightening contributions are presented, and many a doubt is expressed about the reliability of some results obtained with some Easter algorithms. In short, there is still a great interest in those problems. Gregorian Easter algorithms exist for two centuries (or more?), but most of their history is rather obscure. Some reasons may be that some important sources are written in Latin or in the German of Goethe's time, or they are difficult to discover. Without being complete, the following paper is intended to shed light on how those techniques emerged and evolved. Like a microcosm, the history of Easter algorithms resembles the history of any science: it is a story of trials, errors, and successes, and, last but not least, a story of offended pride. A number of articles, published before 1910, are cited in: A. Fraenkel, Die Berechnung des Osterfestes. Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik, Volume 138 (1910), 133-146.

  7. Ulcérations buccales et péri-anales: un mode de révélation inhabituel d'une granulomatose avec polyangéite - à propos d'un cas

    PubMed Central

    Jaafoura, Neirouz Ghannouchi; Thaljaoui, Wathek; Atig, Amira; Bouker, Ahmed; Khalifa, Mabrouk; Bahri, Fathi

    2014-01-01

    La granulomatose avec polyangéite, est une vascularite systémique rare qui touche avec prédilection les voies aériennes supérieures, les poumons et les reins. L'atteinte cutanéo-muqueuse ainsi que l'atteinte digestive ne sont pas inhabituelles mais elles sont rarement inaugurales de la maladie. Nous rapportons l'observation d'une femme âgée de 57 ans, ayant une granulomatose avec polyangéite multi-systémique avec comme premières manifestations une atteinte cutanéo-muqueuse à type de nécrose de la langue et d'ulcérations péri-anales ainsi que des rectorragies. La présence de signes radiologiques orientant vers une hémmorragie intra-alvéolaire, l'atteinte rénale, l'atteinte neurologique périphérique ainsi que la positivité des C-ANCA de type anti-PR3 ont permis de rattacher les manifestations dermatologiques à cette vascularite. Des manifestations cutanéo-muqueuses atypiques, au cours d'une granulomateuse avec polyangéite, doivent être connues par le clinicien pour un diagnostic et une prise en charge adéquate. PMID:25404981

  8. Means and ENDS - e-cigarettes, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and global health diplomacy in action.

    PubMed

    Russell, Andrew; Wainwright, Megan; Tilson, Melodie

    2018-01-01

    E-cigarettes are a new and disruptive element in global health diplomacy (GHD) and policy-making. This is an ethnographic account of how e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) were tackled at the 6th Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It demonstrates how uncertainty about ENDS and differences of opinion are currently so great that 'agreeing to disagree' as a consensus position and 'strategic use of time' were the principles that ensured effective GHD in this case. Observers representing accredited non-governmental organisations were active in briefing and lobbying country delegates not to spend too much time debating an issue for which insufficient evidence exists, and for which countries were unlikely to reach a consensus on a specific regulatory approach or universally applicable regulatory measures. Equally, the work of Costa Rica in preparing and re-negotiating the draft decision, and the work of the relevant Committee Chair in managing the discussion, contributed to effectively reining in lengthy statements from Parties and focusing on points of consensus. As well as summarising the debate itself and analysing the issues surrounding it, this account offers an example of GHD working effectively in a situation of epistemic uncertainty.

  9. The Changing Health Care Landscape and Implications of Organizational Ethics on Modern Medical Practice.

    PubMed

    Castlen, Joseph P; Cote, David J; Moojen, Wouter A; Robe, Pierre A; Balak, Naci; Brennum, Jannick; Ammirati, Mario; Mathiesen, Tiit; Broekman, Marike L D

    2017-06-01

    Medicine is rapidly changing, both in the level of collective medical knowledge and in how it is being delivered. The increased presence of administrators in hospitals helps to facilitate these changes and ease administrative workloads on physicians; however, tensions sometimes form between physicians and administrators. This situation is based on perceptions from both sides that physicians obstruct cost-saving measures and administrators put profits before patients. In reality, increasing patient populations and changes in health care are necessitating action by hospitals to prevent excessive spending as health care systems become larger and more difficult to manage. Recognizing the cause of changes in health care, which do not always originate with physicians and administrators, along with implementing changes in hospitals such as increased physician leadership, could help to ease tensions and promote a more collaborative atmosphere. Ethically, there is a need to preserve physician autonomy, which is a tenet of medical professionalism, and a need to rein in spending costs and ensure that patients receive the best possible care. Physicians and administrators both need to have a well-developed personal ethic to achieve these goals. Physicians need be allowed to retain relative autonomy over their practices as they support and participate in administrator-led efforts toward distributive justice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. FROGS (Friends of Granites) report

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Calvin

    This VGP News, which is devoted to petrology, is a good one for noting the existence of FROGS. FROGS is, as the name suggests, an informal organization of people whose research relates in one way or another to granitic rocks. Its purpose has been to promote communication among geoscientists with different perspectives and concerns about felsic plutonism. Initially, a major focus was experimental petrology and integration of field-oriented and lab-oriented viewpoints; now that there is the opportunity to communicate with the Eos readership, an obvious additional goal will be to bring together volcanic and plutonic views of felsic magmatism.FROGS first gathered in late 1982 under the guidance of E-an Zen and Pete Toulmin (both at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Reston, Va.), who saw a need for greater interaction among those interested in granites and for renewed, focused experimental investigations. They produced two newsletters (which were sent out by direct mail) and organized an informal meeting at the Geological Society of America meeting at Indianapolis, Ind., and then turned over the FROG reins to Sue Kieffer (USGS, Flagstaff, Ariz.) and John Clemens (Arizona State University, Tempe). They generated another newsletter, which was directly mailed to a readership that had grown beyond 200.

  11. The American Quarter Horse: Population Structure and Relationship to the Thoroughbred

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    A breed known for its versatility, the American Quarter Horse (QH), is increasingly bred for performance in specific disciplines. The impact of selective breeding on the diversity and structure of the QH breed was evaluated using pedigree analysis and genome-wide SNP data from horses representing 6 performance groups (halter, western pleasure, reining, working cow, cutting, and racing). Genotype data (36 037 single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) from 36 Thoroughbreds were also evaluated with those from the 132 performing QHs to evaluate the Thoroughbred’s influence on QH diversity. Results showed significant population structure among all QH performance groups excepting the comparison between the cutting and working cow horses; divergence was greatest between the cutting and racing QHs, the latter of which had a large contribution of Thoroughbred ancestry. Significant coancestry and the potential for inbreeding exist within performance groups, especially when considering the elite performers. Relatedness within performance groups is increasing with popular sires contributing disproportionate levels of variation to each discipline. Expected heterozygosity, inbreeding, F ST, cluster, and haplotype analyses suggest these QHs can be broadly classified into 3 categories: stock, racing, and pleasure/halter. Although the QH breed as a whole contains substantial genetic diversity, current breeding practices have resulted in this variation being sequestered into subpopulations. PMID:24293614

  12. Estimation of Filling and Afterload Conditions by Pump Intrinsic Parameters in a Pulsatile Total Artificial Heart.

    PubMed

    Cuenca-Navalon, Elena; Laumen, Marco; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Steinseifer, Ulrich

    2016-07-01

    A physiological control algorithm is being developed to ensure an optimal physiological interaction between the ReinHeart total artificial heart (TAH) and the circulatory system. A key factor for that is the long-term, accurate determination of the hemodynamic state of the cardiovascular system. This study presents a method to determine estimation models for predicting hemodynamic parameters (pump chamber filling and afterload) from both left and right cardiovascular circulations. The estimation models are based on linear regression models that correlate filling and afterload values with pump intrinsic parameters derived from measured values of motor current and piston position. Predictions for filling lie in average within 5% from actual values, predictions for systemic afterload (AoPmean , AoPsys ) and mean pulmonary afterload (PAPmean ) lie in average within 9% from actual values. Predictions for systolic pulmonary afterload (PAPsys ) present an average deviation of 14%. The estimation models show satisfactory prediction and confidence intervals and are thus suitable to estimate hemodynamic parameters. This method and derived estimation models are a valuable alternative to implanted sensors and are an essential step for the development of a physiological control algorithm for a fully implantable TAH. Copyright © 2015 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Integrating early detection with DNA barcoding: species identification of a non-native monitor lizard (Squamata: Varanidae) carcass in Mississippi, U.S.A.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reed, Robert N.; Hopken, Matthew W.; Steen, David A.; Falk, Bryan G.; Piaggio, Antoinette J.

    2016-01-01

    Early detection of invasive species is critical to increasing the probability of successful management. At the primary stage of an invasion, invasive species are easier to control as the population is likely represented by just a few individuals. Detection of these first few individuals can be challenging, particularly if they are cryptic or otherwise characterized by low detectability. The engagement of members of the public may be critical to early detection as there are far more citizen s on the landscape than trained biologists. However, it can be difficult to assess the credibility of public reporting, especially when a diagnostic digital image or a physical specimen in good condition are lacking. DNA barcoding can be used for verification when morphological identification of a specimen is not possible or uncertain (i.e., degraded or partial specimen). DNA barcoding relies on obtaining a DNA sequence from a relatively small fragment of mitochondrial DNA and comparing it to a database of sequences containing a variety of expertly identified species. He rein we report the successful identification of a degraded specimen of a non-native, potentially invasive reptile species (Varanus niloticus) via DNA barcoding, after discovery and reporting by a member of the public.

  14. Reduced Investment in Science: An Examination of the Current Federal Budget and a Case Study on Its Impact on the Scientific Community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uhlenbrock, K.; Landau, E. A.; Hankin, E. R.

    2013-12-01

    Federally funded scientific research is one of the building blocks of technological advancement and economic growth. This research can also lead to transformational ideas and discoveries. In our current fiscal environment, strategies to rein in federal spending have become a priority, although they have proven to be complex. The possible deals and negotiations to reduce federal spending may hinder the work of the scientific community to serve society. Since 2005 federal investment in research and development has slowed. The average annual growth in federal funding for scientific research from 2004 - 2009 was 0.9% as compared to 3.3% over the previous 20 years. What does the current budget situation mean for science? It means reductions in basic and applied research, interruptions in long-term monitoring and data collection, an inability to repair or build infrastructure, and less federal grant support for current and future scientists. I will first provide an update on the current federal budget situation and examples of how current policies are impacting the scientific community. Second, I will present a case study of the effect of reduced federal investment in science. Specifically, I will discuss how investments in research and development have far-reaching impacts on society and examine how reduced funding impairs valuable research efforts.

  15. Contrary to cost-shift theory, lower Medicare hospital payment rates for inpatient care lead to lower private payment rates.

    PubMed

    White, Chapin

    2013-05-01

    Many policy makers believe that when Medicare constrains its payment rates for hospital inpatient care, private insurers end up paying higher rates as a result. I tested this "cost-shifting" theory using a unique new data set that combines MarketScan private claims data with Medicare hospital cost reports. Contrary to the theory, I found that hospital markets with relatively slow growth in Medicare inpatient hospital payment rates also had relatively slow growth in private hospital payment rates during 1995-2009. Using regression analyses, I found that a 10 percent reduction in Medicare payment rates led to an estimated reduction in private payment rates of 3 percent or 8 percent, depending on the statistical model used. These payment rate spillovers may reflect an effort by hospitals to rein in their operating costs in the face of lower Medicare payment rates. Alternatively, hospitals facing cuts in Medicare payment rates may also cut the payment rates they seek from private payers to attract more privately insured patients. My findings indicate that repealing cuts in Medicare payment rates would not slow the growth in spending on hospital care by private insurers and would in fact be likely to accelerate the growth in private insurers' costs and premiums.

  16. Reproduce and die! Why aging? Part II.

    PubMed

    Schuiling, Gerard A

    2005-06-01

    Whilst in part I of this diptych on aging the question why aging exists at all is discussed; this part deals with the question which mechanisms underly aging and, ultimately, dying. It appears that aging is not just an active process as such--although all kinds of internal (e.g., oxigen-free radicals) and external (e.g., UV radiation; disease) actively damage the organism--but more a passive one: it is mainly the result of a diminishing capacity to resist damaging internal and external influences, notably the capacity to repair the ensuing damage of DNA, until, indeed, the genome is entirely beyond repair and all kinds of vital functions detoriate with as a result that, in the end, the body collapses due to some final internal (e.g., a neoplasm or a CVA) or external (e.g., some infection, accident or attack) push. The time-course with which the capacity to repair DNA diminishes, however, is genetically fixed, and is associated with (even determined by) the reproductive strategy of the species in question: once the phase of reproduction is over, the reins are loosened and all kinds of genetic and physiological errors accumulate, giving rise to a large variety of pathology which ultimately carries the pertinent individual to the grave.

  17. Neocolonialism and Health Care Access among Marshall Islanders in the United States.

    PubMed

    Duke, Michael R

    2017-09-01

    In the Marshall Islands, a history of extensive nuclear weapons testing and covert biomedical research, coupled with the U.S.'s ongoing military presence in the country, has severely compromised the health of the local population. Despite the U.S.'s culpability in producing ill health along with high rates of emigration from the islands to the mainland United States, the large portion of Marshallese who reside in the United States face substantial barriers to accessing health care. Drawing from ongoing field research with a Marshallese community in Arkansas, this article explores the multifaceted impediments that U.S.-based Marshall Islanders face in receiving medical treatment. Calling on an expansive and inclusive notion of neocolonialism, I argue that Marshallese structural vulnerability with regard to health and health care treatment derives from their status as neocolonial subjects and from their limited claims to health-related deservingness associated with this status. [Marshall Islanders, health care access, neocolonialism, radiation exposure, immigrant health] L̗ōmn̗ak ko rōttin̗o: Ilo M̗ajel̗, juon bwebwenato kōn kōmmālmel im nuclear baam̗ ko im ekkatak ko rōttin̗o̗ kōn wāwein an baijin ko jelōt armej, barāinwōt an to an ri tarinae ro an Amedka pād ilo aelōn̄ kein, em̗ōj an jelōt ājmour an armej ro ilo aelōn̄ kein. Men̄e alikkar bwe Amedka in ear jino nan̄inmej kein im ej un eo armej rein rej em̗m̗akūt jān āne kein āne er n̄an ioon Amedka, elōn̄ iaan ri M̗ajel̗ rein rej jelm̗ae elōn̄ apan̄ ko n̄an aer del̗o̗n̄e jikin ājmour ko. Jān ekkatak eo ej bōk jikin kiō, jerbal in ej etali kabōjrak rak kein rōlōn̄ im armej in M̗ajel̗ ro ioon Amedka in rej jelm̗ae ilo aer jibadōk lo̗k jikin taktō. Ilo an kar Amedka jibadōk juon jea eo eutiej imejān lal̗ in, ij kwal̗ok juon aō akweelel bwe apan̄ ko an armej in M̗ajel̗ ikijjeen ājmour im jikin taktō ej itok jān aer kar ri kōm̗akoko ilo an kar

  18. Regional Haze Evolved from Peat Fires - an Overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Yuqi; Rein, Guillermo

    2016-04-01

    -fire-induced haze has become a regional seasonal phenomenon. Exposure to smoky haze results in deleterious physiologic responses, predominantly to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. In 1997, an estimation of 100 million people in 5 countries in Southeast Asia were affected by Indonesia haze episode while 20 million people suffered from respiratory problems in Indonesia alone. Fine PM fraction generated from peat fires could penetrate into lower respiratory tracks and exacerbate respiratory diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. Epidemiological studies show that direct exposure to haze pollution is associated with decreased pulmonary function and increased morbidity and mortality among individuals with pre-existent cardiovascular diseases. Reported cases of acute respiratory infection increased 3.8 times during the 1997 Indonesia haze episode (1,446,120 cases in total with 527 haze-related deaths). Collectively, peat fire and the resultant haze considerably affect the local society in many aspects, and more thorough research need to be carried out for further haze mitigation and governance. Corresponding author: Dr. Guillermo Rein: g.rein@imperial.ac.uk

  19. Neurocognitive outcomes in neurofibromatosis clinical trials: Recommendations for the domain of attention.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Karin S; Janusz, Jennifer; Wolters, Pamela L; Martin, Staci; Klein-Tasman, Bonita P; Toledo-Tamula, Mary Anne; Thompson, Heather L; Payne, Jonathan M; Hardy, Kristina K; de Blank, Peter; Semerjian, Claire; Gray, Laura Schaffner; Solomon, Sondra E; Ullrich, Nicole

    2016-08-16

    Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is associated with neurocognitive deficits that can impact everyday functioning of children, adolescents, and adults with this disease. However, there is little agreement regarding measures to use as cognitive endpoints in clinical trials. This article describes the work of the Neurocognitive Committee of the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration. The goal of this committee is to identify standardized and specific cognitive assessment tools for use in NF clinical trials. The committee first identified cognitive domains relevant to NF1 and prioritized attention as the first domain of focus given prior and current trends in NF1 cognitive clinical trials. Performance measures and behavioral rating questionnaires of attention were reviewed by the group using established criteria to assess patient characteristics, psychometric properties, and feasibility. The highest rated tests underwent side-by-side comparison. The Digit Span subtest from the Wechsler scales was given the highest ratings of the performance measures due to its good psychometrics, feasibility, utility across a wide age range, and extensive use in previous research. The Conners scales achieved the highest ratings of the behavioral questionnaires for similar reasons. Future articles will focus on other cognitive domains, with the ultimate goal of achieving agreement for cognitive endpoints that can be used across NF clinical trials. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

  20. Light-induced degradation in gallium-doped silicon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindroos, Jeanette; Yli-Koski, Marko; Haarahiltunen, Antti; Schubert, Martin C.; Savin, Hele

    2012-02-01

    Light-induced degradation (LID) is a lifetime-decreasing effect in silicon solar cells attributed to the formation of B-O defect complexes during illumination [1-2]. However, Savin et al. [3] have recently observed degradation similar to LID in B- and P-doped Si contaminated with Cu, suggesting that Cu might be the cause of LID. Since Ga-doped Si is considered a degradation-free option to conventional B-doped Si [2], lifetime stability should also be studied in Cu-contaminated Ga-Si. Hence, in this paper, we intentionally contaminated high-oxygen 0.41 and 10.1 φcm Ga-doped Cz-Si with Cu and subjected the material to illumination. No lifetime degradation was measured with μ-PCD in clean Ga-Si or at low Cu levels, which is in agreement with the previously reported LID-free behavior of Ga-Si [2]. However, at higher Cu levels (20 ppb), a clear lifetime degradation was observed in Ga-Si. This lifetime degradation increased with increasing Cu concentration or with increasing wafer resistivity. [1] J. Schmidt, A.G. Aberle and R. Hezel, 26th IEEE PVSC, Anaheim, CA, USA, p.13-18 (1997). [2] S.W. Glunz, S. Rein, W. Warta, J. Knobloch and W. Wettling. Sol. Energ. Mat. Sol. C. 65, 219-229 (2001). [3] H. Savin, M. Yli-Koski and A. Haarahiltunen. Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 152111 (2009).

  1. Self-referral of imaging and increased utilization: some practical perspectives on tackling the dilemma.

    PubMed

    Romano, Donald H

    2009-11-01

    Health care costs are higher in the United States than in any other country in the world, and imaging services have been growing much more rapidly than other services. Studies have shown a tendency for increased utilization of services, including imaging services, when referring physicians have ownership interest in the services. In recent years, the CMS has taken some action with respect to how it pays for imaging, including reducing physician payments when multiple images are taken on contiguous body parts during the same visit, establishing a cap on payments for certain imaging services, and imposing an antimarkup rule on diagnostic tests. In addition, CMS has made some changes to the Stark rules, which included adding nuclear medicine to the list of designated health services, prohibiting certain per-service or per-click leasing arrangements, and prohibiting physicians from owning entities that sell services to providers that then bill for them under arrangements. Because it is unclear whether these policy changes will have much effect on imaging utilization, CMS will continue to seek new ways to rein in utilization. In the near future, CMS and the US Department of Health and Human Services are likely to attempt to curb utilization not only through postpayment review and education but also through its various initiatives on improving the quality of services furnished to Medicare benificiaries.

  2. The mPEG-PCL Copolymer for Selective Fermentation of Staphylococcus lugdunensis Against Candida parapsilosis in the Human Microbiome

    PubMed Central

    Kao, Ming-Shan; Wang, Yanhan; Marito, Shinta; Huang, Stephen; Lin, Wan-Zhen; Gangoiti, Jon A; Barshop, Bruce A; Hyun, Choi; Lee, Woan-Ruah; Sanford, James A; Gallo, Richard L; Ran, Yuping; Chen, Wan-Tzu; Huang, Chun-Jen; Hsieh, Ming-Fa; Huang, Chun-Ming

    2017-01-01

    Many human skin diseases, such as seborrheic dermatitis, potentially occur due to the over-growth of fungi. It remains a challenge to develop fungicides with a lower risk of generating resistant fungi and non-specifically killing commensal microbes. Our probiotic approaches using a selective fermentation initiator of skin commensal bacteria, fermentation metabolites or their derivatives provide novel therapeutics to rein in the over-growth of fungi. Staphylococcus lugdunensis (S. lugdunensis) bacteria and Candida parapsilosis (C. parapsilosis) fungi coexist in the scalp microbiome. S. lugdunensis interfered with the growth of C. parapsilosis via fermentation. A methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-PCL) copolymer functioned as a selective fermentation initiator of S. lugdunensis, selectively triggering the S. lugdunensis fermentation to produce acetic and isovaleric acids. The acetic acid and its pro-drug diethyleneglycol diacetate (Ac-DEG-Ac) effectively suppressed the growth of C. parapsilosis in vitro and impeded the fungal expansion in the human dandruff. We demonstrate for the first time that S. lugdunensis is a skin probiotic bacterium that can exploit mPEG-PCL to yield fungicidal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The concept of bacterial fermentation as a part of skin immunity to re-balance the dysbiotic microbiome warrants a novel avenue for studying the probiotic function of the skin microbiome in promoting health. PMID:28111598

  3. General topology meets model theory, on and

    PubMed Central

    Malliaris, Maryanthe; Shelah, Saharon

    2013-01-01

    Cantor proved in 1874 [Cantor G (1874) J Reine Angew Math 77:258–262] that the continuum is uncountable, and Hilbert’s first problem asks whether it is the smallest uncountable cardinal. A program arose to study cardinal invariants of the continuum, which measure the size of the continuum in various ways. By Gödel [Gödel K (1939) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 25(4):220–224] and Cohen [Cohen P (1963) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 50(6):1143–1148], Hilbert’s first problem is independent of ZFC (Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice). Much work both before and since has been done on inequalities between these cardinal invariants, but some basic questions have remained open despite Cohen’s introduction of forcing. The oldest and perhaps most famous of these is whether “,” which was proved in a special case by Rothberger [Rothberger F (1948) Fund Math 35:29–46], building on Hausdorff [Hausdorff (1936) Fund Math 26:241–255]. In this paper we explain how our work on the structure of Keisler’s order, a large-scale classification problem in model theory, led to the solution of this problem in ZFC as well as of an a priori unrelated open question in model theory. PMID:23836659

  4. Motivating salespeople: what really works.

    PubMed

    Steenburgh, Thomas; Ahearne, Michael

    2012-01-01

    No sales force consists entirely of stars; sales staffs are usually made up mainly of solid perfomers, with smaller groups of laggards and rainmakers. Though most compensation plans approach these three groups as if they were the same, research shows that each is motivated by something different. By accounting for those differences in their incentive programs, companies can coax better performance from all their salespeople. As the largest cadre, core performers typically represent the greatest opportunity, but they're often ignored by incentive plans. Contests with prizes that vary in nature and value (and don't all go to stars) will inspire them to ramp up their efforts, and tiered targets will guide them up the performance curve. Laggards need quarterly bonuses to stay on track; when they have only annual bonuses, their revenues will drop 10%, studies show. This group is also motivated by social pressure-especially from new talent on the sales bench. Stars tend to get the most attention in comp plans, but companies often go astray by capping their commissions to control costs. If firms instead remove commission ceilings and pay extra for overachievement, they'll see the sales needle really jump. The key is to treat sales compensation not as an expense to rein in but as a portfolio of investments to manage. Companies that do this will be rewarded with much higher returns.

  5. Dynamical Classifications of the Kuiper Belt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maggard, Steven; Ragozzine, Darin

    2018-04-01

    The Minor Planet Center (MPC) contains a plethora of observational data on thousands of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs). Understanding their orbital properties refines our understanding of the formation of the solar system. My analysis pipeline, BUNSHIN, uses Bayesian methods to take the MPC observations and generate 30 statistically weighted orbital clones for each KBO that are propagated backwards along their orbits until the beginning of the solar system. These orbital integrations are saved as REBOUND SimulationArchive files (Rein & Tamayo 2017) which we will make publicly available, allowing many others to perform statistically-robust dynamical classification or complex dynamical investigations of outer solar system small bodies.This database has been used to expand the known collisional family members of the dwarf planet Haumea. Detailed orbital integrations are required to determine the dynamical distances between family members, in the form of "Delta v" as measured from conserved proper orbital elements (Ragozzine & Brown 2007). Our preliminary results have already ~tripled the number of known Haumea family members, allowing us to show that the Haumea family can be identified purely through dynamical clustering.We will discuss the methods associated with BUNSHIN and the database it generates, the refinement of the updated Haumea family, a brief search for other possible clusterings in the outer solar system, and the potential of our research to aid other dynamicists.

  6. Not a slippery slope or sudden subversion: German medicine and national socialism in 1933.

    PubMed Central

    Hanauske-Abel, H. M.

    1996-01-01

    The history of medicine this century is darkened by the downfall of the German medical profession, exposed during the doctors' trial at Nuremberg in 1946. Relying largely on documents published during 1933 in German medical journals, this paper examines two widely accepted notions of those events, metaphorically termed "slippery slope" and "sudden subversion." The first connotes a gradual slide over infinitesimal steps until, suddenly, all footing is lost; the second conveys forced take over of the profession's leadership and values. Both concepts imply that the medical profession itself became the victim of circumstances. The slippery slope concept is a prominent figure of argument in the current debate on bioethics. The evidence presented here, however, strongly suggests that the German medical community set its own course in 1933. In some respects this course even outpaced the new government, which had to rein in the profession's eager pursuit of enforced eugenic sterilizations. In 1933 the convergence of political, scientific, and economic forces dramatically changed the relationship between the medical community and the government. That same convergence is occurring again and must be approached with great caution if medicine is to remain focused on the preservation of physical and medical integrity. Images p1456-a p1457-a p1457-b p1458-a p1459-a p1459-b Fig 1 PMID:8973235

  7. Research on cylinder processes of gasoline homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cofaru, Corneliu

    2017-10-01

    This paper is designed to develop a HCCI engine starting from a spark ignition engine platform. The engine test was a single cylinder, four strokes provided with carburetor. The results of experimental research on this version were used as a baseline for the next phase of the work. After that, the engine was modified for a HCCI configuration, the carburetor was replaced by a direct fuel injection system in order to control precisely the fuel mass per cycle taking into account the measured intake air-mass. To ensure that the air - fuel mixture auto ignite, the compression ratio was increased from 9.7 to 11.5. The combustion process in HCCI regime is governed by chemical kinetics of mixture of air-fuel, rein ducted or trapped exhaust gases and fresh charge. To modify the quantities of trapped burnt gases, the exchange gas system was changed from fixed timing to variable valve timing. To analyze the processes taking place in the HCCI engine and synthesizing a control system, a model of the system which takes into account the engine configuration and operational parameters are needed. The cylinder processes were simulated on virtual model. The experimental research works were focused on determining the parameters which control the combustion timing of HCCI engine to obtain the best energetic and ecologic parameters.

  8. The carbon harvest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosen, Julia

    2018-02-01

    In 2015, the Paris climate agreement established a goal of limiting global warming to "well below" 2°C. In the most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, researchers surveyed possible road maps for reaching that goal and found something unsettling: In most model scenarios, simply cutting emissions isn't enough. To limit warming, humanity also needs negative emissions technologies that, by the end of the century, would remove more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere than humans emit. The technologies would buy time for society to rein in carbon emissions, but they also give policymakers an excuse to drag their feet on climate action in the hopes that future inventions will clean up the mess. One particular technology has quietly risen to prominence, thanks to global models. The idea is to cultivate fast-growing grasses and trees to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and then burn them at power plants to generate energy. But instead of being released back into the atmosphere in the exhaust, the crops' carbon would be captured and pumped underground. The technique is known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or—among climate wonks—simply as BECCS. Although BECCS is relatively cheap and theoretically feasible, the sheer scale at which it operates in the models alarms many researchers.

  9. Health risk from veterinary antimicrobial use in China's food animal production and its reduction.

    PubMed

    Hu, Yuanan; Cheng, Hefa

    2016-12-01

    The overuse and misuse of veterinary drugs, particularly antimicrobials, in food animal production in China cause environmental pollution and wide food safety concerns, and pose public health risk with the selection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that can spread from animal populations to humans. Elevated abundance and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant bacteria (including multi-drug resistant strains) in food-producing animals, food products of animal origin, microbiota of human gut, and environmental media impacted by intensive animal farming have been reported. To rein in drug use in food animal production and protect public health, the government made a total of 227 veterinary drugs, including 150 antimicrobial products, available only by prescription from licensed veterinarians for curing, controlling, and preventing animal diseases in March 2014. So far the regulatory ban on non-therapeutic use has failed to bring major changes to the long-standing practice of drug overuse and misuse in animal husbandry and aquaculture, and significant improvement in its implementation and enforcement is necessary. A range of measures, including improving access to veterinary services, strengthening supervision on veterinary drug production and distribution, increasing research and development efforts, and enhancing animal health management, are recommended to facilitate transition toward rational use of veterinary drugs, particularly antimicrobials, and to reduce the public health risk arising from AMR development in animal agriculture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. La NLPC en décubitus dorsal modifié : notre expérience.

    PubMed

    El Harrech, Youness; Ghoundale, Omar; Zaini, Rachid; Moufid, Kamal; Touiti, Driss

    2011-08-01

    RéSUMé: INTRODUCTION ET OBJECTIF :: La NLPC est conventionnellement réalisée en décubitus ventral. Cette position présente de nombreux inconvénients. Notre objectif était d'évaluer de façon prospective le caractère sûr et efficace de la NLPC en position de décubitus dorsal modifié (DDM). MATéRIEL ET MéTHODES :: Entre novembre 2004 et janvier 2010, 159 NLPC ont été réalisées en DDM. Le patient a été mis en décubitus dorsal avec un billot sous le flanc permettant une rotation de 45 degrés du côté opposé. Une position de lithotomie modifiée était associée si un double accès antérograde et rétrograde simultané était nécessaire. Après ponction rénale, la dilatation a été faite selon la technique « one shot » ou en utilisant les dilatateurs d'Alken. Les caractéristiques des patients et des calculs, la durée opératoire, le séjour hospitalier, les complications et le taux d'absence de calculs résiduels (« stone free ») ont été analysés. RéSULTATS :: L'âge moyen des patients était de 47 ± 13,1 ans (22-70). Vingt-et-un patients avaient des ATCD de chirurgie rénale du même côté. Vingt-six patients avaient un rein unique anatomique ou fonctionnel. Un patient avait un rein en fer à cheval et deux patients avaient une malrotation rénale. Le diamètre moyen des calculs était de 3,4 ± 1,9 cm (1,3-5,4) et 20 patients avaient des calculs coralliformes. Dix patients avaient des calculs urétéraux et ont eu une urétéroscopie simultanée. La durée moyenne de l'intervention était de 60 ± 29 min. Deux interventions ont été interrompues en raison d'un saignement important. Trois cas de fièvre postopératoire et 2 cas de fistule urinaire traités par sonde en double J ont été notés. Aucune plaie vasculaire ou viscérale n'a été rapportée ni de plaie pleuropulmonaire. Huit patients ont eu une seconde séance de NLPC durant la même hospitalisation. Après trois mois le taux d'absence de calculs résiduels

  11. End-stage renal disease treated in Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur: 12-years follow-up and forecast to the year 2030.

    PubMed

    Durand, Anne-Claire; Jouve, Elisabeth; Delarozière, Jean-Christophe; Boucekine, Mohamed; Izaaryene, Ghizlane; Crémades, Adeline; Mazoué, Franck; Devictor, Bénédicte; Kakar, Asmatullah; Sambuc, Roland; Brunet, Philippe; Gentile, Stéphanie

    2018-06-15

    This study describes the time trend of renal replacement therapy for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur region (PACA) between 2004 and 2015, and forecasts up to 2030. A longitudinal study was conducted on all ESRD patients treated in PACA and recorded in the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) during this period. Time trends and forecasts to 2030 were analyzed using Poisson regression models. Since 2004, the number of new patients has steadily increased by 3.4% per year (95% CI, 2.8-3.9, p < 0.001) and the number of patients receiving RRT has increased by 3.7% per year (RR 1.037, 95% CI: 1.034-1.039, p < 0.001). If these trends continue, the PACA region will be face with 7371 patients on dialysis and 3891 with a functional renal transplant who will need to be managed in 2030. The two most significant growth rates were the percentage of obese people (RR 1.140, 95% CI: 1.131-1.149, p < 0.001) and those with diabetes (RR 1.070, 95% CI; 1.064-1.075, p < 0.001). This study highlights the increase in the number of ESRD patients over 12 years, with no prospect of stabilization. These findings allow us to anticipate the quality and quantity of care offered and to propose more preventive measures to combat obesity and diabetes.

  12. Recommendations for imaging tumor response in neurofibromatosis clinical trials

    PubMed Central

    Ardern-Holmes, Simone L.; Babovic-Vuksanovic, Dusica; Barker, Fred G.; Connor, Steve; Evans, D. Gareth; Fisher, Michael J.; Goutagny, Stephane; Harris, Gordon J.; Jaramillo, Diego; Karajannis, Matthias A.; Korf, Bruce R.; Mautner, Victor; Plotkin, Scott R.; Poussaint, Tina Y.; Robertson, Kent; Shih, Chie-Schin; Widemann, Brigitte C.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Neurofibromatosis (NF)-related benign tumors such as plexiform neurofibromas (PN) and vestibular schwannomas (VS) can cause substantial morbidity. Clinical trials directed at these tumors have become available. Due to differences in disease manifestations and the natural history of NF-related tumors, response criteria used for solid cancers (1-dimensional/RECIST [Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors] and bidimensional/World Health Organization) have limited applicability. No standardized response criteria for benign NF tumors exist. The goal of the Tumor Measurement Working Group of the REiNS (Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis) committee is to propose consensus guidelines for the evaluation of imaging response in clinical trials for NF tumors. Methods: Currently used imaging endpoints, designs of NF clinical trials, and knowledge of the natural history of NF-related tumors, in particular PN and VS, were reviewed. Consensus recommendations for response evaluation for future studies were developed based on this review and the expertise of group members. Results: MRI with volumetric analysis is recommended to sensitively and reproducibly evaluate changes in tumor size in clinical trials. Volumetric analysis requires adherence to specific imaging recommendations. A 20% volume change was chosen to indicate a decrease or increase in tumor size. Use of these criteria in future trials will enable meaningful comparison of results across studies. Conclusions: The proposed imaging response evaluation guidelines, along with validated clinical outcome measures, will maximize the ability to identify potentially active agents for patients with NF and benign tumors. PMID:24249804

  13. Recommendations for imaging tumor response in neurofibromatosis clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Dombi, Eva; Ardern-Holmes, Simone L; Babovic-Vuksanovic, Dusica; Barker, Fred G; Connor, Steve; Evans, D Gareth; Fisher, Michael J; Goutagny, Stephane; Harris, Gordon J; Jaramillo, Diego; Karajannis, Matthias A; Korf, Bruce R; Mautner, Victor; Plotkin, Scott R; Poussaint, Tina Y; Robertson, Kent; Shih, Chie-Schin; Widemann, Brigitte C

    2013-11-19

    Neurofibromatosis (NF)-related benign tumors such as plexiform neurofibromas (PN) and vestibular schwannomas (VS) can cause substantial morbidity. Clinical trials directed at these tumors have become available. Due to differences in disease manifestations and the natural history of NF-related tumors, response criteria used for solid cancers (1-dimensional/RECIST [Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors] and bidimensional/World Health Organization) have limited applicability. No standardized response criteria for benign NF tumors exist. The goal of the Tumor Measurement Working Group of the REiNS (Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis) committee is to propose consensus guidelines for the evaluation of imaging response in clinical trials for NF tumors. Currently used imaging endpoints, designs of NF clinical trials, and knowledge of the natural history of NF-related tumors, in particular PN and VS, were reviewed. Consensus recommendations for response evaluation for future studies were developed based on this review and the expertise of group members. MRI with volumetric analysis is recommended to sensitively and reproducibly evaluate changes in tumor size in clinical trials. Volumetric analysis requires adherence to specific imaging recommendations. A 20% volume change was chosen to indicate a decrease or increase in tumor size. Use of these criteria in future trials will enable meaningful comparison of results across studies. The proposed imaging response evaluation guidelines, along with validated clinical outcome measures, will maximize the ability to identify potentially active agents for patients with NF and benign tumors.

  14. The Emergence of Environmental Homeostasis in Complex Ecosystems

    PubMed Central

    Dyke, James G.; Weaver, Iain S.

    2013-01-01

    The Earth, with its core-driven magnetic field, convective mantle, mobile lid tectonics, oceans of liquid water, dynamic climate and abundant life is arguably the most complex system in the known universe. This system has exhibited stability in the sense of, bar a number of notable exceptions, surface temperature remaining within the bounds required for liquid water and so a significant biosphere. Explanations for this range from anthropic principles in which the Earth was essentially lucky, to homeostatic Gaia in which the abiotic and biotic components of the Earth system self-organise into homeostatic states that are robust to a wide range of external perturbations. Here we present results from a conceptual model that demonstrates the emergence of homeostasis as a consequence of the feedback loop operating between life and its environment. Formulating the model in terms of Gaussian processes allows the development of novel computational methods in order to provide solutions. We find that the stability of this system will typically increase then remain constant with an increase in biological diversity and that the number of attractors within the phase space exponentially increases with the number of environmental variables while the probability of the system being in an attractor that lies within prescribed boundaries decreases approximately linearly. We argue that the cybernetic concept of rein control provides insights into how this model system, and potentially any system that is comprised of biological to environmental feedback loops, self-organises into homeostatic states. PMID:23696719

  15. Understanding Reflectance Anisotropy: Surface-structure signatures and bulk-related features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gero Schmidt, W.

    2000-03-01

    Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) is becoming an increasingly important tool for in situ control of semiconductor processing with real-time feedback. The understanding and interpretation of the measured spectra, however, has been hampered by relatively slow theoretical progress. Using a massively parallel real-space multigrid technique [1] and ab initio pseudopotentials we calculated the optical spectra of a variety of III-V(001) growth structures and stepped Si(111):H surfaces. Our results agree well with experiment, notably with respect to the stoichiometric changes induced by different surface preparations. We identify two distinct sources for the optical anisotropy: (i) highly structure-dependent features are caused by transitions involving electronic surface states, and (ii) derivative-like oscillations or peaks at the bulk critical point energies arise from transitions between surface-modified bulk wave functions. The latter are nearly independent from the actual surface structure. The agreement between the calculated and measured spectra is further improved by applying quasi-particle corrections obtained from numerically efficient, simplified GW calculations [2]. The combination of converged first-principles calculations with an approximate treatment of many-particle effects allows the reliable identification of ``surface-structure fingerprints'' in the optical spectra, paving the way for the exploitation of their rich technological potential. [1ex] [1] EL Briggs, DJ Sullivan, J Bernholc, Phys. Rev. B 54, 14362 (1996). [2] F Bechstedt, R Del Sole, G Cappellini, L Reining, Solid State Commun. 84, 765 (1992).

  16. The emergence of environmental homeostasis in complex ecosystems.

    PubMed

    Dyke, James G; Weaver, Iain S

    2013-01-01

    The Earth, with its core-driven magnetic field, convective mantle, mobile lid tectonics, oceans of liquid water, dynamic climate and abundant life is arguably the most complex system in the known universe. This system has exhibited stability in the sense of, bar a number of notable exceptions, surface temperature remaining within the bounds required for liquid water and so a significant biosphere. Explanations for this range from anthropic principles in which the Earth was essentially lucky, to homeostatic Gaia in which the abiotic and biotic components of the Earth system self-organise into homeostatic states that are robust to a wide range of external perturbations. Here we present results from a conceptual model that demonstrates the emergence of homeostasis as a consequence of the feedback loop operating between life and its environment. Formulating the model in terms of Gaussian processes allows the development of novel computational methods in order to provide solutions. We find that the stability of this system will typically increase then remain constant with an increase in biological diversity and that the number of attractors within the phase space exponentially increases with the number of environmental variables while the probability of the system being in an attractor that lies within prescribed boundaries decreases approximately linearly. We argue that the cybernetic concept of rein control provides insights into how this model system, and potentially any system that is comprised of biological to environmental feedback loops, self-organises into homeostatic states.

  17. Can civil lawsuits stem the tide of direct-to-consumer marketing of unproven stem cell interventions.

    PubMed

    Horner, Claire; Tenenbaum, Evelyn; Sipp, Douglas; Master, Zubin

    2018-01-01

    The sale of unproven stem cell interventions (SCIs) by commercial entities has proliferated in highly developed countries, most notably in the USA. Yet, there have been few criminal prosecutions and regulatory enforcement actions against providers who have violated laws and best practice standards due to the lack of resources and legal ambiguity. While the stem cell research community has invested much in protecting patients and preventing the growth of this industry, some patients are seeking remedies under civil law to hold stem cell clinics responsible for fraudulent practices. Several patients have filed lawsuits against providers demanding compensation for physical injuries caused by unproven treatments and financial losses due to fraud and false advertising. Lawsuits can be used as a tool not only to compensate plaintiffs but also to achieve positive public health and policy outcomes. In this paper, we explore the value of a public health litigation strategy as a countermeasure against the exploitative practices of the unproven SCI industry by analyzing stem cell lawsuits and comparing them with other major public health litigation efforts. We argue that stem cell lawsuits complement other approaches to reining in unsafe practices. In particular, stem cell lawsuits could intensify publicity and raise awareness of the harms of unproven treatments, set legal precedent, reshape the media narrative from one focused on the right to try or practice to one highlighting the need for adequate safety and efficacy standards, and encourage authorities to turn their attention to policy reform and enforcement.

  18. Identification of a pheromone regulating caste differentiation in termites

    PubMed Central

    Matsuura, Kenji; Himuro, Chihiro; Yokoi, Tomoyuki; Yamamoto, Yuuka; Vargo, Edward L.; Keller, Laurent

    2010-01-01

    The hallmark of social insects is their caste system: reproduction is primarily monopolized by queens, whereas workers specialize in the other tasks required for colony growth and survival. Pheromones produced by reining queens have long been believed to be the prime factor inhibiting the differentiation of new reproductive individuals. However, there has been very little progress in the chemical identification of such inhibitory pheromones. Here we report the identification of a volatile inhibitory pheromone produced by female neotenics (secondary queens) that acts directly on target individuals to suppress the differentiation of new female neotenics and identify n-butyl-n-butyrate and 2-methyl-1-butanol as the active components of the inhibitory pheromone. An artificial pheromone blend consisting of these two compounds had a strong inhibitory effect similar to live neotenics. Surprisingly, the same two volatiles are also emitted by eggs, playing a role both as an attractant to workers and an inhibitor of reproductive differentiation. This dual production of an inhibitory pheromone by female reproductives and eggs probably reflects the recruitment of an attractant pheromone as an inhibitory pheromone and may provide a mechanism ensuring honest signaling of reproductive status with a tight coupling between fertility and inhibitory power. Identification of a volatile pheromone regulating caste differentiation in a termite provides insights into the functioning of social insect colonies and opens important avenues for elucidating the developmental pathways leading to reproductive and nonreproductive castes. PMID:20615972

  19. [Autoimmune/infl ammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants, ASIA].

    PubMed

    Stolarczyk, Jędrzej; Kubiś, Marek; Brzosko, Marek

    There have been many cases of the appearance of autoantibodies and symptoms of disease after exposure to adjuvants, not only after breast augmentation with silicone implants, but also as a very rare vaccination side effect, such as Gulf war syndrome or macrophagic myofasciitis syndrome. Diseases whose symptoms developed after such adjuvant exposure are called autoimmune/ inlammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). The group of adjuvants includes not only silicone implants, silica, squalen and aluminium, but also ink components used for making tattoos. Analyzing the available reports on the inluence of adjuvants on the development of autoimmune diseases, the conclusion is that apart from long -term silicone exposure, the coexistence of other factors such as genetic or environmental is also necessary. Metaanalyses clearly do not conirm an increased risk of developing autoimmune disease after breast augmentation with silicone implants, or tattooing, but it seems that among these patients there is a group that is more predestined to develop disease symptoms. In the general population the beneits of vaccination are obvious, and the risk of severe adverse events following immunisation is incomparably lower than the risk of developing a speciic disease and its complications, also for patients with diagnosed autoimmune diseases. Because of data heterogeneity in previous studies and dificulties in diagnosing ASIA it seems necessary to conduct further analyses of adjuvants’ inluence on autoimmune disease development, and to reine ASIA diagnostic criteria, which now allow too easy a diagnosis of this syndrome.

  20. Investigation of the Durability of a Diaphragm for a Total Artificial Heart.

    PubMed

    Gräf, Felix; Rossbroich, Ralf; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Steinseifer, Ulrich

    2016-10-01

    One of the most critical components regarding the durability of the ReinHeart total artificial heart (TAH) is its biocompatible diaphragm, which separates the drive unit from the ventricles. Hence, a durability tester was designed to investigate its required 5-year lifetime. The aim of this study was to prove the validity of accelerated testing of the polyurethane diaphragm. The durability tester allows simultaneous testing of 12 diaphragms and mimics physiological conditions. To accelerate the time of testing, it operates with an increased speed at a frequency of 8 Hz. To prove the correctness of this acceleration, a servo-hydraulic testing machine was used to study the effect of different frequencies and their corresponding loads. Thereby the viscoelastic behavior of the polyurethane was investigated. Additionally, high-speed video measurements were performed. The force against frequency and the high-speed video measurements showed constant behavior. In the range of 1-10 Hz, the maximum resulting forces varied by 3%, and the diaphragm movement was identical. Frequencies below 10 Hz allow a valid statement of the diaphragm's mechanical durability. Viscoelasticity of the polyurethane in the considered frequency-range is negligible. The accelerated durability test is applicable to polyurethane diaphragms, and the results are applicable to TAH use. The reliability of the diaphragm for a lifetime of 5 years was found to be 80% with a confidence of 62%. Copyright © 2015 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Staphylococcus epidermidis in the human skin microbiome mediates fermentation to inhibit the growth of Propionibacterium acnes: Implications of probiotics in acne vulgaris

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yanhan; Kuo, Sherwin; Shu, Muya; Yu, Jinghua; Huang, Stephen; Dai, Ashley; Two, Aimee; Gallo, Richard L.; Huang, Chun-Ming

    2014-01-01

    Increasing evidence demonstrates that commensal microorganisms in the human skin microbiome help fight pathogens and maintain homeostasis of the microbiome. However, it is unclear how these microorganisms maintain biological balance when one of them overgrows. The overgrowth of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), a commensal skin bacterium, has been associated with the progression of acne vulgaris. Our results demonstrate that skin microorganisms can mediate fermentation of glycerol, which is naturally produced in skin, to enhance their inhibitory effects on P. acnes growth. The skin microorganisms, most of which have been identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), in the microbiome of human fingerprints can ferment glycerol and create inhibition zones to repel a colony of overgrown P. acnes. Succinic acid, one of four short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) detected in fermented media by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, effectively inhibits the growth of P. acnes in vitro and in vivo. Both intralesional injection and topical application of succinic acid to P. acnes-induced lesions markedly suppress the P. acnes-induced inflammation in mice. We demonstrate for the first time that bacterial members in the skin microbiome can undergo fermentation to rein in the overgrowth of P. acnes. The concept of bacterial interference between P. acnes and S. epidermidis via fermentation can be applied to develop probiotics against acne vulgaris and other skin diseases. In addition, it will open up an entirely new area of study for the biological function of the skin microbiome in promoting human health. PMID:24265031

  2. A strong-lensing elliptical galaxy in the MaNGA survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Russell J.

    2017-01-01

    I report discovery of a new galaxy-scale gravitational lens system, identified using public data from the Mapping Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, as part of a systematic search for lensed background line emitters. The lens is SDSS J170124.01+372258.0, a giant elliptical galaxy with velocity dispersion σ = 256 km s-1, at a redshift of zl = 0.122. After modelling and subtracting the target galaxy light, the integral-field data cube reveals [O II], [O III] and Hβ emission lines corresponding to a source at zs = 0.791, forming an identifiable ring around the galaxy centre. If the ring is formed by a single lensed source, then the Einstein radius is REin ≈ 2.3 arcsec, projecting to ˜5 kpc at the distance of the lens. The total projected lensing mass is MEin = (3.6 ± 0.6) × 1011 M⊙, and the total J-band mass-to-light ratio is 3.0 ± 0.7 solar units. Plausible estimates of the likely dark matter content could reconcile this with a Milky Way-like initial mass function (IMF), for which M/L ≈ 1.5 is expected, but heavier IMFs are by no means excluded with the present data. An alternative interpretation of the system, with a more complex source plane, is also discussed. The discovery of this system bodes well for future lens searches based on MaNGA and other integral-field spectroscopic surveys.

  3. Organ preservation at low temperature: a physical and biological problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aussedat, J.; Boutron, P.; Coquilhat, P.; Descotes, J. L.; Faure, G.; Ferrari, M.; Kay, L.; Mazuer, J.; Monod, P.; Odin, J.; Ray, A.

    1993-02-01

    réalisée avec succès à l'échelle industrielle, ne peut se faire qu'en présence de substances plus ou moins toxiques dites cryoprotectrices, et à condition de respecter des vitesses de refroidissement et de réchauffement adaptées à chaque type de cellule. Nous montrons ensuite que l'extension de la cryopréservation au cas des organes entiers ne pourra se faire qu'au moyen de la vitrification, seule solution pour éviter toute formation de glace. Cette vitrification sera l'aboutissement de 2 axes de recherche, l'un sur l'élaboration de solutions cryoprotectrices les moins toxiques possibles, l'autre sur l'obtention de vitesses de refroidissement et de réchauffement suffisamment élevées et homogènes. Après avoir brièvement résumé l'état des recherches sur le coeur et le rein de petits mammifères, nous présentons les premiers résultats que nous avons obtenus sur la perfusion à 4 ^{circ}C et l'autotransplantation de reins de lapin, sur la toxicité sur le coeur de rat d'un nouveau cryoprotecteur le 2,3-butanediol, et sur le refroidissement de systèmes modèles expérimentaux d'organes.

  4. Long-Term ENSO Variation Over the Last 20,000 Years From the Peru Continental Margin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skilbeck, G.; Fink, D.; Gagan, M.; Rein, B.

    2006-12-01

    Three ODP Leg 201 cores from the Peru continental margin comprise highly laminated diatomaceous ooze spanning Last Glacial Maximum to present. Geochemical proxy data, layer counting and spectral analysis of red color variation suggest the layers represent interannual accumulation under the influence tropical ENSO conditions, with darker layers representing El Niño events. AMS 14-C dating (Skilbeck &Fink, 2006) of bulk sediment from Sites 201-1228 and -1229 (~11°S) and comparison with Rein et al. (2005) Core SO147-106KL (~12°S) show that where the shelf is narrow south of ~10.5°S, regionally consistent rates of sediment accumulation have occurred over the late Deglaciation and Holocene, with high rates characterising the late (0-2.0 kyrBP, ~100 cm/ka) and the early (8.5-10 kyrBP, ~80 cm/ka) Holocene. Over these intervals laminae are of interannual resolution. Further north where the shelf is broader, Holocene-Late Deglaciation sediments are thin or absent, but the Early Deglaciation is well represented. In a core from ODP Site 201-1227 (~9°S, 427m water depth), the period 15.5-17.5 kyrBP is characterised by sediment accumulation rates in excess of 300 cm/ka, and interannual laminations are again present. Spectral analysis of the instrumental record of ENSO, the SOI, shows a relative stable mode of variation with an average frequency of about 5.5 yr for the past 130 years. Analysis of our ODP cores shows that the ENSO mode appears to be relatively stable for periods of 300-500 years throughout the Holocene with frequencies varying mostly between 5 and 8 years and relatively sudden mode switches, suggesting inter alia that the instrumental record is not long enough to test predictive models of ENSO variation. Throughout the Holocene, this pattern of variation transcends the sedimentation-rate zones identified above, with the inference that changes in the rate of sedimentation have not influenced the temporal pattern. The later part of the deglaciation period (10

  5. Getting back in the race. Retired healthcare executives are being lured back into the office as organizations look for experienced leaders to take the reins.

    PubMed

    Jaklevic, Mary Chris

    2003-09-15

    All the young whippersnappers better look out--the veterans are coming back to show how it's done. More and more as of late, executives who chucked the 80-hour workweek grind are coming out of retirement to take the helm at beleaguered healthcare systems. MedCath Corp. board Chairman Steve Puckett, at left, says experience counts for a lot when handing over such responsibility.

  6. Obituary: Maurice M. Shapiro, 1915-2008

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yodh, Gaurang B.

    2009-01-01

    emulsions--to study cosmic-ray induced stars. Maury wrote definitive reviews on the emulsion technique (use of high-density visual detectors) in 1941 in Reviews of Modern Physics and then an article entitled "Nuclear Emulsions" in the Handbuch der Physik of 1958. He did many experimental investigations related to cosmic rays and particle properties after the war when he joined NRL. Using emulsion-chamber techniques and high-altitude exposures, Maury measured and verified saturation of relativistic rise in ionization, a measurement of helium and proton flux at high rigidity, and accurate measurements of secondary-to-primary ratio (Li, Be, B/CNO); with his colleagues he did one of the best measurements of neutral pion life time. He also did important measurements of properties of heavy baryons. My association with Maury started when I joined University of Maryland's High Energy group in 1961, a time when Maury had a very active group working in particle physics and cosmic rays using nuclear emulsions and was starting a bubble-chamber group. (Some of the members were Bernard Hildebrand, Bert Stiller, Rein Silberberg, C. H. Tsao, and Robert Glasser.) There was active interaction between George Snow (University of Maryland) and the NRL group, both studying properties of high-energy particles with nuclear emulsions and bubble chambers. I was a consultant with the NRL group for some ten years. In 1960s, Maury investigated the ramifications and limitations of supernova theories for the origin of cosmic rays and discussed the production of high-energy neutrinos and gamma rays from these sources. He was one of the active members of the DUMAND project to study high-energy neutrinos. With Rein Silberberg he explored the capabilities of such a project. Maury's group made seminal contributions on quantitatively exploring isotope ratios (using isotopes to determine the time lag between explosion and acceleration in supernova sources--to suggest the importance of FIP in injection), the

  7. Azelainsäure 20 % Creme: Auswirkung auf Lebensqualität und Krankheitsaktivität bei erwachsenen Patientinnen mit Acne vulgaris.

    PubMed

    Kainz, Julius Thomas; Berghammer, Gabriele; Auer-Grumbach, Piet; Lackner, Verena; Perl-Convalexius, Sylvia; Popa, Rodica; Wolfesberger, Barbara

    2016-12-01

    Zur Wirksamkeit von Aknetherapien und deren Auswirkungen auf die Lebensqualität erwachsener Patienten liegen kaum Daten vor. ZIEL: Erhebung der Wirkung von Azelainsäure 20 % Creme (Skinoren ® ) auf Akne-Schweregrad und krankheitsbedingte Lebensqualität. Nichtinterventionelle Studie bei erwachsenen Patientinnen mit leichter bis mittelschwerer Akne. Wirksamkeitsparameter waren DLQI sowie Akne-Schweregrad im Gesicht, am Dekolleté sowie am Rücken im Gesamturteil des Prüfarztes (IGA-Skala: Grad 1 = annähernd reine Haut; 2 = leichte Akne; 3 = mittelschwere Akne). Visiten waren zu Studienbeginn sowie nach 4-8 und zwölf Wochen geplant. Von den 251 eingeschlossenen Patientinnen lag zu Studienbeginn bei 59 %, 31 % bzw. 10 % ein IGA-Grad von 1, 2 bzw. 3 vor; die am häufigsten betroffene Hautpartie war das Gesicht (IGA-Grad 2 oder 3: 79 %). Nach zwölf Behandlungswochen war eine signifikante Besserung der Acne vulgaris im Gesicht (IGA-Grad 0 oder 1: 82 %) sowie auf Dekolleté und Rücken feststellbar. Der mediane DLQI-Wert sank von neun zu Studienbeginn auf fünf nach zwölf Behandlungswochen. Neunzig Prozent der behandelnden Ärzte und Patientinnen beurteilten die Verträglichkeit der Behandlung als sehr gut oder gut. Die Anwendung von 20%iger Azelainsäure-Creme führt bei erwachsenen Frauen zu einer signifikanten Besserung der Acne vulgaris und der krankheitsbedingten Lebensqualität. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. An annealed chaotic maximum neural network for bipartite subgraph problem.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jiahai; Tang, Zheng; Wang, Ronglong

    2004-04-01

    In this paper, based on maximum neural network, we propose a new parallel algorithm that can help the maximum neural network escape from local minima by including a transient chaotic neurodynamics for bipartite subgraph problem. The goal of the bipartite subgraph problem, which is an NP- complete problem, is to remove the minimum number of edges in a given graph such that the remaining graph is a bipartite graph. Lee et al. presented a parallel algorithm using the maximum neural model (winner-take-all neuron model) for this NP- complete problem. The maximum neural model always guarantees a valid solution and greatly reduces the search space without a burden on the parameter-tuning. However, the model has a tendency to converge to a local minimum easily because it is based on the steepest descent method. By adding a negative self-feedback to the maximum neural network, we proposed a new parallel algorithm that introduces richer and more flexible chaotic dynamics and can prevent the network from getting stuck at local minima. After the chaotic dynamics vanishes, the proposed algorithm is then fundamentally reined by the gradient descent dynamics and usually converges to a stable equilibrium point. The proposed algorithm has the advantages of both the maximum neural network and the chaotic neurodynamics. A large number of instances have been simulated to verify the proposed algorithm. The simulation results show that our algorithm finds the optimum or near-optimum solution for the bipartite subgraph problem superior to that of the best existing parallel algorithms.

  9. U.S. outlook issues: putting America's house in order.

    PubMed

    Brinner, R E

    1989-03-01

    Despite the economic growth in 1987 and 1988, there are three issues of concern: the strength of consumer spending, the risk of accelerating inflation, and the federal budget deficit. The history of recent consumer spending is reviewed, and the recommendation made that if the recent "binge" of 1987-1988 has caused the economy to overshoot its production capacity, monetary and fiscal policies should be adjusted to rein in the spending. Regarding inflation, despite projected productivity gains, the economy seems to be heading for a 4.5%-5.0% core rate of inflation, a rate that can surge to 1970s-like levels with any substantial bad news. The observation is made that no major sustained cut in financing costs will occur until U.S. fiscal policy is changed. Regarding the deficit, voters cannot seek more services without either higher taxes or higher interest rates; growth alone will not cure the federal deficit. The distinction between good and bad types of debt is made and the history and causes of the $ 2 trillion increase in federal debt between fiscal years 1980 and 1988 is reviewed. Corporate debt and the recent corporate acquisitions and leveraged buyouts are analyzed. Public policy considerations arise primarily from the need to limit the system risks imposed by the scale of the buyout mania and to insure fair treatment of current debt holders of target corporations. Greater regulation of pension investments may be necessary, and widespread use of change-of-ownership clauses in bonds would be productive.

  10. Oleo gum resin of Ferula assa-foetida L. ameliorates peripheral neuropathy in mice.

    PubMed

    Homayouni Moghadam, Farshad; Dehghan, Maryam; Zarepur, Ehsan; Dehlavi, Reyhaneh; Ghaseminia, Fatemeh; Ehsani, Shima; Mohammadzadeh, Golnaz; Barzegar, Kazem

    2014-05-28

    According to the Chinese, European, Iranian and Indian traditional medicines, oleo gum resin of Ferula assa-foetida (asafoetida) has therapeutic effects on different kinds of diseases. Some of these effects are related to the diseases of nervous system such as hysteresis and convulsion. In recent studies, some anti-epileptic and neuroprotective roles were also considered for it and we examined its possible role on treatment of peripheral neuropathy. in vitro studies were carried out to identify the response of isolated sciatic nerves to different concentrations of oleo gum resin of asafoetida solved in Lock׳s solution. Then, in vivo studies were conducted to evaluate its effect on amelioration of peripheral neuropathy in mice. Peripheral neuropathy was induced by intraperiotoneal injection of high doses of pyridoxine in adult Balb/c male mice. Tail flick tests were performed to identify the incidence of neuropathy in animals. After 10 days treatment with asafoetida, the efficiency of treatment was assessed by behavioral, electrophysiological and histological studies. in vitro experiments confirmed that incubating the nerves in aqueous extract of oleo gum rein of asafoetida increased the amplitude and decreased the latent period of nerve compound action potential (CAP). Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and amplitude of CAP also improved in asafoetida treated animals. Histological and behavioral studies showed that asafoetida was able to facilitate the healing process in peripheral nerves. in vitro experiments showed that asafoetida is a nerve stimulant and its administration in neuropathic mice exerted neuroprotecting effects through stimulating axonal regeneration and remyelination and decrement of lymphocyte infiltration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Central tarsal bone fractures in horses not used for racing: Computed tomographic configuration and long-term outcome of lag screw fixation.

    PubMed

    Gunst, S; Del Chicca, F; Fürst, A E; Kuemmerle, J M

    2016-09-01

    There are no reports on the configuration of equine central tarsal bone fractures based on cross-sectional imaging and clinical and radiographic long-term outcome after internal fixation. To report clinical, radiographic and computed tomographic findings of equine central tarsal bone fractures and to evaluate the long-term outcome of internal fixation. Retrospective case series. All horses diagnosed with a central tarsal bone fracture at our institution in 2009-2013 were included. Computed tomography and internal fixation using lag screw technique was performed in all patients. Medical records and diagnostic images were reviewed retrospectively. A clinical and radiographic follow-up examination was performed at least 1 year post operatively. A central tarsal bone fracture was diagnosed in 6 horses. Five were Warmbloods used for showjumping and one was a Quarter Horse used for reining. All horses had sagittal slab fractures that began dorsally, ran in a plantar or plantaromedial direction and exited the plantar cortex at the plantar or plantaromedial indentation of the central tarsal bone. Marked sclerosis of the central tarsal bone was diagnosed in all patients. At long-term follow-up, 5/6 horses were sound and used as intended although mild osteophyte formation at the distal intertarsal joint was commonly observed. Central tarsal bone fractures in nonracehorses had a distinct configuration but radiographically subtle additional fracture lines can occur. A chronic stress related aetiology seems likely. Internal fixation of these fractures based on an accurate diagnosis of the individual fracture configuration resulted in a very good prognosis. © 2015 EVJ Ltd.

  12. Health reform: setting the agenda for long term care.

    PubMed

    Hatch, O G; Wofford, H; Willging, P R; Pomeroy, E

    1993-06-01

    The White House Task Force on National Health Care Reform, headed by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, is expected to release its prescription for health care reform this month. From the outset, Clinton's mandate was clear: to provide universal coverage while reining in costs for delivering quality health care. Before President Clinton was even sworn into office, he had outlined the major principles that would shape the health reform debate. Global budgeting would establish limits on all health care expenditures, thereby containing health costs. Under a system of managed competition, employers would form health alliances for consumers to negotiate for cost-effective health care at the community level. So far, a basic approach to health care reform has emerged. A key element is universal coverage--with an emphasis on acute, preventive, and mental health care. Other likely pieces are employer-employee contributions to health care plans, laws that guarantee continued coverage if an individual changes jobs or becomes ill, and health insurance alliances that would help assure individual access to low-cost health care. What still is not clear is the extent to which long term care will be included in the basic benefits package. A confidential report circulated by the task force last month includes four options for long term care: incremental Medicaid reform; a new federal/state program to replace Medicaid; a social insurance program for home and community-based services; or full social insurance for long term care. Some work group members have identified an additional option: prefunded long term care insurance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  13. Quantum Statistics of the Toda Oscillator in the Wigner Function Formalism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vojta, Günter; Vojta, Matthias

    Classical and quantum mechanical Toda systems (Toda molecules, Toda lattices, Toda quantum fields) recently found growing interest as nonlinear systems showing solitons and chaos. In this paper the statistical thermodynamics of a system of quantum mechanical Toda oscillators characterized by a potential energy V(q) = Vo cos h q is treated within the Wigner function formalism (phase space formalism of quantum statistics). The partition function is given as a Wigner- Kirkwood series expansion in terms of powers of h2 (semiclassical expansion). The partition function and all thermodynamic functions are written, with considerable exactness, as simple closed expressions containing only the modified Hankel functions Ko and K1 of the purely imaginary argument i with = Vo/kT.Translated AbstractQuantenstatistik des Toda-Oszillators im Formalismus der Wigner-FunktionKlassische und quantenmechanische Toda-Systeme (Toda-Moleküle, Toda-Gitter, Toda-Quantenfelder) haben als nichtlineare Systeme mit Solitonen und Chaos in jüngster Zeit zunehmend an Interesse gewonnen. Wir untersuchen die statistische Thermodynamik eines Systems quantenmechanischer Toda-Oszillatoren, die durch eine potentielle Energie der Form V(q) = Vo cos h q charakterisiert sind, im Formalismus der Wigner-Funktion (Phasenraum-Formalismus der Quantenstatistik). Die Zustandssumme wird als Wigner-Kirkwood-Reihe nach Potenzen von h2 (semiklassische Entwicklung) dargestellt, und aus ihr werden die thermodynamischen Funktionen berechnet. Sämtliche Funktionen sind durch einfache geschlossene Formeln allein mit den modifizierten Hankel-Funktionen Ko und K1 des rein imaginären Arguments i mit = Vo/kT mit großer Genauigkeit darzustellen.

  14. Commentary: Sense and sensibility: the role of specialists in health care reform.

    PubMed

    Schwann, Nanette M; Nester, Brian A; McLoughlin, Thomas M

    2012-03-01

    How to redesign the incentives structure in the United States to reward effective coordinated care rather than production volume is a staggering public health policy challenge. In the mind of the public, there is a fine distinction between health care rationing and rational health care. Specialists have a vital but underappreciated role in reining in health care costs, but specific incentives to elicit behavior change with positive social outcomes remain ambiguous. It is imperative, therefore, that redesigning the incentives structure is thoughtfully considered, modeled, and tested prior to implementation, lest an inferior-quality model is inadvertently adopted and costs are only marginally contained. Quality metrics need to be universal and reflect real patient outcomes instead of the degree of investment by the institution in the reporting tools. Still, specialists should take immediate action to implement safe and efficient procedures and to assess their long-term impact on patients' quality of life. Scientific evaluations should guide both the assessment of the appropriateness and the safe delivery of care. Investment in high-quality data architecture and the science of health delivery implementation is an imperative if health care reform is to achieve its goals. Coordination and collaboration between specialists and primary care physicians is essential to this enterprise. Specialists can champion these efforts as they pertain to their areas of expertise by considering their care episodes in the context of the patient as a whole, working closely with generalists, and returning to the mindset of the specialist as a family doctor.

  15. Behavioral Momentum Theory Fails to Account for the Effects of Reinforcement Rate on Resurgence

    PubMed Central

    Craig, Andrew R.; Shahan, Timothy A.

    2017-01-01

    The behavioral-momentum model of resurgence predicts reinforcer rates within a resurgence preparation should have three effects on target behavior. First, higher reinforcer rates in baseline (Phase 1) produce more persistent target behavior during extinction plus alternative reinforcement. Second, higher rate alternative reinforcement during Phase 2 generates greater disruption of target responding during extinction. Finally, higher rates of either reinforcement source should produce greater responding when alternative reinforcement is suspended in Phase 3. Recent empirical reports have produced mixed results in terms of these predictions. Thus, the present experiment further examined reinforcer-rate effects on persistence and resurgence. Rats pressed target levers for high-rate or low-rate variable-interval food during Phase 1. In Phase 2, target-lever pressing was extinguished, an alternative nose-poke became available, and nose-poking produced either high-rate variable-interval, low-rate variable-interval, or no (an extinction control) alternative reinforcement. Alternative reinforcement was suspended in Phase 3. For groups that received no alternative reinforcement, target-lever pressing was less persistent following high-rate than low-rate Phase-1 reinforcement. Target behavior was more persistent with low-rate alternative reinforcement than with high-rate alternative reinforcement or extinction alone. Finally, no differences in Phase-3 responding were observed for groups that received either high-rate or low-rate alternative reinforcement, and resurgence occurred only following high-rate alternative reinforcement. These findings are inconsistent with the momentum-based model of resurgence. We conclude this model mischaracterizes the effects of rein-forcer rates on persistence and resurgence of operant behavior. PMID:27193242

  16. Diabetes benefit management: evolving strategies for payers.

    PubMed

    Tzeel, Albert L

    2011-11-01

    Over the next quarter century, the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is expected to at least double. Currently, 1 in every 10 healthcare dollars is spent on diabetes management; by 2050, it has been projected that the annual costs of managing T2DM will rise to $336 billion. Without substantial, systemic changes, T2DM management costs will lead to a potentially untenable strain on the healthcare system. However, the appropriate management of diabetes can reduce associated mortality and delay comorbidities. In addition, adequate glycemic control can improve patient outcomes and significantly reduce diabetes-related complications. This article provides an overview of key concepts associated with a value-based insurance design (VBID) approach to T2DM coverage. By promoting the use of services or treatments that provide high benefits relative to cost, and by alternatively discouraging patients from utilizing services whose benefits do not justify their cost, VBID improves the quality of healthcare while simultaneously reining in spending. VBID initiatives tend to focus on chronic disease management and generally target prescription drug use. However, some programs have expanded their scope by incorporating services traditionally offered by wellness and disease management programs. The concept of VBID is growing, and it is increasingly being implemented by a diverse and growing number of public and private entities, including pharmacy benefit managers, health plans, and employers. This article provides key background on VBID strategies, with a focus on T2DM management. It also provides a road map for health plans seeking to implement VBID as part of their programs.

  17. Measuring the total and baryonic mass profiles of the very massive CASSOWARY 31 strong lens. A fossil system at z ≃ 0.7?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grillo, C.; Christensen, L.; Gallazzi, A.; Rasmussen, J.

    2013-08-01

    We investigate the total and baryonic mass distributions in deflector number 31 (CSWA 31) of the Cambridge And Sloan Survey Of Wide ARcs in the skY (CASSOWARY). We confirm spectroscopically a four-image lensing system at redshift 1.4870 with Very Large Telescope/X-shooter observations. The lensed images are distributed around a bright early-type galaxy at redshift 0.683, surrounded by several smaller galaxies at similar photometric redshifts. We use available optical and X-ray data to constrain the deflector total, stellar and hot gas mass through, respectively, strong lensing, stellar population analysis and plasma modelling. We derive a total mass projected within the Einstein radius REin = 70 kpc of (40 ± 1) × 1012 M⊙, and a central logarithmic slope of -1.7 ± 0.2 for the total mass density. Despite a very high stellar mass and velocity dispersion of the central galaxy of (3 ± 1) × 1012 M⊙ and (450 ± 80) km s-1, respectively, the cumulative stellar-to-total mass profile of the deflector implies a remarkably low stellar mass fraction of 20 per cent (3-6 per cent) in projection within the central galaxy effective radius Re = 25 kpc (R = 100 kpc). We also find that the CSWA 31 deflector has properties suggesting it to be among the most distant and massive fossil systems studied so far. The unusually strong central dark matter dominance and the possible fossil nature of this system render it an interesting target for detailed tests of cosmological models and structure formation scenarios.

  18. Ten-years trends in renal replacement therapy for end-stage renal disease in mainland France: Lessons from the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry.

    PubMed

    Vigneau, Cécile; Kolko, Anne; Stengel, Bénédicte; Jacquelinet, Christian; Landais, Paul; Rieu, Philippe; Bayat, Sahar; Couchoud, Cécile

    2017-06-01

    The incidence rate of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is decreasing in several countries, but not in France. We studied the RRT trends in mainland France from 2005 to 2014 to understand the reasons for this discrepancy and determine the effects of ESRD management changes. Data were extracted from the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network registry. Time trends of RRT incidence and prevalence rates, patients' clinical and treatment characteristics were analysed using the Joinpoint regression program and annual percentage changes. Survival within the first year of RRT was analysed using Kaplan-Meier estimates for 4 periods of time. The overall age- and gender-adjusted RRT incidence rate increased from 144 to 159 individuals per million inhabitants (pmi) (+0.8% per year; 95% CI: 0.5-1.2) and the prevalence from 903 to 1141 pmi (+2.4% per year; 95% CI: 2.2-2.7). This increase concerned exclusively ESRD associated with type 2 diabetes (+4.0%; 3.4-4.6) and mostly elderly men. Despite patient aging and increasing comorbidity burden and a persistent 30% rate of emergency dialysis start, the one-year survival rate slightly improved from 82.1% (81.4-82.8) to 83.8% (83.3-84.4). Pre-emptive wait listing for renal transplantation and the percentage of wait-listed patients within one year after dialysis start strongly increased (from 5.6% to 15.5% and from 29% to 39%, respectively). Kidney transplantation and survival significantly improved despite the heavier patient burden. However, the rise in type 2 diabetes-related ESRD and the stable high rate of emergency dialysis start remain major issues. Copyright © 2016 Association Société de néphrologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. Cortisol release, heart rate and heart rate variability, and superficial body temperature, in horses lunged either with hyperflexion of the neck or with an extended head and neck position.

    PubMed

    Becker-Birck, M; Schmidt, A; Wulf, M; Aurich, J; von der Wense, A; Möstl, E; Berz, R; Aurich, C

    2013-04-01

    Bringing the head and neck of ridden horses into a position of hyperflexion is widely used in equestrian sports. In our study, the hypothesis was tested that hyperflexion is an acute stressor for horses. Salivary cortisol concentrations, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and superficial body temperature were determined in horses (n = 16) lunged on two subsequent days. The head and neck of the horse was fixed with side reins in a position allowing forward extension on day A and fixed in hyperflexion on day B. The order of treatments alternated between horses. In response to lunging, cortisol concentration increased (day A from 0.73 ± 0.06 to 1.41 ± 0.13 ng/ml, p < 0.001; day B from 0.68 ± 0.07 to 1.38 ± 0.13 ng/ml, p < 0.001) but did not differ between days A and B. Beat-to-beat (RR) interval decreased in response to lunging on both days. HRV variables standard deviation of RR interval (SDRR) and RMSSD (root mean square of successive RR differences) decreased (p < 0.001) but did not differ between days. In the cranial region of the neck, the difference between maximum and minimum temperature was increased in hyperflexion (p < 0.01). In conclusion, physiological parameters do not indicate an acute stress response to hyperflexion of the head alone in horses lunged at moderate speed and not touched with the whip. However, if hyperflexion is combined with active intervention of a rider, a stressful experience for the horse cannot be excluded. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  20. Bevacizumab in neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) related vestibular schwannomas: a nationally coordinated approach to delivery and prospective evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Morris, Katrina A.; Golding, John F.; Axon, Patrick R.; Afridi, Shazia; Blesing, Claire; Ferner, Rosalie E.; Halliday, Dorothy; Jena, Raj; Pretorius, Pieter M.; Evans, D. Gareth; McCabe, Martin G.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background NF2 patients develop multiple nervous system tumors including bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS). The tumors and their surgical treatment are associated with deafness, neurological disability, and mortality. Medical treatment with bevacizumab has been reported to reduce VS growth and to improve hearing. In addition to evaluating these effects, this study also aimed to determine other important consequences of treatment including patient-reported quality of life and the impact of treatment on surgical VS rates. Methods Patients treated with bevacizumab underwent serial prospective MRI, audiology, clinical, CTCAE-4.0 adverse events, and NFTI-QOL quality-of-life assessments. Tumor volumetrics were classified according to the REiNs criteria and annual VS surgical rates reviewed. Results Sixty-one patients (59% male), median age 25 years (range, 10–57), were reviewed. Median follow-up was 23 months (range, 3–53). Partial volumetric tumor response (all tumors) was seen in 39% and 51% had stabilization of previously growing tumors. Age and pretreatment growth rate were predictors of response. Hearing was maintained or improved in 86% of assessable patients. Mean NFTI-QOL scores improved from 12.0 to 10.7 (P < .05). Hypertension was observed in 30% and proteinuria in 16%. Twelve treatment breaks occurred due to adverse events. The rates of VS surgery decreased after the introduction of bevacizumab. Conclusion Treatment with bevacizumab in this large, UK-wide cohort decreased VS growth rates and improved hearing and quality of life. The potential risk of surgical iatrogenic damage was also reduced due to an associated reduction in VS surgical rates. Ongoing follow-up of this cohort will determine the long-term benefits and risks of bevacizumab treatment. PMID:29692918

  1. Can IR scene projectors reduce total system cost?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ginn, Robert; Solomon, Steven

    2006-05-01

    There is an incredible amount of system engineering involved in turning the typical infrared system needs of probability of detection, probability of identification, and probability of false alarm into focal plane array (FPA) requirements of noise equivalent irradiance (NEI), modulation transfer function (MTF), fixed pattern noise (FPN), and defective pixels. Unfortunately, there are no analytic solutions to this problem so many approximations and plenty of "seat of the pants" engineering is employed. This leads to conservative specifications, which needlessly drive up system costs by increasing system engineering costs, reducing FPA yields, increasing test costs, increasing rework and the never ending renegotiation of requirements in an effort to rein in costs. These issues do not include the added complexity to the FPA factory manager of trying to meet varied, and changing, requirements for similar products because different customers have made different approximations and flown down different specifications. Scene generation technology may well be mature and cost effective enough to generate considerable overall savings for FPA based systems. We will compare the costs and capabilities of various existing scene generation systems and estimate the potential savings if implemented at several locations in the IR system fabrication cycle. The costs of implementing this new testing methodology will be compared to the probable savings in systems engineering, test, rework, yield improvement and others. The diverse requirements and techniques required for testing missile warning systems, missile seekers, and FLIRs will be defined. Last, we will discuss both the hardware and software requirements necessary to meet the new test paradigm and discuss additional cost improvements related to the incorporation of these technologies.

  2. Precision Medicine for Hypertension Management in Chronic Kidney Disease: Relevance of SPRINT for Therapeutic Targets in Nondiabetic Renal Disease.

    PubMed

    Ruzicka, Marcel; Burns, Kevin D; Hiremath, Swapnil

    2017-05-01

    In this review we evaluate the literature to determine if lower blood pressure (BP) targets are beneficial for patients with nondiabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), and Ramipril Efficacy in Nephropathy-2 (REIN-2), designed to assess the benefit of lower BP on progression of nondiabetic CKD, generally came to the same negative conclusion. They were not designed and powered to assess an effect of lower BP on cardiovascular outcomes. The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) was the first trial designed and powered to address this issue, and showed a clear benefit of a lower targeted and achieved BP. SPRINT did not show any renal benefits from lower BP, and it was not designed to assess this outcome, and it enrolled patients with less "renal risk" per se. A distinguishing feature of SPRINT compared with other large trials is that it highlighted the importance of precise BP measurement methods in defining targets in hypertension treatment. Accordingly, we propose that SPRINT is truly a "game-changing" clinical trial that sets the bar for management of hypertension in select patients with nondiabetic CKD. In these patients, systolic BP target depends critically on the BP measurement method: < 140 mm Hg when derived from 3 readings using a mercury sphygmomanometer after 5 minutes of rest, < 130 mm Hg when calculated from at a minimum of 3 readings using an automated oscillometric device, and < 120 mm Hg when taken using an automated oscillometric device after 5 minutes of unattended rest. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Interactions between adipose tissue and the immune system in health and malnutrition.

    PubMed

    Wensveen, Felix M; Valentić, Sonja; Šestan, Marko; Wensveen, Tamara Turk; Polić, Bojan

    2015-09-01

    Adipose tissue provides the body with a storage depot of nutrients that is drained during times of starvation and replenished when food sources are abundant. As such, it is the primary sensor for nutrient availability in the milieu of an organism, which it communicates to the body through the excretion of hormones. Adipose tissue regulates a multitude of body functions associated with metabolism, such as gluconeogenesis, feeding and nutrient uptake. The immune system forms a vital layer of protection against micro-organisms that try to gain access to the nutrients contained in the body. Because infections need to be resolved as quickly as possible, speed is favored over energy-efficiency in an immune response. Especially when immune cells are activated, they switch to fast, but energy-inefficient anaerobic respiration to fulfill their energetic needs. Despite the necessity for an effective immune system, it is not given free rein in its energy expenditure. Signals derived from adipose tissue limit immune cell numbers and activity under conditions of nutrient shortage, whereas they allow proper immune cell activity when food sources are sufficiently available. When excessive fat accumulation occurs, such as in diet-induced obesity, adipose tissue becomes the site of pathological immune cell activation, causing chronic low-grade systemic inflammation. Obesity is therefore associated with a number of disorders in which the immune system plays a central role, such as atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In this review, we will discuss the way in which adipose tissue regulates activity of the immune system under healthy and pathological conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Current whole-body MRI applications in the neurofibromatoses: NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis.

    PubMed

    Ahlawat, Shivani; Fayad, Laura M; Khan, Muhammad Shayan; Bredella, Miriam A; Harris, Gordon J; Evans, D Gareth; Farschtschi, Said; Jacobs, Michael A; Chhabra, Avneesh; Salamon, Johannes M; Wenzel, Ralph; Mautner, Victor F; Dombi, Eva; Cai, Wenli; Plotkin, Scott R; Blakeley, Jaishri O

    2016-08-16

    The Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration Whole-Body MRI (WB-MRI) Working Group reviewed the existing literature on WB-MRI, an emerging technology for assessing disease in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis (SWN), to recommend optimal image acquisition and analysis methods to enable WB-MRI as an endpoint in NF clinical trials. A systematic process was used to review all published data about WB-MRI in NF syndromes to assess diagnostic accuracy, feasibility and reproducibility, and data about specific techniques for assessment of tumor burden, characterization of neoplasms, and response to therapy. WB-MRI at 1.5T or 3.0T is feasible for image acquisition. Short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence is used in all investigations to date, suggesting consensus about the utility of this sequence for detection of WB tumor burden in people with NF. There are insufficient data to support a consensus statement about the optimal imaging planes (axial vs coronal) or 2D vs 3D approaches. Functional imaging, although used in some NF studies, has not been systematically applied or evaluated. There are no comparative studies between regional vs WB-MRI or evaluations of WB-MRI reproducibility. WB-MRI is feasible for identifying tumors using both 1.5T and 3.0T systems. The STIR sequence is a core sequence. Additional investigation is needed to define the optimal approach for volumetric analysis, the reproducibility of WB-MRI in NF, and the diagnostic performance of WB-MRI vs regional MRI. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

  5. Current whole-body MRI applications in the neurofibromatoses

    PubMed Central

    Fayad, Laura M.; Khan, Muhammad Shayan; Bredella, Miriam A.; Harris, Gordon J.; Evans, D. Gareth; Farschtschi, Said; Jacobs, Michael A.; Chhabra, Avneesh; Salamon, Johannes M.; Wenzel, Ralph; Mautner, Victor F.; Dombi, Eva; Cai, Wenli; Plotkin, Scott R.; Blakeley, Jaishri O.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration Whole-Body MRI (WB-MRI) Working Group reviewed the existing literature on WB-MRI, an emerging technology for assessing disease in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis (SWN), to recommend optimal image acquisition and analysis methods to enable WB-MRI as an endpoint in NF clinical trials. Methods: A systematic process was used to review all published data about WB-MRI in NF syndromes to assess diagnostic accuracy, feasibility and reproducibility, and data about specific techniques for assessment of tumor burden, characterization of neoplasms, and response to therapy. Results: WB-MRI at 1.5T or 3.0T is feasible for image acquisition. Short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence is used in all investigations to date, suggesting consensus about the utility of this sequence for detection of WB tumor burden in people with NF. There are insufficient data to support a consensus statement about the optimal imaging planes (axial vs coronal) or 2D vs 3D approaches. Functional imaging, although used in some NF studies, has not been systematically applied or evaluated. There are no comparative studies between regional vs WB-MRI or evaluations of WB-MRI reproducibility. Conclusions: WB-MRI is feasible for identifying tumors using both 1.5T and 3.0T systems. The STIR sequence is a core sequence. Additional investigation is needed to define the optimal approach for volumetric analysis, the reproducibility of WB-MRI in NF, and the diagnostic performance of WB-MRI vs regional MRI. PMID:27527647

  6. X-ray and Ultraviolet Properties of AGNs in Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Reines, Amy E.; Gallo, Elena; Greene, Jenny E.

    2017-02-01

    We present new Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope observations of eight optically selected broad-line active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates in nearby dwarf galaxies (z < 0.055). Including archival Chandra observations of three additional sources, our sample contains all 10 galaxies from Reines et al. (2013) with both broad Hα emission and narrow-line AGN ratios (six AGNs, four composites), as well as one low-metallicity dwarf galaxy with broad Hα and narrow-line ratios characteristic of star formation. All 11 galaxies are detected in X-rays. Nuclear X-ray luminosities range from L 0.5-7keV ≈ 5 × 1039 to 1 × 1042 ergs-1. In all cases except for the star-forming galaxy, the nuclear X-ray luminosities are significantly higher than would be expected from X-ray binaries, providing strong confirmation that AGNs and composite dwarf galaxies do indeed host actively accreting black holes (BHs). Using our estimated BH masses (which range from ˜7 × 104 to 1 × 106 M ⊙), we find inferred Eddington fractions ranging from ˜0.1% to 50%, I.e., comparable to massive broad-line quasars at higher redshift. We use the HST imaging to determine the ratio of UV to X-ray emission for these AGNs, finding that they appear to be less X-ray luminous with respect to their UV emission than more massive quasars (I.e., α OX values an average of 0.36 lower than expected based on the relation between α OX and 2500 Å luminosity). Finally, we discuss our results in the context of different accretion models onto nuclear BHs.

  7. Evolution of Ethics in Clinical Research and Ethics Committee

    PubMed Central

    Das, Nilay Kanti; Sil, Amrita

    2017-01-01

    Ethics are the moral values of human behavior and the principles which govern these values. The situation becomes challenging for a doctor when he assumes the role of researcher. The doctor-researcher has to serve both the roles and at times the zeal of an investigator has the potential to cloud the morality of the physician inside. It is very important to realize that exploiting the faith of patients is an offence that tantamount to a crime. Medical science is one discipline where the advancement of knowledge is hugely guided by research and mankind has benefitted from many experiments. However benefit and risk are the two faces of the same coin. Various unethical human experiments made us realize that the whims of researchers need to be reined and led to the evolution of the first guidelines for researcher, the Nuremberg code. Thereafter the Good Clinical Practice guidelines serve as the guiding doctrine of clinical research. The principles of ethics rest on the four pillars of autonomy, beneficence, justice, non-maleficence and recently two more pillars are added which includes, confidentiality and honesty. Ethics committees serve as a guardian of these principles. The multidisciplinary Ethics Committee ensures a competent review of the ethical aspects of the project proposal submitted and does it free from any bias or external influence. Ethical review of clinical trial applications follows a decentralized process in India, and requires Ethics Committee approval for each trial site. All Ethics committees have to be registered with Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) without which they cannot approve any clinical trial protocol and has come into effect from 25th February 2013. PMID:28794547

  8. Leadership run amok. The destructive potential of overachievers.

    PubMed

    Spreier, Scott W; Fontaine, Mary H; Malloy, Ruth L

    2006-06-01

    The desire to achieve is a major source of strength in business, and it is on the rise. The authors' consulting firm has seen a steady increase in the extent to which achievement motivates managers. There's a dark side to the trend, however. By relentlessly focusing on tasks and goals, an executive or company can damage performance. Overachievers tend to command and coerce, stifling subordinates. Psychologist David McClelland identified three drivers of behavior: achievement, meeting a standard of excellence; affiliation, maintaining close relationships; and power, having an impact on others. He said the power motive comes in two forms: personalized, in which the leader draws strength from controlling people, and socialized, where the leader derives strength from empowering people. Studies show that great charismatic leaders are highly motivated by socialized power. To look at how motives and leadership style affect a group's work climate and performance, the authors studied 21 senior managers at IBM. The leaders who created high-performing and energizing climates got more lasting results by using a broad range of styles, choosing different ones for different circumstances. Rather than order people around, they provided vision, sought buy-in and commitment, and coached. If you're an overachiever seeking to broaden your range, you can study your actions and ask your team, peers, and manager to give you honest feedback. You can adopt specific new behaviors, such as engaging your team in a discussion of how to achieve goals, rather than issuing a set of directives. The company as a whole can play a part, too: Organizations must learn when to draw on the achievement drive and when to rein it in.

  9. Comparing and Reconciling Traditional Field and Photogeologic Mapping Techniques: Lessons from the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Eppler, D. B.; Bleacher, J. E.; Evans, C. A.; Feng, W.; Gruener, J.; Hurwitz, D. M.; Janoiko, B.; Whitson, P.

    2014-01-01

    Cartographic products and - specifically - geologic maps provide critical assistance for establishing physical and temporal frameworks of planetary surfaces. The technical methods that result in the creation of geologic maps vary depending on how observations are made as well as the overall intent of the final products [1-3]. These methods tend to follow a common linear work flow, including the identification and delineation of spatially and temporally discrete materials (units), the documentation of their primary (emplacement) and secondary (erosional) characteristics, analysis of the relative and absolute age relationships between these materials, and the collation of observations and interpretations into an objective map product. The "objectivity" of a map is critical cross comparison with overlapping maps and topical studies as well as its relevance to scientific posterity. However, the "accuracy" and "correctness" of a geologic map is very subject to debate. This can be evidenced by comparison of existing geologic maps at various scales, particularly those compiled through field- and remote-based mapped efforts. Our study focuses on comparing the fidelity of (1) "Apollo-style" geologic investigations, where typically non-geologist crew members follow static traverse routes established through pre-mission planning, and (2) "traditional" field-based investigations, where geologists are given free rein to observe without preplanned routes. This abstract summarizes the regional geology wherein our study was conducted, presents the geologic map created from traditional field mapping techniques, and offers basic insights into how geologic maps created from different tactics can be reconciled in support of exploratory missions. Additional abstracts [4-6] from this study discuss various exploration and science results of these efforts.

  10. Variation in Spending around Surgical Episodes of Urinary Stone Disease—Findings from Michigan

    PubMed Central

    Juan, Juan San; Hou, Hechuan; Ghani, Khurshid R.; Dupree, James M.; Hollingsworth, John M.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To help rein in surgical spending, there is growing interest in the application of payment bundles to common outpatient procedures like ureteroscopy (URS) and shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). However, before urologists can move to such a payment system, they need to know where their episode costs are concentrated. Materials and Methods Using claims data from the Michigan Value Collaborative, we identified patients who underwent URS or SWL at hospitals in Michigan (2012 to 2015). We then totaled expenditures for all relevant services during these patients’ 30-day surgical episodes and categorized component payments [i.e., those for the index procedure, subsequent hospitalizations, professional services, and post-acute care (PAC)]. Finally, we quantified variation in total episode expenditures for URS and SWL across hospitals, examining drivers of this variation. Results In total, 9,449 URS and 6,446 SWL procedures were performed at 62 hospitals. Among these hospitals, there was three-fold variation in URS and SWL spending. The index procedure accounted for the largest payment difference between high- and low-cost hospitals (URS: $7,936 vs. $4,995, P<0.01; SWL: $4,832 vs. $3,207, P<0.01), followed by payments for PAC (URS: $2,207 vs. $1,711, P<0.01; SWL: $2,138 vs. $1,104, P<0.01). The index procedure explained 68% and 44%, and PAC payments explained 15% and 28% of the variation in episode spending for URS and SWL, respectively, across hospitals. Conclusions There exists substantial variation in ambulatory surgical spending across Michigan hospitals for urinary stone episodes, most of which can be explained by payment differences for the index procedure and PAC services. PMID:29180300

  11. The information architecture of behavior change websites.

    PubMed

    Danaher, Brian G; McKay, H Garth; Seeley, John R

    2005-05-18

    The extraordinary growth in Internet use offers researchers important new opportunities to identify and test new ways to deliver effective behavior change programs. The information architecture (IA)-the structure of website information--is an important but often overlooked factor to consider when adapting behavioral strategies developed in office-based settings for Web delivery. Using examples and relevant perspectives from multiple disciplines, we describe a continuum of website IA designs ranging from a matrix design to the tunnel design. The free-form matrix IA design allows users free rein to use multiple hyperlinks to explore available content according to their idiosyncratic interests. The more directive tunnel IA design (commonly used in e-learning courses) guides users step-by-step through a series of Web pages that are arranged in a particular order to improve the chances of achieving a goal that is measurable and consistent. Other IA designs are also discussed, including hierarchical IA and hybrid IA designs. In the hierarchical IA design, program content is arranged in a top-down manner, which helps the user find content of interest. The more complex hybrid IA design incorporates some combination of components that use matrix, tunnel, and/or hierarchical IA designs. Each of these IA designs is discussed in terms of usability, participant engagement, and program tailoring, as well as how they might best be matched with different behavior change goals (using Web-based smoking cessation interventions as examples). Our presentation underscores the role of considering and clearly reporting the use of IA designs when creating effective Web-based interventions. We also encourage the adoption of a multidisciplinary perspective as we move towards a more mature view of Internet intervention research.

  12. Evolution of Ethics in Clinical Research and Ethics Committee.

    PubMed

    Das, Nilay Kanti; Sil, Amrita

    2017-01-01

    Ethics are the moral values of human behavior and the principles which govern these values. The situation becomes challenging for a doctor when he assumes the role of researcher. The doctor-researcher has to serve both the roles and at times the zeal of an investigator has the potential to cloud the morality of the physician inside. It is very important to realize that exploiting the faith of patients is an offence that tantamount to a crime. Medical science is one discipline where the advancement of knowledge is hugely guided by research and mankind has benefitted from many experiments. However benefit and risk are the two faces of the same coin. Various unethical human experiments made us realize that the whims of researchers need to be reined and led to the evolution of the first guidelines for researcher, the Nuremberg code. Thereafter the Good Clinical Practice guidelines serve as the guiding doctrine of clinical research. The principles of ethics rest on the four pillars of autonomy, beneficence, justice, non-maleficence and recently two more pillars are added which includes, confidentiality and honesty. Ethics committees serve as a guardian of these principles. The multidisciplinary Ethics Committee ensures a competent review of the ethical aspects of the project proposal submitted and does it free from any bias or external influence. Ethical review of clinical trial applications follows a decentralized process in India, and requires Ethics Committee approval for each trial site. All Ethics committees have to be registered with Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) without which they cannot approve any clinical trial protocol and has come into effect from 25th February 2013.

  13. Association of Industry Payments to Physicians With the Prescribing of Brand-name Statins in Massachusetts.

    PubMed

    Yeh, James S; Franklin, Jessica M; Avorn, Jerry; Landon, Joan; Kesselheim, Aaron S

    2016-06-01

    Pharmaceutical industry payments to physicians may affect prescribing practices and increase costs if more expensive medications are prescribed. Determine the association between industry payments to physicians and the prescribing of brand-name as compared with generic statins for lowering cholesterol. Cross-sectional linkage of the Part D Medicare prescriptions claims data with the Massachusetts physicians payment database including all licensed Massachusetts physicians who wrote prescriptions for statins paid for under the Medicare drug benefit in 2011. The exposure variable was a physician's industry payments as listed in the Massachusetts database. The outcome was the physician's rate of prescribing brand-name statins. We used linear regression to analyze the association between the intensity of physicians' industry relationships (as measured by total payments) and their prescribing practices, as well as the effects of specific types of payments. Among the 2444 Massachusetts physicians in the Medicare prescribing database in 2011, 899 (36.8%) received industry payments. The most frequent payment was for company-sponsored meals (n = 639 [71.1%]). Statins accounted for 1 559 003 prescription claims; 356 807 (22.8%) were for brand-name drugs. For physicians with no industry payments listed, the median brand-name statin prescribing rate was 17.8% (95% CI, 17.2%-18.4%). For every $1000 in total payments received, the brand-name statin prescribing rate increased by 0.1% (95% CI, 0.06%-0.13%; P < .001). Payments for educational training were associated with a 4.8% increase in the rate of brand-name prescribing (P = .004); other forms of payments were not. Industry payments to physicians are associated with higher rates of prescribing brand-name statins. As the United States seeks to rein in the costs of prescription drugs and make them less expensive for patients, our findings are concerning.

  14. Coronary artery bypass grafting in diabetics: A growing health care cost crisis.

    PubMed

    Raza, Sajjad; Sabik, Joseph F; Ainkaran, Ponnuthurai; Blackstone, Eugene H

    2015-08-01

    To determine 4-decade temporal trends in the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and to compare in-hospital outcomes, resource utilization, and long-term survival after CABG in diabetics versus nondiabetics. From January 1972 to January 2011, 10,362 pharmacologically treated diabetics and 45,139 nondiabetics underwent first-time CABG. Median follow-up was 12 years. Direct technical cost data were available from 2003 onward (n = 4679). Propensity matching by diabetes status was used for outcome comparisons. Endpoints were in-hospital adverse events, resource utilization, and long-term survival. Diabetics undergoing CABG increased from 7% in the 1970s to 37% in the 2000s. Their outcomes were worse, with more (P < .05) in-hospital deaths (2.0% vs 1.3%), deep sternal wound infections (2.3% vs 1.2%), strokes (2.2% vs 1.4%), renal failure (4.0% vs 1.3%), and prolonged postoperative hospital stay (9.6% vs 6.0%); and their hospital costs were 9% greater (95% confidence interval 7%-11%). Survival after CABG among diabetics versus nondiabetics at 1, 5, 10, and 20 years was also worse: 94% versus 94%, 80% versus 84%, 56% versus 66%, and 20% versus 32%, respectively. Propensity-matched patients incurred similar costs, but the prevalence of postoperative deep sternal wound infections and stroke, as well as long-term survival, remained worse in diabetics. Diabetes is both a marker for high-risk, resource-intensive, and expensive care after CABG and an independent risk factor for reduced long-term survival. These issues, coupled with the increasing proportion of patients needing CABG who have diabetes, are a growing challenge in reining in health care costs. Copyright © 2015 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. [Use of percutaneous needles in the feasability of single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy].

    PubMed

    Dávila, Fausto; Tsin, Daniel; González, Gloria; Dávila, M Ruth; Lemus, José; Dávila, Ulises

    2014-04-01

    The usefulness of percutaneous needles (PN) to replace traditional assistance ports in mini-invasive techniques with a single port is analyzed and their feasibility for conducting a single port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SPLC) is demonstrated. A retrospective, linear and descriptive study covering 2,431 patients with a diagnosis of acute and non-acute gallbladder disease has been conducted. The patients underwent a single port laparoscopic cholecystectomy using some type of PNs, replacing the assisting ports used in traditional laparoscopic cholecystechtomy (TLC). Based on the progressive use of PNs-reins (R), hooked needles (HN) and passing suture needles (PSN)-to carry out the SPLC technique, 3 groups have been established: A, B and C. The results were compared using a Student T test, odds ratio and CI and were analyzed by means of the SPSS software v. 13.0. The use of PNs showed an increased feasibility for the laparoscopic procedure, as they were included in the surgical technique. The R were useful when carrying out the SPLC in 78% of the cases and when the HK were added, the results increased to 88%. When using the 3 types (R, HN and PSN), the results increased by 96%. Statistical significance was obtained with these values: chi 2=67.13 and P<.001; odds ratio and 95% CI became significant when comparing the B/C, A/C, and A-B/C groups. The PNs, replacing the assisting ports in laparoscopy, make it possible to attain a feasibility of the process in 96% of the cases. This percentage was similar to what is achieved with the TLC, which places the one port laparoscopy surgery technique as an advantageous and economic alternative. This application of the PNs could be made extensive to other single-port techniques, with a multi-valve platform and natural orifice surgery. Copyright © 2012 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  16. The very real dangers of executive coaching.

    PubMed

    Berglas, Steven

    2002-06-01

    A personal coach to help your most promising executives reach their potential--sounds good, doesn't it? But, according to Steven Berglas, executive coaches can make a bad situation worse. Because of their backgrounds and biases, they ignore psychological problems they don't understand. Companies need to consider psychotherapeutic intervention when the symptoms plaguing an executive are stubborn or severe. Executives with issues that require more than coaching come in many shapes and sizes. Consider Rob Bernstein, an executive vice president of sales at an automotive parts distributor. According to the CEO, Bernstein had just the right touch with clients but caused personnel problems inside the company. The last straw came when Bernstein publicly humiliated a mail clerk who had interrupted a meeting to ask someone to sign for a package. At that point, the CEO assigned Tom Davis to coach Bernstein. Davis, a former corporate lawyer, worked with Bernstein for four years. But Davis only exacerbated the problem by teaching Bernstein techniques for "handling" employees--methods that were condescending at best. While Bernstein appeared to be improving, he was in fact getting worse. Bernstein's real problems went undetected, and when his boss left the company, he was picked as the successor. Soon enough, Bernstein was again in trouble, suspected of embezzlement. This time, the CEO didn't call Davis; instead, he turned to the author, a trained psychotherapist, for help. Berglas soon realized that Bernstein had a serious narcissistic personality disorder and executive coaching could not help him. As that tale and others in the article teach us, executives to be coached should at the very least first receive a psychological evaluation. And company leaders should beware that executive coaches given free rein can end up wreaking personnel havoc.

  17. Predictors of nonfunctional arteriovenous access at hemodialysis initiation and timing of access creation: A registry-based study

    PubMed Central

    Metzger, Marie; Labeeuw, Michel; Ayav, Carole; Jacquelinet, Christian; Massy, Ziad A.; Stengel, Bénédicte

    2017-01-01

    Determinants of nonfunctional arteriovenous (AV) access, including timing of AV access creation, have not been sufficiently described. We studied 29 945 patients who had predialysis AV access placement and were included in the French REIN registry from 2005 through 2013. AV access was considered nonfunctional when dialysis began with a catheter. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of nonfunctional versus functional AV access associated with case-mix, facility characteristics, and timing of AV access creation. Analyses were stratified by dialysis start condition (planned or as an emergency) and comorbidity profile. Overall, 18% patients had nonfunctional AV access at hemodialysis initiation. In the group with planned dialysis start, female gender (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.32–1.56), diabetes (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.15–1.44), and a higher number of cardiovascular comorbidities (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09–1.49, and 1.31, 1.05–1.64, for 3 and >3 cardiovascular comorbidities versus none, respectively) were independent predictors of nonfunctional AV access. A higher percentage of AV access creation at the region level was associated with a lower rate of nonfunctional AV access (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.98–0.99 per 1% increase). The odds of nonfunctional AV access decreased as time from creation to hemodialysis initiation increased up to 3 months in nondiabetic patients with fewer than 2 cardiovascular comorbidities and 6 months in patients with diabetes or 2 or more such comorbidities. In conclusion, both patient characteristics and clinical practices may play a role in successful AV access use at hemodialysis initiation. Adjusting the timing of AV access creation to patients’ comorbidity profiles may improve functional AV access rates. PMID:28749967

  18. Predictors of nonfunctional arteriovenous access at hemodialysis initiation and timing of access creation: A registry-based study.

    PubMed

    Alencar de Pinho, Natalia; Coscas, Raphael; Metzger, Marie; Labeeuw, Michel; Ayav, Carole; Jacquelinet, Christian; Massy, Ziad A; Stengel, Bénédicte

    2017-01-01

    Determinants of nonfunctional arteriovenous (AV) access, including timing of AV access creation, have not been sufficiently described. We studied 29 945 patients who had predialysis AV access placement and were included in the French REIN registry from 2005 through 2013. AV access was considered nonfunctional when dialysis began with a catheter. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of nonfunctional versus functional AV access associated with case-mix, facility characteristics, and timing of AV access creation. Analyses were stratified by dialysis start condition (planned or as an emergency) and comorbidity profile. Overall, 18% patients had nonfunctional AV access at hemodialysis initiation. In the group with planned dialysis start, female gender (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.32-1.56), diabetes (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.15-1.44), and a higher number of cardiovascular comorbidities (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09-1.49, and 1.31, 1.05-1.64, for 3 and >3 cardiovascular comorbidities versus none, respectively) were independent predictors of nonfunctional AV access. A higher percentage of AV access creation at the region level was associated with a lower rate of nonfunctional AV access (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.98-0.99 per 1% increase). The odds of nonfunctional AV access decreased as time from creation to hemodialysis initiation increased up to 3 months in nondiabetic patients with fewer than 2 cardiovascular comorbidities and 6 months in patients with diabetes or 2 or more such comorbidities. In conclusion, both patient characteristics and clinical practices may play a role in successful AV access use at hemodialysis initiation. Adjusting the timing of AV access creation to patients' comorbidity profiles may improve functional AV access rates.

  19. Economic impact of a modification of the treatment trajectories of patients with end-stage renal disease

    PubMed Central

    Couchoud, Cécile; Couillerot, Anne-Line; Dantony, Emmanuelle; Elsensohn, Mad-Hélénie; Labeeuw, Michel; Villar, Emmanuel; Ecochard, René; Bongiovanni, Isabelle

    2015-01-01

    Background This study assumed that some patients currently treated at hospital-based haemodialysis centres can be treated with another renal replacement therapy (RRT) modality without any increase in mortality risk and sought to evaluate the monthly cost impact of replacing hospital-based haemodialysis, for which fees are highest, by different proportions of other modalities. Methods We used a deterministic model tool to predict the outcomes and trajectories of hypothetical cohorts of incident adult end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients for 15 years of RRT (10 different modalities). Our estimates were based on data from 67 258 patients in the REIN registry and 65 662 patients in the French national health insurance information system. Patients were categorized into six subcohorts, stratified for age and diabetes at ESRD onset, and analyses run for each subcohort. We simulated new strategies of care by changing any or all of the following: initial distributions in treatment modalities, transition rates and some costs. Strategies were classified according to their monthly per-patient cost compared to current practices (cost-minimization analysis). Results Simulations of the status quo for the next 15 years predicted a per-patient monthly cost of €2684 for a patient aged 18–45 years without diabetes and €7361 for one older than 70 years with diabetes. All of the strategies we analysed had monthly per-patient costs lower than the status quo, except for daily home HD. None impaired expected survival. Savings varied by strategy. Conclusions Alternative strategies may well be less expensive than current practices. The decision to implement new strategies must nonetheless consider the number of patients concerned, feasibility of renal care reorganization, and investment costs. It must also take into account the role of patients' choice and the availability of professionals. PMID:26268714

  20. Should this team be saved?

    PubMed

    Heimbouch, H

    2001-01-01

    As far as anyone could tell, Vigor Skin Care's star was rising, mostly on the strength of Ageless Vigor, its new line of enriched skin cleansers and cosmetics. In fact, this evening, the three employees responsible for developing the product line were slated to receive the parent company's highest award for performance. But CEO Peter Markles knew that despite the accolades, the business unit--and its "fearsome threesome"--had hit a rough patch in recent months. When Peter took the reins four years ago, Vigor Skin Care was the sleeping dog of the health-and-beauty industry; his challenge was to rejuvenate the maturing business. He knew a turnaround would require equal parts discipline, politics, and creativity--so he pulled together a team that could address those needs. Peter relied on Sandy Fryda, Vigor's longtime marketing director, to help him navigate the tricky political waters at headquarters. And he tapped 30-year-old Josh Bartola, a maverick contributor to Vigor Skin Care's research group, for his independent spirit and new product ideas. Their all-consuming, intensely collaborative efforts resulted in the successful Ageless Vigor line. Then reality set in. The team found the day-to-day operations of manufacturing Ageless Vigor, for all their necessity and urgency, a bit tedious. Peter felt relegated to troubleshooting distribution problems. Josh was having meetings with executives from another division who were actively recruiting the wunderkind. And Sandy was simply on the verge of burnout. Tonight, at the award ceremony, there would be speeches and applause and toasts. But tomorrow, Peter would have to face the question: Should he try to salvage the Ageless Vigor team? Four commentators offer their advice in this fictional case study.

  1. Effect of a 4-week elastic resistance band training regimen on back kinematics in horses trotting in-hand and on the lunge.

    PubMed

    Pfau, T; Simons, V; Rombach, N; Stubbs, N; Weller, R

    2017-11-01

    Training and rehabilitation techniques aiming at improving core muscle strength may result in increased dynamic stability of the equine vertebral column. A system of elastic resistance bands is suggested to provide proprioceptive feedback during motion to encourage recruitment of core abdominal and hindquarter musculature for improved dynamic stability. To quantify the effects of a specific resistance band system on back kinematics during trot in-hand and lungeing at beginning and end of a 4-week exercise programme. Quantitative analysis of back movement before/after a 4-week exercise programme. Inertial sensor data were collected from seven horses at weeks 1 and 4 of an exercise protocol with elastic resistance bands. Translational (dorsoventral, mediolateral) and rotational (roll, pitch) range of motion of six landmarks from poll to coccygeal region were quantified during trot in-hand (hard surface) and during lungeing (soft surface, both reins) with/without elastic exercise bands. A mixed model (P<0.05) evaluated the effects of exercise bands, time (week) and movement direction (straight, left, right). The bands reduced roll, pitch and mediolateral displacement in the thoracolumbar region (all P≤0.04). At week 4, independent of band usage, rotational movement (withers, thoracic) was reduced while dorsoventral movement (thoracic, coccygeal) increased. Increased back movement was measured in 80% of back movement parameters during lungeing. Comparing each horse without and with bands without a control group does not distinguish whether the differences measured between weeks 1 and 4 are related to use of the bands, or only to the exercise regimen. Results suggest that the elastic resistance bands reduce mediolateral and rotational movement of the thoracolumbar region (increase dynamic stability) in trot. Further studies should investigate the underlying mechanism with reference to core abdominal and hindquarter muscle recruitment and study the long-term effects

  2. Type III Radio Burst Duration and SEP Events

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gopalswamy, N.; Makela, P.; Xie, H.

    2010-01-01

    Long-duration (>15 min), low-frequency (<14 MHz) type III radio bursts have been reported to be indicative of solar energetic particle events. We measured the durations of type III bursts associated with large SEP events of solar cycle 23. The Type III durations are distributed symmetrically at 1 MHz yielding a mean value of approximately 33 min (median = 32 min) for the large SEP events. When the SEP events with ground level enhancement (GLE,) are considered, the distribution is essentially unchanged (mean = 32 min, median = 30 min). To test the importance of type III bursts in indicating SEP events, we considered a set of six type III bursts from the same active region (AR 10588) whose durations fit the "long duration" criterion. We analyzed the coronal mass ejections (CMEs), flares, and type II radio bursts associated with the type III bursts. The CMEs were of similar speeds and the flares are also of similar size and duration. All but one of the type III bursts was not associated with a type II burst in the metric or longer wavelength domains. The burst without type II burst also lacked a solar energetic particle (SEP) event at energies >25 MeV. The 1-MHz duration of the type III burst (28 rein) is near the median value of type III durations found for gradual SEP events and ground level enhancement (GLE) events. Yet, there was no sign of SEP events. On the other hand, two other type III bursts from the same active region had similar duration but accompanied by WAVES type 11 bursts; these bursts were also accompanied by SEP events detected by SOHO/ERNE. This study suggests that the type III burst duration may not be a good indicator of an SEP event, consistent with the statistical study of Cliver and Ling (2009, ApJ ).

  3. Reinnervation of Urethral and Anal Sphincters With Femoral Motor Nerve to Pudendal Nerve Transfer

    PubMed Central

    Ruggieri, Michael R.; Braverman, Alan S.; Bernal, Raymond M.; Lamarre, Neil S.; Brown, Justin M.; Barbe, Mary F.

    2012-01-01

    Aims Lower motor neuron damage to sacral roots or nerves can result in incontinence and a flaccid urinary bladder. We showed bladder reinnervation after transfer of coccygeal to sacral ventral roots, and genitofemoral nerves (L1, 2 origin) to pelvic nerves. This study assesses the feasibility of urethral and anal sphincter reinnervation using transfer of motor branches of the femoral nerve (L2–4 origin) to pudendal nerves (S1, 2 origin) that innervate the urethral and anal sphincters in a canine model. Methods Sacral ventral roots were selected by their ability to stimulate bladder, urethral sphincter, and anal sphincter contraction and transected. Bilaterally, branches of the femoral nerve, specifically, nervus saphenous pars muscularis [Evans HE. Miller’s anatomy of the dog. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 1993], were transferred and end-to-end anastomosed to transected pudendal nerve branches in the perineum, then enclosed in unipolar nerve cuff electrodes with leads to implanted RF micro-stimulators. Results Nerve stimulation induced increased anal and urethral sphincter pressures in five of six transferred nerves. Retrograde neurotracing from the bladder, urethral sphincter, and anal sphincter using fluorogold, fast blue, and fluororuby, demonstrated urethral and anal sphincter labeled neurons in L2–4 cord segments (but not S1–3) in nerve transfer canines, consistent with rein-nervation by the transferred femoral nerve motor branches. Controls had labeled neurons only in S1–3 segments. Postmortem DiI and DiO labeling confirmed axonal regrowth across the nerve repair site. Conclusions These results show spinal cord reinnervation of urethral and anal sphincter targets after sacral ventral root transection and femoral nerve transfer (NT) to the denervated pudendal nerve. These surgical procedures may allow patients to regain continence. PMID:21953679

  4. Simulation of a pulsatile total artificial heart: Development of a partitioned Fluid Structure Interaction model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sonntag, Simon J.; Kaufmann, Tim A. S.; Büsen, Martin R.; Laumen, Marco; Linde, Torsten; Schmitz-Rode, Thomas; Steinseifer, Ulrich

    2013-04-01

    Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Due to a shortage in donor organs artificial hearts can be a bridge to transplantation or even serve as a destination therapy for patients with terminal heart insufficiency. A pusher plate driven pulsatile membrane pump, the Total Artificial Heart (TAH) ReinHeart, is currently under development at the Institute of Applied Medical Engineering of RWTH Aachen University.This paper presents the methodology of a fully coupled three-dimensional time-dependent Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) simulation of the TAH using a commercial partitioned block-Gauss-Seidel coupling package. Partitioned coupling of the incompressible fluid with the slender flexible membrane as well as a high fluid/structure density ratio of about unity led inherently to a deterioration of the stability (‘artificial added mass instability’). The objective was to conduct a stable simulation with high accuracy of the pumping process. In order to achieve stability, a combined resistance and pressure outlet boundary condition as well as the interface artificial compressibility method was applied. An analysis of the contact algorithm and turbulence condition is presented. Independence tests are performed for the structural and the fluid mesh, the time step size and the number of pulse cycles. Because of the large deformation of the fluid domain, a variable mesh stiffness depending on certain mesh properties was specified for the fluid elements. Adaptive remeshing was avoided. Different approaches for the mesh stiffness function are compared with respect to convergence, preservation of mesh topology and mesh quality. The resulting mesh aspect ratios, mesh expansion factors and mesh orthogonalities are evaluated in detail. The membrane motion and flow distribution of the coupled simulations are compared with a top-view recording and stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements, respectively, of the actual pump.

  5. Evolution of migrating protoplanets heated by pebble accretion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chrenko, Ondrej; Broz, Miroslav; Lambrechts, Michiel

    2017-10-01

    We study the interactions in a protoplanetary system consisting of a gas disk, a pebble disk and embedded low-mass protoplanets. The hydrodynamic simulations are performed using a new code based on 2D FARGO (Masset 2000) which we call FARGO_THORIN (http://sirrah.troja.mff.cuni.cz/~chrenko/). The code treats the hydrodynamics of gas and pebbles within a two-fluid approximation, accounts for the heating and cooling processes in the gaseous component (including heating due to pebble accretion) and propagates the planets in 3D using a high-order integration scheme (IAS15; Rein & Spiegel 2015). Our aim is to investigate how pebble accretion alters the orbital evolution of protoplanets undergoing Type-I migration.First, we demonstrate that pebble accretion can heat the protoplanets so that their luminosity induces the heating torque (Benítez-Llambay et al. 2015) and the hot-trail effect (Chrenko et al. 2017; Eklund & Masset 2017). The heating torque is always positive and alters the migration rates and directions profoundly, thus changing the position of planet traps and deserts. The hot-trail effect, on the other hand, pumps the eccentricity of initially circular orbits up to e ~ h. After becoming eccentric, the protoplanets exhibit reduced probability of resonant locking during the migration and moreover, their close encounters become more frequent and provide more opportunities for scattering or merger events. The mergers can be massive enough to become giant planet cores. We discuss the importance of the excited eccentricities and violent orbital evolution for the extrasolar planet population synthesis. Finally, we present an extended model with flux-mean opacities caused by a coupled disk of coagulating dust grains with a realistic size distribution. The aim of this model is to constrain possible pathways of migrating planets towards the inner rim of the protoplanetary disk.

  6. Bob's meltdown.

    PubMed

    Carr, Nicholas G

    2002-01-01

    Annette Innella is just coming into the lunchroom at Concord Machines when Bob Dunn starts screaming at her. After throwing his lunch tray against the wall, he stomps out, leaving Annette stunned. Naturally, Annette, the new senior VP for knowledge management, is beside herself. She knows her proposal to establish a cross-functional knowledge management committee is progressive thinking for this oldline manufacturer, but Bob's reaction is totally over the line. If Bob stays, she goes--that's all there is to it. Bob is contrite, but he's under a lot of pressure. The general manager of the Services Group, he's just returned from a two-week trip around the globe to gear up his troops to beat revenue targets again, despite shrinking budgets and hiring freezes. And what does he see when he gets back? An e-mail from Annette requesting that two of his best people devote half their time to what he calls her "idiotic" Knowledge Protocols Group. He's carrying the company on his back, and she's throwing this nonsense at him. Graphics specialist Paula Chancellor is surprised. Sure, Bob's gruff, but his staff loves him, and he's the only one of the big shots who ever talks to her. But HR director Nathan Singer is incensed; Bob's never been a team player, Singer complains, and it's time he learned a lesson. CEO Jay Nguyen is in a bind. Bob is his top manager; he brings in all the money. And even though future revenues are going to have to come from somewhere else, Jay is not totally behind Annette's initiative in the current business climate. He can't afford to lose Bob. But if he reins in Annette, it will look like he's condoning Bob's outburst. What should he do? Four commentators offer advice in this fictional case study.

  7. X-Ray and Ultraviolet Properties of AGNs in Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Gallo, Elena; Reines, Amy E.

    2017-02-10

    We present new Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope observations of eight optically selected broad-line active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates in nearby dwarf galaxies ( z < 0.055). Including archival Chandra observations of three additional sources, our sample contains all 10 galaxies from Reines et al. (2013) with both broad H α emission and narrow-line AGN ratios (six AGNs, four composites), as well as one low-metallicity dwarf galaxy with broad H α and narrow-line ratios characteristic of star formation. All 11 galaxies are detected in X-rays. Nuclear X-ray luminosities range from L {sub 0.5–7keV} ≈ 5 × 10{sup 39}more » to 1 × 10{sup 42} ergs{sup −1}. In all cases except for the star-forming galaxy, the nuclear X-ray luminosities are significantly higher than would be expected from X-ray binaries, providing strong confirmation that AGNs and composite dwarf galaxies do indeed host actively accreting black holes (BHs). Using our estimated BH masses (which range from ∼7 × 10{sup 4} to 1 × 10{sup 6} M {sub ⊙}), we find inferred Eddington fractions ranging from ∼0.1% to 50%, i.e., comparable to massive broad-line quasars at higher redshift. We use the HST imaging to determine the ratio of UV to X-ray emission for these AGNs, finding that they appear to be less X-ray luminous with respect to their UV emission than more massive quasars (i.e., α {sub OX} values an average of 0.36 lower than expected based on the relation between α {sub OX} and 2500 Å luminosity). Finally, we discuss our results in the context of different accretion models onto nuclear BHs.« less

  8. Equine Welfare during Exercise: An Evaluation of Breathing, Breathlessness and Bridles

    PubMed Central

    Mellor, David J.; Beausoleil, Ngaio J.

    2017-01-01

    existing literature on equine cardiorespiratory physiology and athletic performance to evaluate the potential for various types of breathlessness to occur in exercising horses. In addition, we investigate the influence of management factors such as rein and bit use and of respiratory pathology on the likelihood and intensity of equine breathlessness occurring during exercise. In ridden horses, rein use that reduces the jowl angle, sometimes markedly, and conditions that partially obstruct the nasopharynx and/or larynx, impair airflow in the upper respiratory tract and lead to increased flow resistance. The associated upper airway pressure changes, transmitted to the lower airways, may have pathophysiological sequelae in the alveolae, which, in their turn, may increase airflow resistance in the lower airways and impede respiratory gas exchange. Other sequelae include decreases in respiratory minute volume and worsening of the hypoxaemia, hypercapnia and acidaemia commonly observed in healthy horses during strenuous exercise. These and other factors are implicated in the potential for ridden horses to experience three forms of breathlessness—”unpleasant respiratory effort”, “air hunger” and “chest tightness”—which arise when there is a mismatch between a heightened ventilatory drive and the adequacy of the respiratory response. It is not known to what extent, if at all, such mismatches would occur in strenuously exercising horses unhampered by low jowl angles or by pathophysiological changes at any level of the respiratory tract. However, different combinations of the three types of breathlessness seem much more likely to occur when pathophysiological conditions significantly reduce maximal athletic performance. Finally, most horses exhibit clear behavioural evidence of aversion to a bit in their mouths, varying from the bit being a mild irritant to very painful. This in itself is a significant animal welfare issue that should be addressed. A further major

  9. Making the GeoConnection: Web 2.0-based support for early-career geoscientists (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez, C. M.; Gonzales, L. M.; Keane, C. M.

    2010-12-01

    The US Bureau of Labor estimates that there will be an 18% increase in geoscience jobs between 2008 and 2018 in the United States, and demand for geoscientists is expected to rise worldwide as scientists tackle global challenges related to resources, hazards and climate. At the same time, the geoscience workforce is aging, with approximately half of the current workforce reaching retirement age within the next 10-15 years. A new generation of geoscientists must be ready to take the reins. To support this new generation, AGI’s geoscience workforce outreach programs were designed to help retain geoscience students through their degree programs and into careers in the field. These resources include support for early-career professional development and career planning. AGI’s GeoConnection Network for the Geosciences provides a venue for informal dissemination of career information and professional resources. The network links Web 2.0 platforms, including a Facebook page, YouTube Channel and Twitter feed, to build a robust geoscience community of geoscientists at all stages of their careers. Early-career geoscientists can participate in GeoConnection to network with other scientists, and to receive information about professional development and job opportunities. Through GeoConnection packets, students can join professional societies which will assist their transition from school to the workplace. AGI’s member societies provide professional development course work, field trips, career services, interviewing opportunities, and community meetings. As part of the GeoConnection Network, AGI hosts informational webinars to highlight new workforce data, discuss current affairs in the geosciences, and to provide information about geoscience careers. Between December 2009 and August 2010, AGI hosted 10 webinars, with more than 300 total participants for all the webinars, and 5 additional webinars are planned for the remainder of the year. The webinars offer early

  10. Coastal fog and low cloud spatial patterns: do they indicate potential biodiversity refugia?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torregrosa, A.

    2016-12-01

    Marine fog and low clouds transfer water and nutrients to coastal ecosystems through advection from the ocean and reduce heat effects by reflecting incoming shortwave radiation. These effects are known to benefit many species, vegetation communities, and habitats such as coastal redwood trees and their understory, maritime chaparral, and coastal streams harboring endangered salmon species. The California floristic region is the highest ranked hotspot in the U.S. and ranked 7th of 35 biodiversity hotspots worldwide in terms of the percent of its plant species that are found nowhere else (endemic). Many environmental drivers have been identified as contributing to California's remarkably high endemism and biodiversity, however, coastal low clouds have not typically been included. This could be due to the lack of data such as high resolution maps of coastal low cloud occurrence or the lack of long term records. Using a recent analysis of hourly National Weather Service satellite data, a stability index (SI) for coastal fog and low cloud cover was derived using two measures of variation and average summertime cloud cover to quantify long term spatial stability trends. Several discrete spatial clumps were identified that had both high temporal stability and high coastal low cloud cover. These areas show a strong correlation with a specific topographic landscape configuration with respect to wind direction. Point occurrence distribution maps of endemic coastal species were overlain with the SI to explore spatial correlation. The federally endangered species that showed very high spatial correlation included Yadon's Rein-orchid (Piperia yadonii), Monterey Spineflower (Chorizanthe pungens var. pungens), and Seaside Bird's-beak (Cordylanthus rigidus ssp. littoralis). Current estimated range maps are not consistent with the SI results suggesting a need to update estimated ranges. Biodiversity measures are being investigated in these areas to explore the hypothesis that they

  11. Cadmium-induced cyto- and genotoxicity are organ-dependent in lettuce.

    PubMed

    Monteiro, Cristina; Santos, Conceição; Pinho, Sónia; Oliveira, Helena; Pedrosa, Tiago; Dias, Maria Celeste

    2012-07-16

    Cadmium is a priority pollutant. Its mechanisms and effects within different plant organs remain unclear. Here, cyto-genotoxicity biomarkers were evaluated in roots and leaves after Cd exposure (0, 1, 10, and 50 μM) of the model crop Lactuca sativa L. (cv. "Reine de Mai"). Overall, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were stimulated in leaves, where Cd accumulation was lower in comparison to that in roots. In roots, SOD and peroxidase (POX, APX) activities were stimulated. Moreover, in both organs glutathione reductase (GR) was not affected by Cd. Overall, the H(2)O(2) content increased in both organs, while the total antioxidant capacity decreased in leaves and increased in roots with Cd concentrations. In both organs, lipid and protein oxidation rose with consequent increase of membrane permeability. Simultaneously, the comet assay showed that tail moment, tail length, and % tail DNA were maximum for 1 μM. For 10 μM, shorter tails were found suggesting induced Cd-DNA adducts that lead to DNA-DNA/DNA-protein cross-links, and/or formation of longer DNA fragments, and/or impairment of DNA repair mechanisms, while at 50 μM, nucleoids sensitivity to the technique was evident. This result was consistent with the maximum micronuclei frequency found for the 10 μM Cd dose in roots, suggesting that the surviving cells in this organ had an increase of mitotic catastrophe and that DNA repair systems for blocking cell cycle were dysfunctional. In lower Cd concentrations, root cells might have developed strategies to repair damaged DNA by blocking the cell cycle at specific checkpoints, thus avoiding mitotic catastrophe. Roots at 1 μM showed a cell cycle blockage trend at the G(2) checkpoint, while those at higher concentrations presented S phase delay. We finally discuss a general model of Cd-organ interaction covering these cyto- and genotoxic effects and the potential use of this cultivar in phytoremediation strategies.

  12. Hyper-spectral imaging: A promising tool for quantitative pigment analysis of varved lake sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butz, Christoph; Grosjean, Martin; Tylmann, Wojciech

    2015-04-01

    Varved lake sediments are good archives for past environmental and climate conditions from annual to multi-millennial scales. Among other proxies, concentrations of sedimentary photopigments have been used for temperature reconstructions. However, obtaining well calibrated annually resolved records from sediments still remains challenging. Most laboratory methods used to analyse lake sediments require physical subsampling and are destructive in the process. Hence, temporal resolution and number of data are limited by the amount of material available in the core. Furthermore, for very low sediment accumulation rates annual subsampling is often very difficult or even impossible. To address these problems we explore hyper-spectral imaging as a non-destructive method to analyse lake sediments based on their reflectance spectra in the visible and near infrared spectrum. In contrast to other scanning methods like X-ray fluorescence, VIS/NIR reflectance spectrometry distinguishes between biogeochemical substances rather than single elements. Among others Rein (2003) has shown that VIS-RS can be used to detect relative concentrations of sedimentary photopigments (e.g. chlorins, carotenoids) and clay minerals. In this study hyper-spectral imaging is used to infer ecological proxy data from reflectance spectra of varved lake sediments. Hyper-spectral imaging permits the measurement of an entire sediment core in a single run at high spatial (30x30µm/pixel) and spectral resolutions (~2.8nm) within the visual to near infrared spectrum (400-1000nm). This allows the analysis of data time series and spatial mapping of sedimentary substances (e.g. chlorophylls/bacterio-chlorophylls and diagenetic products) at sub-varve scales. The method is demonstrated on two varved lake sediments from northern Poland showing the distributions of relative concentrations of two types of sedimentary pigments (Chlorophyll-a + derivatives and Bacterio-pheophytin-a) within individual varve years. The

  13. Revisiting Training and Verification Process Implementation for Risk Reduction on New Missions at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bryant, Larry W.; Fragoso, Ruth S.

    2007-01-01

    In 2003 we proposed an effort to develop a core program of standardized training and verification practices and standards against which the implementation of these practices could be measured. The purpose was to provide another means of risk reduction for deep space missions to preclude the likelihood of a repeat of the tragedies of the 1998 Mars missions. We identified six areas where the application of standards and standardization would benefit the overall readiness process for flight projects at JPL. These are Individual Training, Team Training, Interface and Procedure Development, Personnel Certification, Interface and procedure Verification, and Operations Readiness Testing. In this paper we will discuss the progress that has been made in the tasks of developing the proposed infrastructure in each of these areas. Specifically we will address the Position Training and Certification Standards that are now available for each operational position found on our Flight Operations Teams (FOT). We will also discuss the MGSS Baseline Flight Operations Team Training Plan which can be tailored for each new flight project at JPL. As these tasks have been progressing, the climate and emphasis for Training and for V and V at JPL has changed, and we have learned about the expansion, growth, and limitations in the roles of traditional positions at JPL such as the Project's Training Engineer, V and V Engineer, and Operations Engineer. The need to keep a tight rein on budgets has led to a merging and/or reduction in these positions which pose challenges to individual capacities and capabilities. We examine the evolution of these processes and the roles involved while taking a look at the impact or potential impact of our proposed training related infrastructure tasks. As we conclude our examination of the changes taking place for new flight projects, we see that the importance of proceeding with our proposed tasks and adapting them to the changing climate remains an important

  14. Viking Phase III

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1978-01-01

    VIKING PHASE III - With the incredible success of the Viking missions on Mars, mission operations have progressed though a series of phases - each being funded as mission success dictated its potential. The Viking Primary Mission phase was concluded in November, 1976, when the reins were passed on to the second phase - the Viking Extended Mission. The Extended Mission successfully carried spacecraft operations through the desired period of time needed to provided a profile of a full Martian year, but would have fallen a little short of connecting and overlapping a full Martian year of Viking operations which scientists desired as a means of determining the degree of duplicity in the red planet's seasons - at least for the summer period. Without this continuation of spacecraft data acquisitions to and beyond the seasonal points when the spacecraft actually began their Mars observations, there would be no way of knowing whether the changing environmental values - such as temperatures and winds atmospheric dynamics and water vapor, surface thermal dynamics, etc. - would match up with those acquired as the spacecraft began investigations during the summer and fall of 1976. This same broad interest can be specifically pursued at the surface - where hundreds of rocks, soil drifts and other features have become extremely familiar during long-term analysis. This picture was acquired on the 690th Martian day of Lander 1 operations - 4009th picture sequence commanded of the two Viking Landers. As such, it became the first picture acquired as the third phase of Viking operations got under way - the Viking Continuation Mission. Between the start of the Continuation Mission in April, 1978, until spacecraft operations are concluded in November, the landers will acquire an additional 200 pictures. These will be used to monitor the two landscaped for the surface changes. All four cameras, two on Lander 1 and two on Lander 2, continue to operate perfectly. Both landers will also

  15. Factors affecting marginal integrity of class II bulk-fill composite resin restorations

    PubMed Central

    Savadi Oskoee, Siavash; Bahari, Mahmoud; Jafari Navimipour, Elmira; Ajami, Amir Ahmad; Ghiasvand, Negar; Savadi Oskoee, Ayda

    2017-01-01

    Background. Bulk-fill composite resins are a new type of resin-based composite resins, claimed to have the capacity to be placed in thick layers, up to 4 mm. This study was carried out to evaluate factors affecting gap formation in Cl II cavities restored using the bulk-fill technique. Methods. A total of 60 third molars were used in this study. Two Cl II cavities were prepared in each tooth, one on the mesial aspect 1 mm coronal to the CEJ and one on the distal aspect 1 mm apical to the CEJ. The teeth were divided into 4 groups: A: The cavities were restored using the bulk-fill technique with Filtek P90 composite resin and its adhesive system and light-cured with quartz tungsten halogen (QTH) light-curing unit. B: The cavities were restored similar to that in group A but light-cured with an LED light-curing unit. C: The cavities were restored using the bulk-fill technique with X-tra Fil composite resin and Clearfil SE Bond adhesive system and light-cured with a QTH curing unit. D: The cavities were restored similar to that in group C but light-cured with an LED light-curing unit. The gaps were examined under a stereomicroscope at ×60. Data were analyzed with General Linear Model test. In cases of statistical significance (P<0.05), post hoc Bonferroni test was used for further analyses. Results. The light-curing unit type had no effect on gap formation. However, the results were significant in relation to the composite resin type and margin location (P<0.001). The cumulative effects of light-curing unit*gingival margin and light-curing unit*composite resin type were not significant; however, the cumulative effect of composite rein type*gingival margin was significant (P=0.04) Conclusion. X-tra Fil composite exhibited smaller gaps compared with Filtek P90 composite with both light-curing units. Both composite resins exhibited smaller gaps at enamel margins. PMID:28748051

  16. Human Preferences for Conformation Attributes and Head-And-Neck Positions in Horses

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Human preferences for certain morphological attributes among domestic animals may be entirely individual or, more generally, may reflect evolutionary pressures that favor certain conformation. Artificial selection for attributes, such as short heads and crested necks of horses, may have functional and welfare implications because there is evidence from other species that skull shape co-varies with behaviour. Crested necks can be accentuated by flexion of the neck, a quality that is often manipulated in photographs vendors use when selling horses. Equine head-and-neck positions acquired through rein tension can compromise welfare. Our investigation was designed to identify conformations and postures that people are attracted to when choosing their ‘ideal’ horse. Participants of an internet survey were asked to rate their preference for horse silhouettes that illustrated three gradations of five variables: facial shape, crest height, ear length, ear position and head-and-neck carriage. There were 1,234 usable responses. The results show that overall preferences are for the intermediate, rather than extreme, morphological choices (p=<0.001). They also indicate that males are 2.5 times less likely to prefer thicker necks rather than the intermediate shape, and 4 times more likely to prefer the thinner neck shape. When compared to the novice participants, experienced participants were 1.9 times more likely to prefer a thicker neck shape than the intermediate neck shape and 2.8 times less likely to prefer a thinner neck shape than the intermediate neck shape. There was overall preference of 93% (n=939) for the category of head carriage ‘In front of the vertical’. However, novice participants were 1.8 times more likely to choose ‘behind the vertical’ than ‘in front of the vertical’. Our results suggest that people prefer a natural head carriage, concave facial profile (dished face), larger ears and thicker necks. From these survey data, it seems that some

  17. Comparison of a standalone consumer grade smartphone with a specialist inertial measurement unit for quantification of movement symmetry in the trotting horse.

    PubMed

    Pfau, T; Weller, R

    2017-01-01

    Equine inertial measurement unit (IMU) gait analysis has gained in popularity for use in horses. Similar transducers are now found in consumer grade smartphones. However, to date there are no scientific data evaluating their use for assessment of movement (a)symmetry in the horse. To establish limits of agreement (LoA, mean difference ±2 s.d.) between a validated specialist IMU system and IMU data collected with a consumer grade smartphone for quantification of movement symmetry and range of motion (ROM) of pelvic movement in the trotting horse. Method comparison study based on quantitative gait data. Twenty horses were equipped with a specialist IMU (MTw, Xsens) and a consumer grade smartphone (Apple iPhone6), both securely attached immediately in front of one another in the midline over the sacrum. Horses were trotted in-hand and lunged on both reins on a soft arena surface. Median values for movement symmetry and ROM were determined over a series of strides for each exercise condition. Data collection was repeated in 6 horses to determine the effect of mediolateral sensor positioning on outcome parameters. Valid data from 17 horses resulted in LoA values of -3.7 ± 9.2 mm for MinDiff (difference between left and right hind mid stance), -0.6 ± 6.0 mm for MaxDiff (difference between left and right hind propulsion) and -0.8 ± 7.4 mm for ROM across horses and exercises. LoAs were narrower for straight line exercise and the negative bias was considerably reduced when moving the smartphone to the right of the midline. The consumer grade smartphone provided meaningful gait data in horses: LoAs in particular for in-hand exercise and when adjusting the mediolateral positioning are similar to published asymmetry thresholds. Owing to the sensitivity to mediolateral positioning, particular care should be taken when placing an IMU over the midline of the horse. © 2015 EVJ Ltd.

  18. Ponction biopsies rénales dans le Service de Néphrologie de Fès: indications et résultats: à propos de 522 cas

    PubMed Central

    Mbarki, Houda; Belghiti, Khadija Alaoui; Harmouch, Taoufiq; Najdi, Adil; Arrayhani, Mohamed; Sqalli, Tarik

    2016-01-01

    L'apport de la ponction biopsie rénale (PBR) dans le diagnostic, le choix thérapeutique et l’évaluation pronostique des néphropathies est considérable. Aucune étude marocaine n'a évalué la pratique et l'apport de la PBR. Notre objectif est d’étudier les indications de la PBR, déterminer la fréquence des maladies rénales identifiées par PBR dans notre région et de faire une confrontation entre les données clinico-biologiques et le diagnostic historique. Notre étude menée entre Janvier 2009 et Décembre 2012, est rétrospective. Nous avons inclus tous les patients du service de Néphrologie du CHU Hassan II de Fès ayant bénéficié d'une biopsie de reins natifs. 522 PBR ont été réalisées. Nous avons exclu 8 biopsies devant le manque de renseignements et avons donc retenu 514. L’âge moyen des patients au moment de la PBR est de 39 ±17 ans (3-82 ans). Le sex ratio est de 0,9. Le syndrome néphrotique est le diagnostic clinique le plus fréquent à tous les âges (58,2%). Les néphropathies glomérulaires représentent 94,2% des maladies rénales diagnostiquées, leur distribution varie selon l’âge des patients. La PBR a confirmé le premier diagnostic suspecté cliniquement dans 40,65% des cas, alors qu'elle a révélé un diagnostic inattendu chez 22,5% d'entre eux. Le diagnostic syndromique permet d'orienter vers la maladie rénale la plus probable et de guider les thérapeutiques urgentes en attendant les résultats de la PBR. Mais il ne peut en aucun remplacer la PBR qui reste le gold standard. PMID:27583085

  19. Exploring the potential of hyper-spectral imaging for the biogeochemical analysis of varved lake sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butz, Christoph; Grosjean, Martin; Enters, Dirk; Tylmann, Wojciech

    2014-05-01

    Varved lake sediments have successfully been used to make inferences about past environmental and climate conditions from annual to multi-millennial scales. Among other proxies, concentrations of sedimentary photopigments have been used for temperature reconstructions. However, obtaining well calibrated annually resolved records from sediments still remains challenging. Most laboratory methods used to analyse lake sediments require physical subsampling and are destructive in the process. Hence, temporal resolution and number of data are limited by the amount of material available in the core. Furthermore, for very low sediment accumulation rates annual subsampling is often very difficult or even impossible. To address these problems we explore hyper-spectral imaging as a new method to analyse lake sediments based on their reflectance spectra in the visible and near infrared spectrum. In contrast to other fast and non-destructive methods like X-ray fluorescence, VIS/NIR reflectance spectrometry distinguishes between biogeochemical substances rather than single elements. Rein (2003) has shown that VIS-RS can be used to detect relative concentrations of sedimentary photopigments (e.g. chlorins, carotenoids) and clay minerals. This study presents an advanced approach using a hyper-spectral camera and remote sensing techniques to infer climate proxy data from reflectance spectra of varved lake sediments. Hyper-spectral imaging allows analysing an entire sediment core in a single measurement, producing a spectral dataset with very high spatial (30x30µm/pixel) and spectral resolutions (~1nm) and a higher spectral range (400-1000nm) compared to previously used spectrophotometers. This allows the analysis of data time series at sub-varve scales or spatial mapping of sedimentary substances (e.g. chlorophyll-a and diagenetic products) at very high resolution. The method is demonstrated on varved lake sediments from northern Poland showing the change of the relative

  20. An official American Thoracic Society/American Association of Critical-Care Nurses/American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine policy statement: the Choosing Wisely® Top 5 list in Critical Care Medicine.

    PubMed

    Halpern, Scott D; Becker, Deborah; Curtis, J Randall; Fowler, Robert; Hyzy, Robert; Kaplan, Lewis J; Rawat, Nishi; Sessler, Curtis N; Wunsch, Hannah; Kahn, Jeremy M

    2014-10-01

    . These five recommendations provide a starting point for clinicians and patients to make decisions leading to higher-quality, lower-cost care. Future work is needed to promote adherence to these recommendations and to develop additional ways for intensive care clinicians to take leadership in reining in health-care costs.

  1. Scientific habits of mind: A reform of structure and relationships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mooney, Linda Beth

    This research was designed to broaden current elementary science reform efforts by including the voices of our young scientists. Ten high school students who were defined as possessing both coherent science knowledge and scientific habits of mind were selected for the study. Through a three-part series of in-depth, phenomenological interviews, these students revealed early childhood experiences from birth through age ten to which they attributed their development of science knowledge and scientific habits of mind. Educational connoisseurship and criticism provided the framework through which the experiences were analyzed. The research revealed the overwhelming role of scientific habits of mind in the current success of these young scientists. Scientific habits of mind were developed through the structures and relationships in the home. Parents of the participants provided a non-authoritarian, fun, playful, tolerant atmosphere in which messes and experimentation were the norm. Large blocks of uninterrupted, unstructured time and space that "belonged" to the child allowed these children to follow where curiosity led. Frequently, the parent modeled scientific habits of mind. Good discipline in the minds of these families had nothing to do with punishments, rewards, or rules. The parents gave the children responsibilities, "free rein," and their trust, and the children blossomed in that trust and mutual respect. Parents recognized and supported the uniqueness, autonomy, interests, and emotions of the child. Above all, the young scientists valued the time, freedom, patience, and emotional support provided by their parents. For girls, construction toys, hot wheels, sand boxes, and outdoor experiences were particularly important. Art classes, free access to art media, sewing, music, and physical activity facilitated observational skills and spatial relationship development. The girls knew that doing traditionally masculine and feminine activities were acceptable and

  2. 3μm - 1.6μm Double Resonance Spectroscopy of CH_4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwartz, George; Belaas, Erik; Yang, Shaoyue; Lehmann, Kevin

    2016-06-01

    The Near-IR Spectrum of CH_4 is dense with many overlapping bands that perturb each other by vibrational and ro-vibrational interactions. Assignments of the individual lines are needed in order to simulate the spectrum as a function of pressure and temperature, as needed in the search for CH_4 in extrasolar planets. Both the group at the University College, London^1 and that at the University of Reins^2 have produced theoretical spectra that allows simulation up to the high temperatures expected on ``Hot Jupiters''. The accuracy of these theoretical spectra need to be further tested. Because CH_4 is a light spherical top, assignment of its perturbed spectra is a formable challenge as none of the lines allowed in the rigid rotor approximation have ground vibrational state combination differences. We are using IR-IR double resonance to observe modulation in the strength of near-IR absorption caused by a modulation of a 3 μm OPO beam that is tuned to a particular transition in the C-H stretching fundamental of CH_4. This produces V-type double resonance transitions (which share the lower state with the pump transition), which provides firm assignments for lines normally observed in absorption in the near-IR. We also observe sequential double resonance which reveals transitions that have a known rotational level of the ν_3 fundamental as the lower state and reaches final states in the 9000 cm-1 spectral region. These are states of A, E, F_1 vibrational symmetries which are forbidden in transitions from the ground vibrational state. These 3 level double resonance transitions are Doppler Free and have a linewidth of ˜10 MHz due to a combination of near-IR laser jitter and power broadening of the mid-IR transition. We also observed many 4-level double resonance transitions that we have tentatively assigned as arising from the ν_4 fundamental level. These are distinguished from the 3-level double resonance transitions by they being Doppler broadened and having a large

  3. Characterizing the population of active galactic nuclei in dwarf galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Reines, Amy E.; Gallo, Elena; Greene, Jenny E.

    2017-01-01

    Clues to super-massive black hole (BH) formation and growth reside in the population and properties of BHs in local dwarf galaxies. The masses of BHs in these systems are our best observational constraint on the masses of the first BH "seeds" at high redshift. Moreover, present-day dwarf galaxies are unlikely to have undergone major mergers, making them a relatively pristine testbed for studying triggers of BH accretion. However, in order to find BHs in dwarf galaxies outside the Local Group, it is necessary to search for signatures of accretion, i.e., active galactic nuclei (AGN). Until recently, only a handful of dwarf galaxies were known to contain AGN. However, large surveys such as the SDSS have led to the production of samples of over a hundred dwarf galaxies with AGN signatures (see e.g., Reines et al. 2013). My dissertation work has involved in-depth, multi-wavelength follow-up of nearby (z<0.055) dwarf galaxies with optical spectroscopic AGN signatures in SDSS.I analyzed high resolution spectra of dwarf galaxies with narrow-line AGN, which led to the discovery of a 50,000 MSun BH in the nucleus of RGG 118 - the smallest BH yet reported in a galaxy nucleus (Baldassare et al. 2015). I also used multi-epoch optical spectroscopy to study the nature of broad H-alpha emission in dwarf galaxies. A characteristic signature of dense gas orbiting around a BH, broad emission can also be produced by transient stellar processes. I showed that broad H-alpha in star-forming dwarf galaxies fades over a baseline of 5-10 years, and is likely produced by e.g., a Type II SN as opposed to an AGN. However, broad emission in dwarf galaxies with AGN/composite narrow lines is persistent and consistent across observations, suggesting an AGN origin (Baldassare et al. 2016). Finally, I analyzed X-ray and UV observations of dwarf galaxies with broad and narrow-line AGN signatures. All targets had nuclear X-ray detections at levels significantly higher than expected from X-ray binaries

  4. Quantifying the impact of daily and seasonal variation in sap pH on xylem dissolved inorganic carbon estimates in plum trees.

    PubMed

    Erda, F G; Bloemen, J; Steppe, K

    2014-01-01

    In studies on internal CO2 transport, average xylem sap pH (pH(x)) is one of the factors used for calculation of the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon in the xylem sap ([CO2 *]). Lack of detailed pH(x) measurements at high temporal resolution could be a potential source of error when evaluating [CO2*] dynamics. In this experiment, we performed continuous measurements of CO2 concentration ([CO2]) and stem temperature (T(stem)), complemented with pH(x) measurements at 30-min intervals during the day at various stages of the growing season (Day of the Year (DOY): 86 (late winter), 128 (mid-spring) and 155 (early summer)) on a plum tree (Prunus domestica L. cv. Reine Claude d'Oullins). We used the recorded pH(x) to calculate [CO2*] based on T(stem) and the corresponding measured [CO2]. No statistically significant difference was found between mean [CO2*] calculated with instantaneous pH(x) and daily average pH(x). However, using an average pH(x) value from a different part of the growing season than the measurements of [CO2] and T(stem) to estimate [CO2*] led to a statistically significant error. The error varied between 3.25 ± 0.01% under-estimation and 3.97 ± 0.01% over-estimation, relative to the true [CO2*] data. Measured pH(x) did not show a significant daily variation, unlike [CO2], which increased during the day and declined at night. As the growing season progressed, daily average [CO2] (3.4%, 5.3%, 7.4%) increased and average pH(x) (5.43, 5.29, 5.20) decreased. Increase in [CO2] will increase its solubility in xylem sap according to Henry's law, and the dissociation of [CO2*] will negatively affect pH(x). Our results are the first quantifying the error in [CO2*] due to the interaction between [CO2] and pH(x) on a seasonal time scale. We found significant changes in pH(x) across the growing season, but overall the effect on the calculation of [CO2*] remained within an error range of 4%. However, it is possible that the error could be more

  5. Golden gravitational lensing systems from the Sloan Lens ACS Survey - II. SDSS J1430+4105: a precise inner total mass profile from lensing alone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eichner, Thomas; Seitz, Stella; Bauer, Anne

    2012-12-01

    Vaucouleurs and dark matter components of the lensing signal into spherically averaged 3D density profiles. We can show that the 3D dark and luminous matter density within the Einstein radius (REin ≈ 0.6 Reff) of this SLACS galaxy is similar to the values of Coma galaxies with the same velocity dispersions.

  6. Diagnostic tardif d'une hyperoxalurie primitive au stade d'insuffisance rénale chronique terminale avec hypoparathyroïdie sévère

    PubMed Central

    El Ghali, Zineb; Lahcen, Zineb Ait; Fadili, Wafaa; Kaitouni, Abderrahim Idrissi; Hakkou, Mohamed; Hamdaoui, Abderrachid; Laouad, Inass

    2014-01-01

    L'hyperoxalurie primitive est une anomalie métabolique congénitale rare caractérisée par un excès de production avec accumulation d'oxalate secondaire à un déficit enzymatique hépatique. Nous rapportons le cas d'un patient de 18 ans qui avait comme antécédent des lithiases rénales récidivantes depuis l'enfance évoluant vers l'insuffisance rénale chronique terminale, mis en hémodialyse périodique depuis 4 ans avec apparition d'une anémie résistante à l’érythropoïétine pour laquelle il a été multitransfusé et qui était admis pour prise en charge de douleurs osseuses invalidantes d'aggravation progressive associées à un syndrome tumoral fait d'adénopathies périphériques et de splénomégalie avec dyspnée et altération de l’état général. Le bilan réalisé avait objectivé de multiples images lytiques lacunaires et condensantes au niveau des poignets et des mains avec des petits reins calcifiés, une pleurésie avec péricardite de grande abondance drainée, une ascite de moyenne abondance avec splénomégalie homogène, une anémie normochrome normocytaire à 7.2 g/dl avec hyperferritinémie à 1129 μg/l et un syndrome inflammatoire biologique. La calcémie était spontanément normale à 97 mg/l avec hyperphosphorémie à 83 mg/l et hypoparathyroïdie à 74,85 pg/ml. Les PAL étaient à 136 UI/l, l'aluminium sérique à 13μg/l et la Vitamine D native à 20,87ng/ml. Le diagnostic d'hyperoxalurie a été retenu sur les données de la biopsie ostéomédullaire objectivant des dépôts de cristaux d'oxalate de calcium avec fibrose médullaire et réaction macrophagique à corps étranger. L’évolution a été marquée par la survenue de fractures spontanées récidivantes au niveau de l’épaule et des 2 hanches. PMID:25328593

  7. [Medicine in ancient Mesopotamia--part 1].

    PubMed

    Martins E Silva, J

    2009-01-01

    The present work summarizes the more elucidating aspects on the foundations and the practice of the medicine in Antique Mesopotamia, since the invention of the writing, more than 5000 thousand years ago, and the beginning of our era. The first part of the article includes a brief perspective about the political and social evolution that characterized those archaic civilizations, as well as the inventions and knowledge further used by the following Humanity's generations. Most of what is known on the subject, as well as the history and political-social events that occurred in the region during that remote epoch, resulted of the laborious decoding of about half a million small clay plates or fragments with text engravings in cuneiform characters that were discovered since the middle of the XIX century in the ruins of the main cities of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. The second part embraces exclusively the main characteristics of the medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia, in its main facets: concept of disease, healers and practice. The disease was considered a divine punishment or resultant from a malign influence. In that base, the medicine began by being preventive, by the use of appropriate amulets, or by offerings or sacrifices intending to pacify those malign forces. The treatment of the generality of the diseases privileged the expulsion of those spirits and malign influences from the patient body, purifying it, which was done by the specific intervention of an ãshipu (clergyman-exorcist); not having results, the treatment was continued by the asû (practical healer) that appealed to a group of physical manipulations, limited surgical acts and the administration or application of prescriptions, resultants of the mixture of organic and inorganic substances. In case of failing, the patients (as well as individuals or rein leaders) could fall back upon a priest diviner (bârû) who, by examination of the organs of an animal especially sacrificed for the effect

  8. [The medical system and its characteristics during the Koryo Dynasty period].

    PubMed

    Lee, K L; Shin, D H

    2001-12-01

    This article explores the medical system of the Koryo Dynasty period and its social characteristics. First, the structure of medical system and roles of medical institutions during the Koryo Dynasty period will be summarized. Then, the characteristics of the medical system will be identified through exploring the principles of its formation in a view of social recognition of medical care and a view of public policy. During the Koryo Dynasty period, medical experts were trained in national education institutions from the early days of Dynasty. After trained, they were appointed to the posts at government service with their medical profession. In the meantime, they sought ways to ascend their social position. Physicians of Oriental medicine were appointed to the posts at each local government and troops to take charge of medical treatments of the common people. Also, the state tried to assume the reins of medical system by actively taking part in circulation (collection and distribution) of herb. Taeuigam and Sangyakguk represent central medical institutions of the Koryo, taking charge of medical service for the aristocracy and the bureaucracy. The Common people were treated at DongSeoDaeBiWOn, JeWuiBo, HyeMinGuk, and YakJum in SeoKyung. However, activities of these institutions became less active around the days of military officials regime, as officers became negligent and financial base went broken. The roles of medical institutions of the Koryo government were not restricted to the treatment of diseases. Policies for the common people were constituted by two main policies, the policy for encouraging agriculture and the policy for giving relief to people. Medical institutions, with other social systems, had a social responsibility to support the governing system of the Koryo and maintain the stability of the society. In this aspect, medical institutions such as DongSeoDaeBiWon and JeWuiBo, and relief institutions such as UiChang, were all related and connected

  9. The role of collective self-gravity in the nonlinear evolution of viscous overstability in Saturn's rings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lehmann, M.; Schmidt, J.; Salo, H.

    2017-09-01

    Observational evidence for the presence of axisymmetric periodic micro-structure on length scales of 100m - 200m in Saturn's A and B rings was revealed by several instruments onboard the Cassini mission to Saturn. The structure was seen in radio occultations performed by the Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) (Thomson et al. (2007)) and stellar occultations carried out with the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) (Colwell et al. (2007)), and the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) (Hedman et al. (2014)). Up to date, this micro-structure is best explained by the viscous overstability, which arises as a spontaneous oscillatory instability in a dense ring, if certain conditions are met, leading to the formation of axisymmetric density waves with wavelengths on the order of 100m. We investigate the influence of collective self-gravity forces on the nonlinear, large scale evolution of the viscous overstability in Saturn's rings. To this end we numerically solve the nonlinear hydrodynamic model equations for a dense ring, including radial self-gravity and employing values for the transport coefficients (such as the ring's viscosity and heat conductivity) derived by salo et al. (2001). We concentrate on ring optical depths of order unity, which are appropriate to model Saturn's dense rings. Furthermore, local N-body simulations, incorporating vertical and radial collective self-gravity forces are performed. Direct particle-particle forces are omitted, which prevents small scale gravitational instabilities (self-gravity wakes) from forming, an approximation that allows us to study long radial scales of some 10 kilometers and to compare directly the hydrodynamic model and the N-body simulations. Our hydrodynamic model results, in the limit of vanishing self-gravity, compare very well with the studies of Latter & Ogilvie (2010) and Rein & Latter (2013). In contrast, for rings with non-vanishing radial self-gravity we find that the wavelengths of saturated

  10. La mujer en la astronomía: pasado y presente

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubner, G.

    There exists a long and honorable tradition of participation of women in astronomy, affording many significant contributions to the field. Historically, however, many of these contributions have remained ignored, or recorded under the names of husbands, brothers or bosses. The present report includes an historical perspective, summarizing some of the most signicant contributions done along the last three centuries by female astronomers. Briefly: Catherina Hevelius (1646-1693), author of the largest and last stars catalog made without the aid of a telescope; Nicole-Reine Lepaute (1723-1788) extraordinary mathematician who predicted the path of Halley's Comet in 1757; Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) assistant of her brother William, discovered 8 comets, reduced the positions to a common epoch and published the catalog of 2500 nebulae observed by her brother, was elected honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS); Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), professor of astronomy and director of the Vassar College Observatory, dedicated her life to women's education; Williamina Fleming (1857-1911)discovered 94 of the 107 Wolf-Rayet stars known at her time, the bulk of the first HD catalog was based on her spectral types classification; Annie Cannon (1863-1941) examined and classified nearly 500.000 stars, rearranged Fleming's spectral system, defining the OBAFGKM series; Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921) worked cataloging variable stars, discovered the period-luminosity relations in Cepheids; Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin combined observations with theory to obtain a temperature scale for Cannon's spectral types; Ruby Payne-Scott (1912-1981), the first female radioastronomer in the world, developed the theory of aperture synthesis, in which most of the larger radio interferometers are based. The present trends are analized based on statistics of the International Astronomical Union (IAU): women represent 11.8% of the total of IAU members; in Argentina the percentage is 33

  11. Integration of data from censuses and remote sensing to measure the socio-economic and environmental evolution in urban areas: case of the city of Sherbrooke (1981-2006)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dari, Ouassini

    population is spread over the two cities. The aboriginal population is well distributed over the city of Sherbrooke. The population from Asian and Oceanic backgrounds are concentrated (sometimes on an exclusive basis) in the north and west-centre area of Jardins-Fleuris, in the eastern area of l'Assomption, the northeastern area of Sainte-Famille and the center area of Marie-Reine. We also find concentrations of immigrant populations from all backgrounds in areas such as in the southern part of the Immaculee-Conception and Saint-Joseph and in the south-eastern part of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc. This indicates that ethnic neighborhoods are taking roots in the city of Sherbrooke. Keywords : socio-economic and environmental, urban, remote sensing, multiple factor analysis, dissemination areas, the city of Sherbrooke, Lennoxville municipality.

  12. Transplantation rénale au Maroc: l'hémodialysé et son entourage sont-ils suffisamment informés?

    PubMed Central

    Noto-Kadou-Kaza, Béfa; Sabi, Kossi Akomola; Imangue, Ghislain; Al-Torayhi, Mays Hadi; Amekoudi, Eyram Yoan Makafui; Tsevi, Claude Mawufemo; Zamd, Mohamed; Medkouri, Ghislaine; Benghanem, Mohamed Gharbi; Ramdani, Benyounes

    2014-01-01

    Introduction La transplantation rénale constitue le traitement idéal de l'insuffisance rénale chronique. Cependant il existe une insuffisance de donneurs contrairement aux receveurs dont le nombre ne cesse de s'accroitre. La méconnaissance de la transplantation par les hémodialysés et leur entourage pourrait être l'une des causes. Notre but était d’évaluer les connaissances et opinions de l'hémodialysé et de son entourage sur la transplantation rénale. Méthodes L'enquête menée en Aout 2013 avait inclus 83 hémodialysés de notre centre et 70 membres de leur entourage. Ils ont été soumis à un questionnaire qui portait sur les thèmes suivants: statut socio-économique, volonté d’être transplanté ou d’être donneur, avantages de la transplantation rénale, point de vue de la religion sur la transplantation. Aucun des individus interrogés n'avait jamais fait l'objet d'une transplantation ou d'un don d'organe. Résultats Parmi 83 hémodialysés on notait 49,4% de femmes avec une moyenne d’âge de 41,4±12 ans. Le niveau socio-économique bas représentait 66,7%. Le manque d'information chez était estimé à 62,7%. Seuls 41% se disaient être candidat à la transplantation rénale mais 12% seulement était inscrit sur la liste d'attente de greffe. La transplantation était estimée plus couteuse que l'hémodialyse par 50,6% des patients et seuls 71,1% estimaient qu'elle offrait une meilleure vie. Pour 20,5%, l'Islam s'opposerait au don cadavérique et pour 10,9% au don vivant. Parmi les 70 membres de l'entourage interrogé il y avait 56,8% de femmes; la moyenne d’âge était de 44,4±10,5 ans. Le niveau économique bas représentait 52,3%. Le manque d'information était estimé à 61,4%. Pour 56,8% la vie serait impossible avec un seul rein. Seuls 13,6% étaient inscrit sur le registre de don. Pour 45,5% l'Islam s'opposerait au don cadavérique. Conclusion Il importe d'intensifier la sensibilisation des hémodialysées et leur famille

  13. Stochastic Modeling based on Dictionary Approach for the Generation of Daily Precipitation Occurrences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panu, U. S.; Ng, W.; Rasmussen, P. F.

    2009-12-01

    The modeling of weather states (i.e., precipitation occurrences) is critical when the historical data are not long enough for the desired analysis. Stochastic models (e.g., Markov Chain and Alternating Renewal Process (ARP)) of the precipitation occurrence processes generally assume the existence of short-term temporal-dependency between the neighboring states while implying the existence of long-term independency (randomness) of states in precipitation records. Existing temporal-dependent models for the generation of precipitation occurrences are restricted either by the fixed-length memory (e.g., the order of a Markov chain model), or by the reining states in segments (e.g., persistency of homogenous states within dry/wet-spell lengths of an ARP). The modeling of variable segment lengths and states could be an arduous task and a flexible modeling approach is required for the preservation of various segmented patterns of precipitation data series. An innovative Dictionary approach has been developed in the field of genome pattern recognition for the identification of frequently occurring genome segments in DNA sequences. The genome segments delineate the biologically meaningful ``words" (i.e., segments with a specific patterns in a series of discrete states) that can be jointly modeled with variable lengths and states. A meaningful “word”, in hydrology, can be referred to a segment of precipitation occurrence comprising of wet or dry states. Such flexibility would provide a unique advantage over the traditional stochastic models for the generation of precipitation occurrences. Three stochastic models, namely, the alternating renewal process using Geometric distribution, the second-order Markov chain model, and the Dictionary approach have been assessed to evaluate their efficacy for the generation of daily precipitation sequences. Comparisons involved three guiding principles namely (i) the ability of models to preserve the short-term temporal-dependency in

  14. Managing biological diversity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Samson, Fred B.; Knopf, Fritz L.

    1993-01-01

    Biological diversity is the variety of life and accompanying ecological processes (Off. Technol. Assess. 1987, Wilcove and Samson 1987, Keystone 1991). Conservation of biological diversity is a major environmental issue (Wilson 1988, Counc. Environ. Quality 1991). The health and future of the earth's ecological systems (Lubchenco et al. 1991), global climate change (Botkin 1990), and an ever-increasing rate in loss of species, communities, and ecological systems (Myers 1990) are among issues drawing biological diversity to the mainstream of conservation worldwide (Int. Union Conserv. Nat. and Nat. Resour. [IUCN] et al. 1991). The legal mandate for conserving biological diversity is now in place (Carlson 1988, Doremus 1991). More than 19 federal laws govern the use of biological resources in the United States (Rein 1991). The proposed National Biological Diversity Conservation and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 585 and S.58) notes the need for a national biological diversity policy, would create a national center for biological diversity research, and recommends a federal interagency strategy for ecosystem conservation. There are, however, hard choices ahead for the conservation of biological diversity, and biologists are grappling with how to set priorities in research and management (Roberts 1988). We sense disillusion among field biologists and managers relative to how to operationally approach the seemingly overwhelming charge of conserving biological diversity. Biologists also need to respond to critics like Hunt (1991) who suggest a tree farm has more biological diversity than an equal area of old-growth forest. At present, science has played only a minor role in the conservation of biological diversity (Weston 1992) with no unified approach available to evaluate strategies and programs that address the quality and quantity of biological diversity (Murphy 1990, Erwin 1992). Although actions to conserve biological diversity need to be clearly defined by

  15. PREFACE: 1st Franco-Algerian Workshop on Neutrino Physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mebarki, N.; Mimouni, J.; Vanucci, F.; Aissaoui, H.

    2015-04-01

    The first Franco-Algerian workshop on neutrino physics was held on 22-23 October 2013 at the University of Mentouri, Constantine, Algeria. It was jointly organized by the Laboratory of Mathematical and Subatomic Physics (LPMS) and the Direction of Scientific Research (DGRSTD) for the Algerian side, and for the French part by the IN2P3, CNRS and CEA IRFU. It is one of a series of international scientific meetings organized every two years by the LPMS at Constantine on high energy physics (theoretical, nuclear physics, classical and quantum cosmology, astrophysics, mathematical physics and quantum computing etc...) to maintain a high quality in scientific research and education at Algerian universities. This specific meeting brought together experts in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology from France and Algeria. It touched upon several theoretical, phenomenological as well as experimental aspects of the neutrinos. The workshop participants were mostly young researchers from many universities and research institutes in Algeria. The physics of neutrinos is a very active field in particle physics, hence the importance for the High Energy community in Algeria to gain expertise in this ''strategic'' area at the intersection of various topics in theoretical physics and high energy astrophysics (SM physics, CP violation, in general, SNe explosions, baryogenesis...). The neutrino proposed by Pauli back in 1930 as a ''desperate remedy'' to save the law of energy conservation in beta decay had a bright early history. Discovered in 1956 in the Cowan-Reines experiment despite all odds, this elusive particle which enabled us to understand the chiral nature of the weak interactions which later lead to the electro-weak unification finally appears to hold a key role in understanding subatomic physics as well as the structure and structuration of the Universe. It is also, after the discovery of the Higgs particle at the LHC in 2012, the only grey area left today in the

  16. [History of anaesthesia in Belgium].

    PubMed

    De Rood, M

    2012-01-01

    Man has for a long time searched means of fighting pain, by administration of plant extracts such as poppy seed, jimson weed, henbane, mandrake and alcohol. These substances were given in the form of cataplasms, potions or clysters. Somniferous sponges, applied on the face, were known since Antiquity and have been in use in some countries up to the 13th century. Surgery and pain were inseparable till mid 19th century. Indications for surgery were few, even though some patients could benefit from these sedative drugs. The anesthetic properties of ether and nitrous oxide (laughing gas), known since the 18th century, were only recognized in the 19th century. William Morton, a dentist, was the first to successfully provide general anesthesia with ether in 1846 in Boston. News spread to England shortly afterwards. On the European continent, the first use of ether was due to 2 Belgian surgeons. Next came chloroform as novel anesthetic. They were administered via either a gauze or a mask by the general practitioner, a medical student or a nurse. Unlike England, the use of these drugs for obstetrical anesthesia (called anesthesia "a la reine", alluding to Queen Victoria who benefited from chloroform during childbirth) was never very popular in Belgium. Since the years 1880, the use of cocaine, then of novocaine allowed to perform local anesthesia, then local nerve blocks and spinal anesthesia, installed by the surgeon prior to operating. Since then, surgery experienced rapid progress, Belgium included. During the 1914-1918 first World War, these advances saved many human lives. When general anesthesia was necessary, it was cared for by another physician or a nurse. The interwar period did not see significant advances in anesthesia, except in intravenous anesthesia with barbiturates, appeared in the late 1930's. Intra- and postoperative complications were frequent. Apart from sulfonamides, antibiotics were non-existent. During the war 1940-45, there was no progress in

  17. Optimizing Drone Fertility With Spring Nutritional Supplements to Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies.

    PubMed

    Rousseau, Andrée; Giovenazzo, Pierre

    2016-03-27

    Supplemental feeding of honey bee (Apis melliferaL., Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in spring is essential for colony buildup in northern apicultural regions. The impact of pollen and syrup feeding on drone production and sperm quality is not well-documented, but may improve fecundation of early-bred queens. We measured the impact of feeding sucrose syrup, and protein supplements to colonies in early spring in eastern Canada. Drones were reared under different nutritional regimes, and mature individuals were then assessed in regard to size, weight, and semen quality (semen volume, sperm count, and viability). Results showed significant increases in drone weight and abdomen size when colonies were fed sucrose and a protein supplement. Colonies receiving no additional nourishment had significantly less semen volume per drone and lower sperm viability. Our study demonstrates that feeding honey bee colonies in spring with sucrose syrup and a protein supplement is important to enhance drone reproductive quality. RÉSUMÉ: L'administration de suppléments alimentaires aux colonies de l'abeille domestique (Apis melliferaL., Hymenoptera: Apidae) au printemps est essentielle pour le bon développement des colonies dans les régions apicoles nordiques. L'impact de la supplémentation des colonies en pollen et en sirop sur la production des faux-bourdons et la qualité du sperme demeure peu documenté mais pourrait résulter en une meilleure fécondation des reines produites tôt en saison. Nous avons mesuré l'impact de la supplémentation en sirop et/ou en supplément de pollen sur les colonies d'abeilles tôt au printemps dans l'est du Canada. Les faux-bourdons ont été élevé sous différents régimes alimentaires et les individus matures ont ensuite été évalués pour leur taille, leur poids ainsi que la qualité de leur sperme (volume de sperme, nombre et viabilité des spermatozoïdes. Les résultats montrent une augmentation significative du poids et de la taille

  18. Asia Rice Crop Estimation and Monitoring (Asia-RiCE) for GEOGLAM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oyoshi, K.; Tomiyama, N.; Okumura, T.; Sobue, S.

    2013-12-01

    Food security is a critical issue for the international community because of rapid population and economic growth, and climate change. In June 2011, the meeting of G20 agriculture ministers was held to discuss food security and food price volatility, and they agreed on an 'Action Plan on Food Price Volatility and Agriculture'. This plan includes a GEO Global Agricultural Monitoring (GEOGLAM) initiative. The aim of GEOGLAM is to reinforce the international community's ability to produce and disseminate relevant, timely, and accurate forecasts of agricultural production on regional, national, and global scales by utilizing remote sensing technology. GEOGLAM focused on four major grain crops, wheat, maize, soybeans and rice. In particular, Asian countries are responsible for approximately 90% of the world rice production and consumption, rice is the most significant cereal crop in Asian region. Hence, Asian space and agricultural agencies with an interest in the development of rice crop monitoring technology launched an Asia-Rice Crop Estimation & Monitoring (Asia-RiCE) component for the GEOGLAM initiative. In Asian region, rice is mainly cultivated in rainy season, and a large amount of cloud limits rice crop monitoring with optical sensors. But, Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) is all-weather sensor and can observe land surface even if the area is covered by cloud. Therefore, SAR technology would be powerful tool to monitor rice crop in Asian region. Asia-RiCE team required mainly SAR observation data including ALOS-2, RISAT-1, Sentinel-1 and RADARSAT, TerraSAR-X, COSMO-SkyMed for Asia-RiCE GEOGLAM Phase 1 implementation (2013-2015) to the Committee on Earth Observations (CEOS) in the GEOGLAM-CEOS Global Agricultural Monitoring Co-community Meeting held in June 2013. And also, rice crop has complicated cropping systems such as rein-fed or irrigated cultivation, single, double or sometimes triple cropping. In addition, each agricultural field is smaller than that of

  19. Status and progress of the RERTR program in the year 2000.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Travelli, A.

    2000-09-28

    UO{sub 2} dispersion fuel and on LEU conversion feasibility studies in the Russian RERTR program. Conversion of the BER-11reactor in Berlin, Germany, was completed and conversion of the La Reins reactor in Santiago, Chile, began. These are exciting times for the program. In the fuel development area, the RERTR program is aggressively pursuing qualification of high-density LEU U-Mo dispersion fuels, with the dual goal of enabling fi.uther conversions and of developing a substitute for LEU silicide fuels that can be more easily disposed of after expiration of the FRR SNF Acceptance Program. The {sup 99}Mo effort has reached the point where it appears feasible for all the {sup 99}Mo producers of the world to agree jointly to a common course of action leading to the elimination of HEU use in their processes. As in the past, the success of the RERTR program will depend on the international friendship and cooperation that has always been its trademark.« less

  20. What's the Kepler Spacecraft Been Up To?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2016-03-01

    includes:26 candidates with sizes between 1 and 4 Earth radii, orbiting bright stars. These are well suited for precise radial velocity follow-up.10 candidates with radii between 1.6 and 4 Earth radii that are likely to have gaseous envelopes. These are well suited for atmospheric characterization.8 sub-Earth sized candidates, the smallest of which are about 0.75 times the size of Earth.Vanderburg and collaborators make all of their data products (light curves, spectra, vetting diagnostics, etc.) publicly available. Their observations and data provide an excellent starting point for follow-up on the many potential planets discovered by K2 within the first year of its proposed three-year mission. And given this already long list of candidates, its clear that while Keplers power may have been reined in slightly, this telescope still has many more discoveries to show us.CitationAndrew Vanderburg et al 2016 ApJS 222 14. doi:10.3847/0067-0049/222/1/14

  1. Profil de la néphropathie diabétique à l’Hôpital Général de Référence Nationale de N'Djamena (Tchad)

    PubMed Central

    Hamat, Ibrahim; Abderraman, Guillaume Mahamat; Cisse, Mouhamadou Moustapha; Youssouf, Mahamat; Djafar, Matar Saboune; Mbainguinam, Dionadji; Fotclossou, Tara

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Le diabète sucré constitue un véritable problème de santé et ses complications touchent plusieurs organes dont les reins. Un diagnostic précoce de la néphropathie diabétique permet de prendre en charge les patients plus efficacement et de façon multidisciplinaire, de retarder sa progression vers l'insuffisance rénale chronique. Peu d'études ont été faites en Afrique dans ce domaine. Au Tchad, nous ne disposons pas de données statistiques sur l'atteinte rénale liée au diabète. C'est pourquoi nous nous proposons d'étudier la néphropathie diabétique avec pour objectifs d'analyser le profil de la néphropathie diabétique des patients de l'hôpital général de référence nationale de N'Djamena. Méthodes Nous avions mené une étude transversale descriptive à l'Hôpital Générale de Référence Nationale de N'Djamena d'avril à septembre 2012. Etaient inclus dans l'étude tous les patients diabétiques hospitalisés ou suivis dans les services de néphrologie et d'endocrinologie. Résultats Il y avait 54 cas de néphropathie diabétique sur 181 patients soit 29,80%. L'âge de plus de 50 ans représentait 87%, le sexe masculin dominait avec 67%, la durée d'évolution du diabète au moment de la découverte de la néphropathie était de 10,25 ans, la pression artérielle moyenne était de 138 mm Hg, l'HbA1C était supérieur à 6,5% dans 74,5%, l'insuffisance rénale terminale était retrouvée dans 26,90%, une protéinurie à 2,65 g/24 h était détectée dans 60,30%. 57,4% des patients avaient une rétinopathie diabétique au stade III. Conclusion Au Tchad, la fréquence de la néphropathie diabétique est de l'ordre de 29,83%. C'est une affection qui touche les hommes avec une moyenne d'âge de 58,7 ans. Le diabète de type 2 est le plus fréquent avec 90,7% des cas. Les facteurs de risque mal contrôlés pouvaient conduire la néphropathie diabétique vers une altération de la fonction rénale notamment l'HTA (70,8%), un d

  2. The man and the hill

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leopold, Luna Bergere

    1962-01-01

    He was sitting on a large slab of rock. As he looked at the cloud of dust hanging hazily on the horizon, the piece of antler and the block of flint he held in his hand hung as if they were suspended from their previous rapid motion. The man gazed intently across the swaying grass which rose in wave-like billows across the distant hills. What was that dust - a herd of buffalo, a band of hunters, or were coyotes chasing the antelope again? After watching for a while he started again to chip the flint with a rapid twisting motion of the bone in his right hand. The little chips of flint fell in the grass before him. It is the same hill but the scene has changed. Seated on the same rock, holding the reins of a saddle horse, a man dressed in buckskin took the fur cap off his head and wiped his brow. He was looking intently across a brown and desolate landscape at a cloud of dust on the far horizon. Was it the hostile tribe of Indians? It could be buffalo. Nervously he kicked at the ground with the deerhide moccasin, pushing the flint chips out of the way. He wiped the dust from his long rifle. What a terrible place - no water, practically no grass, everything bare and brown. Now at sunset, slanting across the hills green with springtime, a cowman sits on a big rock, pushes his sombrero back on his head, and looks across the valley at a large but quiet herd of stock, moving slowly as each steer walks from one lush patch of grass to another, nibbling. Suddenly he stood up. Far on the horizon some dark objects were moving. Is it the sheepmen? Could it be the stage coach from Baggs to the Sweetwater Crossing?Same hill - a gray truck was grinding slowly toward the summit. It pulled up near a small fenced enclosure where there were some instruments painted a bright silver color. A man stepped out of the truck and turned to his younger companion, "You've never found an arrowhead? Maybe you have never thought about it correctly. If you want to find where an Indian camped long

  3. EDITORIAL: Deeper, broader, higher, better?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobson, Ken

    1998-07-01

    Honorary Editor The standard of educational achievement in England and Wales is frequently criticized, and it seems to be an axiom of government that schools and teachers need to be shaken up, kept on a tight rein, copiously inspected, shamed and blamed as required: in general, subjected to the good old approach of: ' Find out what Johnny is doing and tell him to stop.' About the only exception to this somewhat severe attitude is at A-level, where the standard is simply golden. Often, comparisons are made between the performance of, say, English children and that of their coevals in other countries, with different customs, systems, aims and languages. But there has been a recent comparison of standards at A-level with a non-A-level system of pre-university education, in an English-speaking country that both sends students to English universities and accepts theirs into its own, and is, indeed, represented in the UK government at well above the level expected from its ethnical weighting in the population. This semi-foreign country is Scotland. The conclusions of the study are interesting. Scotland has had its own educational system, with `traditional breadth', and managed to escape much of the centralized authoritarianism that we have been through south of the border. It is interesting to note that, while for the past dozen years or so the trend in A-level Physics entries has been downwards, there has been an increase in the take-up of Scottish `Highers'. Highers is a one-year course. Is its popularity due to its being easier than A-level? Scottish students keen enough to do more can move on to the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies, and will shortly be able to upgrade a Higher Level into an Advanced Higher Level. A comparability study [ Comparability Study of Scottish Qualifications and GCE Advanced Levels: Report on Physics January 1998 (free from SQA)] was carried out by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) with the aim (amongst others) of helping

  4. Effects of strains, strain crosses and environments on additive genetic and phenotypic variances in Drosophila melanogaster.

    PubMed

    Noor, R R; Barker, J S; Kinghorn, B P

    1993-01-12

    Varianzen der Thoraxlänge von Drosophila melanogaster in reinen und synthetischen Herkünften wurde in zwei verschiedenen Umwelten überprüft. Zwei reine Herkünfte von verschiedenen Gegenden (Melboune und Townsville) wurden zusammen mit drei zwischen ihnen gebildeten synthetischen Populationen untersucht. Unterschiede in Thoraxlänge zwischen Melbourne- und Townsvilleherkünften, Genotypumweltinteraktionen und Heterosis in Kreuzungen zwischen diesen Populationen zeigen, daß sie sich genetisch unterscheiden. Die geographische Trennung kann also Unterschiede in der mittleren Thoraxlänge zur Folge haben, wobei unterschiedliche Selektionsgeschichte in beiden Gegenden und Drift dies verursachen können. Bis zur 35. Generation gab es in keinem Labormilieu einen Hinweis auf eine Reduktion der Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Populationen. Die genetische Differenz der Herkünfte erhält sich daher auch unter neuen Umweltverhältnissen über viele Generationen. Die Schwankung in Heterosis für Thoraxlänge ist möglicherweise durch Schwankungen in der Verlustrate günstiger epistatischer Interaktionswirkungen in Kreuzungsgenotypen zusammen mit natürlichen Selektionswirkungen verursacht. V(p) war durch Umweltbedingungen signifikant beeinflußt und höher in schlechtem als in gutem Milieu. Der hohe Wert in schlechtem Milieu ist wahrscheinlich auf nicht-additiv-genetische Varianz zurückzuführen. V(p) wurde auch signifikant durch Herkunft beeinflußt und Werte in synthetischen Linien waren höher Linien in beiden Milieus. Additive und umweltbedingte Varianzen waren über Linie, Generationen und Umwelt relativ stabil. 1993 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  5. What triggers starbursts in dwarf galaxies?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Kelsey

    While the processes regulating star formation and the interstellar medium in massive interacting galaxies have been studied extensively, the extent to which these processes occur in the shallower gravitational potential wells of lower mass dwarf galaxies is relatively unconstrained. While dwarf galaxies are known to undergo starbursts (Heckman et al. 1998; Johnson et al. 2000), the origins of these bursts remain unclear, and interactions and mergers with other dwarfs have not been ruled out (Lelli et al. 2012; Koleva et al. 2014). These gas-rich dwarf galaxies in the nearby universe are expected to offer glimpses of star formation modes at high redshift with their low metal content and large amounts of fuel for forming stars. Given that dwarf-dwarf mergers dominate the merger rate at any given redshift (i.e. De Lucia et al. 2006; Fakhouri et al. 2010), this lack of observational constraints leaves a significant mode of galaxy evolution in the universe mostly unexplored. While a few individual dwarf mergers/pairs have been observed (e.g., Henize 2-10: Reines et al. 2012; NGC4490: Clemens et al. 1998; NGC3448: Noreau & Kronberg 1986; IIZw40: Lequeux et al. 1980), a systematic study of the star formation histories of interacting dwarfs as a population has never been done. We propose to obtain and further process near- and far-ultraviolet (NUV/FUV), nearinfrared (NIR), and mid-infrared (MIR) imaging for a sample of 58 dwarf galaxy pairs (116 dwarfs) and 348 unpaired dwarfs (analogs matched in stellar mass, redshift, and local density enhancement) using the NASA archives for the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX; Martin et al. 2003), the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS; Skrutskie et al. 2006), and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; Wright et al. 2010) missions. We aim to characterize the impact interactions have on fueling star formation in the nearby universe for a complete sample of dwarf galaxy pairs caught in a variety of interaction stages from the Ti

  6. PREFACE: Special section on vortex rings Special section on vortex rings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukumoto, Yasuhide

    2009-10-01

    . Their formation is a problem of vortex sheet dynamics, the steady state is a problem of existence, their duration is a problem of stability, and if there are several we have the problem of vortex interactions. Helmholtz himself, in the same paper (1858), devoted a few pages to an analysis of the motion of a vortex ring, and made substantial contributions. Since then, theoretical, experimental and numerical treatments of vortex rings have been developing continuously, yet we encounter mysteries and novel phenomena, with which vortex rings find new applications in, say, bio-fluid mechanics. Recently vortex rings have enlarged their scope beyond classical fluids to encompass super-fluids and Bose-Einstein condensates. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Helmholtz's theory on a vortex ring, it is worthwhile to bring together, in one issue, the latest understandings of and open problems in vortex rings from various aspects. The topics in this issue include development of theories and experiments for motion of vortex rings and their interaction with other vortex rings, flows and boundaries, with application to vortex-ring manipulation for flow control, original experiments on collision of vortex rings with a porous boundary, a novel numerical technique to simulate three-dimensional motion of vortex rings and new theories of dynamics of quantum vortex rings governed by nonlinear Schrödinger equations. I hope that this special section gives a sketch, in some proportion, of the current frontier of the field and provides a means to tackle future problems. References Saffman P G 1981 Dynamics of vorticity J. Fluid Mech. 106 49-58 von Helmholtz H 1858 Über Integrale der hydrodynamischen Gleichungen welche den Wirbelbewegungen entsprechen J. Reine Angew. Math. 55 25-55 (Engl. transl.: Tait P G 1867 On the integrals of the hydrodynamical equations which express vortex-motion Phil. Mag. 33 (4) 485-512)

  7. Pions to Quarks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Laurie Mark; Dresden, Max; Hoddeson, Lillian

    2009-01-01

    neutrino Frederick Reines; 25. Recollections on the establishment of the weak-interaction notion Bruno M. Pontecorvo; 26. Symmetry and conservation laws in particle physics in the fifties Louis Michel; 27. A connection between the strong and weak interactions Sam B. Treiman; Part VII. Weak interactions and parity nonconservation; 29. The nondiscovery of parity nonconservation Allan Franklin; 30. K-meson decays and parity violation Richard H. Dalitz; 31. An Experimentalist's Perspective Val L. Fitch; 32. The early experiments leading to the V - A interaction Valentine L. Telegdi; 33. Midcentury adventures in particles physics E. C. G. Sudarshan; Part VIII. The particle physics community; 34. The postwar political economy of high-energy physics Robert Seidel; 35. The history of CERN during the early 1950s Edoardo Amaldi; 36. Arguments pro and contra the European laboratory in the participating countries Armin Hermann; 37. Physics and excellences of the life it brings Abdus Salam; 38. Social aspects of Japanese particle physics in the 1950s Michiji Konuma; Part IX. Theories of hadrons; 39. The early S-matrix theory and its propagation (1942-1952) Helmut Rechenberg; 40. From field theory to phenomenology: the history of dispersion relations Andy Pickering; 41. Particles as S-matrix poles: hadron democracy Geoffrey F. Chew; 42. The general theory of quantised fields in the 1950s Arthur S. Wrightman; 43. The classification and structure of hadrons Yuval Ne'eman; 44. Gauge principle, vector-meson dominance and spontaneous symmetry breaking Yoichiro Nambu; Part X. Personal overviews; 45. Scientific impact of the first decade of the Rochester conferences (1950-1960) Robert E. Marshak; 46. Some reflections on the history of particle physics in the 1950s Silvan S. Schweber; 47. Progress in elementary particle theory 1950-1964 Murray Gell-Mann.

  8. Le don après un décès d'origine cardiocirculatoire au Canada

    PubMed Central

    Shemie, Sam D.; Baker, Andrew J.; Knoll, Greg; Wall, William; Rocker, Graeme; Howes, Daniel; Davidson, Janet; Pagliarello, Joe; Chambers-Evans, Jane; Cockfield, Sandra; Farrell, Catherine; Glannon, Walter; Gourlay, William; Grant, David; Langevin, Stéphan; Wheelock, Brian; Young, Kimberly; Dossetor, John

    2006-01-01

    engagement des intervenants, mécanismes d'assurance de la sécurité et de la qualité et information du public. Il est recommandé de commencer par un program de DDC contrôlé à l'unité de soins intensifs où, après une décision par consentement mutuel de cesser le traitement de maintien des fonctions vitales, la mort est attendue, mais n'est pas survenue, ce qui rend possible des discussions non précipitées sur le consentement. Un don non contrôlé, en cas de décès après un arrêt cardiaque non prévu, doit être envisagé seulement une fois que le program de DDC contrôlé a été établi. Bien qu'il soit recommandé de restreindre le programme initial au don de reins, le don d'autres organes peut aussi être envisagé selon l'expertise régionale en matière de transplantation. Les répercussions d'un DDC, y compris les interventions pratiquées avant et après le décès, sur la famille du donneur, la disponibilité des organes, la fonction du greffon et la survie du receveur doivent être documentées de façon méthodique et examinées.

  9. Mapping ash properties using principal components analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pereira, Paulo; Brevik, Eric; Cerda, Artemi; Ubeda, Xavier; Novara, Agata; Francos, Marcos; Rodrigo-Comino, Jesus; Bogunovic, Igor; Khaledian, Yones

    2017-04-01

    maps showed high values in one area of the plot, while factors 3,4 and 5 had a cycled pattern. Using a PCA we resume the information of all dataset and we identify that ash properties have a different distribution in the studied area, that may be attributed to the different fire severities. References Bodi, M., Martin, D.A., Santin, C., Balfour, V., Doerr, S.H., Pereira, P., Cerda, A., Mataix-Solera, J. (2014) Wildland fire ash: production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects. Earth-Science Reviews, 130, 103-127. Cerdà A, Doerr SH. (2008) The effect of ash and needle cover on surface runoff and erosion in the immediate post-fire period. Catena 74, 256-263. Jordan, A., Zavala, L., Granjed, A.J., Gordillo-Rivero, A.J., Garcia-Moreno, J., Pereira, P., Barcenas-Moreno, G., Celis, R., Jimenez-Compan, E., Alanis, N. Wettability of ash conditions splash erosion and runoff rates in the postfire. Science of the Total Environment, 572, 1261-1268. Pereira, P. Cerdà, A., Úbeda, X., Mataix-Solera, J. Arcenegui, V., Zavala, L. (2015b) Modelling the impacts of wildfire on ash thickness in a short-term period. Land Degradation and Development, 26, 180-192. Pereira, P., Brevik, E., Cerda, A., Ubeda, X., Novara, A., Francos, M., Comino, R., Bogunovic, I., Khaledian, Y. Mapping ash extractable elements using principal component analysis In: Pereira, P., Brevik, E., Munoz-Rojas, M., Miller, B. (eds) Soil mapping and process modelling for sustainable land use management (Elsevier Publishing House) ISBN: 9780128052006 Pereira, P., Cerdà, A., Jordan, A., Zavala, L., Mataix-Solera, J., Arcenegui, V., Misiune, I., Keesstra, S., Novara, A. (2016) Vegetation recovery after a grassland fire in Lithuania. The effects of fire severity, slope position and aspect. Land Degradation and Development, 27, 1523-1534. Pereira, P., Rein, G., Martin, D. Editorial: Past and Present Post-Fire Environments. Science of the Total Environment, 573, 442-436. Pereira, P., Jordan, A., Cerdà, A., Martin

  10. Obituary: Franklyn M. Branley, 1915-2002

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Franklin, Kenneth L.

    2003-12-01

    Jersey State Teachers College where he was teaching teachers how to teach science, and had been a guest lecturer at the Hayden for several months. Frank continued his own education while working at the Planetarium, gaining a Masters degree from New York University, and his Ed. D. from Columbia Teachers College. I joined the Hayden staff two weeks after Frank. Many of our friends and professional colleagues are aware of the confusion caused by the coincidence of our arrival and the similarity of our names. Frank did not appreciate it when the payroll department took my deductions from his check. About five years ago, a librarian I met in our travels wanted to know if I still wrote books. Evidently, the confusion persists. On Friday, 4 October 1957, the Russian satellite, Sputnik, was sent into orbit, surprising the world, and embarrassing our science establishment in the midst of the International Geophysical Year. CBS producers Vern Diamond and Don Hewitt were at the Planetarium on Saturday to plan a Sunday nationwide broadcast concerning this event. Branley and I were the only staff members available for the hour-long show. Richard C. Hottlet was at the Planetarium, and Douglas Edwards was in the CBS studio. It went well. In 1959, Chairman Joseph Miles Chamberlain, then Education Officer of the AAS, Frank Edmondson, AAS Treasurer, and Frank Branley met at the nearby Alden Hotel for lunch. When they had finished, the Society's Visiting Professor program was born. Branley, assisted by his secretary Barbara Harrison, administered the program for several years. The first four in the stable were Harlow Shapley, Seth Nicholson, Frank Edmondson, and Gibson Reaves. This highly successful program is now named for Harlow Shapley. In 1968, he took the reins of the Hayden as Chairman until he retired in 1972. During that time, we went to taped public shows, but shows for schools continued to be live. The use of tapes for the shows allowed much tighter control over their scientific

  11. EDITORIAL: Incoming Editor-in-Chief

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lidström, Suzanne

    2012-04-01

    implemented whereby manuscripts containing insufficiently novel results or papers deemed to be too specialized to warrant inclusion in a broad-based physics journal are being eliminated by experts working actively in the field and deemed to be well-qualified to make this judgment. All of the manuscripts that pass this preliminary round of selection commence the full peer review process. Nevertheless, as it is unrealistic to expect to recruit expert editors to screen every aspect of all subjects, a few manuscripts are occasionally rejected on the basis of just one particularly unfavourable report. These measures are being implemented, in part, because of an awareness that certain researchers are being asked to engage in reviewing with inappropriate regularity: it is my aim to do my best to protect these researchers from excessive and onerous reviewing. As mentioned briefly above, the extensive variety in the material covered by Physica Scripta makes the support of a considerable number of expert subject editors from a variety of fields a necessity. We still have some fields where the addition of further editors is imperative, so I will be striving to identify these and the gaps in our editorial coverage with a view to building up the service that our experts can provide. This is a matter of some urgency, as it must be achieved before the existing editors start to bow under the strain! A second, but by no means less important, priority is to continue to augment the quality of the scientific publications as a whole. This will be achieved by maintaining the trend of increasingly strict acceptance criteria demonstrated in figure 1, where it can be seen that, although the submissions are increasing rapidly, a tight rein is being kept on the quality: the acceptances will not increase with greater rapidity than the quality allows. In addition to the manuscripts received through the conventional submissions process, our popular Comments articles, in which foremost scientists address

  12. Young Astronomers' Observe with ESO Telescopes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1995-11-01

    characteristics are listed in great detail. Two are small and dense and the outermost is gaseous. It turns out that the distance to our Earth is 26 light-years and that it would be not be too easy to observe the Ikaros system from here. It is unlikely that life can develop in this planetary system during the relatively short lifetime of the central star. United Kingdom: Mr. Michael Ching, Mr. Richard Field (Teacher) (Oundle School, Peterborough) This project is directed towards variable stars of the pulsating type. It discusses the theory for these pulsations and the peculiar location of these types of stars in the HR-diagramme, as well as the technique to determine distances by means of measurements of the period. Once the period has been found observationally, the Period-Luminosity diagram makes is possible to find the luminosity and hence the distance to the star. The project also involved real measurements of an RR Lyr-type variable with a period of about 1/3 day. For this, a phototransitor and a registering device were used. The expected light variations were clearly seen. Addendum 2 A brief summary of the results obtained at ESO This brief description is based on the provisional data reduction and subsequent interpretation by the six teams, as presented during a final session on November 20, 1995. Further work will allow to quantify the results in greater detail. Each team was guided by a young ESO astronomer as Team Leader and was also provided support during the observations by ESO-astronomers Lex Kaper and Marcus Kissler, as well as by night assistants Vicente Reyes and Jesus Rodriguez (Garching), Hernan Nunez, Jorge Miranda and Victor Merino at (La Silla). For the data reduction, the teams used the MIDAS image processing system; the introduction was provided by Rein Warmels, one of ESO's experts on these matters. Since the teams that were observing during the last night (3A and 3B) had very little time to reduce and interpret their data, it was not possible to carry