Measurements of PAN, PPN, and MPAN made during the 1994 and 1995 Nashville Intensives of the Southern Oxidant Study: Implications for regional ozone production from biogenic hydrocarbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, James M.; Williams, Jonathan; Baumann, Karsten; Buhr, Martin P.; Goldan, Paul D.; Holloway, John; Hübler, Gerhard; Kuster, William C.; McKeen, Stuart A.; Ryerson, Thomas B.; Trainer, Michael; Williams, Eric J.; Fehsenfeld, Fredrick C.; Bertman, Steven B.; Nouaime, George; Seaver, Craig; Grodzinsky, Gil; Rodgers, Michael; Young, Valerie L.

1998-09-01

Isoprene and a variety of other reactive hydrocarbons are released in large quantities by vegetation in forested regions and are thought to participate in the NOx-catalyzed production of ozone, a serious air quality problem in North America and Europe [National Research Council, 1991]. The determination of the fraction of O3 formed from anthropogenic NOx and biogenic hydrocarbons (BHC) is a crucial step in the formulation of effective control strategies. Peroxymethacrylic nitric anhydride (MPAN, CH2C(CH3)C(O)OONO2) is formed almost entirely from the atmospheric oxidation of isoprene in the presence of NOx and is an excellent indicator of recent ozone production from isoprene and therefore biogenic hydrocarbons. Measurements are presented here of MPAN, peroxyacetic nitric anhydride (PAN, CH3C(O)OONO2), peroxypropionic nitric anhydride (PPN, CH3CH2C(O)OONO2) and ozone from separate data sets acquired during the 1994 and 1995 Nashville intensive studies of the Southern Oxidant Study. It was found that PAN, a general product of HC-NOx photochemistry, could be well represented as a simple linear combination of contributions from BHC and anthropogenic hydrocarbon (AHC) chemistries as indicated by MPAN and PPN, respectively. The PAN:MPAN ratios found to be characteristic of BHC-dominated chemistry ranged from 6 to 10. The PAN:PPN ratios found to be characteristic of AHC-dominated chemistry ranged from 5.8 to 7.4. These BHC and AHC attributions were used to estimate the contributions of anthropogenic and biogenic hydrocarbons to regional tropospheric ozone production, and substantial BHC-O3 (50-60 ppbv) was estimated in cases where high NOx from power plants was present in areas of high BHC emission. This estimation method provides direct evidence of significant photochemical ozone production from the oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons in the presence of NOx.

Neonatal and pediatric regionalized systems in pediatric emergency mass critical care

PubMed Central

Barfield, Wanda D.; Krug, Steven E.; Kanter, Robert K.; Gausche-Hill, Marianne; Brantley, Mary D.; Chung, Sarita; Kissoon, Niranjan

2015-01-01

Introduction Improved health outcomes are associated with neonatal and pediatric critical care in well-organized, cohesive, regionalized systems that are prepared to support and rehabilitate critically ill victims of a mass casualty event. However, present systems lack adequate surge capacity for neonatal and pediatric mass critical care. In this document, we outline the present reality and suggest alternative approaches. Methods In May 2008, the Task Force for Mass Critical Care published guidance on provision of mass critical care to adults. Acknowledging that the critical care needs of children during disasters were unaddressed by this effort, a 17-member Steering Committee, assembled by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education with guidance from members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, convened in April 2009 to determine priority topic areas for pediatric emergency mass critical care recommendations. Steering Committee members established subcommittees by topic area and performed literature reviews of MEDLINE and Ovid databases. The Steering Committee produced draft outlines through consensus-based study of the literature and convened October 6–7, 2009, in New York, NY, to review and revise each outline. Eight draft documents were subsequently developed from the revised outlines as well as through searches of MEDLINE updated through March 2010. The Pediatric Emergency Mass Critical Care Task Force, composed of 36 experts from diverse public health, medical, and disaster response fields, convened in Atlanta, GA, on March 29–30, 2010. Feedback on each manuscript was compiled and the Steering Committee revised each document to reflect expert input in addition to the most current medical literature. Task Force Recommendations States and regions (facilitated by federal partners) should review current emergency operations and devise appropriate plans to address the population-based needs of infants and children in large-scale disasters. Action at

Role of enhanced receptor engagement in the evolution of a pandemic acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis virus.

PubMed

Baggen, Jim; Hurdiss, Daniel L; Zocher, Georg; Mistry, Nitesh; Roberts, Richard W; Slager, Jasper J; Guo, Hongbo; van Vliet, Arno L W; Wahedi, Maryam; Benschop, Kimberley; Duizer, Erwin; de Haan, Cornelis A M; de Vries, Erik; Casasnovas, José M; de Groot, Raoul J; Arnberg, Niklas; Stehle, Thilo; Ranson, Neil A; Thibaut, Hendrik Jan; van Kuppeveld, Frank J M

2018-01-09

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) is a painful, contagious eye disease, with millions of cases in the last decades. Coxsackievirus A24 (CV-A24) was not originally associated with human disease, but in 1970 a pathogenic "variant" (CV-A24v) emerged, which is now the main cause of AHC. Initially, this variant circulated only in Southeast Asia, but it later spread worldwide, accounting for numerous AHC outbreaks and two pandemics. While both CV-A24 variant and nonvariant strains still circulate in humans, only variant strains cause AHC for reasons that are yet unknown. Since receptors are important determinants of viral tropism, we set out to map the CV-A24 receptor repertoire and establish whether changes in receptor preference have led to the increased pathogenicity and rapid spread of CV-A24v. Here, we identify ICAM-1 as an essential receptor for both AHC-causing and non-AHC strains. We provide a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of a virus-ICAM-1 complex, which revealed critical ICAM-1-binding residues. These data could help identify a possible conserved mode of receptor engagement among ICAM-1-binding enteroviruses and rhinoviruses. Moreover, we identify a single capsid substitution that has been adopted by all pandemic CV-A24v strains and we reveal that this adaptation enhances the capacity of CV-A24v to bind sialic acid. Our data elucidate the CV-A24v receptor repertoire and point to a role of enhanced receptor engagement in the adaptation to the eye, possibly enabling pandemic spread.

Identification and Development of Critical Workforce Skills in the Chattanooga Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorris, John Peter

2012-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the workforce skills perceived to be critical in the Chattanooga region, and to explore how colleges and businesses can partner to effectively develop those skills. Data from a June 2011 survey of workforce stakeholders in the Chattanooga region were analyzed. The 78 survey respondents…

Introduction to the special section from recent Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) programs.

PubMed

Klepac, Robert K; Dixon, Kim E

2010-12-01

The Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) offers programming at the annual American Psychological Association (APA) conventions as well as periodic APAHC conferences. Participants from academic health centers across the country convened in St. Louis, Missouri, October 15-17, 2009, for the 4th National Conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC). The title of the conference was ''Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Facing Tomorrow's Challenges to AHC Programs and Careers.'' Efforts were made to include topics relevant to academic health center (AHC) practice including the unique challenges of working in AHCs and issues pertinent to the different stages of AHC careers. To facilitate networking, opportunities for discussion among conferees and presenters with shared interests and concerns were provided throughout the conference. This paper introduces the special section of JCPMS dedicated to the conference and provides a brief overview of its development and organization. Articles selected for inclusion represent a sampling of the four conference themes: (1) challenges to AHC programs, (2) staying current in critical clinical areas, (3) professional issues and challenges, and (4) challenges to developing careers. Post-conference evaluation data are presented as evidence of the need for further conferences with similar foci. The programming offered by APAHC at the APA convention in San Diego in 2010 built on the themes offered at the 2009 APAHC conference.

4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone, a chalcone derivative, inhibits glioma growth and invasion through regulation of the tropomyosin 1 gene

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

Ku, Bo Mi; Ryu, Hyung Won; Lee, Yeon Kyung

2010-11-19

Research highlights: {yields} 4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) has anti-cancer property for glioma. {yields} 4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) increased tropomyosin expreesion through activattion of PKA signaling. {yields} 4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) inhibits glioma cell migration and invasion. {yields} In vivo administration of 4'-acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) reduced tumor growth. -- Abstract: Chalcones are precursors of flavonoids and have been shown to have anti-cancer activity. Here, we identify the synthetic chalcone derivative 4'-acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of glioma. Treatment with AHC reduced glioma cell invasion, migration, and colony formation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, AHC inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor-induced migration, invasion, andmore » tube formation in HUVECs. To determine the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of AHC on glioma cell invasion and migration, we investigated the effect of AHC on the gene expression change and found that AHC affects actin dynamics in U87MG glioma cells. In actin cytoskeleton regulating system, AHC increased tropomyosin expression and stress fiber formation, probably through activation of PKA. Suppression of tropomyosin expression by siRNA or treatment with the PKA inhibitor H89 reduced the inhibitory effects of AHC on glioma cell invasion and migration. In vivo experiments also showed that AHC inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft mouse tumor model. Together, these data suggest that the synthetic chalcone derivative AHC has potent anti-cancer activity through inhibition of glioma proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis and is therefore a potential chemotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of glioma.« less

Academic health centers on the front lines: survival strategies in highly competitive markets.

PubMed

Blumenthal, D; Weissman, J S; Griner, P F

1999-09-01

The authors describe approaches that five academic health centers (AHCs) have taken to reduce costs, enhance quality, or improve their market positions since the onset of price competition and managed care. The five AHCs, all on the West Coast, were selected for study because they (1) are located in markets that had been highly competitive for the longest time; (2) are committed to all the major missions of AHCs; and (3) own or substantially control their major clinical teaching facilities. The study findings reflect the status of the five AHCs during the fall of 1998. Although some findings may no longer be current (especially in light of ongoing implementation of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997), they still provide insights into the options and opportunities available to many AHCs in highly competitive markets. The authors report on the institutions' financial viability (positive), levels of government support (advantageous), and competition from other AHCs (modest). They outline the study AHCs' survival strategies in three broad areas: increasing revenues via exploiting market niches, reducing costs, and reorganizing to improve internal governance and decision making. They also report how marketplace competition and the strategies the AHCs used to confront it have affected the AHCs' missions. The authors summarize the outstanding lessons that all AHCs can learn from the experiences of the AHCs studied, although adding that AHCs in other parts of the country should use caution in looking to the West Coast AHCs for answers.

A YAC contig encompassing the Treacher Collins syndrome critical region at 5q31. 3-32

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

Dixon, J.; Gladwin, A.J.; Perveen, R.

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCOF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder of craniofacial development the features of which include conductive hearing loss and cleft palate. Previous studies have localized the TCOF1 locus between D5S519 (proximal) and SPARC (distal), a region of 22 centirays as estimated by radiation hybrid mapping. In the current investigation the authors have created a contig across the TCOF1 critical region, using YAC clones. Isolation of a novel short tandem repeat polymorphism corresponding to the end of one of the YACs has allowed reduction of the size of the critical region to [approximately] 840 kb, which has been coveredmore » with three nonchimeric YACs. Restriction mapping has revealed that the region contains a high density of clustered rare-cutter restriction sites, suggesting that it may contain a number of different genes. The results of the present investigation have further allowed confirmation that the RPS14 locus lies proximal to the critical region and can thereby be excluded from a role in the pathogenesis of TCOF1, while ANX6 lies within the TCOF1 critical region and remains a potential candidate for the mutated gene. 26 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

The role of academic health centres in building equitable health systems: a systematic review protocol

PubMed Central

Edelman, Alexandra; Taylor, Judy; Ovseiko, Pavel V; Topp, Stephanie M

2017-01-01

Introduction Academic health centres (AHCs) are complex organisations often defined by their ‘tripartite’ mission: to achieve high standards of clinical care, undertake clinical and laboratory research and educate health professionals. In the last decade, AHCs have moved away from what was a dominant focus on high impact (clinical) interventions for individuals, towards a more population-oriented paradigm requiring networked institutions and responsiveness to a range of issues including distribution of health outcomes and health determinants. Reflective of this paradigm shift is a growing interest in the role of AHCs in addressing health disparities and improving health system equity. This protocol outlines a systematic review that seeks to synthesise and critically appraise the current state of evidence on the role of AHCs in contributing to equitable health systems locally and globally. Methods and analysis Electronic searches will be conducted on a pilot list of bibliographic databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, Cochrane Library, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, Campbell Library and A+ Education, from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2016. Apart from studies reporting clinical interventions or trials, all types of published peer-reviewed and grey literature will be included in the review. The single screening method will be employed in selecting studies, with two additional reviewers consulted where allocation is unclear. Quality and relevance appraisal utilising Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools will follow data extraction to a preprepared template. Thematic synthesis will be undertaken to develop descriptive themes and inform analysis. Ethics and dissemination As the review is focused on the analysis of secondary data, it does not require ethics approval. The results of the study will be disseminated through articles in peer-reviewed journals and trade publications as

The role of academic health centres in building equitable health systems: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Edelman, Alexandra; Taylor, Judy; Ovseiko, Pavel V; Topp, Stephanie M

2017-05-29

Academic health centres (AHCs) are complex organisations often defined by their 'tripartite' mission: to achieve high standards of clinical care, undertake clinical and laboratory research and educate health professionals. In the last decade, AHCs have moved away from what was a dominant focus on high impact (clinical) interventions for individuals, towards a more population-oriented paradigm requiring networked institutions and responsiveness to a range of issues including distribution of health outcomes and health determinants. Reflective of this paradigm shift is a growing interest in the role of AHCs in addressing health disparities and improving health system equity. This protocol outlines a systematic review that seeks to synthesise and critically appraise the current state of evidence on the role of AHCs in contributing to equitable health systems locally and globally. Electronic searches will be conducted on a pilot list of bibliographic databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, Cochrane Library, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, Campbell Library and A+ Education, from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2016. Apart from studies reporting clinical interventions or trials, all types of published peer-reviewed and grey literature will be included in the review. The single screening method will be employed in selecting studies, with two additional reviewers consulted where allocation is unclear. Quality and relevance appraisal utilising Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools will follow data extraction to a preprepared template. Thematic synthesis will be undertaken to develop descriptive themes and inform analysis. As the review is focused on the analysis of secondary data, it does not require ethics approval. The results of the study will be disseminated through articles in peer-reviewed journals and trade publications as well as presentations at relevant national and international

Staff's awareness of abuse in health care varies according to context and possibilities to act.

PubMed

Swahnberg, Katarina; Wijma, Barbro

2011-06-01

The aim of this study was to explore awareness of abuse in health care (AHC) from a staff perspective. Patient evaluation studies often focus on patient satisfaction, and serious negative experiences might therefore be obscured. In our research, we have found that abuse in health care (AHC) is commonly reported by male and female patients, when asked for in a strait way, but so far no intervention studies against AHC have been published. Investigating staff's awareness of AHC is our first step toward developing interventions against AHC. Data were collected at a Swedish clinic of obstetrics and gynecology. Qualitative interviews with 21 informants were analysed with constant comparative analyses. The core category - 'Staff's awareness of AHC varies according to context and possibilities to act' - was derived from the interaction between five categories; Moral imagination, Relativism, Explanations, Dissociation from AHC and Acting against AHC. Awareness of AHC was not a permanent state that did/did not exist as all participants displayed both high and low awareness; depending on the context. Staff's awareness depends on more than personal characteristics; therefore, AHC interventions have to target individual behavior as well as cultures and structures in health care.

Improved soluble expression and characterization of the Hc domain of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin serotype A in Escherichia coli by using a PCR-synthesized gene and a Trx co-expression strain.

PubMed

Chen, Rongchang; Shi, Jing; Cai, Kun; Tu, Wei; Hou, Xiaojun; Liu, Hao; Xiao, Le; Wang, Qin; Tang, Yunming; Wang, Hui

2010-05-01

Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) is an extremely potent bacterial protein toxin. The Hc fragment of BoNT/A (AHc) was shown to be non-toxic, antigenic, and capable of eliciting a protective immunity in animals challenged with homologous BoNT. In this study, we synthesized AHc gene by using T4 DNA ligase and PCR. The AHc was expressed at a high level in Escherichia coli successfully. Because of using the Trx co-expression strain, the expressed AHc is in a soluble and active form. The yield of the purified AHc was about 70mg/L, and its purity was up to 90% through one-step affinity chromatography. The AHc was positively identified by the antibodies raised against BoNT/A using immunological-dot-blot and Western blot assays. AHc was shown to bind with gangliosides and elicit immunity against BoNT/A, indicating that the expressed and purified AHc protein retains a functionally active conformation. Furthermore, the purified AHc has a strong immunogenicity and can be used as a potential subunit candidate vaccine for botulinum toxin serotype A. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scaled equation of state parameters for gases in the critical region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengers, J. M. H. L.; Greer, W. L.; Sengers, J. V.

1976-01-01

In the light of recent theoretical developments, the paper presents an accurate characterization of anomalous thermodynamic behavior of xenon, helium 4, helium 3, carbon dioxide, steam and oxygen in the critical region. This behavior is associated with long range fluctuations in the system and the physical properties depend primarily on a single variable, namely, the correlation length. A description of the thermodynamic behavior of fluids in terms of scaling laws is formulated, and the two successfully used scaled equations of state (NBS equation and Linear Model parametric equation) are compared. Methods for fitting both equations to experimental equation of state data are developed and formulated, and the optimum fit for each of the two scaled equations of the above gases are presented and the results are compared. By extending the experimental data for the above one-component fluids to partially miscible binary liquids, superfluid liquid helium, ferromagnets and solids exhibiting order-disorder transitions, the principle of universality is concluded. Finally by using this principle, the critical regions for nine additional fluids are described.

De novo mutations in ATP1A3 cause alternating hemiplegia of childhood

PubMed Central

Heinzen, Erin L.; Swoboda, Kathryn J.; Hitomi, Yuki; Gurrieri, Fiorella; Nicole, Sophie; de Vries, Boukje; Tiziano, F. Danilo; Fontaine, Bertrand; Walley, Nicole M.; Heavin, Sinéad; Panagiotakaki, Eleni; Fiori, Stefania; Abiusi, Emanuela; Di Pietro, Lorena; Sweney, Matthew T.; Newcomb, Tara M.; Viollet, Louis; Huff, Chad; Jorde, Lynn B.; Reyna, Sandra P.; Murphy, Kelley J.; Shianna, Kevin V.; Gumbs, Curtis E.; Little, Latasha; Silver, Kenneth; Ptác̆ek, Louis J.; Haan, Joost; Ferrari, Michel D.; Bye, Ann M.; Herkes, Geoffrey K.; Whitelaw, Charlotte M.; Webb, David; Lynch, Bryan J.; Uldall, Peter; King, Mary D.; Scheffer, Ingrid E.; Neri, Giovanni; Arzimanoglou, Alexis; van den Maagdenberg, Arn M.J.M.; Sisodiya, Sanjay M.; Mikati, Mohamad A.; Goldstein, David B.; Nicole, Sophie; Gurrieri, Fiorella; Neri, Giovanni; de Vries, Boukje; Koelewijn, Stephany; Kamphorst, Jessica; Geilenkirchen, Marije; Pelzer, Nadine; Laan, Laura; Haan, Joost; Ferrari, Michel; van den Maagdenberg, Arn; Zucca, Claudio; Bassi, Maria Teresa; Franchini, Filippo; Vavassori, Rosaria; Giannotta, Melania; Gobbi, Giuseppe; Granata, Tiziana; Nardocci, Nardo; De Grandis, Elisa; Veneselli, Edvige; Stagnaro, Michela; Gurrieri, Fiorella; Neri, Giovanni; Vigevano, Federico; Panagiotakaki, Eleni; Oechsler, Claudia; Arzimanoglou, Alexis; Nicole, Sophie; Giannotta, Melania; Gobbi, Giuseppe; Ninan, Miriam; Neville, Brian; Ebinger, Friedrich; Fons, Carmen; Campistol, Jaume; Kemlink, David; Nevsimalova, Sona; Laan, Laura; Peeters-Scholte, Cacha; van den Maagdenberg, Arn; Casaer, Paul; Casari, Giorgio; Sange, Guenter; Spiel, Georg; Boneschi, Filippo Martinelli; Zucca, Claudio; Bassi, Maria Teresa; Schyns, Tsveta; Crawley, Francis; Poncelin, Dominique; Vavassori, Rosaria

2012-01-01

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare, severe neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by recurrent hemiplegic episodes and distinct neurologic manifestations. AHC is usually a sporadic disorder with unknown etiology. Using exome sequencing of seven patients with AHC, and their unaffected parents, we identified de novo nonsynonymous mutations in ATP1A3 in all seven AHC patients. Subsequent sequence analysis of ATP1A3 in 98 additional patients revealed that 78% of AHC cases have a likely causal ATP1A3 mutation, including one inherited mutation in a familial case of AHC. Remarkably, six ATP1A3 mutations explain the majority of patients, including one observed in 36 patients. Unlike ATP1A3 mutations that cause rapid-onset-dystonia-parkinsonism, AHC-causing mutations revealed consistent reductions in ATPase activity without effects on protein expression. This work identifies de novo ATP1A3 mutations as the primary cause of AHC, and offers insight into disease pathophysiology by expanding the spectrum of phenotypes associated with mutations in this gene. PMID:22842232

Specific patterns of whole-brain structural covariance of the anterior and posterior hippocampus in young APOE ε4 carriers.

PubMed

Stening, Eva; Persson, Jonas; Eriksson, Elias; Wahlund, Lars-Olof; Zetterberg, Henrik; Söderlund, Hedvig

2017-05-30

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 has been associated with smaller hippocampal volumes in healthy aging, while findings in young adults are inconclusive. Previous studies have mostly used univariate methods, and without considering potential anterior/posterior differences. Here, we used a multivariate method, partial least squares, and assessed whole-brain structural covariance of the anterior (aHC) and posterior (pHC) hippocampus in young adults (n=97) as a function of APOE ε4 status and sex. Two significant patterns emerged: (1) specific structural covariance of the aHC with frontal regions, temporal and occipital areas in APOE ε4 women, whereas the volume of both the aHC and pHC in all other groups co-varied with frontal, parietal and cerebellar areas; and (2) opposite structural covariance of the pHC in ε4 carriers compared to the aHC in non-carriers, with the pHC of ε4 carriers covarying with parietal and frontal areas, and the aHC of ε4 non-carriers covarying with motor areas and the middle frontal gyrus. APOE ε4 has in young adults been associated with better episodic and spatial memory, functions involving the aHC and pHC, respectively. We found no associations between structural covariance and performance, suggesting that other factors underlie the performance differences seen between carriers and non-carriers. Our findings indicate that APOE ε4 carriers and non-carriers differ in hippocampal organization and that there are differences as a function of sex and hippocampal segment. They stress the need to consider the hippocampus as a heterogeneous structure, and highlight the benefits of multivariate methods in assessing group differences in the brain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perceived barriers to the regionalization of adult critical care in the United States: a qualitative preliminary study

PubMed Central

Kahn, Jeremy M; Asch, Rebecca J; Iwashyna, Theodore J; Rubenfeld, Gordon D; Angus, Derek C; Asch, David A

2008-01-01

Background Regionalization of adult critical care services may improve outcomes for critically ill patients. We sought to develop a framework for understanding clinician attitudes toward regionalization and potential barriers to developing a tiered, regionalized system of care in the United States. Methods We performed a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of critical care stakeholders in the United States, including physicians, nurses and hospital administrators. Stakeholders were identified from a stratified-random sample of United States general medical and surgical hospitals. Key barriers and potential solutions were identified by performing content analysis of the interview transcriptions. Results We interviewed 30 stakeholders from 24 different hospitals, representing a broad range of hospital locations and sizes. Key barriers to regionalization included personal and economic strain on families, loss of autonomy on the part of referring physicians and hospitals, loss of revenue on the part of referring physicians and hospitals, the potential to worsen outcomes at small hospitals by limiting services, and the potential to overwhelm large hospitals. Improving communication between destination and source hospitals, provider education, instituting voluntary objective criteria to become a designated referral center, and mechanisms to feed back patients and revenue to source hospitals were identified as potential solutions to some of these barriers. Conclusion Regionalization efforts will be met with significant conceptual and structural barriers. These data provide a foundation for future research and can be used to inform policy decisions regarding the design and implementation of a regionalized system of critical care. PMID:19014704

Organization and annotation of the Xcat critical region: elimination of seven positional candidate genes.

PubMed

Huang, Kristen M; Geunes-Boyer, Scarlett; Wu, Sufen; Dutra, Amalia; Favor, Jack; Stambolian, Dwight

2004-05-01

Xcat mice display X-linked congenital cataracts and are a mouse model for the human X-linked cataract disease Nance Horan syndrome (NHS). The genetic defect in Xcat mice and NHS patients is not known. We isolated and sequenced a BAC contig representing a portion of the Xcat critical region. We combined our sequencing data with the most recent mouse sequence assemblies from both Celera and public databases. The sequence of the 2.2-Mb Xcat critical region was then analyzed for potential Xcat candidate genes. The coding regions of the seven known genes within this area (Rai2, Rbbp7, Ctps2, Calb3, Grpr, Reps2, and Syap1) were sequenced in Xcat mice and no mutations were detected. The expression of Rai2 was quantitatively identical in wild-type and Xcat mutant eyes. These results indicate that the Xcat mutation is within a novel, undiscovered gene.

Identifying hotspots and management of critical ecosystem services in rapidly urbanizing Yangtze River Delta Region, China.

PubMed

Cai, Wenbo; Gibbs, David; Zhang, Lang; Ferrier, Graham; Cai, Yongli

2017-04-15

Rapid urbanization has altered many ecosystems, causing a decline in many ecosystem services, generating serious ecological crisis. To cope with these challenges, we presented a comprehensive framework comprising five core steps for identifying and managing hotspots of critical ecosystem services in a rapid urbanizing region. This framework was applied in the case study of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) Region. The study showed that there was large spatial heterogeneity in the hotspots of ecosystem services in the region, hotspots of supporting services and regulating services aggregately distributing in the southwest mountainous areas while hotspots of provisioning services mainly in the northeast plain, and hotspots of cultural services widespread in the waterbodies and southwest mountainous areas. The regionalization of the critical ecosystem services was made through the hotspot analysis. This study provided valuable information for environmental planning and management in a rapid urbanizing region and helped improve China's ecological redlines policy at regional scale. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical brain regions for tool-related and imitative actions: a componential analysis

PubMed Central

Shapiro, Allison D.; Coslett, H. Branch

2014-01-01

Numerous functional neuroimaging studies suggest that widespread bilateral parietal, temporal, and frontal regions are involved in tool-related and pantomimed gesture performance, but the role of these regions in specific aspects of gestural tasks remains unclear. In the largest prospective study of apraxia-related lesions to date, we performed voxel-based lesion–symptom mapping with data from 71 left hemisphere stroke participants to assess the critical neural substrates of three types of actions: gestures produced in response to viewed tools, imitation of tool-specific gestures demonstrated by the examiner, and imitation of meaningless gestures. Thus, two of the three gesture types were tool-related, and two of the three were imitative, enabling pairwise comparisons designed to highlight commonalities and differences. Gestures were scored separately for postural (hand/arm positioning) and kinematic (amplitude/timing) accuracy. Lesioned voxels in the left posterior temporal gyrus were significantly associated with lower scores on the posture component for both of the tool-related gesture tasks. Poor performance on the kinematic component of all three gesture tasks was significantly associated with lesions in left inferior parietal and frontal regions. These data enable us to propose a componential neuroanatomic model of action that delineates the specific components required for different gestural action tasks. Thus, visual posture information and kinematic capacities are differentially critical to the three types of actions studied here: the kinematic aspect is particularly critical for imitation of meaningless movement, capacity for tool-action posture representations are particularly necessary for pantomimed gestures to the sight of tools, and both capacities inform imitation of tool-related movements. These distinctions enable us to advance traditional accounts of apraxia. PMID:24776969

Now is the Time for Psychology to Support the Transformation of Academic Health Centers.

PubMed

Linton, John C

2017-06-01

Psychologists have made important contributions in academic health centers (AHC), but the reputation of psychology as a discipline has been mixed, by turns viewed as a superfluous soft science, or seen as an important contributor to the AHC mission. AHCs currently face exceptional challenges to the viability of AHCs, including: planned alterations from fee-for-service to value-based funding that requires high quality at lower cost; and rising demands to demonstrate competence in trainees. Now more than ever, psychologists can and must help AHCs to meet these challenges.

Critical brain regions for tool-related and imitative actions: a componential analysis.

PubMed

Buxbaum, Laurel J; Shapiro, Allison D; Coslett, H Branch

2014-07-01

Numerous functional neuroimaging studies suggest that widespread bilateral parietal, temporal, and frontal regions are involved in tool-related and pantomimed gesture performance, but the role of these regions in specific aspects of gestural tasks remains unclear. In the largest prospective study of apraxia-related lesions to date, we performed voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping with data from 71 left hemisphere stroke participants to assess the critical neural substrates of three types of actions: gestures produced in response to viewed tools, imitation of tool-specific gestures demonstrated by the examiner, and imitation of meaningless gestures. Thus, two of the three gesture types were tool-related, and two of the three were imitative, enabling pairwise comparisons designed to highlight commonalities and differences. Gestures were scored separately for postural (hand/arm positioning) and kinematic (amplitude/timing) accuracy. Lesioned voxels in the left posterior temporal gyrus were significantly associated with lower scores on the posture component for both of the tool-related gesture tasks. Poor performance on the kinematic component of all three gesture tasks was significantly associated with lesions in left inferior parietal and frontal regions. These data enable us to propose a componential neuroanatomic model of action that delineates the specific components required for different gestural action tasks. Thus, visual posture information and kinematic capacities are differentially critical to the three types of actions studied here: the kinematic aspect is particularly critical for imitation of meaningless movement, capacity for tool-action posture representations are particularly necessary for pantomimed gestures to the sight of tools, and both capacities inform imitation of tool-related movements. These distinctions enable us to advance traditional accounts of apraxia. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors

Emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between regional gray matter volume in the bilateral temporal pole and critical thinking disposition.

PubMed

Yao, Xiaonan; Yuan, Shuge; Yang, Wenjing; Chen, Qunlin; Wei, Dongtao; Hou, Yuling; Zhang, Lijie; Qiu, Jiang; Yang, Dong

2018-04-01

Critical thinking enables people to form sound beliefs and provides a basis for emotional life. Research has indicated that individuals with better critical thinking disposition can better recognize and regulate their emotions, though the neuroanatomical mechanisms involved in this process remain to be elucidated. Further, the influence of emotional intelligence on the relationship between brain structure and critical thinking disposition has not been examined. The present study utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate the neural structures underlying critical thinking disposition in a large sample of college students (N = 296). Regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the bilateral temporal pole, which reflects an individual's ability to process social and emotional information, was negatively correlated with critical thinking disposition. In addition, rGMV in bilateral para hippocampal regions -regions involved in contextual association/emotional regulation-exhibited negative correlation with critical thinking disposition. Further analysis revealed that emotional intelligence moderated the relationship between rGMV of the temporal pole and critical thinking disposition. Specifically, critical thinking disposition was associated with decreased GMV of the temporal pole for individuals who have relatively higher emotional intelligence rather than lower emotional intelligence. The results of the present study indicate that people who have higher emotional intelligence exhibit more effective and automatic processing of emotional information and tend to be strong critical thinkers.

Regionalization in the SUS: implementation process, challenges and perspectives in the critical view of system managers.

PubMed

Carvalho, Andre Luis Bonifácio de; Jesus, Washington Luiz Abreu de; Senra, Isabel Maria Vilas Boas

2017-04-01

This article examines the regionalization process in the Brazilian Health System, identifying frameworks and challenges of this process from critical dialogue on the subject, contextualized by the experience of the management system and in the light of an established theoretical debate in the last decade. We used the thematic content analysis of legal and documentary surveys of the regionalization process in SUS, collated by elements of the historical and political context in the period. As evidence, it appears that the regionalization process has been incremental decentralization/deconcentration of management and health actions and services. There are important challenges, particularly in relation to ensuring access and system governance structure, which contributes to critical thinking and construction of new perspectives by those who lead their implementation.

A statistical study of current-sheet formation above solar active regions based on selforganized criticality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitropoulou, M.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Georgoulis, M.; Anastasiadis, A.; Toutountzi, A.

2013-09-01

We treat flaring solar active regions as physical systems having reached the self-organized critical state. Their evolving magnetic configurations in the low corona may satisfy an instability criterion, related to the excession of a specific threshold in the curl of the magnetic field. This imposed instability criterion implies an almost zero resistivity everywhere in the solar corona, except in regions where magnetic-field discontinuities and. hence, local currents, reach the critical value. In these areas, current-driven instabilities enhance the resistivity by many orders of magnitude forming structures which efficiently accelerate charged particles. Simulating the formation of such structures (thought of as current sheets) via a refined SOC cellular-automaton model provides interesting information regarding their statistical properties. It is shown that the current density in such unstable regions follows power-law scaling. Furthermore, the size distribution of the produced current sheets is best fitted by power laws, whereas their formation probability is investigated against the photospheric magnetic configuration (e.g. Polarity Inversion Lines, Plage). The average fractal dimension of the produced current sheets is deduced depending on the selected critical threshold. The above-mentioned statistical description of intermittent electric field structures can be used by collisional relativistic test particle simulations, aiming to interpret particle acceleration in flaring active regions and in strongly turbulent media in astrophysical plasmas. The above work is supported by the Hellenic National Space Weather Research Network (HNSWRN) via the THALIS Programme.

Presurgical language fMRI: Mapping of six critical regions

PubMed Central

Walshaw, Patricia D.; Hale, Kayleigh; Gaillard, William D.; Baxter, Leslie C.; Berl, Madison M.; Polczynska, Monika; Noble, Stephanie; Alkawadri, Rafeed; Hirsch, Lawrence J.; Constable, R. Todd; Bookheimer, Susan Y.

2017-01-01

Abstract Language mapping is a key goal in neurosurgical planning. fMRI mapping typically proceeds with a focus on Broca's and Wernicke's areas, although multiple other language‐critical areas are now well‐known. We evaluated whether clinicians could use a novel approach, including clinician‐driven individualized thresholding, to reliably identify six language regions, including Broca's Area, Wernicke's Area (inferior, superior), Exner's Area, Supplementary Speech Area, Angular Gyrus, and Basal Temporal Language Area. We studied 22 epilepsy and tumor patients who received Wada and fMRI (age 36.4[12.5]; Wada language left/right/mixed in 18/3/1). fMRI tasks (two × three tasks) were analyzed by two clinical neuropsychologists who flexibly thresholded and combined these to identify the six regions. The resulting maps were compared to fixed threshold maps. Clinicians generated maps that overlapped significantly, and were highly consistent, when at least one task came from the same set. Cases diverged when clinicians prioritized different language regions or addressed noise differently. Language laterality closely mirrored Wada data (85% accuracy). Activation consistent with all six language regions was consistently identified. In blind review, three external, independent clinicians rated the individualized fMRI language maps as superior to fixed threshold maps; identified the majority of regions significantly more frequently; and judged language laterality to mirror Wada lateralization more often. These data provide initial validation of a novel, clinician‐based approach to localizing language cortex. They also demonstrate clinical fMRI is superior when analyzed by an experienced clinician and that when fMRI data is of low quality judgments of laterality are unreliable and should be withheld. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4239–4255, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:28544168

Critical period of weed control in oilseed rape in two Moroccan regions.

PubMed

Maataoui, A; Bouhache, M; Benbella, M; Talouizte, A

2003-01-01

The determination of critical period of weed control in oilseed rape is necessary to know the weed control period. To determine the critical period, two fields experiments were carried out during 1995-96 growth season in Loukkos and Saïs regions at two oilseed densities (D1 = 24 and D2 = 36 plants m(-2)). Ten treatments corresponding to plots left weed free or weeded plots until four leaves, flowers bud, flowering, puds formation, and maturity stages of oilseed rape were tested. Density and biomass of weeds were determined at each oilseed stages. Results showed that weed density and biomass were higher in Saïs than in Loukkos sites. For a 10% yield loss, critical period of weed control in Loukkos was from 458 to 720 degree days after emergence (D degrees AE) and from 480 to 720 D degrees AE in oilseed conducted at densities D1 and D2, respectively. In Saïs, critical period of weed control was from 474 to 738 D degrees AE and from 468 to 675 D degrees AE in oilseed conducted at D1 and D2, respectively. It was concluded that the length of the critical period of weed control in oilseed rape grain yield seems to be dependant of the level of the infestation.

Epileptogenicity of cortical dysplasia in temporal lobe dual pathology: an electrophysiological study with invasive recordings.

PubMed

Fauser, Susanne; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas

2006-01-01

Hippocampal sclerosis is often associated with macroscopic or microscopic dysplasia in the temporal neocortex (TN). The relevance of such a dual pathology with regard to epileptogenesis is unclear. This study investigates the role of both pathologies in the generation of ictal and interictal activity. Ictal (113 seizures) and interictal data from invasive EEG recordings with simultaneous depth electrodes in the hippocampus and subdural electrodes over the TN were analysed retrospectively in 12 patients with variable degrees of hippocampal sclerosis and different types of histologically confirmed temporal cortical dysplasia [all male, age at epilepsy onset <1-29 years (mean 9.6 years), age when invasive recordings were performed 6-50 years (mean 28.2 years)]. Of the seizures 41.3% arose from the amygdala/hippocampus complex (AHC), 34.7% from the TN, 22% were simultaneously recorded from AHC and TN (indeterminate seizure onset), and 2% from other regions. In three patients, seizure onset was recorded only from the AHC. In patients with severe hippocampal sclerosis only 12% of the seizures arose from the TN, whereas in patients with mild hippocampal sclerosis 58% arose from the TN. The type of cortical dysplasia, however, did not predict seizure onset in the AHC or TN. Propagation time from the TN to the AHC tended to be shorter (mean 7.4 s) than vice versa (mean 13.7 s). The most common initial ictal patterns in the AHC were rhythmic beta activity (<25 Hz) and repetitive sharp waves, and in the TN were fast activity (>25 Hz) and repetitive sharp waves. The interictal patterns over the TN were similar to those seen over extratemporal focal cortical dysplasias. Simultaneous recordings from the hippocampus and the TN strongly suggest that dysplastic tissue in the TN is often epileptogenic. The quantitative contribution of the hippocampus to seizure generation corresponded with the degree of hippocampal pathology, whereas different subtypes of cortical dysplasia did not

PVT properties and vapor-pressures of ordinary water substance in the critical region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morita, T.; Sato, H.; Uematsu, M.; Watanabe, K.

1989-03-01

For the purpose of revealing the rather complicated thermodynamic surface of ordinary water substance in the critical region, a series of measurements of the PVT properties and the vapor-pressures of this technically important fluid have been performed by means of a constant-volume method. Ninety-three PVT measurements along 14 isotherms between 638.15 K and 652.15 K have been completed covering pressures from 18.5 to 39.2 MPa and densities from 122 to 610kg/m 3. Twenty-six vapor-pressure measurements have also been performed at temperatures between 620.15 K and 647.05 K in the near vicinity of the critical point. Our measurements are compared with other available experimental data as well as with several equations of state. We also propose a new vapor-pressure correlation from the triple point to the critical point.

Financial sustainability of academic health centers: identifying challenges and strategic responses.

PubMed

Stimpson, Jim P; Li, Tao; Shiyanbola, Oyewale O; Jacobson, Janelle J

2014-06-01

Academic health centers (AHCs) play a vital role in the health care system. The training of health care personnel and delivery of health care services, especially to the most complex and financially challenged patients, has been a responsibility increasingly shouldered by AHCs over the years. Additionally, AHCs play a significant role in researching and developing new treatment protocols, including discovering and validating new health technologies. However, AHCs face unique financial challenges in fulfilling their social mission in the health care system. Reforms being implemented under the Affordable Care Act and shifting economic patterns are threatening the financial sustainability of AHCs.The authors review challenges facing AHCs, including training new health care professionals with fewer funding resources, disproportionate clinical care of complex and costly patients, charity care to uninsured and underinsured, and reduced research funding opportunities. Then, they provide a review of some potential solutions to these challenges, including new reimbursement methods, improvements in operational efficiency, price regulation, subsidization of education, improved decision making and communication, utilization of industrial management tools, and increasing internal and external cooperation. Devising solutions to the evolving problems of AHCs is crucial to improving health care delivery in the United States. Most likely, a combination of market, government, and system reforms will be needed to improve the viability of AHCs and assist them in fulfilling their social and organizational missions.

Interfacial tension and vapor-liquid equilibria in the critical region of mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moldover, Michael R.; Rainwater, James C.

1988-01-01

In the critical region, the concept of two-scale-factor universality can be used to accurately predict the surface tension between near-critical vapor and liquid phases from the singularity in the thermodynamic properties of the bulk fluid. In the present work, this idea is generalized to binary mixtures and is illustrated using the data of Hsu et al. (1985) for CO2 + n-butane. The pressure-temperature-composition-density data for coexisting, near-critical phases of the mixtures are fitted with a thermodynamic potential comprised of a sum of a singular term and nonsingular terms. The nonuniversal amplitudes characterizing the singular term for the mixtures are obtained from the amplitudes for the pure components by interpolation in a space of thermodynamic 'field' variables. The interfacial tensions predicted for the mixtures from the singular term are within 10 percent of the data on three isotherms in the pressure range (Pc - P)/Pc of less than 0.5. This difference is comparable to the combined experimental and model errors.

The cld mutation: narrowing the critical chromosomal region and selecting candidate genes.

PubMed

Péterfy, Miklós; Mao, Hui Z; Doolittle, Mark H

2006-10-01

Combined lipase deficiency (cld) is a recessive, lethal mutation specific to the tw73 haplotype on mouse Chromosome 17. While the cld mutation results in lipase proteins that are inactive, aggregated, and retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), it maps separately from the lipase structural genes. We have narrowed the gene critical region by about 50% using the tw18 haplotype for deletion mapping and a recombinant chromosome used originally to map cld with respect to the phenotypic marker tf. The region now extends from 22 to 25.6 Mbp on the wild-type chromosome, currently containing 149 genes and 50 expressed sequence tags (ESTs). To identify the affected gene, we have selected candidates based on their known role in associated biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions that best fit with the predicted function of the cld gene. A secondary approach was based on differences in mRNA levels between mutant (cld/cld) and unaffected (+/cld) cells. Using both approaches, we have identified seven functional candidates with an ER localization and/or an involvement in protein maturation and folding that could explain the lipase deficiency, and six expression candidates that exhibit large differences in mRNA levels between mutant and unaffected cells. Significantly, two genes were found to be candidates with regard to both function and expression, thus emerging as the strongest candidates for cld. We discuss the implications of our mapping results and our selection of candidates with respect to other genes, deletions, and mutations occurring in the cld critical region.

Rare-Region-Induced Avoided Quantum Criticality in Disordered Three-Dimensional Dirac and Weyl Semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pixley, J. H.; Huse, David A.; Das Sarma, S.

2016-04-01

We numerically study the effect of short-ranged potential disorder on massless noninteracting three-dimensional Dirac and Weyl fermions, with a focus on the question of the proposed (and extensively theoretically studied) quantum critical point separating semimetal and diffusive-metal phases. We determine the properties of the eigenstates of the disordered Dirac Hamiltonian (H ) and exactly calculate the density of states (DOS) near zero energy, using a combination of Lanczos on H2 and the kernel polynomial method on H . We establish the existence of two distinct types of low-energy eigenstates contributing to the disordered density of states in the weak-disorder semimetal regime. These are (i) typical eigenstates that are well described by linearly dispersing perturbatively dressed Dirac states and (ii) nonperturbative rare eigenstates that are weakly dispersive and quasilocalized in the real-space regions with the largest (and rarest) local random potential. Using twisted boundary conditions, we are able to systematically find and study these two (essentially independent) types of eigenstates. We find that the Dirac states contribute low-energy peaks in the finite-size DOS that arise from the clean eigenstates which shift and broaden in the presence of disorder. On the other hand, we establish that the rare quasilocalized eigenstates contribute a nonzero background DOS which is only weakly energy dependent near zero energy and is exponentially small at weak disorder. We also find that the expected semimetal to diffusive-metal quantum critical point is converted to an avoided quantum criticality that is "rounded out" by nonperturbative effects, with no signs of any singular behavior in the DOS at the energy of the clean Dirac point. However, the crossover effects of the avoided (or hidden) criticality manifest themselves in a so-called quantum critical fan region away from the Dirac energy. We discuss the implications of our results for disordered Dirac and Weyl

Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood-Related Neural and Behavioural Phenotypes in Na+,K+-ATPase α3 Missense Mutant Mice

PubMed Central

Kirshenbaum, Greer S.; Dawson, Neil; Mullins, Jonathan G. L.; Johnston, Tom H.; Drinkhill, Mark J.; Edwards, Ian J.; Fox, Susan H.; Pratt, Judith A.; Brotchie, Jonathan M.; Roder, John C.; Clapcote, Steven J.

2013-01-01

Missense mutations in ATP1A3 encoding Na+,K+-ATPase α3 have been identified as the primary cause of alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), a motor disorder with onset typically before the age of 6 months. Affected children tend to be of short stature and can also have epilepsy, ataxia and learning disability. The Na+,K+-ATPase has a well-known role in maintaining electrochemical gradients across cell membranes, but our understanding of how the mutations cause AHC is limited. Myshkin mutant mice carry an amino acid change (I810N) that affects the same position in Na+,K+-ATPase α3 as I810S found in AHC. Using molecular modelling, we show that the Myshkin and AHC mutations display similarly severe structural impacts on Na+,K+-ATPase α3, including upon the K+ pore and predicted K+ binding sites. Behavioural analysis of Myshkin mice revealed phenotypic abnormalities similar to symptoms of AHC, including motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment. 2-DG imaging of Myshkin mice identified compromised thalamocortical functioning that includes a deficit in frontal cortex functioning (hypofrontality), directly mirroring that reported in AHC, along with reduced thalamocortical functional connectivity. Our results thus provide validation for missense mutations in Na+,K+-ATPase α3 as a cause of AHC, and highlight Myshkin mice as a starting point for the exploration of disease mechanisms and novel treatments in AHC. PMID:23527305

Do Financial Incentives Influence GPs' Decisions to Do After-hours Work? A Discrete Choice Labour Supply Model.

PubMed

Broadway, Barbara; Kalb, Guyonne; Li, Jinhu; Scott, Anthony

2017-12-01

This paper analyses doctors' supply of after-hours care (AHC), and how it is affected by personal and family circumstances as well as the earnings structure. We use detailed survey data from a large sample of Australian General Practitioners (GPs) to estimate a structural, discrete choice model of labour supply and AHC. This allows us to jointly model GPs' decisions on the number of daytime-weekday working hours and the probability of providing AHC. We simulate GPs' labour supply responses to an increase in hourly earnings, both in a daytime-weekday setting and for AHC. GPs increase their daytime-weekday working hours if their hourly earnings in this setting increase, but only to a very small extent. GPs are somewhat more likely to provide AHC if their hourly earnings in that setting increase, but again, the effect is very small and only evident in some subgroups. Moreover, higher earnings in weekday-daytime practice reduce the probability of providing AHC, particularly for men. Increasing GPs' earnings appears to be at best relatively ineffective in encouraging increased provision of AHC and may even prove harmful if incentives are not well targeted. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

4p16.3 microdeletions and microduplications detected by chromosomal microarray analysis: New insights into mechanisms and critical regions.

PubMed

Bi, Weimin; Cheung, Sau-Wai; Breman, Amy M; Bacino, Carlos A

2016-10-01

Deletions in the 4p16.3 region cause Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a well known contiguous microdeletion syndrome with the critical region for common phenotype mapped in WHSCR2. Recently, duplications in 4p16.3 were reported in three patients with developmental delay and dysmorphic features. Through chromosomal microarray analysis, we identified 156 patients with a deletion (n = 109) or duplication (n = 47) in 4p16.3 out of approximately 60,000 patients analyzed by Baylor Miraca Genetics Laboratories. Seventy-five of the postnatally detected deletions encompassed the entire critical region, 32 (43%) of which were associated with other chromosome rearrangements, including six patients (8%) that had a duplication adjacent to the terminal deletion. Our data indicate that Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome deletions with an adjacent duplication occur at a higher frequency than previously appreciated. Pure deletions (n = 14) or duplications (n = 15) without other copy number changes distal to or inside the WHSCR2 were identified for mapping of critical regions. Our data suggest that deletion of the segment from 0.6 to 0.9 Mb from the terminus of 4p causes a seizure phenotype and duplications of a region distal to the previously defined smallest region of overlap for 4p16.3 microduplication syndrome are associated with neurodevelopmental problems. We detected seven Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome deletions and one 4p16.3 duplication prenatally; all of the seven are either >8 Mb in size and/or associated with large duplications. In conclusion, our study provides deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms, the critical regions and effective prenatal diagnosis for 4p16.3 deletions/ duplications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Molecular cytogenetic analysis of Xq critical regions in premature ovarian failure

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background One of the frequent reasons for unsuccessful conception is premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI) that is defined as the loss of functional follicles below the age of 40 years. Among the genetic causes the most common one involves the X chromosome, as in Turner syndrome, partial X deletion and X-autosome translocations. Here we report a case of a 27-year-old female patient referred to genetic counselling because of premature ovarian failure. The aim of this case study to perform molecular genetic and cytogenetic analyses in order to identify the exact genetic background of the pathogenic phenotype. Results For premature ovarian failure disease diagnostics we performed the Fragile mental retardation 1 gene analysis using Southern blot technique and Repeat Primed PCR in order to identify the relationship between the Fragile mental retardation 1 gene premutation status and the premature ovarion failure disease. At this early onset, the premature ovarian failure affected patient we detected one normal allele of Fragile mental retardation 1 gene and we couldn’t verify the methylated allele, therefore we performed the cytogenetic analyses using G-banding and fluorescent in situ hybridization methods and a high resolution molecular cytogenetic method, the array comparative genomic hybridization technique. For this patient applying the G-banding, we identified a large deletion on the X chromosome at the critical region (ChrX q21.31-q28) which is associated with the premature ovarian failure phenotype. In order to detect the exact breakpoints, we used a special cytogenetic array ISCA plus CGH array and we verified a 67.355 Mb size loss at the critical region which include total 795 genes. Conclusions We conclude for this case study that the karyotyping is definitely helpful in the evaluation of premature ovarian failure patients, to identify the non submicroscopic chromosomal rearrangement, and using the array CGH technique we can

Identification of three critical regions within mouse interleukin 2 by fine structural deletion analysis.

PubMed Central

Zurawski, S M; Zurawski, G

1988-01-01

We have analyzed structure--function relationships of the protein hormone murine interleukin 2 by fine structural deletion mapping. A total of 130 deletion mutant proteins, together with some substitution and insertion mutant proteins, was expressed in Escherichia coli and analyzed for their ability to sustain the proliferation of a cloned murine T cell line. This analysis has permitted a functional map of the protein to be drawn and classifies five segments of the protein, which together contain 48% of the sequence, as unessential to the biological activity of the protein. A further 26% of the protein is classified as important, but not crucial, for the activity. Three regions, consisting of amino acids 32-35, 66-77 and 119-141 contain the remaining 26% of the protein and are critical to the biological activity of the protein. The functional map is discussed in the context of the possible role of the identified critical regions in the structure of the hormone and its binding to the interleukin 2 receptor complex. Images PMID:3261239

Current status of integrating information technologies into the clinical research enterprise within US academic health centers: strategic value and opportunities for investment.

PubMed

Turisco, Fran; Keogh, Diane; Stubbs, Connie; Glaser, John; Crowley, William F

2005-12-01

Little information exists about the incorporation of information technologies (ITs) into clinical research processes within US academic health centers (AHCs). Therefore, we queried a group of 37 leading AHCs regarding their current status and future plans in clinical research IT. The survey specifically inquired about the presence or absence of basic infrastructure and IT support requirements; individual applications needed to support study preparation, study conduct, and its administrative support; and integration of data from basic research, clinical trials, and the clinical information systems increasingly used in health care delivery. Of the 37 AHCs, 78% responded. All strongly agreed that a "state-of-the-art" clinical research IT program would be ideal today and will be essential tomorrow. Nonetheless, no AHC currently has an IT solution that even approached this ideal. No AHC reported having all of the essential management foundations (ie, a coherent vision, an overall strategy, a governance structure, and a dedicated budget) necessary to launch and sustain a truly successful implementation of a cohesive clinical research IT platform. Many had achieved breakthroughs in individual aspects of clinical research IT, for example, adverse event reporting systems or consent form templates. However, overall implementation of IT to support clinical research is uneven and insufficient. These data document a substantial gap in clinical research IT investments in leading US AHCs. Linking the clinical research IT enterprise with its clinical operations in a meaningful fashion remains a crucial strategic goal of AHCs. If they are to continue to serve as the "translational research engines" that our society expects, AHCs must recognize this gap and allocate substantial resource deployment to remedying this situation.

[Enteroviruses responsible for acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis].

PubMed

Lévêque, N; Huguet, P; Norder, H; Chomel, J-J

2010-04-01

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) is an epidemic form of highly contagious conjunctivitis, characterized by conjunctival hemorrhages. The first AHC outbreak was described in 1969 in Ghana, West Africa, and was called Apollo disease, from the Apollo landing on the moon. This outbreak was caused by Enterovirus 70 (EV70) together with a Coxsackievirus A24 (CVA24v) variant, which are the major etiological agents involved in AHC outbreaks worldwide. AHC is known to be directly transmitted by close person-to-person contact or indirectly through soiled ophthalmological materials or unsafe recreational water. Recently, a possible airborne virus spread was suggested which could explain the high transmission rate of the disease. In the absence of a specific antiviral therapy, a rapid diagnosis of the causative agent is required to distinguish AHC due to enteroviruses from other ocular infectious diseases, for there are active drugs, or to quickly implement proper public health measures to limit the extension of the outbreak. However, virus identification remains difficult and time-consuming. Moreover, virological diagnosis is difficult to implement in developing countries where AHC has recently become a major problem for public health. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Developing an active artificial hair cell using nonlinear feedback control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joyce, Bryan S.; Tarazaga, Pablo A.

2015-09-01

The hair cells in the mammalian cochlea convert sound-induced vibrations into electrical signals. These cells have inspired a variety of artificial hair cells (AHCs) to serve as biologically inspired sound, fluid flow, and acceleration sensors and could one day replace damaged hair cells in humans. Most of these AHCs rely on passive transduction of stimulus while it is known that the biological cochlea employs active processes to amplify sound-induced vibrations and improve sound detection. In this work, an active AHC mimics the active, nonlinear behavior of the cochlea. The AHC consists of a piezoelectric bimorph beam subjected to a base excitation. A feedback control law is used to reduce the linear damping of the beam and introduce a cubic damping term which gives the AHC the desired nonlinear behavior. Model and experimental results show the AHC amplifies the response due to small base accelerations, has a higher frequency sensitivity than the passive system, and exhibits a compressive nonlinearity like that of the mammalian cochlea. This bio-inspired accelerometer could lead to new sensors with lower thresholds of detection, improved frequency sensitivities, and wider dynamic ranges.

Interprofessional academic health center leadership development: the case of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Healthcare Leadership Academy.

PubMed

Savage, Grant T; Duncan, W Jack; Knowles, Kathy L; Nelson, Kathleen; Rogers, David A; Kennedy, Karen N

2014-05-01

The study describes the genesis of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA), highlights the HLA's outcomes, discloses how the HLA has changed, and delineates future directions for academic health center (AHC) interprofessional leadership training. While interprofessional training is recognized as an important component of the professional education for health professionals, AHCs have not focused on interprofessional leadership training to prepare future AHC leaders. As professional bureaucracies, AHCs require leadership distributed across different professions; these leaders not only should be technical experts, but also skilled at interprofessional teamwork and collaborative governance. The HLA is examined using the case method, which is supplemented with a descriptive analysis of program evaluation data and outcomes. The HLA has created a networked community of AHC leaders; the HLA's interprofessional team projects foster innovative problem solving. Interprofessional leadership training expands individuals' networks and has multiple organizational benefits. © 2014.

The critical behavior of the refractive index near liquid-liquid critical points.

PubMed

Losada-Pérez, Patricia; Glorieux, Christ; Thoen, Jan

2012-04-14

The nature of the critical behavior in the refractive index n is revisited in the framework of the complete scaling formulation. A comparison is made with the critical behavior of n as derived from the Lorentz-Lorenz equation. Analogue anomalies to those predicted for the dielectric constant ε, namely, a leading |t|(2β) singularity in the coexistence-curve diameter in the two-phase region and a |t|(1-α) along the critical isopleth in the one phase region, are expected in both cases. However, significant differences as regards the amplitudes of both singularities are obtained from the two approaches. Analysis of some literature data along coexistence in the two-phase region and along the critical isopleth in the one-phase region provide evidence of an intrinsic effect, independent of the density, in the critical anomalies of n. This effect is governed by the shift of the critical temperature with an electric field, which is supposed to take smaller values at optical frequencies than at low frequencies in the Hz to MHz range.

Ten 10-Year Trends for the Future of Healthcare: Implications for Academic Health Centers

PubMed Central

Garson, Arthur; Levin, Steven A.

2001-01-01

The threat to the United States' Academic Health Centers (AHCs) has been reported for the past decade, signified most importantly by the decrease in the perceived value of patient care delivered and a significant reduction in direct payments to physicians in AHCs. These reductions have required AHCs to become more efficient and increased pressures to become more productive in both patient care and research. The U.S. healthcare system continues to evolve in response to these challenges and the additional pressures of increasing costs and the increasing numbers of uninsured. Ten trends for the next decade are evident: 1) more patients, 2) more technology, 3) more information, 4) the patient as the ultimate consumer, 5) development of a different delivery model, 6) innovation driven by competition, 7) increasing costs, 8) increasing numbers of uninsured, 9) less pay for providers, and 10) the continued need for a new healthcare system. In response to these trends, AHCs will have to continue to improve efficiency by increasing cooperation between researchers, clinicians, and educators while demonstrating how they are “different” and “better” than the competition. The AHC has the tools and the personnel not only to improve patient care processes but also to understand how to decrease costs while maintaining quality. AHCs also have the size and expertise to establish control over geographic market share with services not available elsewhere. Such programs must be able to evolve and respond to market pressures, and the AHC must be an engine of innovation, continuously regenerating new knowledge and programs with “Centers of Excellence” and appropriate industry partnerships. Such progress is driven by better communication and greater sharing of information and collaboration at all levels, including building better physician referral networks. These accomplishments, driven by technology, will allow AHCs to improve quality of care and increase efficiency even

Fully Aligned Academic Health Centers: A Model for 21st-Century Job Creation and Sustainable Economic Growth

PubMed Central

Reece, E. Albert; Chrencik, Robert A.; Miller, Edward D.

2013-01-01

Alignment is the degree to which component parts of academic health centers (AHCs) work cohesively. Full alignment allows AHCs to act quickly and cohesively toward common goals and to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves, particularly where collaboration is essential. Maryland’s two major AHCs—University of Maryland Medicine (UMM) and Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM)—have experienced periods of significant misalignment during each of their histories. Their most recent periods of misalignment caused significant negative economic and academic impacts. However, the process of realigning their clinical and research missions has not only given them a renewed economic vigor but has also paid significant dividends for the state of Maryland, helping it weather the current recession much better than other regions of the country. The two AHCs’ continued economic success during the recession has led Maryland lawmakers to increasingly seek out their expertise in attempts to stimulate economic development. Indeed, UMM, JHM, and other fully aligned AHCs have shown that they can be powerful economic engines and offer a model of job growth and economic development in the 21st century. PMID:22622215

Evaluating a Chronic Disease Management Improvement Collaboration: Lessons in Design and Implementation Fundamentals.

PubMed

Phillips, Kaye; Amar, Claudia; Elicksen-Jensen, Keesa

2016-01-01

For the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI), the Atlantic Healthcare Collaboration (AHC) was a pivotal opportunity to build upon its experience and expertise in delivering regional change management training and to apply and refine its evaluation and performance measurement approach. This paper reports on its evaluation principles and approach, as well as the lessons learned as CFHI diligently coordinated and worked with improvement project (IP) teams and a network of stakeholders to design and undertake a suite of evaluative activities. The evaluation generated evidence and learnings about various elements of chronic disease prevention and management (CDPM) improvement processes, individual and team capacity building and the role and value of CFHI in facilitating tailored learning activities and networking among teams, coaches and other AHC stakeholders.

Identification of critical sediment source areas at regional level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fargas, D.; Casasnovas, J. A. Martínez; Poch, R.

In order to identify critical sediment sources in large catchments, using easily available terrain information at regional scale, a methodology has been developed to obtain a qualitative assessment necessary for further studies. The main objective of the model is to use basic terrain data related to the erosive processes which contribute to the production, transport and accumulation of sediments through the main water paths in the watershed. The model is based on the selection of homogeneous zones regarding drainage density and lithology, achieved by joining the spatial basic units by a rating system. The values of drainage density are rated according to an erosion class (Bucko & Mazurova, 1958). The lithology is rated by erosion indexes, adapted from FAO (1977). The combination and reclassification of the results brings about five qualitative classes of sediment emission risk. This methodology has been tested an validated for the watershed of the Joaquín Costa reservoir (NE Spain), with a surface of 1500 km 2. The mapping scale was 1:100.000 and the model was implemented through a vector GIS (Arc/Info). The prediction was checked by means of photo-interpretation and field work, which gave a accuracy of 78.5%. The proposed methodology has been proved useful as an initial approach for erosion assessment and soil conservation planning at the regional level, and also to select priority areas where further analyses can be developed.

Alarm setting for the critically ill patient: a descriptive pilot survey of nurses' perceptions of current practice in an Australian Regional Critical Care Unit.

PubMed

Christensen, Martin; Dodds, Andrew; Sauer, Josh; Watts, Nigel

2014-08-01

The aim of this survey was to assess registered nurse's perceptions of alarm setting and management in an Australian Regional Critical Care Unit. The setting and management of alarms within the critical care environment is one of the key responsibilities of the nurse in this area. However, with up to 99% of alarms potentially being false-positives it is easy for the nurse to become desensitised or fatigued by incessant alarms; in some cases up to 400 per patient per day. Inadvertently ignoring, silencing or disabling alarms can have deleterious implications for the patient and nurse. A total population sample of 48 nursing staff from a 13 bedded ICU/HDU/CCU within regional Australia were asked to participate. A 10 item open-ended and multiple choice questionnaire was distributed to determine their perceptions and attitudes of alarm setting and management within this clinical area. Two key themes were identified from the open-ended questions: attitudes towards inappropriate alarm settings and annoyance at delayed responses to alarms. A significant number of respondents (93%) agreed that alarm fatigue can result in alarm desensitisation and the disabling of alarms, whilst 81% suggested the key factors are those associated with false-positive alarms and inappropriately set alarms. This study contributes to what is known about alarm fatigue, setting and management within a critical care environment. In addition it gives an insight as to what nurses' within a regional context consider the key factors which contribute to alarm fatigue. Clearly nursing burnout and potential patient harm are important considerations for practice especially when confronted with alarm fatigue and desensitisation. Therefore, promoting and maintaining an environment of ongoing intra-professional communication and alarm surveillance are crucial in alleviating these potential problems. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The pair correlation function of krypton in the critical region: theory and experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barocchi, F.; Chieux, P.; Fontana, R.; Magli, R.; Meroni, A.; Parola, A.; Reatto, L.; Tau, M.

1997-10-01

We present the results of high-precision measurements of the structure factor S(k) of krypton in the near-critical region of the liquid - vapour phase transition for values of k ranging from 1.5 up to 0953-8984/9/42/003/img15. The experimental results are compared with a theoretical calculation based on the hierarchical reference theory (HRT) with an accurate potential which includes two- and three-body contributions. The theory is based on a new implementation of HRT in which we avoid the use of hard spheres as a reference system. With this soft-core formulation we find a generally good agreement with experiments both at large k, where S(k) probes the short-range correlations, as well as at small k, where critical fluctuations become dominant. Also, for the density derivative of the pair correlation function there is an overall good agreement between theory and experiment.

Commentary: linking health equity with economic development: insights from my year as Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce.

PubMed

Clancy, Gerard P

2012-12-01

Many urban areas struggle with significant health disparities. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, there is a 14-year difference in life expectancy between the predominantly African American population in north Tulsa and the predominantly Caucasian population in south Tulsa. The roots of Tulsa's health disparities can be linked, in part, to a long history of racial mistrust stemming from the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, arguably one of the worst race riots in U.S. history. In 2011, the author served as both a university campus president and chairman of the board of the Tulsa region's chamber of commerce. Through his work with the chamber, he discovered the business community's substantial resources and advocacy abilities. He also found that regional business leaders strongly supported health equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, both as moral obligations and regional economic development imperatives. After sharing the lessons he learned from working closely with business leaders, the author encourages other academic health centers (AHCs) to reach out to their business communities, which are likely willing and able to help them undertake similar initiatives. In doing so, AHCs and businesses can work together to improve the economic vitality of their regions.

Observation of unusual critical region behavior in the magnetic susceptibility of EuSe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bykovetz, N.; Klein, J.; Lin, C. L.

2018-05-01

The Europium Chalcogenides (EuCh: EuO, EuS, EuSe, and EuTe) have been regarded as model examples of simple, cubic, Heisenberg exchange coupled magnetic systems, with a ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor exchange constant J1 and an antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor constant J2. Unlike the other EuCh, EuSe exhibits a range of complex magnetic behaviors, the latter being attributed to EuSe being near the point where J2=-J1, where its magnetism appears to consist of nearly de-coupled 2D ferromagnetic sheets. Analysis of precision SQUID measurements of the magnetic susceptibility χ in EuSe showed that in the region from ˜Tc to ˜2Tc, a fit of the data to the critical equation χ = χ2Tc(T/Tc-1)-γ gives γ=2.0, an exponent not predicted by any current theory. Additionally, this fit predicts that Tc should be ˜0K. We tentatively interpret this by saying that in the paramagnetic region the system "thinks" EuSe should not order above T=0. Tc=0K is predicted by the Mermin-Wagner theorem (MW) for Heisenberg-coupled 2D magnetic systems, and we can show that when J2=-J1, MW can also be applied to the J1, J2 exchange model of the EuCh to give a rigorous Tc=0 prediction. Under 10 kbar applied pressure EuSe exhibits a different γ and fitted Tc. An additional, and rather strange, critical-region effect was discovered. The EuSe sample was found to exhibit a relaxation effect in a small range of temperatures, just above and just below the actual Tc of 4.7K, with time constants of up to 5 minutes. We cannot yet fully explain this observed macroscopic effect.

Critical linkages between land-use transition and human health in the Himalayan region.

PubMed

Xu, Jianchu; Sharma, Rita; Fang, Jing; Xu, Yufen

2008-02-01

This article reviews critical linkages between land-use transition and human health in the Himalayan region by applying ecosystem approaches to human health (or EcoHealth). Land-use transition in the Himalayan and similar regions includes sedentarization, agricultural intensification, habitat modification, migration, change of livelihoods and lifestyles, biodiversity loss, and increasing flash floods. These transitions, which can have impacts on human health, are driven by state policies, a market economy, and climate change. Human health is dependent on access to ecosystem services for food, nutrition, medicine, fiber and shelter, fresh water, and clear air. Ecosystem management has been a key means of controlling disease vectors and creating suitable habitats for human well-being. The paper identifies the web of environmental factors that influence human health. Institutional and policy issues for land-use and health transitions are also discussed.

Universities and Regional Development: A Critical Assessment of Tensions and Contradictions. International Studies in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinheiro, Romulo, Ed.; Benneworth, Paul, Ed.; Jones, Glen A., Ed.

2012-01-01

Universities are under increasing pressure to help promote socio-economic growth in their local communities. However until now, no systematic, critical attention has been paid to the factors and mechanisms that currently make this process so daunting. In Universities and Regional Development, scholars from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia…

Responding to the Marketplace: Workforce Balance and Financial Risk at Academic Health Centers.

PubMed

Retchin, Sheldon M

2016-07-01

Elsewhere in this issue, Welch and Bindman present research demonstrating that academic health centers (AHCs) continue to disproportionately comprise specialists and subspecialist faculty physicians compared with community-based physician groups. This workforce composition has served AHCs well through the years-specialists fuel the clinical engine of the major tertiary and quaternary missions of AHCs, and they also dominate much of the clinical and translational research enterprise. AHCs are not alone-less than one-third of U.S. physicians practice primary care. However, health reform has prompted many health systems to reconsider this configuration. Payers, employers, and policy makers are shifting away from fee-for-service toward value-based care. Large community-based physician groups and their parent health systems appear to be far ahead of AHCs with a more balanced physician workforce. Many are leveraging their emphasis on primary care to participate in population health initiatives, such as accountable care organizations, and some own their own health plans. These approaches largely assume some element of financial risk and require both a more balanced workforce and an infrastructure to accommodate the management of covered lives. It remains to be seen whether AHCs will reconsider their own physician specialty composition to emphasize primary care-and, if they do, whether the traditional academic model, or a more community-based approach, will prevail.

[Acute outbreak of hepatitis C in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients].

PubMed

Martínez-Rebollar, Maria; Mallolas, Josep; Pérez, Iñaki; González-Cordón, Ana; Loncà, Montserrat; Torres, Berta; Rojas, Jhon-Fredy; Monteiro, Polyana; Blanco, José-Luis; Martínez, Esteban; Gatell, José-María; Laguno, Montserrat

2015-01-01

Recent studies suggest an increased incidence of acute infection with hepatitisC virus (AHC) in men who have sex with men (MSM) co-infected with HIV. Early treatment with interferon-alpha, alone or in combination with ribavirin, significantly reduces the risk of chronic evolution. This retrospective study includes all HIV patients with AHC in our centre from 2003 to March 2013. AHC was defined by seroconversion of HCV antibodies and detection of serum HCV RNA. 93 episodes of AHC were diagnosed in 89 patients. All but three were MSM with a history of unprotected sex. Thirty-seven (40%) patients had other associated sexually transmitted disease. The 29% (27) had any symptoms suggestive of AHC. HCV genotype 4 was the most common (41%), followed by genotype1. Seventy patients started treatment with interferon-alfa and weight-adjusted ribavirin. Currently 46 have completed treatment and follow-up, reaching 26 of them (56.5%) sustained viral response. The incidence of AHC in HIV MSM patients from our centre has increased exponentially in recent years; sexual transmission remains the main route of infection. Early treatment with interferon-alpha and ribavirin achieved a moderate response in these patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Profiles of blood biomarkers in alternating hemiplegia of childhood--increased MMP-9 and decreased substance P indicates its pathophysiology.

PubMed

Inui, Takehiko; Saito, Yoshiaki; Sakuma, Hiroshi; Hatakeyama, Hideyuki; Goto, Yu-ichi; Arai, Hidee; Sasaki, Masayuki

2012-03-01

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare disorder characterized by repeated plegic attacks, movement disorders, autonomic phenomena, and developmental delay. To obtain insights into the pathophysiology of AHC, we determined the concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of MMP-1 (TIMP-1), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and substance P (SP) in the serum/plasma of AHC patients (n=6) and control subjects (n=11) by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Decreased levels of serum SP (382±161 pg/ml), increased levels of plasma MMP-9 (111.0±99.3 ng/mL) and increased MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio (0.65±0.44) were revealed, compared to those in control subjects (SP: 620±223 pg/mL, p<0.05; MMP-9: 33.5±20.3 ng/mL, p<0.05; MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio 0.21±0.09, p<0.005). Serum CGRP levels in AHC patients (32.6±14.4 pg/mL) were comparable to those in control subjects (37.0±17.0 pg/mL). Increased MMP-9 levels may be linked to the vascular insult and is common in migraineurs. However, because AHC patients showed different changes in SP and CGRP levels compared to those shown by migraineurs, these results suggest that AHC has a pathomechanism different from the hypothesis of trigeminovascular theory. Decreased SP may represent the autonomic dysfunction in AHC, for which an etiology with progressive neuronal damage can be hypothesized. Copyright © 2011 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Typology of after-hours care instructions for patients: telephone survey and multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Bordman, Risa; Bovett, Monica; Drummond, Neil; Crighton, Eric J; Wheler, David; Moineddin, Rahim; White, David

2007-03-01

To develop a typology of after-hours care (AHC) instructions and to examine physician and practice characteristics associated with each type of instruction. Cross-sectional telephone survey. Physicians' offices were called during evenings and weekends to listen to their messages regarding AHC. All messages were categorized. Thematic analysis of a subset of messages was conducted to develop a typology of AHC instructions. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between physician and practice characteristics and the instructions left for patients. Family practices in the greater Toronto area. Stratified random sample of family physicians providing office-based primary care. Form of response (eg, answering machine), content of message, and physician and practice characteristics. Of 514 after-hours messages from family physicians' offices, 421 were obtained from answering machines, 58 were obtained from answering services, 23 had no answer, 2 gave pager numbers, and 10 had other responses. Message content ranged from no AHC instructions to detailed advice; 54% of messages provided a single instruction, and the rest provided a combination of instructions. Content analysis identified 815 discrete instructions or types of response that were classified into 7 categories: 302 instructed patients to go to an emergency department; 122 provided direct contact with a physician; 115 told patients to go to a clinic; 94 left no directions; 76 suggested calling a housecall service; 45 suggested calling Telehealth; and 61 suggested other things. About 22% of messages only advised attending an emergency department, and 18% gave no advice at all. Physicians who were female, had Canadian certification in family medicine, held hospital privileges, or had attended a Canadian medical school were more likely to be directly available to their patients. Important issues identified included the recommendation to use an emergency department as the sole source of AHC

Global and regional trends in the nutritional status of young people: a critical and neglected age group.

PubMed

Akseer, Nadia; Al-Gashm, Sara; Mehta, Seema; Mokdad, Ali; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2017-04-01

Adolescence and emerging adulthood form a critical time period for the achievement of optimal health and nutrition across all stages of the life course. We undertook a review of published literature and global data repositories for information on nutrition levels, trends, and patterns among young people aged 10-24 years from January 1, 2016 to September 20, 2016. We describe patterns for both males and females at the global level and for geographic regions for the period covering 1990-2015. The results of this study paint a less than ideal picture of current young people's nutrition, suggesting dual burdens of underweight and high body-mass index in many countries and variable improvements in micronutrient deficiencies across geographical regions. Poor diet diversity and lack of nutrient-dense food, high risk for metabolic syndrome, and sedentary lifestyles also characterize this population. The need for objective, comparable, and high-quality data is also recognized for further study in this area. As the global community works toward supporting and scaling up health gains in the sustainable development goal era, realizing the critical role of young people is essential. Investing in young people's nutrition is critical to making strides in improving the overall health and well-being of all populations. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

Anomalous Hall effect in epitaxial permalloy thin films

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

Zhang, Y. Q.; Sun, N. Y.; Shan, R.

2013-10-28

Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) of epitaxial permalloy thin films grown on MgO (001) substrates is investigated. The longitudinal conductivity independent term (i.e., the sum of intrinsic and side-jump contributions) of the anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) is found to be much smaller than those of Fe and Ni films. Band theoretical calculations of the intrinsic AHC as a function of the number of valence electrons (band filling) indicate that the AHC of the permalloy is in the vicinity of sign change, thus resulting in the smallness of the intrinsic AHC. The contribution of the phonon scattering is found to be comparablemore » to that of the impurity scattering. This work suggests that the permalloy films are ideal systems to understand the AHE mechanisms induced by impurity scattering.« less

The new Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome critical region (WHSCR-2): a description of a second case.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Laura; Zollino, Marcella; Climent, Salvador; Mansilla, Elena; López-Grondona, Fermina; Martínez-Fernández, María Luisa; Murdolo, Marina; Martínez-Frías, María Luisa

2005-07-15

The Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), is a well known contiguous gene syndrome characterized by microcephaly, hypertelorism, prominent glabella, epicanthal folds, cleft lip or palate, cardiac defects, growth and mental retardation and seizures. The currently accepted WHS critical region (WHSCR) is localized between the loci D4S166 and D4S3327, where a deletion seems to generate all the clinical manifestations of the syndrome. Here we present a patient with a subtelomeric deletion of 4p16.3 showing growth and psychomotor delay with a typical WHS facial appearance and two episodes of seizures in conjunction with fever. The high-resolution G-banded karyotype was normal. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a set of cosmids from 4p16.3, showed that the deletion in this patient was from the D4S3327 to the telomere, enabling the size of the deletion to be estimated as 1.9 Mb, excluding the accepted WHSCR deletion. This patient supports the recent proposal by Zollino et al. [2003] that the critical region for WHS is located distally to the WHSCR between the loci D4S3327 and D4S98-D4S16, and it is called "WHSCR-2" [Zollino et al., 2003]. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Perspective: Strategies for Developing Biostatistics Resources in an Academic Health Center

PubMed Central

Welty, Leah J.; Carter, Rickey E.; Finkelstein, Dianne; Harrell, Frank E.; Lindsell, Christopher J.; Macaluso, Maurizio; Mazumdar, Madhu; Nietert, Paul J.; Oster, Robert A.; Pollock, Brad H.; Roberson, Paula K.; Ware, James H.

2013-01-01

Biostatistics—the application of statistics to understanding health and biology—provides powerful tools for developing research questions, designing studies, refining measurements, analyzing data, and interpreting findings. Biostatistics plays an important role in health-related research, yet biostatistics resources are often fragmented, ad hoc, or oversubscribed within academic health centers (AHCs). Given the increasing complexity and quantity of health-related data, the emphasis on accelerating clinical and translational science, and the importance of conducting reproducible research, the need for the thoughtful development of biostatistics resources within AHCs is growing. In this article, the authors identify strategies for developing biostatistics resources in three areas: (1) recruiting and retaining biostatisticians; (2) efficiently using biostatistics resources; and (3) improving biostatistical contributions to science. AHCs should consider these three domains in building strong biostatistics resources, which they can leverage to support a broad spectrum of research. For each of the three domains, the authors describe the advantages and disadvantages of AHCs creating centralized biostatistics units rather than dispersing such resources across clinical departments or other research units. They also address the challenges biostatisticians face in contributing to research without sacrificing their individual professional growth or the trajectory of their research team. The authors ultimately recommend that AHCs create centralized biostatistics units, as this approach offers distinct advantages both to investigators who collaborate with biostatisticians as well as to the biostatisticians themselves, and it is better suited to accomplish the research and education missions of AHCs. PMID:23425984

[Alternating hemiplegia of childhood: ATP1A3 gene analysis in 16 patients].

PubMed

Ulate-Campos, Adriana; Fons, Carmen; Campistol, Jaume; Martorell, Loreto; Cancho-Candela, Ramón; Eiris, Jesús; López-Laso, Eduardo; Pineda, Mercedes; Sans, Anna; Velázquez, Ramón

2014-07-07

Alternating hemiplegia in childhood (AHC) is a disease characterized by recurrent episodes of hemiplegia, tonic or dystonic crisis and abnormal ocular movements. Recently, mutations in the ATP1A3 gene have been identified as the causal mechanism of AHC. The objective is to describe a series of 16 patients with clinical and genetic diagnosis of AHC. It is a descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study of 16 patients with clinical diagnosis of AHC in whom mutations in ATP1A3 were identified. Six heterozygous, de novo mutations were found in the ATP1A3 gene. The most frequent mutation was G2401A in 8 patients (50%) followed by G2443A in 3 patients (18.75%), G2893A in 2 patients (12.50%) and C2781G, G2893C and C2411T in one patient, respectively (6.25% each). In the studied population with AHC, de novo mutations were detected in 100% of patients. The most frequent mutations were D801N y la E815K, as reported in other series. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Temperature Ddependence of Anomalous Hall Conductivity in Rashba-type Ferromagnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakuma, Akimasa

2018-03-01

We theoretically investigated the anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) of Rashba-type ferromagnets at a finite temperature, taking into account spin fluctuation. We observed that the intrinsic AHC increases with increasing temperature. This can be understood from the characteristic nature of the spin chirality in the k-space, which increases with decreasing exchange splitting (EXS) when the spin-orbit interaction is much smaller than the EXS. The extrinsic part of the AHC also increases with temperature owing to the enhancement of the scattering strength of electrons due to the thermal fluctuation of the exchange field.

Particle acceleration in solar active regions being in the state of self-organized criticality.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlahos, Loukas

We review the recent observational results on flare initiation and particle acceleration in solar active regions. Elaborating a statistical approach to describe the spatiotemporally intermittent electric field structures formed inside a flaring solar active region, we investigate the efficiency of such structures in accelerating charged particles (electrons and protons). The large-scale magnetic configuration in the solar atmosphere responds to the strong turbulent flows that convey perturbations across the active region by initiating avalanche-type processes. The resulting unstable structures correspond to small-scale dissipation regions hosting strong electric fields. Previous research on particle acceleration in strongly turbulent plasmas provides a general framework for addressing such a problem. This framework combines various electromagnetic field configurations obtained by magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) or cellular automata (CA) simulations, or by employing a statistical description of the field’s strength and configuration with test particle simulations. We work on data-driven 3D magnetic field extrapolations, based on a self-organized criticality models (SOC). A relativistic test-particle simulation traces each particle’s guiding center within these configurations. Using the simulated particle-energy distributions we test our results against observations, in the framework of the collisional thick target model (CTTM) of solar hard X-ray (HXR) emission and compare our results with the current observations.

Critical loads of acidity for 90,000 lakes in northern Saskatchewan: A novel approach for mapping regional sensitivity to acidic deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cathcart, H.; Aherne, J.; Jeffries, D. S.; Scott, K. A.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) from large point sources are the primary concern for acidic deposition in western Canada, particularly in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) where prevailing winds may potentially carry SO2 over acid-sensitive lakes in northern Saskatchewan. A novel catchment-scale regression kriging approach was used to assess regional sensitivity and critical loads of acidity for the total lake population of northern Saskatchewan (89,947 lakes). Lake catchments were delineated using Thiessen polygons, and surface water chemistry was predicted for sensitivity indicators (calcium, pH, alkalinity, and acid neutralizing capacity). Critical loads were calculated with the steady state water chemistry model using regression-kriged base cations, sulphate, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations modelled from surface water observations (n > 800) and digital landscape-scale characteristics, e.g., climate, soil, vegetation, landcover, and geology maps. A large region (>13,726 km2) of two or more indicators of acid sensitivity (pH < 6 and acid neutralizing capacity, alkalinity, calcium < 50 μeq L-1) and low critical loads < 5 meq m-2 yr-1 were predicted on the Athabasca Basin. Exceedance of critical loads under 2006 modelled total sulphate deposition was predicted for 12% of the lakes (covering an area of 3742 km2), primarily located on the Athabasca Basin, within 100 km of the AOSR. There have been conflicting scientific reports of impacts from atmospheric emissions from the AOSR; the results of this study suggest that catchments in the Athabasca Basin within 100 km of the AOSR have received acidic deposition in excess of their critical loads and many of them may be at risk of ecosystem damage owing to their sensitivity.

Nutrition therapy for critically ill patients across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions: A consensus statement.

PubMed

Sioson, Marianna S; Martindale, Robert; Abayadeera, Anuja; Abouchaleh, Nabil; Aditianingsih, Dita; Bhurayanontachai, Rungsun; Chiou, Wei-Chin; Higashibeppu, Naoki; Mat Nor, Mohd Basri; Osland, Emma; Palo, Jose Emmanuel; Ramakrishnan, Nagarajan; Shalabi, Medhat; Tam, Luu Ngan; Ern Tan, Jonathan Jit

2018-04-01

Guidance on managing the nutritional requirements of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been issued by several international bodies. While these guidelines are consulted in ICUs across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, there is little guidance available that is tailored to the unique healthcare environments and demographics across these regions. Furthermore, the lack of consistent data from randomized controlled clinical trials, reliance on expert consensus, and differing recommendations in international guidelines necessitate further expert guidance on regional best practice when providing nutrition therapy for critically ill patients in ICUs in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The Asia-Pacific and Middle East Working Group on Nutrition in the ICU has identified major areas of uncertainty in clinical practice for healthcare professionals providing nutrition therapy in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and developed a series of consensus statements to guide nutrition therapy in the ICU in these regions. Accordingly, consensus statements have been provided on nutrition risk assessment and parenteral and enteral feeding strategies in the ICU, monitoring adequacy of, and tolerance to, nutrition in the ICU and institutional processes for nutrition therapy in the ICU. Furthermore, the Working Group has noted areas requiring additional research, including the most appropriate use of hypocaloric feeding in the ICU. The objective of the Working Group in formulating these statements is to guide healthcare professionals in practicing appropriate clinical nutrition in the ICU, with a focus on improving quality of care, which will translate into improved patient outcomes. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Typology of after-hours care instructions for patients

PubMed Central

Bordman, Risa; Bovett, Monica; Drummond, Neil; Crighton, Eric J.; Wheler, David; Moineddin, Rahim; White, David

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE To develop a typology of after-hours care (AHC) instructions and to examine physician and practice characteristics associated with each type of instruction. DESIGN Cross-sectional telephone survey. Physicians’ offices were called during evenings and weekends to listen to their messages regarding AHC. All messages were categorized. Thematic analysis of a subset of messages was conducted to develop a typology of AHC instructions. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between physician and practice characteristics and the instructions left for patients. SETTING Family practices in the greater Toronto area. PARTICIPANTS Stratified random sample of family physicians providing office-based primary care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Form of response (eg, answering machine), content of message, and physician and practice characteristics. RESULTS Of 514 after-hours messages from family physicians’ offices, 421 were obtained from answering machines, 58 were obtained from answering services, 23 had no answer, 2 gave pager numbers, and 10 had other responses. Message content ranged from no AHC instructions to detailed advice; 54% of messages provided a single instruction, and the rest provided a combination of instructions. Content analysis identified 815 discrete instructions or types of response that were classified into 7 categories: 302 instructed patients to go to an emergency department; 122 provided direct contact with a physician; 115 told patients to go to a clinic; 94 left no directions; 76 suggested calling a housecall service; 45 suggested calling Telehealth; and 61 suggested other things. About 22% of messages only advised attending an emergency department, and 18% gave no advice at all. Physicians who were female, had Canadian certification in family medicine, held hospital privileges, or had attended a Canadian medical school were more likely to be directly available to their patients. CONCLUSION Important issues identified

Coordinated Management of Academic Health Centers.

PubMed

Balser, Jeffrey R; Stead, William W

2017-01-01

Academic health centers (AHCs) are the nation's primary resource for healthcare discovery, innovation, and training. US healthcare revenue growth has declined sharply since 2009, and is forecast to remain well below historic levels for the foreseeable future. As the cost of education and research at nearly all AHCs is heavily subsidized through large transfers from clinical care margins, our institutions face a mounting crisis. Choices centering on how to increase the cost-effectiveness of the AHC enterprise require unprecedented levels of alignment to preserve an environment that nurtures creativity. Management processes require governance models that clarify decision rights while harnessing the talents and the intellectual capital of a large, diverse enterprise to nimbly address unfamiliar organizational challenges. This paper describes key leadership tactics aimed at propelling AHCs along this journey - one that requires from all leaders a commitment to resilience, optimism, and willingness to embrace change.

Anomalous Hall conductivity and electronic structures of Si-substituted Mn2CoAl epitaxial films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arima, K.; Kuroda, F.; Yamada, S.; Fukushima, T.; Oguchi, T.; Hamaya, K.

2018-02-01

We study anomalous Hall conductivity (σAHC) and electronic band structures of Si-substituted Mn2CoAl (Mn2CoAl1 -xSix ). First-principles calculations reveal that the electronic band structure is like a spin-gapless system even after substituting a quaternary element of Si for Al up to x =0.2 in Mn2CoAl1 -xSix . This means that the Si substitution enables the Fermi-level shift without largely changing the electronic structures in Mn2CoAl . By using molecular beam epitaxy techniques, Mn2CoAl1 -xSix epitaxial films can be grown, leading to the systematic control of x (0 ⩽x ⩽0.3 ). In addition to the electrical conductivity, the values of σAHC for the Mn2CoAl1 -xSix films are similar to those in Mn2CoAl films shown in previous reports. We note that a very small σAHC of ˜1.1 S/cm is obtained for x = 0.225, and the sign of σAHC is changed from positive to negative at around x = 0.25. We discuss the origin of the sign reversal of σAHC as a consequence of the Fermi-level shift in Mn2CoAl . Considering the presence of the structural disorder in the Mn2CoAl1 -xSix films, we can conclude that the small value and sign reversal of σAHC are not related to the characteristics of spin-gapless semiconductors.

Forging stronger partnerships between academic health centers and patient-driven organizations.

PubMed

Gallin, Elaine K; Bond, Enriqueta; Califf, Robert M; Crowley, William F; Davis, Pamela; Galbraith, Richard; Reece, E Albert

2013-09-01

In this article, the authors review the unique role that patient-driven organizations, such as patient advocacy groups and voluntary health organizations (PAG/VHOs), play in translational and clinical research. The importance of fostering collaborations between these organizations and U.S. academic health centers (AHCs) is also discussed. Although both the PAG/VHO community and AHCs are heterogeneous, and although not all organizations are well governed or provide independent, well-researched views, there are many outstanding, well-managed, independent PAG/VHOs in the United States whose missions overlap with those of AHCs. The characteristics of effective PAG/VHOs that would serve as excellent partners for AHCs are discussed, and examples are provided regarding their many contributions, which have included advancing research on rare diseases, recruiting patients for clinical trials, and establishing patient registries and biospecimen banks. The authors present feedback obtained from informal discussions with PAG/VHO staff, as well as a survey of a small sample of organizations, that has identified bureaucratic processes, negotiating intellectual property rights, and institutional review board (IRB) delays as the most problematic areas of interactions with AHCs. Actions are suggested for building effective partnerships between the two sectors and the activities that AHCs should undertake to facilitate their interactions with PAG/VHOs including streamlining contract review and IRB processes and finding ways to better align the incentives motivating academic clinical and translational investigators with the goals of PAG/VHOs. This article is one product of the Clinical Research Forum's Partnering with Patient Advocacy Groups Initiative.

Endoscopic endonasal anatomy of superior orbital fissure and orbital apex regions: critical considerations for clinical applications.

PubMed

Dallan, Iacopo; Castelnuovo, Paolo; de Notaris, Matteo; Sellari-Franceschini, Stefano; Lenzi, Riccardo; Turri-Zanoni, Mario; Battaglia, Paolo; Prats-Galino, Alberto

2013-05-01

The superior orbital fissure is a critical three-dimensional space connecting the middle cranial fossa and the orbit. From an endoscopic viewpoint, only the medial aspect has a clinical significance. It presents a critical relationship with the lateral sellar compartment, the pterygopalatine fossa and the middle cranial fossa. The connective tissue layers and neural and vascular structures of this region are described. The role of Muller's muscle is confirmed, and the utility of the maxillary and optic strut is outlined. Muller's muscle extends for the whole length of the inferior orbital fissure, passes over the maxillary strut and enters the superior orbital fissure, representing a critical surgical landmark. Dividing the tendon between the medial and inferior rectus muscle allows the identification of the main trunk of the oculomotor nerve, and a little laterally, it is usually possible to visualize the first part of the ophthalmic artery. Based on a better knowledge of anatomy, we trust that this area could be readily addressed in clinical situations requiring an extended approach in proximity of the orbital apex.

Manifold Learning in MR spectroscopy using nonlinear dimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering.

PubMed

Yang, Guang; Raschke, Felix; Barrick, Thomas R; Howe, Franklyn A

2015-09-01

To investigate whether nonlinear dimensionality reduction improves unsupervised classification of (1) H MRS brain tumor data compared with a linear method. In vivo single-voxel (1) H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (55 patients) and (1) H magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI) (29 patients) data were acquired from histopathologically diagnosed gliomas. Data reduction using Laplacian eigenmaps (LE) or independent component analysis (ICA) was followed by k-means clustering or agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) for unsupervised learning to assess tumor grade and for tissue type segmentation of MRSI data. An accuracy of 93% in classification of glioma grade II and grade IV, with 100% accuracy in distinguishing tumor and normal spectra, was obtained by LE with unsupervised clustering, but not with the combination of k-means and ICA. With (1) H MRSI data, LE provided a more linear distribution of data for cluster analysis and better cluster stability than ICA. LE combined with k-means or AHC provided 91% accuracy for classifying tumor grade and 100% accuracy for identifying normal tissue voxels. Color-coded visualization of normal brain, tumor core, and infiltration regions was achieved with LE combined with AHC. The LE method is promising for unsupervised clustering to separate brain and tumor tissue with automated color-coding for visualization of (1) H MRSI data after cluster analysis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Academic health centers in competitive markets.

PubMed

Reuter, J; Gaskin, D

1997-01-01

Academic health center (AHC) hospitals and other major teaching hospitals have funded a portion of their academic missions through patient care revenues. Using all-payer state discharge data, this DataWatch presents information on how these institutions are being affected by market changes. Although AHCs are not as successful as other hospitals are in attracting managed care patients, competitive pressures had not eroded AHCs' financial status as of 1994. However, increasing enrollment in managed care and potential changes in both Medicare and Medicaid suggest that pressure on the financing of these institutions' social missions will continue to grow over time.

The ebb and flow model: a philosophy of organizational learning in the academic health center.

PubMed

Dimario, Francis J

2012-02-01

Academic health centers (AHCs) have traditionally been a vibrant locale for cutting-edge medical research, androgogic education and innovative clinical care for the most vexing diseases. While these pursuits have coexisted and flourished, the realities of the health-care business environment have demanded reformatting and emulation of a corporate organizational model. This evolution has impacted the core identities of the AHC and challenged individual medical-educators, clinician-scientists and basic science investigators to persist and succeed in this milieu. The AHC has a unique capacity to muster the innate learning drive of these individuals into an organizational mission as it balances the pressures exerted from both the internal and external environments. The AHC as an organization can be viewed as an experimental condition with modifiable variables to which its professionals can react, adapt to, and transform. Organizational learning and change implementation is in essence an experiment in human behavior modification. While all individuals are subject to change, merely assembling them in a single locale determines neither a predictable homogeneous outcome nor the success of their endeavor. This article highlights some of these propositions and offers a philosophical approach to advance the AHC as an organization through the creativity and innovation of its professional ranks.

Detection of Critical LUCC Indices and Sensitive Watershed Regions Related to Lake Algal Blooms: A Case Study of Taihu Lake

PubMed Central

Lin, Chen; Ma, Ronghua; Su, Zhihu; Zhu, Qing

2015-01-01

Taihu Lake in China has suffered from severe eutrophication over the past 20 years which is partly due to significant land use/cover change (LUCC). There is an increasing need to detect the critical watershed region that significantly affects lake water degradation, which has great significance for environmental protection. However, previous studies have obtained conflicting results because of non–uniform lake indicators and inadequate time periods. To identify the sensitive LUCC indices and buffer distance regions, three lake divisions (Meiliang Lake, Zhushan Lake and Western Coastal region) and their watershed region within the Taihu Lake basin were chosen as study sites, the algal area was used as a uniform lake quality indicator and modeled with LUCC indices over the whole time series. Results showed that wetland (WL) and landscape index such as Shannon diversity index (SHDI) appeared to be sensitive LUCC indices when the buffer distance was less than 5 km, while agricultural land (AL) and landscape fragmentation (Ci) gradually became sensitive indices as buffer distances increased to more than 5 km. For the relationship between LUCC and lake algal area, LUCC of the WC region seems to have no significant effect on lake water quality. Conversely, LUCC within ML and ZS region influenced algal area of corresponding lake divisions greatly, while the most sensitive regions were found in 3 km to 5 km, rather than the whole catchment. These results will be beneficial for the further understanding of the relationship between LUCC and lake water quality, and will provide a practical basis for the identification of critical regions for lake. PMID:25642691

[Study on the efficacy of quarantine during outbreaks of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreaks at schools through the susceptive-infective-quarantine-removal model].

PubMed

Chen, Tian-mu; Liu, Ru-chun

2013-01-01

To assess the efficacy of quarantine for acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) outbreaks control in schools, by using the Compartment Model. Through combining the characters of both AHC and compartment model, we built a susceptive-infective-removal (SIR) model suited for AHC outbreaks control in schools, and then quarantine was added into the model to develop a susceptive-infective-quarantine-removal (SIQR) model. An outbreak of AHC in Changsha in 2011 was employed as a sample to assess the effect of quarantine for the prevention and control of AHC. Basic reproduction number (λ0) of the AHC outbreak without intervention was 6.80, thus the transmission speed of the disease became quite fast. If no intervention had been adopted, almost all the students, faculties and staff members would have been infected within 23 days, and the accumulative cases would become 738, with the total attack rate (TAR) as 99.73%. The peak of the outbreak was at Sep. 11th and the number of new cases was 126 on that day. The efficacy would have been different if quarantine forces had been taken at different time and differently. The bigger and earlier the quarantine force had been adopted, the lower morbidity peak and the smaller TAR would have been appeared, with better efficacy of outbreak control. If the quarantine rate had been taken at the level of 90% on the sixth day, the accumulative case would have been reduced to 132 and the TAR had become 17.84% consequently. Quarantine program could be used as a main intervention approach to be employed for ACH outbreak at schools.

Financial Performance of Academic Health Center Hospitals, 1994-2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobson, Allen; Koenig, Lane; Sen, Namrata; Ho, Silver; Gilani, Jawaria

This study examined how competitive market dynamics between 1994 and 2000 have affected the financial stability of Academic Health Center (AHC) hospitals and their ability to support their academic and social missions. It looked at the financial challenges facing AHC hospitals through a survey involving 1,138 teaching hospitals. Findings…

Analyzing the Relationship of Geographic Mobility and Institutional Prestige to Career Advancement of Women in Academic Medicine Pursuing Midcareer-, Senior-, or Executive-Level Administrative Positions: Implications for Career Advancement Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, Marsha Renee

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of geographic mobility and institutional prestige to career advancement defined as administrative promotions of women seeking midcareer-, senior-, or executive-level positions at academic health centers (AHCs) and their medical schools or in non-AHC related medical schools in the United…

Criticality in epidemiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stollenwerk, Nico; Jansen, Vincent A. A.

For a long time criticality has been considered in epidemiological models. We review the body of theory developed over the last twenty five years for the simplest models. It is at first glance difficult to imagine that an epidemiological system operates at a very fine tuned critical state as opposed to any other parameter region. However, the advent of self-organized criticality has given hints in how to interpret large fluctuations observed in many natural systems including epidemiological systems. We show some scenarios where criticality has been observed (e.g., measles under vaccination) and where evolution towards a critical state can explain fluctuations (e.g., meningococcal disease.)

[Construction of the collaborative relationship for the complicated patients with the Critical care centers and the Emergency departments in regional hospitals in Japan].

PubMed

Miyake, Yasufumi

2016-02-01

All the people have the right to die with dignity, but increase of elderly people and progress of the depauperation and isolation in Japan make it more difficult in this decade. As one of some solutions, we propose structuring the collaborative relationship between the critical care centers and the regional hospitals for the complicated patients. Patients inferred seriously ill should be transported first to the critical care center with substantial medical equipment and enough staff, diagnosed and stabilized in it. After those procedures, patients are transfered to and followed in the regional hospital for a certain period. These allotments of functions between hospitals are useful in the present condition.

Academic Health Centers and Care of Undocumented Immigrants in the United States: Servant Leaders or Uncourageous Followers?

PubMed Central

Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio

2014-01-01

Public dialogue and debate about the health care overhaul in the United States is centered on one contentious question: Is there a moral obligation to ensure that all people (including undocumented immigrants) within its borders have access to affordable health care? For academic health centers (AHCs), which often provide safety-net care to the uninsured, this question has moral and social implications. An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States (80% of whom are Latino) are uninsured and currently prohibited from purchasing exchange coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, even at full cost. The authors attempt to dispel the many misconceptions and distorted assumptions surrounding the use of health services by this vulnerable population. The authors also suggest that AHCs need to recalibrate their mission to focus on social accountability as well as the ethical and humanistic practice of medicine for all people, recognizing the significance of inclusion over exclusion in making progress on population health and health care. AHCs play a crucial role, both in educational policy and as a safety-net provider, in reducing health disparities that negatively impact vulnerable populations. Better health for all is possible through better alignment, collaboration, and partnering with other AHCs and safety-net providers. Through servant leadership, AHCs can be the leaders that this change imperative demands. PMID:24556781

A reaction mechanism-based prediction of mutagenicity: α-halo carbonyl compounds adduct with DNA by SN2 reaction.

PubMed

Haranosono, Yu; Ueoka, Hiroki; Kito, Gakushi; Nemoto, Shingo; Kurata, Masaaki; Sakaki, Hideyuki

2018-01-01

Most of the α-halo carbonyl (AHC) compounds tend to be predicted as mutagenic by structure-activity relationship based on structural category only, because they have an alkyl halide structure as a structural alert of mutagenicity. However, some AHC compounds are not mutagenic. We hypothesized that AHC reacts with DNA by S N 2 reaction, and the reactivity relates to mutagenicity. As an index of S N 2 reactivity, we focused on molecular orbitals (MOs), as the direction and position of two molecules in collision are important in the S N 2 reaction. The MOs suitable for S N 2 reaction (SN2MOs) were selected by chemical-visual inspection based on the shape of the MO. We used the level gap and the energy gap between SN2MO and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital as the descriptors of S N 2 reactivity. As the results, S N 2 reactivity related to mutagenicity and we were able to predict mutagenicity of 20 AHC compounds with 95.0% concordance. It was suggested that S N 2 reaction is a reaction mechanism of AHC compounds and DNA in the mutagenic process. The method allows for discrimination among structurally similar compounds by combination with quantitative structure-activity relationships. The combination approach is expected to be useful for the mutagenic assessment of pharmaceutical impurities.

Academic health centers and care of undocumented immigrants in the United States: servant leaders or uncourageous followers?

PubMed

Acosta, David A; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio

2014-04-01

Public dialogue and debate about the health care overhaul in the United States is centered on one contentious question: Is there a moral obligation to ensure that all people (including undocumented immigrants) within its borders have access to affordable health care? For academic health centers (AHCs), which often provide safety-net care to the uninsured, this question has moral and social implications. An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States (80% of whom are Latino) are uninsured and currently prohibited from purchasing exchange coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, even at full cost. The authors attempt to dispel the many misconceptions and distorted assumptions surrounding the use of health services by this vulnerable population. The authors also suggest that AHCs need to recalibrate their mission to focus on social accountability as well as the ethical and humanistic practice of medicine for all people, recognizing the significance of inclusion over exclusion in making progress on population health and health care. AHCs play a crucial role, both in educational policy and as a safety-net provider, in reducing health disparities that negatively impact vulnerable populations. Better health for all is possible through better alignment, collaboration, and partnering with other AHCs and safety-net providers. Through servant leadership, AHCs can be the leaders that this change imperative demands.

Contributing to the Community: The Economic Significance of Academic Health Centers and Their Role in Neighborhood Development. Report IV. Report of the Task Force on Academic Health Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commonwealth Fund, New York, NY.

This report is a selective analysis and assessment of quantitative data and field studies that reflect the economic role of the Academic Health Center (AHC) in the urban economy and in neighborhood revitalization. It describes the effect of a variety of cooperative efforts between local community organizations and AHCs, which usually include a…

A 600 kb triplication in the cat eye syndrome critical region causes anorectal, renal and preauricular anomalies in a three-generation family.

PubMed

Knijnenburg, Jeroen; van Bever, Yolande; Hulsman, Lorette O M; van Kempen, Chantal A P; Bolman, Galhana M; van Loon, Rosa Laura E; Beverloo, H Berna; van Zutven, Laura J C M

2012-09-01

Cat eye syndrome (CES) is caused by a gain of the proximal part of chromosome 22. Usually, a supernumerary marker chromosome is present, containing two extra copies of the chromosome 22q11.1q11.21 region. More sporadically, the gain is present intrachromosomally. The critical region for CES is currently estimated to be about 2.1 Mb and to contain at least 14 RefSeq genes. Gain of this region may cause ocular coloboma, preauricular, anorectal, urogenital and congenital heart malformations. We describe a family in which a 600 kb intrachromosomal triplication is present in at least three generations. The copy number alteration was detected using MLPA and further characterized with interphase and metaphase FISH and SNP-array. The amplified fragment is located in the distal part of the CES region. The family members show anal atresia and preauricular tags or pits, matching part of the phenotype of this syndrome. This finding suggests that amplification of the genes CECR2, SLC25A18 and ATP6V1E1, mapping within the critical region for CES, may be responsible for anorectal, renal and preauricular anomalies in patients with CES.

Crisis Team Management in a Scarce Resource Setting: Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

PubMed

Henker, Richard Alynn; Henker, Hiroko; Eng, Hor; O'Donnell, John; Jirativanont, Tachawan

2017-01-01

A crisis team management (CTM) simulation course was developed by volunteers from Health Volunteers Overseas for physicians and nurses at Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The framework for the course was adapted from crisis resource management (1, 2), crisis team training (3), and TeamSTEPPs© models (4). The CTM course focused on teaching physicians and nurses on the development of team performance knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Challenges to providing this course at AHC included availability of simulation equipment, cultural differences in learning, and language barriers. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of a CTM simulation course at AHC on attitudes and perceptions of participants on concepts related to team performance. Each of the CTM courses consisted of three lectures, including team performance concepts, communication, and debriefing followed by rotation through four simulation scenarios. The evaluation instrument used to evaluate the AHC CTM course was developed for Cambodian staff at AHC based on TeamSTEPPs© instruments evaluating attitude and perceptions of team performance (5). CTM team performance concepts included in lectures, debriefing sessions, and the evaluation instrument were: team structure, leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze pre- and post-test paired data from participants in the course. Of the 54 participants completing the three CTM courses at AHC, 27 were nurses, 6 were anesthetists, and 21 were physicians. Attitude and perception scores were found to significantly improve ( p  < 0.05) for team structure, leadership, situation monitoring, and communication. Team performance areas that improved the most were: discussion of team performance, communication, and exchange of information. Teaching of non-technical skills can be effective in a setting with scarce resources in a Southeastern Asian country.

Preventing and responding to complaints of sexual harassment in an academic health center: a 10-year review from the Medical University of South Carolina.

PubMed

Best, Connie L; Smith, Daniel W; Raymond, John R; Greenberg, Raymond S; Crouch, Rosalie K

2010-04-01

There is a high incidence of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in academic health center (AHC) settings according to multiple surveys of medical students. Therefore, it is incumbent on AHCs to develop programs both to educate faculty, residents, and students and to handle complaints of possible episodes of sexual harassment or gender discrimination. Despite the apparent high prevalence of gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and the importance of handling complaints of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in a prompt, consistent, and rational manner, there are few descriptions of programs that address those concerns in AHCs.Herein, the authors describe their experiences in dealing with complaints of sexual harassment and gender discrimination for a 10-year period of time (late 1997 to early 2007) at the Medical University of South Carolina, through an Office of Gender Equity. They describe their complaint process, components of their prevention training, and the outcomes of 115 complaints. Key elements of their policies are highlighted. The authors offer an approach that could serve as a model for other AHCs.

Marketing strategy: an essential component of business development for academic health centers.

PubMed

Souba, W W; Haluck, C A; Menezes, M A

2001-02-01

Historically, academic health centers (AHCs) have detached themselves from commercialism and entrepreneurism, viewing these activities as being inconsistent with many of their core academic values. Word-of-mouth promotion was their primary, if not sole, marketing strategy. Less emphasis was placed on preparing, pricing, distributing, and promoting these services to targeted audiences. Understanding customers' needs was not a top priority. The marketing strategies and tools currently being developed and utilized by AHCs were reviewed. In an effort to attract customers and win contracts, AHCs are aggressively marketing themselves by designing new services, promoting those services much more intensely, restructuring the entire distribution system that delivers those services, and crafting pricing strategies that build in flexibility. With growing frequency, these marketing tactics are part and parcel of a carefully crafted data-driven strategic plan designed to meet the business-development goals of the institution. In order to carry out their missions, AHCs have recognized that they can no longer rest on their "ivory tower" laurels. They must learn how to market themselves in a market economy.

Structure-guided investigation of lipopolysaccharide O-antigen chain length regulators reveals regions critical for modal length control.

PubMed

Kalynych, Sergei; Ruan, Xiang; Valvano, Miguel A; Cygler, Miroslaw

2011-08-01

The O-antigen component of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) represents a population of polysaccharide molecules with nonrandom (modal) chain length distribution. The number of the repeat O units in each individual O-antigen polymer depends on the Wzz chain length regulator, an inner membrane protein belonging to the polysaccharide copolymerase (PCP) family. Different Wzz proteins confer vastly different ranges of modal lengths (4 to >100 repeat units), despite having remarkably conserved structural folds. The molecular mechanism responsible for the selective preference for a certain number of O units is unknown. Guided by the three-dimensional structures of PCPs, we constructed a panel of chimeric molecules containing parts of two closely related Wzz proteins from Salmonella enterica and Shigella flexneri which confer different O-antigen chain length distributions. Analysis of the O-antigen length distribution imparted by each chimera revealed the region spanning amino acids 67 to 95 (region 67 to 95), region 200 to 255, and region 269 to 274 as primarily affecting the length distribution. We also showed that there is no synergy between these regions. In particular, region 269 to 274 also influenced chain length distribution mediated by two distantly related PCPs, WzzB and FepE. Furthermore, from the 3 regions uncovered in this study, region 269 to 274 appeared to be critical for the stability of the oligomeric form of Wzz, as determined by cross-linking experiments. Together, our data suggest that chain length determination depends on regions that likely contribute to stabilize a supramolecular complex.

Occurrence and Biosynthesis of Alkyl Hydroxycinnamates in Plant Lipid Barriers

PubMed Central

Domergue, Frédéric; Kosma, Dylan K.

2017-01-01

The plant lipid barriers cuticle and suberin represent one of the largest biological interfaces on the planet. They are comprised of an insoluble polymeric domain with associated organic solvent-soluble waxes. Suberin-associated and plant cuticular waxes contain mixtures of aliphatic components that may include alkyl hydroxycinnamates (AHCs). The canonical alkyl hydroxycinnamates are comprised of phenylpropanoids, typically coumaric, ferulic, or caffeic acids, esterified with long chain to very long chain fatty alcohols. However, many related structures are also present in the plant kingdom. Although their functions remain elusive, much progress has been made on understanding the distribution, biosynthesis, and deposition of AHCs. Herein a summary of the current state of knowledge on plant AHCs is provided. PMID:28665304

Rare regions and Griffiths singularities at a clean critical point: the five-dimensional disordered contact process.

PubMed

Vojta, Thomas; Igo, John; Hoyos, José A

2014-07-01

We investigate the nonequilibrium phase transition of the disordered contact process in five space dimensions by means of optimal fluctuation theory and Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the critical behavior is of mean-field type, i.e., identical to that of the clean five-dimensional contact process. It is accompanied by off-critical power-law Griffiths singularities whose dynamical exponent z' saturates at a finite value as the transition is approached. These findings resolve the apparent contradiction between the Harris criterion, which implies that weak disorder is renormalization-group irrelevant, and the rare-region classification, which predicts unconventional behavior. We confirm and illustrate our theory by large-scale Monte Carlo simulations of systems with up to 70(5) sites. We also relate our results to a recently established general relation between the Harris criterion and Griffiths singularities [Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 075702 (2014)], and we discuss implications for other phase transitions.

Edge Diffraction Coefficients around Critical Rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fradkin, L.; Harmer, M.; Darmon, M.

2014-04-01

The classical GTD (Geometrical Theory of Diffraction) gives a recipe, based on high-frequency asymptotics, for calculating edge diffraction coefficients in the geometrical regions where only diffracted waves propagate. The Uniform GTD extends this recipe to transition zones between irradiated and silent regions, known as penumbra. For many industrial materials, e.g. steels, and frequencies utlized in industrial ultrasonic transducers, that is, around 5 MHz, asymptotics suggested for description of geometrical regions supporting the head waves or transition regions surrounding their boundaries, known as critical rays, prove unsatisfactory. We present a numerical extension of GTD, which is based on a regularized, variable step Simpson's method for evaluating the edge diffraction coefficients in the regions of interference between head waves, diffracted waves and/or reflected waves. In mathematical terms, these are the regions of coalescence of three critical points - a branch point, stationary point and/or pole, respectively. We show that away from the shadow boundaries, near the critical rays the GTD still produces correct values of the edge diffraction coefficients.

Two critical tests for the Critical Point earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzanis, A.; Vallianatos, F.

2003-04-01

It has been credibly argued that the earthquake generation process is a critical phenomenon culminating with a large event that corresponds to some critical point. In this view, a great earthquake represents the end of a cycle on its associated fault network and the beginning of a new one. The dynamic organization of the fault network evolves as the cycle progresses and a great earthquake becomes more probable, thereby rendering possible the prediction of the cycle’s end by monitoring the approach of the fault network toward a critical state. This process may be described by a power-law time-to-failure scaling of the cumulative seismic release rate. Observational evidence has confirmed the power-law scaling in many cases and has empirically determined that the critical exponent in the power law is typically of the order n=0.3. There are also two theoretical predictions for the value of the critical exponent. Ben-Zion and Lyakhovsky (Pure appl. geophys., 159, 2385-2412, 2002) give n=1/3. Rundle et al. (Pure appl. geophys., 157, 2165-2182, 2000) show that the power-law activation associated with a spinodal instability is essentially identical to the power-law acceleration of Benioff strain observed prior to earthquakes; in this case n=0.25. More recently, the CP model has gained support from the development of more dependable models of regional seismicity with realistic fault geometry that show accelerating seismicity before large events. Essentially, these models involve stress transfer to the fault network during the cycle such, that the region of accelerating seismicity will scale with the size of the culminating event, as for instance in Bowman and King (Geophys. Res. Let., 38, 4039-4042, 2001). It is thus possible to understand the observed characteristics of distributed accelerating seismicity in terms of a simple process of increasing tectonic stress in a region already subjected to stress inhomogeneities at all scale lengths. Then, the region of

Constitutional and somatic deletions of the Williams-Beuren syndrome critical region in non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

PubMed

Guenat, David; Quentin, Samuel; Rizzari, Carmelo; Lundin, Catarina; Coliva, Tiziana; Edery, Patrick; Fryssira, Helen; Bermont, Laurent; Ferrand, Christophe; Soulier, Jean; Borg, Christophe; Rohrlich, Pierre-Simon

2014-11-07

Here, we report and investigate the genomic alterations of two novel cases of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) in children with Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS), a multisystem disorder caused by 7q11.23 hemizygous deletion. Additionally, we report the case of a child with NHL and a somatic 7q11.23 deletion. Although the WBS critical region has not yet been identified as a susceptibility locus in NHL, it harbors a number of genes involved in DNA repair. The high proportion of pediatric NHL reported in WBS is intriguing. Therefore, the role of haploinsufficiency of genes located at 7q11.23 in lymphomagenesis deserves to be investigated.

Structure of the dimerization domain of DiGeorge Critical Region 8

PubMed Central

Senturia, Rachel; Faller, Michael; Yin, Sheng; Loo, Joseph A; Cascio, Duilio; Sawaya, Michael R; Hwang, Daniel; Clubb, Robert T; Guo, Feng

2010-01-01

Maturation of microRNAs (miRNAs, ∼22nt) from long primary transcripts [primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs)] is regulated during development and is altered in diseases such as cancer. The first processing step is a cleavage mediated by the Microprocessor complex containing the Drosha nuclease and the RNA-binding protein DiGeorge critical region 8 (DGCR8). We previously reported that dimeric DGCR8 binds heme and that the heme-bound DGCR8 is more active than the heme-free form. Here, we identified a conserved dimerization domain in DGCR8. Our crystal structure of this domain (residues 298–352) at 1.7 Å resolution demonstrates a previously unknown use of a WW motif as a platform for extensive dimerization interactions. The dimerization domain of DGCR8 is embedded in an independently folded heme-binding domain and directly contributes to association with heme. Heme-binding-deficient DGCR8 mutants have reduced pri-miRNA processing activity in vitro. Our study provides structural and biochemical bases for understanding how dimerization and heme binding of DGCR8 may contribute to regulation of miRNA biogenesis. PMID:20506313

A systematic strategic planning process focused on improved community engagement by an academic health center: the University of Kansas Medical Center's story.

PubMed

Cook, David C; Nelson, Eve-Lynn; Ast, Cori; Lillis, Teresa

2013-05-01

A growing number of academic health centers (AHCs) are considering approaches to expand collaboration with their communities in order to address complex and multisystem health concerns. In 2010, internal leaders at the University of Kansas Medical Center undertook a strategic planning process to enhance both community engagement activities and the scholarship resulting from these engagement activities. The authors describe the strategic planning process, recommendations, and actions associated with elevating community engagement within the AHC's mission and priorities. The strategic planning process included conducting an inventory of community engagement activities within the AHC; analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for community engagement work; and identifying goals and strategies to improve future community engagement activities and scholarship. The resulting road map for enhancing community engagement at their institution through 2015 consists of four main strategies: emphasize scholarship in community engagement, revise organizational structures to better facilitate community engagement, prioritize current engagement activities to ensure appropriate use of resources, and enhance communication of engagement initiatives to further develop stakeholder relationships.The authors also discuss implementation of the plan to date and highlight lessons learned that may inform other AHCs as they enhance and expand similar endeavors.

Early Career Boot Camp: a novel mechanism for enhancing early career development for psychologists in academic healthcare.

PubMed

Foran-Tuller, Kelly; Robiner, William N; Breland-Noble, Alfiee; Otey-Scott, Stacie; Wryobeck, John; King, Cheryl; Sanders, Kathryn

2012-03-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a pilot mentoring program for Early Career Psychologists (ECPs) working in Academic Health Centers (AHCs) and synthesize the lessons learned to contribute to future ECP and AHC career development training programs. The authors describe an early career development model, named the Early Career Boot Camp. This intensive experience was conducted as a workshop meant to build a supportive network and to provide mentorship and survival tools for working in AHCs. Four major components were addressed: professional effectiveness, clinical supervision, strategic career planning, and academic research. Nineteen attendees who were currently less than 5 years post completion of doctoral graduate programs in psychology participated in the program. The majority of boot camp components were rated as good to excellent, with no component receiving below average ratings. Of the components offered within the boot camp, mentoring and research activities were rated the strongest, followed by educational activities, challenges in AHCS, and promotion and tenure. The article describes the purpose, development, implementation, and assessment of the program in detail in an effort to provide an established outline for future organizations to utilize when mentoring ECPs.

Critical Magnetic Field Strengths for Unipolar Solar Coronal Plumes In Quiet Regions and Coronal Holes?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Avallone, Ellis; Tiwari, Sanjiv K.; Panesar, Navdeep K.; Moore, Ronald L.; Winebarger, Amy

2017-01-01

Coronal plumes are bright magnetic funnels that are found in quiet regions and coronal holes that extend high into the solar corona whose lifetimes can last from hours to days. The heating processes that make plumes bright involve the magnetic field at the base of the plume, but their intricacies remain mysterious. Raouafi et al. (2014) infer from observation that plume heating is a consequence of magnetic reconnection at the base, whereas Wang et al. (2016) infer that plume heating is a result of convergence of the magnetic flux at the plume's base, or base flux. Both papers suggest that the base flux in their plumes is of mixed polarity, but do not quantitatively measure the base flux or consider whether a critical magnetic field strength is required for plume production. To investigate the magnetic origins of plume heating, we track plume luminosity in the 171 Å wavelength as well as the abundance and strength of the base flux over the lifetimes of six unipolar coronal plumes. Of these, three are in coronal holes and three are in quiet regions. For this sample, we find that plume heating is triggered when convergence of the base flux surpasses a field strength of approximately 300 - 500 Gauss, and that the luminosity of both quiet region and coronal hole plumes respond similarly to the strength of the magnetic field in the base.

Commentary: preparing for health care reform: ten recommendations for academic health centers.

PubMed

Shomaker, T Samuel

2011-05-01

Health care reform, the subject of intense national debate and discussion during the presidential campaign and the first year of the Obama presidency, is now reality. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) became law in March 2010. Despite efforts by the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives of the 112th Congress to repeal the bill, some aspects of PPACA have already taken effect, and the majority of the remainder are scheduled to be implemented by 2014. PPACA will change the U.S. health care system in fundamental ways. Perhaps more than other entities in the U.S. health care system, academic health centers (AHCs) will bear the impact of the struggle to care for 32 million new, primarily low-income insurance beneficiaries. A large influx of new patients trying to access the health care system through AHCs will coincide with major changes in the financing of health care, the training of health professions students, and the conduct of biomedical research. Although many of the sweeping changes coming through PPACA will not happen until later in this decade, AHCs must begin planning for the future now if they are to prosper, or even survive, in the brave new world of health care reform. The author of this commentary first briefly analyzes some of the most important effects PPACA will have on AHCs and then makes recommendations for how AHCs can prepare to take advantage of the opportunities and mitigate the challenges inherent in implementing PPACA. Copyright © by the Association of American medical Colleges.

A 1.5-Mb cosmid contig of the CMT1A duplication/HNPP deletion critical region in 17p11.2-p12

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

Murakami, Tatsufumi; Lupski, J.R.

1996-05-15

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) is associated with a 1.5-Mb tandem duplication in chromosome 17p11.2-p12, and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is associated with a 1.5-Mb deletion at this locus. Both diseases appear to result from an altered copy number of the peripheral myelin protein-22 gene, PMP22, which maps within the critical region. To identify additional genes and characterize chromosomal elements, a 1.5-Mb cosmid contig of the CMT1A duplication/HNPP deletion critical region was assembled using a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC)-based isolation and binning strategy. Whole YAC probes were used for screening a high-density arrayed chromosome 17-specific cosmidmore » library. Selected cosmids were spotted on dot blots and assigned to bins defined by YACs. This binning of cosmids facilitated the subsequent fingerprint analysis. The 1.5-Mb region was covered by 137 cosmids with a minimum overlap set of 52 cosmids assigned to 17 bins and 9 contigs. 20 refs., 2 figs.« less

Critical behavior in trapped strongly interacting Fermi gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, E.

2009-08-01

We investigate the width of the Ginzburg critical region and experimental signatures of critical behavior in strongly interacting trapped Fermi gases close to unitarity, where the s -wave scattering length diverges. Despite the fact that the width of the critical region is of the order unity, evidence of critical behavior in the bulk thermodynamics of trapped gases is strongly suppressed by their inhomogeneity. The specific heat of a harmonically confined gas, for instance, is linear in the reduced temperature t=(T-Tc)/Tc above Tc . We also discuss the prospects of observing critical behavior in the local compressibility from measurements of the density profile.

Promoting mentorship in translational research: should we hope for Athena or train mentor?

PubMed

Steiner, John F

2014-05-01

Despite consensus that mentorship is a critical determinant of career success, many academic health centers (AHCs) do not provide formal training for their mentors. In part, this problem arises from a lack of evidence-based mentorship training curricula. In this issue of Academic Medicine, Pfund and colleagues from 16 AHCs, including 15 Clinical Translational Science Award institutions report the results of a randomized, controlled trial that addressed this research gap. In their study, mentors randomized to undertake a formal mentoring curriculum reported significant gains in self-assessed competencies. These improvements were corroborated by the most critical and objective observers of mentorship skills: their own mentees.Evidence-based curricula will not transform research mentorship in isolation. An organization-wide culture of mentorship is necessary to meet the mentorship needs of all research trainees and faculty. The development of a culture of mentorship requires attention to structural issues such as the provision of protected time, physical resources, and targeted funding in addition to evidence-based curricula. Organizations must monitor the implementation of these structures in the day-to-day process of mentorship. Finally, institutions must develop measures to track outcomes for both mentors and mentees, and create incentives to achieve those outcomes. In the current environment of constrained research funding and competing demands from clinical and educational programs, a substantive organizational commitment to mentorship is necessary to ensure that the next generation of mentees achieves success in translational research.

Taipei's Use of a Multi-Channel Mass Risk Communication Program to Rapidly Reverse an Epidemic of Highly Communicable Disease

PubMed Central

Yen, Muh-Yong; Wu, Tsung-Shu Joseph; Chiu, Allen Wen-Hsiang; Wong, Wing-Wai; Wang, Po-En; Chan, Ta-Chien; King, Chwan-Chuen

2009-01-01

Background In September 2007, an outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) occurred in Keelung City and spread to Taipei City. In response to the epidemic, a new crisis management program was implemented and tested in Taipei. Methodology and Principal Findings Having noticed that transmission surged on weekends during the Keelung epidemic, Taipei City launched a multi-channel mass risk communications program that included short message service (SMS) messages sent directly to approximately 2.2 million Taipei residents on Friday, October 12th, 2007. The public was told to keep symptomatic students from schools and was provided guidelines for preventing the spread of the disease at home. Epidemiological characteristics of Taipei's outbreak were analyzed from 461 sampled AHC cases. Median time from exposure to onset of the disease was 1 day. This was significantly shorter for cases occurring in family clusters than in class clusters (mean±SD: 2.6±3.2 vs. 4.39±4.82 days, p = 0.03), as well as for cases occurring in larger family clusters as opposed to smaller ones (1.2±1.7 days vs. 3.9±4.0 days, p<0.01). Taipei's program had a significant impact on patient compliance. Home confinement of symptomatic children increased from 10% to 60% (p<0.05) and helped curb the spread of AHC. Taipei experienced a rapid decrease in AHC cases between the Friday of the SMS announcement and the following Monday, October 15, (0.70% vs. 0.36%). By October 26, AHC cases reduced to 0.01%. The success of this risk communication program in Taipei (as compared to Keelung) is further reflected through rapid improvements in three epidemic indicators: (1) significantly lower crude attack rates (1.95% vs. 14.92%, p<0.001), (2) a short epidemic period of AHC (13 vs. 34 days), and (3) a quick drop in risk level (1∼2 weeks) in Taipei districts that border Keelung (the original domestic epicenter). Conclusions and Significance The timely launch of this systematic, communication

Generational forecasting in academic medicine: a unique method of planning for success in the next two decades.

PubMed

Howell, Lydia Pleotis; Joad, Jesse P; Callahan, Edward; Servis, Gregg; Bonham, Ann C

2009-08-01

Multigenerational teams are essential to the missions of academic health centers (AHCs). Generational forecasting using Strauss and Howe's predictive model, "the generational diagonal," can be useful for anticipating and addressing issues so that each generation is effective. Forecasts are based on the observation that cyclical historical events are experienced by all generations, but the response of each generation differs according to its phase of life and previous defining experiences. This article relates Strauss and Howe's generational forecasts to AHCs. Predicted issues such as work-life balance, indebtedness, and succession planning have existed previously, but they now have different causes or consequences because of the unique experiences and life stages of current generations. Efforts to address these issues at the authors' AHC include a work-life balance workgroup, expanded leave, and intramural grants.

Risk prediction of Critical Infrastructures against extreme natural hazards: local and regional scale analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosato, Vittorio; Hounjet, Micheline; Burzel, Andreas; Di Pietro, Antonio; Tofani, Alberto; Pollino, Maurizio; Giovinazzi, Sonia

2016-04-01

Natural hazard events can induce severe impacts on the built environment; they can hit wide and densely populated areas, where there is a large number of (inter)dependent technological systems whose damages could cause the failure or malfunctioning of further different services, spreading the impacts on wider geographical areas. The EU project CIPRNet (Critical Infrastructures Preparedness and Resilience Research Network) is realizing an unprecedented Decision Support System (DSS) which enables to operationally perform risk prediction on Critical Infrastructures (CI) by predicting the occurrence of natural events (from long term weather to short nowcast predictions, correlating intrinsic vulnerabilities of CI elements with the different events' manifestation strengths, and analysing the resulting Damage Scenario. The Damage Scenario is then transformed into an Impact Scenario, where punctual CI element damages are transformed into micro (local area) or meso (regional) scale Services Outages. At the smaller scale, the DSS simulates detailed city models (where CI dependencies are explicitly accounted for) that are of important input for crisis management organizations whereas, at the regional scale by using approximate System-of-Systems model describing systemic interactions, the focus is on raising awareness. The DSS has allowed to develop a novel simulation framework for predicting earthquakes shake maps originating from a given seismic event, considering the shock wave propagation in inhomogeneous media and the subsequent produced damages by estimating building vulnerabilities on the basis of a phenomenological model [1, 2]. Moreover, in presence of areas containing river basins, when abundant precipitations are expected, the DSS solves the hydrodynamic 1D/2D models of the river basins for predicting the flux runoff and the corresponding flood dynamics. This calculation allows the estimation of the Damage Scenario and triggers the evaluation of the Impact Scenario

α-synuclein assemblies sequester neuronal α3-Na+/K+-ATPase and impair Na+ gradient

PubMed Central

Shrivastava, Amulya Nidhi; Redeker, Virginie; Fritz, Nicolas; Pieri, Laura; Almeida, Leandro G; Spolidoro, Maria; Liebmann, Thomas; Bousset, Luc; Renner, Marianne; Léna, Clément; Aperia, Anita; Melki, Ronald; Triller, Antoine

2015-01-01

Extracellular α-synuclein (α-syn) assemblies can be up-taken by neurons; however, their interaction with the plasma membrane and proteins has not been studied specifically. Here we demonstrate that α-syn assemblies form clusters within the plasma membrane of neurons. Using a proteomic-based approach, we identify the α3-subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) as a cell surface partner of α-syn assemblies. The interaction strength depended on the state of α-syn, fibrils being the strongest, oligomers weak, and monomers none. Mutations within the neuron-specific α3-subunit are linked to rapid-onset dystonia Parkinsonism (RDP) and alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). We show that freely diffusing α3-NKA are trapped within α-syn clusters resulting in α3-NKA redistribution and formation of larger nanoclusters. This creates regions within the plasma membrane with reduced local densities of α3-NKA, thereby decreasing the efficiency of Na+ extrusion following stimulus. Thus, interactions of α3-NKA with extracellular α-syn assemblies reduce its pumping activity as its mutations in RDP/AHC. PMID:26323479

Identification of High-Risk Plaques Destined to Cause Acute Coronary Syndrome Using Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography and Computational Fluid Dynamics.

PubMed

Lee, Joo Myung; Choi, Gilwoo; Koo, Bon-Kwon; Hwang, Doyeon; Park, Jonghanne; Zhang, Jinlong; Kim, Kyung-Jin; Tong, Yaliang; Kim, Hyun Jin; Grady, Leo; Doh, Joon-Hyung; Nam, Chang-Wook; Shin, Eun-Seok; Cho, Young-Seok; Choi, Su-Yeon; Chun, Eun Ju; Choi, Jin-Ho; Nørgaard, Bjarne L; Christiansen, Evald H; Niemen, Koen; Otake, Hiromasa; Penicka, Martin; de Bruyne, Bernard; Kubo, Takashi; Akasaka, Takashi; Narula, Jagat; Douglas, Pamela S; Taylor, Charles A; Kim, Hyo-Soo

2018-03-14

We investigated the utility of noninvasive hemodynamic assessment in the identification of high-risk plaques that caused subsequent acute coronary syndrome (ACS). ACS is a critical event that impacts the prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease. However, the role of hemodynamic factors in the development of ACS is not well-known. Seventy-two patients with clearly documented ACS and available coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) acquired between 1 month and 2 years before the development of ACS were included. In 66 culprit and 150 nonculprit lesions as a case-control design, the presence of adverse plaque characteristics (APC) was assessed and hemodynamic parameters (fractional flow reserve derived by coronary computed tomographic angiography [FFR CT ], change in FFR CT across the lesion [△FFR CT ], wall shear stress [WSS], and axial plaque stress) were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics. The best cut-off values for FFR CT , △FFR CT , WSS, and axial plaque stress were used to define the presence of adverse hemodynamic characteristics (AHC). The incremental discriminant and reclassification abilities for ACS prediction were compared among 3 models (model 1: percent diameter stenosis [%DS] and lesion length, model 2: model 1 + APC, and model 3: model 2 + AHC). The culprit lesions showed higher %DS (55.5 ± 15.4% vs. 43.1 ± 15.0%; p < 0.001) and higher prevalence of APC (80.3% vs. 42.0%; p < 0.001) than nonculprit lesions. Regarding hemodynamic parameters, culprit lesions showed lower FFR CT and higher △FFR CT , WSS, and axial plaque stress than nonculprit lesions (all p values <0.01). Among the 3 models, model 3, which included hemodynamic parameters, showed the highest c-index, and better discrimination (concordance statistic [c-index] 0.789 vs. 0.747; p = 0.014) and reclassification abilities (category-free net reclassification index 0.287; p = 0.047; relative integrated discrimination improvement 0.368; p < 0.001) than

Cell Based Associations: A procedure for considering scarce and mixed mineral occurrences in predictive mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tourlière, Bruno; Pakyuz-Charrier, Evren; Cassard, Daniel; Barbanson, Luc; Gumiaux, Charles

2015-05-01

Cell Based Association is an innovative mineral favorability procedure designed to answer special needs of the mining industry in data wise critical situations where usual favorability methods may not yield satisfactory results. Those situations relate to input data quality (e.g. clustered points, mixed and scarce data, approximate location) or some assumptions that are considered unreasonable (e.g. map areas relevance, conditional independence). The principle of CBA consists in replacing polygons of geological units with a square cell grid (hence the 'cell-based'). Each cell contains a range of units ('association') that are binary coded in terms of their presence (1) or absence (0) within study area. The loss of resolution inherent to this procedure is compensated by the enriched information contained in each cell owing to the notion of (lithological) association. Lithological associations are considered as binary spectra and as such are classified using Ascendant Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) thus obtaining a synthetic map of lithological associations. The prospectivity map shows as favourable the cells of the same AHC classes that the ones including mineral occurrences. It was observed that CBA can distinguish between different ore deposit varieties from a blended mineral occurrences data set. CBA can theoretically include any spatialized data (e.g. geophysics, structural data) as an extra variable to specify classification and narrow favourable areas. Doing so would make it an independent favorability mapping procedure and is still under development. Cell size in a grid is a critical parameter of the procedure; it must be compatible with the looked-for phenomena and should have a sufficient lithological variability. In addition to its use for producing favorability maps, a CBA-derived map could help in understanding the background information contained in geological maps. CBA can also be applied to other fields, such as agriculture and urban planning

Critical region within 22q11.2 linked to higher rate of autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Clements, Caitlin C; Wenger, Tara L; Zoltowski, Alisa R; Bertollo, Jennifer R; Miller, Judith S; de Marchena, Ashley B; Mitteer, Lauren M; Carey, John C; Yerys, Benjamin E; Zackai, Elaine H; Emanuel, Beverly S; McDonald-McGinn, Donna M; Schultz, Robert T

2017-01-01

Previous studies have reported no clear critical region for medical comorbidities in children with deletions or duplications of 22q11.2. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether individuals with small nested deletions or duplications of the LCR-A to B region of 22q11.2 show an elevated rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to individuals with deletions or duplications that do not include this region. We recruited 46 patients with nested deletions ( n  = 33) or duplications ( n  = 13) of 22q11.2, including LCR-A to B ( n del  = 11), LCR-A to C ( n del  = 4), LCR-B to D ( n del  = 14; n dup  = 8), LCR-C to D ( n del  = 4; n dup  = 2), and smaller nested regions ( n  = 3). Parent questionnaire, record review, and, for a subset, in-person evaluation were used for ASD diagnostic classification. Rates of ASD in individuals with involvement of LCR-B to LCR-D were compared with Fisher's exact test to LCR-A to LCR-B for deletions, and to a previously published sample of LCR-A to LCR-D for duplications. The rates of medical comorbidities and psychiatric diagnoses were determined from questionnaires and chart review. We also report group mean differences on psychiatric questionnaires. Individuals with deletions involving LCR-A to B showed a 39-44% rate of ASD compared to 0% in individuals whose deletions did not involve LCR-A to B. We observed similar rates of medical comorbidities in individuals with involvement of LCR-A to B and LCR-B to D for both duplications and deletions, consistent with prior studies. Children with nested deletions of 22q11.2 may be at greater risk for autism spectrum disorder if the region includes LCR-A to LCR-B. Replication is needed.

Identification of critical regions in human SAMHD1 required for nuclear localization and Vpx-mediated degradation.

PubMed

Guo, Haoran; Wei, Wei; Wei, Zhenhong; Liu, Xianjun; Evans, Sean L; Yang, Weiming; Wang, Hong; Guo, Ying; Zhao, Ke; Zhou, Jian-Ying; Yu, Xiao-Fang

2013-01-01

The sterile alpha motif (SAM) and HD domain-containing protein-1 (SAMHD1) inhibits the infection of resting CD4+ T cells and myeloid cells by human and related simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV). Vpx inactivates SAMHD1 by promoting its proteasome-dependent degradation through an interaction with CRL4 (DCAF1) E3 ubiquitin ligase and the C-terminal region of SAMHD1. However, the determinants in SAMHD1 that are required for Vpx-mediated degradation have not been well characterized. SAMHD1 contains a classical nuclear localization signal (NLS), and NLS point mutants are cytoplasmic and resistant to Vpx-mediated degradation. Here, we demonstrate that NLS-mutant SAMHD1 K11A can be rescued by wild-type SAMHD1, restoring its nuclear localization; consequently, SAMHD1 K11A became sensitive to Vpx-mediated degradation in the presence of wild-type SAMHD1. Surprisingly, deletion of N-terminal regions of SAMHD1, including the classical NLS, generated mutant SAMHD1 proteins that were again sensitive to Vpx-mediated degradation. Unlike SAMHD1 K11A, these deletion mutants could be detected in the nucleus. Interestingly, NLS-defective SAMHD1 could still bind to karyopherin-β1 and other nuclear proteins. We also determined that the linker region between the SAM and HD domain and the HD domain itself is important for Vpx-mediated degradation but not Vpx interaction. Thus, SAMHD1 contains an additional nuclear targeting mechanism in addition to the classical NLS. Our data indicate that multiple regions in SAMHD1 are critical for Vpx-mediated nuclear degradation and that association with Vpx is not sufficient for Vpx-mediated degradation of SAMHD1. Since the linker region and HD domain may be involved in SAMHD1 multimerization, our results suggest that SAMHD1 multimerization may be required for Vpx-mediation degradation.

Deletion mapping of 22q11 in CATCH22 syndrome: Identification of a second critical region

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

Kurahashi, Hiroki; Nakayama, Takahiro; Nishisho, Isamu

1996-06-01

The deletion at 22q11.2 implicates a variety of congenital anomaly syndromes, for which the acronym CATCH22 has been proposed . Most patients with these syndromes share the common large deletion spanning 1-2 Mb, while the phenotypic variability of the patients does not seem to correlate with the extent of the deletions. On the basis of the deletions of rare cases with unbalanced translocation, the shortest region of overlap (SRO) had been identified in the most-centromeric region of the common large deletion. One patient (ADU) has been reported to carry a balanced translocation with the breakpoint located in the SRO. Recently,more » three transcripts were identified at or very close to the ADU breakpoint (ADUBP), making them strong candidates for CATCH22 syndrome. Here, we describe one patient with a unique deletion at 22q11.2 revealed by quantitative hybridization and/or FISH with six DNA markers in the common large deletion. The patient was dizygous at loci within the SRO and hemizygous only at the most-telomeric locus in the common large deletion. This finding suggests that there must be another critical region in the common large deletion besides the breakpoint of the ADU and that haploinsufficiency of genes in this deletion may also play a major role in CATCH22 pathogenesis. 15 refs., 3 figs.« less

Choked flow of fluid nitrogen with emphasis on the thermodynamic critical region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, R. C.; Simoneau, R. J.; Ehlers, R. C.

1972-01-01

Experimental measurements of critical flow rate and pressure ratio for nitrogen flowing through a nozzle are presented. Data for selected stagnation isotherms from 87.5 to 234 K with pressures to 9.3 MN/m2 are compared to an equilibrium model with real fluid properties and also a nonequilibrium model. Critical flow pressure ratio along an isotherm tends to peak while the flow rate indicates an inflection. The point is closely associated with the transposed critical temperature and represents a change in the fluid structure.

Regional Security Arrangements in the East Asia Region.

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-03-16

ASEAN) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Both are critical to effective multilateralism in the region but must overcome the dual handicaps of...encouragement and guidance of my research adviser, Dr John Garofano of the Strategic Studies Institute. I enjoyed his tutelage and learned much. I also...such as the Association of South East Asian Nations6 (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to address regional issues

Duplication of 7p: Further delineation of the phenotype and restriction of the critical region to the distal part of the short arm

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

Reish, O.; Berry, S.A.; King, R.A.

We report on a patient with duplication of 7p15{r_arrow}pter and review of the literature. Patients with partial duplication of the distal 7p, including only the distal segment 7p15{r_arrow}pter, have a syndrome comparable to that of patients with a larger or complete duplication of 7p. This suggests that the critical region for the dup(7p) phenotype is restricted to 7p15{r_arrow}pter. The complete clinical phenotype of dup (7)(p15{r_arrow}pter) includes mental retardation, skull anomalies, large anterior fontanel, cardiovascular defects, joint dislocation and contraction, and gastrointestinal and genital defects. Recognition of the clinical spectrum in patients with a smaller duplication 7p, and the assignment ofmore » this critical region, should prove valuable for accurate counseling, prediction of outcome, and further gene mapping. 33 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.« less

DGCR6 at the proximal part of the DiGeorge critical region is involved in conotruncal heart defects

PubMed Central

Gao, Wenming; Higaki, Takashi; Eguchi-Ishimae, Minenori; Iwabuki, Hidehiko; Wu, Zhouying; Yamamoto, Eiichi; Takata, Hidemi; Ohta, Masaaki; Imoto, Issei; Ishii, Eiichi; Eguchi, Mariko

2015-01-01

Cardiac anomaly is one of the hallmarks of DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), observed in approximately 80% of patients. It often shows a characteristic morphology, termed as conotruncal heart defects. In many cases showing only the conotruncal heart defect, deletion of 22q11.2 region cannot be detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which is used to detect deletion in DGS. We investigated the presence of genomic aberrations in six patients with congenital conotruncal heart defects, who show no deletion at 22q11.2 in an initial screening by FISH. In these patients, no abnormalities were identified in the coding region of the TBX1 gene, one of the key genes responsible for the phenotype of DGS. However, when copy number alteration was analyzed by high-resolution array analysis, a small deletion or duplication in the proximal end of DiGeorge critical region was detected in two patients. The affected region contains the DGCR6 and PRODH genes. DGCR6 has been reported to affect the expression of the TBX1 gene. Our results suggest that altered dosage of gene(s) other than TBX1, possibly DGCR6, may also be responsible for the development of conotruncal heart defects observed in patients with DGS and, in particular, in those with stand-alone conotruncal heart defects. PMID:27081520

Anomalous Hall effect in ion-beam sputtered Co2FeAl full Heusler alloy thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Sajid; Kumar, Ankit; Akansel, Serkan; Svedlindh, Peter; Chaudhary, Sujeet

2017-11-01

Investigations of temperature dependent anomalous Hall effect and longitudinal resistivity in Co2FeAl (CFA) thin films grown on Si(1 0 0) at different substrate temperature Ts are reported. The scaling of the anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) and the associated phenomenological mechanisms (intrinsic and extrinsic) are analyzed vis-à-vis influence of Ts. The intrinsic contribution to AHC is found to be dominating over the extrinsic one. The appearance of a resistivity minimum at low temperature necessitates the inclusion of quantum corrections on account of weak localization and electron-electron scattering effects whose strength reduces with increase in Ts. The study establishes that the optimization of Ts plays an important role in the improvement of atomic ordering which indicates the higher strength of spin-orbit coupling and leads to the dominant intrinsic contribution to AHC in these CFA full Heusler alloy thin films.

Mentoring Faculty: A US National Survey of Its Adequacy and Linkage to Culture in Academic Health Centers.

PubMed

Pololi, Linda H; Evans, Arthur T; Civian, Janet T; Vasiliou, Vasilia; Coplit, Lisa D; Gillum, Linda H; Gibbs, Brian K; Brennan, Robert T

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were to (1) describe the quantity and quality of mentoring faculty in US academic health centers (AHCs), (2) measure associations between mentoring and 12 dimensions that reflect the culture of AHCs, and (3) assess whether mentoring predicts seriously contemplating leaving one's institution. During 2007-2009, our National Initiative on Gender, Culture and Leadership in Medicine (C - Change) conducted a cross-sectional study of faculty from 26 representative AHCs in the United States using the 74-item C - Change Faculty Survey to assess relationships of faculty characteristics and various aspects of the institutional culture (52% response rate). Among the 2178 eligible respondents (assistant, associate, and full professors), we classified their mentoring experience as either inadequate, neutral, or positive. In this national sample, 43% of the 2178 respondents had inadequate mentoring; only 30% had a positive assessment of mentoring. There was no statistical difference by sex, minority status, or rank. Inadequate mentoring was most strongly associated with less institutional support, lower self-efficacy in career advancement, and lower scores on the trust/relationship/inclusion scale. The percent of faculty who had seriously considered leaving their institution was highest among those who had inadequate mentoring (58%), compared to those who were neutral (28%) or had positive mentoring (14%) (all paired comparisons, p < .001). In a national survey of faculty of US AHCs, mentoring was frequently inadequate and this was associated with faculty contemplating leaving their institutions. Positive mentoring, although less prevalent, was associated with many other positive dimensions of AHCs. © 2015 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood: Retrospective Genetic Study and Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in 187 Subjects from the US AHCF Registry

PubMed Central

Viollet, Louis; Glusman, Gustavo; Murphy, Kelley J.; Newcomb, Tara M.; Reyna, Sandra P.; Sweney, Matthew; Nelson, Benjamin; Andermann, Frederick; Andermann, Eva; Acsadi, Gyula; Barbano, Richard L.; Brown, Candida; Brunkow, Mary E.; Chugani, Harry T.; Cheyette, Sarah R.; Collins, Abigail; DeBrosse, Suzanne D.; Galas, David; Friedman, Jennifer; Hood, Lee; Huff, Chad; Jorde, Lynn B.; King, Mary D.; LaSalle, Bernie; Leventer, Richard J.; Lewelt, Aga J.; Massart, Mylynda B.; Mérida, Mario R.; Ptáček, Louis J.; Roach, Jared C.; Rust, Robert S.; Renault, Francis; Sanger, Terry D.; Sotero de Menezes, Marcio A.; Tennyson, Rachel; Uldall, Peter; Zhang, Yue; Zupanc, Mary; Xin, Winnie; Silver, Kenneth; Swoboda, Kathryn J.

2015-01-01

Mutations in ATP1A3 cause Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC) by disrupting function of the neuronal Na+/K+ ATPase. Published studies to date indicate 2 recurrent mutations, D801N and E815K, and a more severe phenotype in the E815K cohort. We performed mutation analysis and retrospective genotype-phenotype correlations in all eligible patients with AHC enrolled in the US AHC Foundation registry from 1997-2012. Clinical data were abstracted from standardized caregivers’ questionnaires and medical records and confirmed by expert clinicians. We identified ATP1A3 mutations by Sanger and whole genome sequencing, and compared phenotypes within and between 4 groups of subjects, those with D801N, E815K, other ATP1A3 or no ATP1A3 mutations. We identified heterozygous ATP1A3 mutations in 154 of 187 (82%) AHC patients. Of 34 unique mutations, 31 (91%) are missense, and 16 (47%) had not been previously reported. Concordant with prior studies, more than 2/3 of all mutations are clustered in exons 17 and 18. Of 143 simplex occurrences, 58 had D801N (40%), 38 had E815K (26%) and 11 had G937R (8%) mutations. Patients with an E815K mutation demonstrate an earlier age of onset, more severe motor impairment and a higher prevalence of status epilepticus. This study further expands the number and spectrum of ATP1A3 mutations associated with AHC and confirms a more deleterious effect of the E815K mutation on selected neurologic outcomes. However, the complexity of the disorder and the extensive phenotypic variability among subgroups merits caution and emphasizes the need for further studies. PMID:25996915

Low accuracy of the national reporting system of acute hepatitis C infection in Taiwan, 1995-2004.

PubMed

Kee, Kwong-Ming; Hung, Chi-Ming; Wang, Jing-Houng; Hung, Chao-Hung; Chen, Pao-Fei; Lin, Kuo-Sin; Lu, Sheng-Nan

2010-07-01

This study attempted to clarify accuracy of acute hepatitis C (AHC) and its clinical characteristics. We reviewed 632 reported cases from national surveillance data of the Taiwan Center for Disease Control between 1995 and 2004, and reclassified diagnoses. A definite case was defined as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 10 x the upper limit of normal (ULN) with seroconversion of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV). A probable case was defined as (i) seroconversion of anti-HCV and/or elevated ALT levels; or (ii) anti-HCV(+) but titers increased (from < 40 S/CO to >or= 40 S/CO) and ALT > 10 x the ULN. A suspected case was defined as initial anti-HCV(+) and ALT level > 10 x the ULN and/or jaundice. Excluded cases were defined as ALT levels less than 10 x ULN with initial positive anti-HCV Ab. A total of 310 (49%) cases were confirmed as AHC; these included 95 (15%) definite and 215 (34%) probable cases. Higher incidence rates and accuracy of AHC were demonstrated in the southern area significantly if compared with northern, eastern and central areas, respectively (all P < 0.05). On comparison between blood centers and hospitals, more AHC cases were found in Southern Taiwan than in other areas (157/73 vs 24/40, P < 0.001), younger mean age (33.3 +/- 11.1 vs 49.3 +/- 16.4, P < 0.001), lower ALT levels (263.1 +/- 200.9 vs 1264.2 +/- 706.8, P < 0.001) and male predominance (191/39 vs 46/18, P = 0.046). This study showed our reporting system over-estimated the AHC diagnosis, which is also a common issue worldwide. Greater efforts are needed to establish appropriate reporting systems, as well as more supplemental methods to distinguish between prevalent and incident cases.

Discussing the undiscussable with the powerful: why and how faculty must learn to counteract organizational silence.

PubMed

Dankoski, Mary E; Bickel, Janet; Gusic, Maryellen E

2014-12-01

Dialogue is essential for transforming institutions into learning organizations, yet many well-known characteristics of academic health centers (AHCs) interfere with open discussion. Rigid hierarchies, intense competition for resources, and the power of peer review in advancement processes all hamper difficult conversations, thereby contributing to organizational silence, and at great cost to the institution. Information necessary for critical decisions is not shared, individuals and the organization do not learn from mistakes, and diverse perspectives from those with less power are not entertained, or worse, are suppressed. When leaders become more skilled at inviting multiple perspectives and faculty more adept at broaching difficult conversations with those in power, differences are more effectively addressed and conflicts resolved. In this article, the authors frame why this skill is an essential competency for faculty and leaders alike and provide the following recommendations to institutions for increasing capacity in this area: (1) develop leaders to counteract organizational silence, (2) develop faculty members' skills in raising difficult issues with those in positions of power, and (3) train mentors to coach others in raising difficult conversations. The vitality of AHCs requires that faculty and institutional leaders develop relational communication skills and partner in learning through challenging conversations.

Zitkala-Sa and the Problem of Regionalism: Nations, Narratives, and Critical Traditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Totten, Gary

2005-01-01

Although Yankton Sioux writer Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Bonnin, 1876-1938) was, as P. Jane Hafen notes, "virtually unknown for many decades," much critical work has appeared since Dexter Fisher's 1979 article,"Zitkala-Sa: Evolution of a Writer." Some critics desiring to bring Zitkala-Sa into the conversation about turn-of-the-century American women…

The levels of kerosene components in biological samples after repeated dermal exposure to kerosene in rats.

PubMed

Fujihara, Junko; Hieda, Yoko; Tsujino, Yoshio; Xue, Yuying; Takayama, Koji; Kimura, Kojiro; Dekio, Satoshi

2004-04-01

The current study was experimentally investigated using rats whether or not kerosene components are accumulated from daily repeated dermal exposure. Rats received daily 1h-exposure to kerosene for 5 days (5K), daily 1h-exposure for 4 days and left for 1 day (4KL), a single 1h-exposure (1K), a single 1h-exposure and left for 1 day (1KL), or a single 1h-exposure, sacrificed and left dead for 1 day (1KLD). Kerosene components, trimethylbenzenes (TMBs) and aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) in blood and tissues were determined by GC-MS. In blood, almost the same concentrations of TMBs were detected in the rats sacrificed immediately after exposure (5K, 1K and 1KLD), and only trace levels were detected in the rats sacrificed 1 day after exposure (4 and 1KL). Almost the same levels of AHCs in blood were detected among groups except for the rats sacrificed 1 day after a single exposure (1KL), in which AHCs were slightly lower. These results suggest that (1) AHCs tend to be accumulated from daily exposure, while TMBs do not, (2) the proportions of detected kerosene components in blood can be an indicator of whether the last exposure occurred just before death or not, (3) the kerosene levels last at least 1 day without blood circulation.

Academic Health Center Psychology Representation to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

PubMed

Cubic, Barbara A; Shaffer, Laura A

2017-06-01

This paper outlines the perspectives of the two currently appointed representatives of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The authors focus on why it is important for psychologists, especially those in academic health centers (AHCs), to be part of CFAS. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how involvement in organizations like the AAMC helps AHC psychologists serve as ambassadors for psychology in AHCs and assists AHC psychologists in staying fluent regarding hot topics within academic medicine. The first author is a more senior member of APAHC, and so reflects the perspective of long-serving APAHC members; the second author reflects the perspectives of newer generations of APAHC members, those who have been active in APAHC for 10 years or less. The authors discuss their experiences being at national CFAS meetings. They describe meeting events including presentations such as those by national policy experts and scholars; and speed mentoring with medical residents from the AAMC Organization of Resident Representatives. Of special importance has been their opportunities for informal conversations with the AAMC's President and CEO, Board Chair, and Chief Public Policy Officer. They also have participated in networking functions that encourage interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and relationship building.

The Long War and Parental Combat Deployment: Effects on Military Children and At-Home Spouses

PubMed Central

Lester, Patricia; Peterson, Kris; Reeves, James; Knauss, Larry; Glover, Dorie; Mogil, Catherine; Duan, Naihua; Saltzman, William; Pynoos, Robert; Wilt, Katherine; Beardslee, William

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE Given the growing number of military service members with families and the multiple combat deployments characterizing current war time duties, the impact of deployments on military children requires clarification. Behavioral and emotional adjustment problems were examined in children (aged 6 –12) of an active duty Army or Marine Corps parent currently deployed (CD) or recently returned (RR) from Afghanistan or Iraq. METHOD Children (N=272) and their at-home civilian (AHC) (N=163) and/or recently returned active duty (AD) parent (N=65) were interviewed. Child adjustment outcomes were examined in relation to parental psychological distress and months of combat deployment (of the AD) using mixed effects linear models. RESULTS Parental distress (AHC and AD) and cumulative length of parental combat-related deployments during the child’s lifetime independently predicted increased child depression and externalizing symptoms. Although behavioral adjustment and depression levels were comparable to community norms, anxiety was significantly elevated in children in both deployment groups. In contrast, AHC parental distress was greater in those with a CD (vs. RR) spouse. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate parental combat deployment has a cumulative effect on children which remains even after the deployed parent returns home, and is predicted by psychological distress of both the AD and AHC parent. Such data may be informative for screening, prevention and intervention strategies. PMID:20410724

Scale criticality in estimating ecosystem carbon dynamics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhao, Shuqing; Liu, Shuguang

2014-01-01

Scaling is central to ecology and Earth system sciences. However, the importance of scale (i.e. resolution and extent) for understanding carbon dynamics across scales is poorly understood and quantified. We simulated carbon dynamics under a wide range of combinations of resolution (nine spatial resolutions of 250 m, 500 m, 1 km, 2 km, 5 km, 10 km, 20 km, 50 km, and 100 km) and extent (57 geospatial extents ranging from 108 to 1 247 034 km2) in the southeastern United States to explore the existence of scale dependence of the simulated regional carbon balance. Results clearly show the existence of a critical threshold resolution for estimating carbon sequestration within a given extent and an error limit. Furthermore, an invariant power law scaling relationship was found between the critical resolution and the spatial extent as the critical resolution is proportional to An (n is a constant, and A is the extent). Scale criticality and the power law relationship might be driven by the power law probability distributions of land surface and ecological quantities including disturbances at landscape to regional scales. The current overwhelming practices without considering scale criticality might have largely contributed to difficulties in balancing carbon budgets at regional and global scales.

Disruption of neurogenesis and cortical development in transgenic mice misexpressing Olig2, a gene in the Down syndrome critical region.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Zhou, Hui; Liu, Lei; Zhao, Chuntao; Deng, Yaqi; Chen, Lina; Wu, Laiman; Mandrycky, Nicole; McNabb, Christopher T; Peng, Yuanbo; Fuchs, Perry N; Lu, Jie; Sheen, Volney; Qiu, Mengsheng; Mao, Meng; Lu, Q Richard

2015-05-01

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor Olig2 is crucial for mammalian central nervous system development. Human ortholog OLIG2 is located in the Down syndrome critical region in trisomy 21. To investigate the effect of Olig2 misexpression on brain development, we generated a developmentally regulated Olig2-overexpressing transgenic line with a Cre/loxP system. The transgenic mice with Olig2 misexpression in cortical neural stem/progenitor cells exhibited microcephaly, cortical dyslamination, hippocampus malformation, and profound motor deficits. Ectopic misexpression of Olig2 impaired cortical progenitor proliferation and caused precocious cell cycle exit. Massive neuronal cell death was detected in the developing cortex of Olig2-misexpressing mice. In addition, Olig2 misexpression led to a significant downregulation of neuronal specification factors including Ngn1, Ngn2 and Pax6, and a defect in cortical neurogenesis. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation and sequencing (ChIP-Seq) analysis indicates that Olig2 directly targets the promoter and/or enhancer regions of Nfatc4, Dscr1/Rcan1 and Dyrk1a, the critical neurogenic genes that contribute to Down syndrome phenotypes, and inhibits their expression. Together, our study suggests that Olig2 misexpression in neural stem cells elicits neurogenesis defects and neuronal cell death, which may contribute to developmental disorders including Down syndrome, where OLIG2 is triplicated on chromosomal 21. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About Region 8’s Central Regional Laboratory

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Region 8 laboratory plays a critical role in protecting people's health and the environment through the analysis of air, water, soil, and biota samples (plant, fish, and occasionally, mammalian tissue).

Constitutional chromothripsis involving the critical region of 9q21.13 microdeletion syndrome.

PubMed

Genesio, Rita; Fontana, Paolo; Mormile, Angela; Casertano, Alberto; Falco, Mariateresa; Conti, Anna; Franzese, Adriana; Mozzillo, Enza; Nitsch, Lucio; Melis, Daniela

2015-01-01

The chromothripsis is a biological phenomenon, first observed in tumors and then rapidly described in congenital disorders. The principle of the chromothripsis process is the occurrence of a local shattering to pieces and rebuilding of chromosomes in a random order. Congenital chromothripsis rearrangements often involve reciprocal rearrangements on multiple chromosomes and have been described as cause of contiguous gene syndromes. We hypothesize that chromothripsis could be responsible for known 9q21.13 microdeletion syndrome, causing a composite phenotype with additional features. The case reported is a 16- years-old female with a complex genomic rearrangement of chromosome 9 including the critical region of 9q21.13 microdeletion syndrome. The patient presents with platelet disorder and thyroid dysfunction in addition to the classical neurobehavioral phenotype of the syndrome. The presence of multiple rearrangements on the same chromosome 9 and the rebuilding of chromosome in a random order suggested that the rearrangement could origin from an event of chromthripsis. To our knowledge this is the first report of congenital chromothripsis involving chromosome 9. Furthermore this is the only case of 9q21.13 microdeletion syndrome due to chromothripsis.

Theoretical Analysis of Thermodynamic Measurements near a Liquid-Gas Critical Point

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M.; Zhong, Fang; Hahn, Inseob

2003-01-01

Over the years, many ground-based studies have been performed near liquid-gas critical points to elucidate the expected divergences in thermodynamic quantities. The unambiguous interpretation of these studies very near the critical point is hindered by a gravity-induced density stratification. However, these ground-based measurements can give insight into the crossover behavior between the asymptotic critical region near the transition and the mean field region farther away. We have completed a detailed analysis of heat capacity, susceptibility and coexistence curve measurements near the He-3 liquid-gas critical point using the minimal-subtraction renormalization (MSR) scheme within the phi(exp 4) model. This MSR scheme, using only two adjustable parameters, provides a reasonable global fit to all of these experimental measurements in the gravity-free region out to a reduced temperature of |t| approx. 2x10(exp -2). Recently this approach has also been applied to the earlier microgravity measurements of Haupt and Straub in SF(sub 6) with surprising results. The conclusions drawn from the MSR analyses will be presented. Measurements in the gravity-affected region closer to the He-3 critical point have also been analyzed using the recent crossover parametric model (CPM) of the equation-of-state. The results of fitting heat capacity measurements to the CPM model along the He-3 critical isochore in the gravity-affected region will also be presented.

A Conserved Region between the Heptad Repeats of Paramyxovirus Fusion Proteins is Critical for Proper F Protein Folding†

PubMed Central

Gardner, Amanda E.; Martin, Kimberly L.; Dutch, Rebecca E.

2008-01-01

Paramyxoviruses are a diverse family which utilizes a fusion (F) protein to enter cells via fusion of the viral lipid bilayer with a target cell membrane. Although certain regions of F are known to play critical roles in membrane fusion, the function of much of the protein remains unclear. Sequence alignment of a set of paramyxovirus F proteins and analysis utilizing Block Maker identified a region of conserved amino acid sequence in a large domain between the heptad repeats of F1, designated CBF1. We employed site-directed mutagenesis to analyze the function of completely conserved residues of CBF1 in both the simian virus 5 (SV5) and Hendra virus F proteins. The majority of CBF1 point mutants were deficient in homotrimer formation, proteolytic processing, and transport to the cell surface. For some SV5 F mutants, proteolytic cleavage and surface expression could be restored by expression at 30°C, and varying levels of fusion promotion were observed at this temperature. In addition, the mutant SV5 F V402A displayed a hyperfusogenic phenotype at both 30°C and 37°C, indicating this mutation allows for efficient fusion with only an extremely small amount of cleaved, active protein. The recently published prefusogenic structure of PIV5/SV5 F [Yin, H.S., et al. (2006) Nature 439, 38–44] indicates that residues within and flanking CBF1 interact with the fusion peptide domain. Together, these data suggest that CBF1-fusion peptide interactions are critical for the initial folding of paramyxovirus F proteins from across this important viral family, and can also modulate subsequent membrane fusion promotion. PMID:17417875

Ketogenic diet and childhood neurological disorders other than epilepsy: an overview.

PubMed

Verrotti, Alberto; Iapadre, Giulia; Pisano, Simone; Coppola, Giangennaro

2017-05-01

In the last years, ketogenic diet (KD) has been experimentally utilized in various childhood neurologic disorders such as mitochondriopathies, alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), brain tumors, migraine, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this review is to analyze how KD can target these different medical conditions, highlighting possible mechanisms involved. Areas covered: We have conducted an analysis on literature concerning KD use in mitochondriopathies, AHC, brain tumors, migraine, and ASD. Expert commentary: The role of KD in reducing seizure activity in some mitochondriopathies and its efficacy in pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency is known. Recently, few cases suggest the potentiality of KD in decreasing paroxysmal activity in children affected by AHC. A few data support its potential use as co-adjuvant and alternative therapeutic option for brain cancer, while any beneficial effect of KD on migraine remains unclear. KD could improve cognitive and social skills in a subset of children with ASD.

Restructuring within an academic health center to support quality and safety: the development of the Center for Quality and Safety at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

PubMed

Bohmer, Richard M J; Bloom, Jonathan D; Mort, Elizabeth A; Demehin, Akinluwa A; Meyer, Gregg S

2009-12-01

Recent focus on the need to improve the quality and safety of health care has created new challenges for academic health centers (AHCs). Whereas previously quality was largely assumed, today it is increasingly quantifiable and requires organized systems for improvement. Traditional structures and cultures within AHCs, although well suited to the tripartite missions of teaching, research, and clinical care, are not easily adaptable to the tasks of measuring, reporting, and improving quality. Here, the authors use a case study of Massachusetts General Hospital's efforts to restructure quality and safety to illustrate the value of beginning with a focus on organizational culture, using a systematic process of engaging clinical leadership, developing an organizational framework dependent on proven business principles, leveraging focus events, and maintaining executive dedication to execution of the initiative. The case provides a generalizable example for AHCs of how applying explicit management design can foster robust organizational change with relatively modest incremental financial resources.

Alterations of antioxidant status in asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic individuals after resveratrol intake.

PubMed

Apostolidou, C; Adamopoulos, K; Iliadis, S; Kourtidou-Papadeli, C

2015-08-01

High cholesterol is one of the risk factors for atherogenesis, leading to oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The focus of this study was to evaluate the role and the pathways of action of a natural antioxidant, resveratrol, in asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic (AHC) individuals. Forty healthy AHCs and normocholesterolemics (NCs) participated in the study. They received random-order resveratrol and placebo capsules for four weeks. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), vitamin E and total cholesterol (TC) were measured at baseline and at the end of each intervention. Resveratrol provided a direct antioxidant effect in healthy NC individuals, but in AHC individuals, with a higher demand for antioxidant activity due to higher cholesterol levels, it acted by facilitating an increase in vitamin E. Our findings suggest that resveratrol acts synergistically with other antioxidants against oxidative stress and highlights the importance of hypercholesterolemic individuals consuming natural antioxidants instead of medications to reduce the risk of CVD, while the situation is still reversible.

Coxsackievirus A24 Variant Associated with Acute Haemorrhagic Conjunctivitis Cases, French Guiana, 2017.

PubMed

Enfissi, Antoine; Joffret, Marie-Line; Delaune, Déborah; Delpeyroux, Francis; Rousset, Dominique; Bessaud, Maël

2018-06-13

In 2017, numerous cases of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) were reported in the Caribbean and in South America. Preliminary reports identified adenoviruses and enteroviruses in some patient samples but, until now, none of the etiologic agents have been fully characterized. We report the full-length genomic sequences of 4 coxsackievirus A24 (CV-A24) isolates collected from AHC patients in French Guiana during this outbreak (May and June 2017). These isolates are very closely related and belong to the genotype IV of CV-A24 variant, which consists of strains sampled worldwide during AHC outbreaks in the 2000s and 2010s. No recombination events were detected within the genomic sequences, indicating that members of this genotype have continuously circulated worldwide for more than 10 years without undergoing recombination with other enteroviruses. This unusual trait could be due to their ocular tropism that could impede genetic exchanges between these viruses and other enteroviruses, which replicate mainly in the gut. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Jaguar critical habitat designation causes concern for Southwestern ranchers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Svancara, Colleen; Lien, Aaron M.; Vanasco, Wendy T.; Laura Lopez-Hoffman,; Ruyle, George B.

2015-01-01

The designation of jaguar critical habitat in April 2014 in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico created concern for livestock ranchers in the region. We interviewed ranchers to understand their concerns with the jaguar critical habitat designation and their attitudes toward jaguars, wildlife conservation, and resource management in general. Ranchers we interviewed were concerned about direct impacts of designated critical habitat on ranching, as well as possible alternative agendas of critical habitat advocates and issues specific to the borderlands region. The ranchers were less concerned about the presence of jaguars but were more concerned about possible limiting effects of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), distrust of government entities, and litigious environmental groups. To maximize effectiveness, government agencies should work to foster trust in the ranching community, be cognizant of sensitive issues specific to the region that may challenge endangered species conservation goals, recognize the opportunity to work with ranchers for endangered species management, and provide outreach about implications of the ESA.

Critical Care Organizations: Business of Critical Care and Value/Performance Building.

PubMed

Leung, Sharon; Gregg, Sara R; Coopersmith, Craig M; Layon, A Joseph; Oropello, John; Brown, Daniel R; Pastores, Stephen M; Kvetan, Vladimir

2018-01-01

New, value-based regulations and reimbursement structures are creating historic care management challenges, thinning the margins and threatening the viability of hospitals and health systems. The Society of Critical Care Medicine convened a taskforce of Academic Leaders in Critical Care Medicine on February 22, 2016, during the 45th Critical Care Congress to develop a toolkit drawing on the experience of successful leaders of critical care organizations in North America for advancing critical care organizations (Appendix 1). The goal of this article was to provide a roadmap and call attention to key factors that adult critical care medicine leadership in both academic and nonacademic setting should consider when planning for value-based care. Relevant medical literature was accessed through a literature search. Material published by federal health agencies and other specialty organizations was also reviewed. Collaboratively and iteratively, taskforce members corresponded by electronic mail and held monthly conference calls to finalize this report. The business and value/performance critical care organization building section comprised of leaders of critical care organizations with expertise in critical care administration, healthcare management, and clinical practice. Two phases of critical care organizations care integration are described: "horizontal," within the system and regionalization of care as an initial phase, and "vertical," with a post-ICU and postacute care continuum as a succeeding phase. The tools required for the clinical and financial transformation are provided, including the essential prerequisites of forming a critical care organization; the manner in which a critical care organization can help manage transformational domains is considered. Lastly, how to achieve organizational health system support for critical care organization implementation is discussed. A critical care organization that incorporates functional clinical horizontal and

Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome After Revascularization Surgery in Moyamoya Disease: Region-Symptom Mapping and Estimating a Critical Threshold.

PubMed

Kazumata, Ken; Uchino, Haruto; Tokairin, Kikutaro; Ito, Masaki; Shiga, Tohru; Osanai, Toshiya; Kawabori, Masahito

2018-06-01

Cerebral hyperperfusion complicates the postoperative course of patients with moyamoya disease after direct revascularization surgery. There is no clear distinction between cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome and benign postoperative increase in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). The present study aimed to determine clinically relevant changes in rCBF, anatomical correlations, and factors associated with transient neurologic symptoms after revascularization surgery in moyamoya disease. Whole-brain voxel-based perfusion mapping was used to identify regions involved in cerebral hyperperfusion and quantify the changes in 105 hemispheric surgeries with the use of single-photon computed tomography acquired on postoperative day 7. The changes in rCBF were quantitatively analyzed, and associations with cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome were determined. Transient neurologic symptoms appeared with rCBF increase in 37.9% of adults. Speech impairments were associated with an increase in rCBF in the operculo-insula region. Cheiro-oral syndrome was associated with the posterior insula as well as the prefrontal region. A receiver operating curve analysis yielded transient neurologic symptoms with maximum accuracy at >15.5% increase from baseline. Age and preoperative rCBF were independently associated with transient neurologic symptoms (P < 0.001). Areas showing rCBF increase during the experience of transient neurologic symptoms were spatially compatible with the known functional anatomy of the brain. An increase of approximately 15% from baseline was found to be critical, which is a far lower threshold than what has been reported previously. Increasing age was significantly associated with the occurrence of symptomatic hyperperfusion. Furthermore, patients with preserved rCBF also showed symptomatic hyperperfusion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TAIL1: an isthmin-like gene, containing type 1 thrombospondin-repeat and AMOP domain, mapped to ARVD1 critical region.

PubMed

Rossi, Valeria; Beffagna, Giorgia; Rampazzo, Alessandra; Bauce, Barbara; Danieli, Gian Antonio

2004-06-23

Isthmins represent a novel family of vertebrate secreted proteins containing one copy of the thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR), which in mammals is shared by several proteins with diverse biological functions, including cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and patterning of developing nervous system. We have determined the genomic organization of human TAIL1 (thrombospondin and AMOP containing isthmin-like 1), a novel isthmin-like gene encoding a protein that contains a TSR and a C-terminal AMOP domain (adhesion-associated domain in MUC4 and other proteins), characteristic of extracellular proteins involved in adhesion processes. TAIL1 gene encompasses more than 24.4 kb. Analysis of the DNA sequence surrounding the putative transcriptional start region revealed a TATA-less promoter located in a CpG island. Several consensus binding sites for the transcription factors Sp1 and MZF-1 were identified in this promoter region. In humans, TAIL1 gene is located on chromosome 14q24.3 within ARVD1 (arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy, type 1) critical region; preliminary evidence suggests that it is expressed in several tissues, showing multiple alternative splicing.

Engineered chromosome-based genetic mapping establishes a 3.7 Mb critical genomic region for Down syndrome-associated heart defects in mice.

PubMed

Liu, Chunhong; Morishima, Masae; Jiang, Xiaoling; Yu, Tao; Meng, Kai; Ray, Debjit; Pao, Annie; Ye, Ping; Parmacek, Michael S; Yu, Y Eugene

2014-06-01

Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome, DS) is the most common human genetic anomaly associated with heart defects. Based on evolutionary conservation, DS-associated heart defects have been modeled in mice. By generating and analyzing mouse mutants carrying different genomic rearrangements in human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) syntenic regions, we found the triplication of the Tiam1-Kcnj6 region on mouse chromosome 16 (Mmu16) resulted in DS-related cardiovascular abnormalities. In this study, we developed two tandem duplications spanning the Tiam1-Kcnj6 genomic region on Mmu16 using recombinase-mediated genome engineering, Dp(16)3Yey and Dp(16)4Yey, spanning the 2.1 Mb Tiam1-Il10rb and 3.7 Mb Ifnar1-Kcnj6 regions, respectively. We found that Dp(16)4Yey/+, but not Dp(16)3Yey/+, led to heart defects, suggesting the triplication of the Ifnar1-Kcnj6 region is sufficient to cause DS-associated heart defects. Our transcriptional analysis of Dp(16)4Yey/+ embryos showed that the Hsa21 gene orthologs located within the duplicated interval were expressed at the elevated levels, reflecting the consequences of the gene dosage alterations. Therefore, we have identified a 3.7 Mb genomic region, the smallest critical genomic region, for DS-associated heart defects, and our results should set the stage for the final step to establish the identities of the causal gene(s), whose elevated expression(s) directly underlie this major DS phenotype.

The Drosophila homolog of Down's syndrome critical region 1 gene regulates learning: Implications for mental retardation

PubMed Central

Chang, Karen T.; Shi, Yi-Jun; Min, Kyung-Tai

2003-01-01

Mental retardation is the most common phenotypic abnormality seen in Down's syndrome (DS) patients, yet the underlying mechanism remains mysterious. DS critical region 1 (DSCR1), located on chromosome 21, is overexpressed in the brain of DS fetus and encodes an inhibitor of calcineurin, but its physiological significance is unknown. To study its functional importance and role in mental retardation in DS, we generated Drosophila mutants of nebula, an ortholog of human DSCR1. Here, we report that both nebula loss-of-function and overexpression mutants exhibit severe learning defects that are attributed by biochemical perturbations rather than maldevelopment of the brain. These results, combined with our data showing that the same biochemical signaling pathway is altered in human DS fetal brain tissue overexpressing DSCR1, suggest that alteration of DSCR1 expression could contribute to mental retardation in DS. PMID:14668437

Identification of a Major Dimorphic Region in the Functionally Critical N-Terminal ID1 Domain of VAR2CSA

PubMed Central

Doritchamou, Justin; Sabbagh, Audrey; Jespersen, Jakob S.; Renard, Emmanuelle; Salanti, Ali; Nielsen, Morten A.; Deloron, Philippe; Tuikue Ndam, Nicaise

2015-01-01

The VAR2CSA protein of Plasmodium falciparum is transported to and expressed on the infected erythrocyte surface where it plays a key role in placental malaria (PM). It is the current leading candidate for a vaccine to prevent PM. However, the antigenic polymorphism integral to VAR2CSA poses a challenge for vaccine development. Based on detailed analysis of polymorphisms in the sequence of its ligand-binding N-terminal region, currently the main focus for vaccine development, we assessed var2csa from parasite isolates infecting pregnant women. The results reveal for the first time the presence of a major dimorphic region in the functionally critical N-terminal ID1 domain. Parasite isolates expressing VAR2CSA with particular motifs present within this domain are associated with gravidity- and parasite density-related effects. These observations are of particular interest in guiding efforts with respect to optimization of the VAR2CSA-based vaccines currently under development. PMID:26393516

Corn silage versus corn silage:alfalfa hay mixtures for dairy cows: effects of dietary potassium, calcium, and cation-anion difference.

PubMed

Erdman, R A; Piperova, L S; Kohn, R A

2011-10-01

Corn silage (CS) has replaced alfalfa hay (AH) and haylage as the major forage fed to lactating dairy cows, yet many dairy producers believe that inclusion of small amounts of alfalfa hay or haylage improves feed intake and milk production. Alfalfa contains greater concentrations of K and Ca than corn silage and has an inherently higher dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD). Supplemental dietary buffers such as NaHCO(3) and K(2)CO(3) increase DCAD and summaries of studies with these buffers showed improved performance in CS-based diets but not in AH-based diets. We speculated that improvements in performance with AH addition to CS-based diets could be due to differences in mineral and DCAD concentrations between the 2 forages. The objective of this experiment was to test the effects of forage (CS vs. AH) and mineral supplementation on production responses using 45 lactating Holstein cows during the first 20 wk postpartum. Dietary treatments included (1) 50:50 mixture of AH and CS as the forage (AHCS); (2) CS as the sole forage; and (3) CS fortified with mineral supplements (CaCO(3) and K(2)CO(3)) to match the Ca and K content of the AHCS diet (CS-DCAD). Feed intake and milk production were equivalent or greater for cows fed the CS and CS-DCAD diets compared with those fed the AHCS diet. Fat percentage was greater in cows fed the CS compared with the AHCS diet. Fat-corrected milk (FCM; 3.5%) tended to be greater in cows fed the CS and CS-DCAD diets compared with the AHCS diet. Feed efficiencies measured as FCM/dry matter intake were 1.76, 1.80, and 1.94 for the AHCS, CS, and CS-DCAD diets, respectively. The combined effects of reduced feed intake and increased FCM contributed to increased feed efficiency with the CS-DCAD diet, which contained 1.41% K compared with 1.18% K in the CS diet, and we speculate that this might be the result of added dietary K and DCAD effects on digestive efficiency. These results indicate no advantage to including AH in CS-based diets

Detection of critical cerebral desaturation thresholds by three regional oximeters during hypoxia: a pilot study in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Tomlin, Kerry L; Neitenbach, Anna-Maria; Borg, Ulf

2017-01-13

Regional oximetry is increasingly used to monitor post-extraction oxygen status of the brain during surgical procedures where hemodynamic fluctuations are expected. Particularly in cardiac surgery, clinicians employ an interventional algorithm to restore baseline regional oxygen saturation (rSO 2 ) when a patient reaches a critical desaturation threshold. Evidence suggests that monitoring cardiac surgery patients and intervening to maintain rSO 2 can improve postoperative outcomes; however, evidence generated with one manufacturer's device may not be applicable to others. We hypothesized that regional oximeters from different manufacturers respond uniquely to changes in oxygen saturation in healthy volunteers. Three devices were tested: INVOS™ 5100C (Medtronic), EQUANOX™ 7600 (Nonin), and FORE-SIGHT™ (CASMED) monitors. We divided ten healthy subjects into two cohorts wearing a single sensor each from INVOS and EQUANOX (n = 6), or INVOS and FORE-SIGHT (n = 4). We induced and reversed hypoxia by adjusting the fraction of inspired oxygen. We calculated the magnitude of absolute rSO 2 change and rate of rSO 2 change during desaturation and resaturation, and determined if and when each device reached a critical interventional rSO 2 threshold during hypoxia. All devices responded to changes in oxygen directionally as expected. The median absolute rSO 2 change and the rate of rSO 2 change was significantly greater during desaturation and resaturation for INVOS compared with EQUANOX (P = 0.04). A similar but nonsignificant trend was observed for INVOS compared with FORE-SIGHT; our study was underpowered to definitively conclude there was no difference. A 10% relative decrease in rSO 2 during desaturation was detected by all three devices across the ten subjects. INVOS met a 20% relative decrease threshold in all subjects of both cohorts, compared to 1 with EQUANOX and 2 with FORE-SIGHT. Neither EQUANOX nor FORE-SIGHT reached a 50% absolute rSO 2 threshold

Deletion of ETS-1, a gene in the Jacobsen syndrome critical region, causes ventricular septal defects and abnormal ventricular morphology in mice

PubMed Central

Ye, Maoqing; Coldren, Chris; Liang, Xingqun; Mattina, Teresa; Goldmuntz, Elizabeth; Benson, D. Woodrow; Ivy, Dunbar; Perryman, M.B.; Garrett-Sinha, Lee Ann; Grossfeld, Paul

2010-01-01

Congenital heart defects comprise the most common form of major birth defects, affecting 0.7% of all newborn infants. Jacobsen syndrome (11q-) is a rare chromosomal disorder caused by deletions in distal 11q. We have previously determined that a wide spectrum of the most common congenital heart defects occur in 11q-, including an unprecedented high frequency of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). We identified an ∼7 Mb ‘cardiac critical region’ in distal 11q that contains a putative causative gene(s) for congenital heart disease. In this study, we utilized chromosomal microarray mapping to characterize three patients with 11q- and congenital heart defects that carry interstitial deletions overlapping the 7 Mb cardiac critical region. We propose that this 1.2 Mb region of overlap harbors a gene(s) that causes at least a subset of the congenital heart defects that occur in 11q-. We demonstrate that one gene in this region, ETS-1 (a member of the ETS family of transcription factors), is expressed in the endocardium and neural crest during early mouse heart development. Gene-targeted deletion of ETS-1 in mice in a C57/B6 background causes, with high penetrance, large membranous ventricular septal defects and a bifid cardiac apex, and less frequently a non-apex-forming left ventricle (one of the hallmarks of HLHS). Our results implicate an important role for the ETS-1 transcription factor in mammalian heart development and should provide important insights into some of the most common forms of congenital heart disease. PMID:19942620

Tourism and the conservation of critically endangered frogs.

PubMed

Morrison, Clare; Simpkins, Clay; Castley, J Guy; Buckley, Ralf C

2012-01-01

Protected areas are critical for the conservation of many threatened species. Despite this, many protected areas are acutely underfunded, which reduces their effectiveness significantly. Tourism is one mechanism to promote and fund conservation in protected areas, but there are few studies analyzing its tangible conservation outcomes for threatened species. This study uses the 415 IUCN critically endangered frog species to evaluate the contribution of protected area tourism revenue to conservation. Contributions were calculated for each species as the proportion of geographic range inside protected areas multiplied by the proportion of protected area revenues derived from tourism. Geographic ranges were determined from IUCN Extent of Occurrence maps. Almost 60% (239) of critically endangered frog species occur in protected areas. Higher proportions of total range are protected in Nearctic, Australasian and Afrotopical regions. Tourism contributions to protected area budgets ranged from 5-100%. These financial contributions are highest for developing countries in the Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Neotropical regions. Data for both geographic range and budget are available for 201 critically endangered frog species with proportional contributions from tourism to species protection ranging from 0.8-99%. Tourism's financial contributions to critically endangered frog species protection are highest in the Afrotropical region. This study uses a coarse measure but at the global scale it demonstrates that tourism has significant potential to contribute to global frog conservation efforts.

Tourism and the Conservation of Critically Endangered Frogs

PubMed Central

Morrison, Clare; Simpkins, Clay; Castley, J. Guy; Buckley, Ralf C.

2012-01-01

Protected areas are critical for the conservation of many threatened species. Despite this, many protected areas are acutely underfunded, which reduces their effectiveness significantly. Tourism is one mechanism to promote and fund conservation in protected areas, but there are few studies analyzing its tangible conservation outcomes for threatened species. This study uses the 415 IUCN critically endangered frog species to evaluate the contribution of protected area tourism revenue to conservation. Contributions were calculated for each species as the proportion of geographic range inside protected areas multiplied by the proportion of protected area revenues derived from tourism. Geographic ranges were determined from IUCN Extent of Occurrence maps. Almost 60% (239) of critically endangered frog species occur in protected areas. Higher proportions of total range are protected in Nearctic, Australasian and Afrotopical regions. Tourism contributions to protected area budgets ranged from 5–100%. These financial contributions are highest for developing countries in the Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Neotropical regions. Data for both geographic range and budget are available for 201 critically endangered frog species with proportional contributions from tourism to species protection ranging from 0.8–99%. Tourism's financial contributions to critically endangered frog species protection are highest in the Afrotropical region. This study uses a coarse measure but at the global scale it demonstrates that tourism has significant potential to contribute to global frog conservation efforts. PMID:22984440

Warning letters to sponsor-investigators at academic health centres - the regulatory "canaries in a coal mine".

PubMed

O'Reilly, Erin K; Blair Holbein, M E; Berglund, Jelena P; Parrish, Amanda B; Roth, Mary-Tara; Burnett, Bruce K

2013-12-01

This study highlights Warning Letter (WL) findings issued to sponsor-investigators (S-Is) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The online index of WLs issued from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2012 was reviewed [1]. Through a manual screening process, letters were evaluated if specifically issued to 'clinical investigators', 'sponsors' or 'sponsor-investigators'. A particular focus was given to S-Is at Academic Health Centres (AHCs). Each letter was scored for the presence of violations in 40 general regulatory categories. A review of FDA WLs issued over a five-year period (FDA Fiscal Years 2008-2012) revealed that WLs to S-Is represent half of the WLs issued to all sponsors (16 of 32 letters). A review of these letters indicates that S-Is are not aware of, or simply do not meet, their regulatory responsibilities as either investigators or sponsors. In comparing total sponsor letters to those of S-Is, the most cited violation was the same: a lack of monitoring. A review of publicly available inspection data indicates that these 16 letters merely represent the tip of the iceberg. This review of the WL database reveals the potential for serious regulatory violations among S-Is at AHCs. Recent translational funding initiatives may serve to increase the number of S-Is, especially among Academic Health Centres (AHCs) [2]; thus, AHCs must become aware of this S-I role and work to support investigators who assume both roles in the course of their research.

Case study: the Stanford University School of Medicine and its teaching hospitals.

PubMed

Pizzo, Philip A

2008-09-01

There is wide variation in the governance and organization of academic health centers (AHCs), often prompted by or associated with changes in leadership. Changes at AHCs are influenced by institutional priorities, economic factors, competing needs, and the personality and performance of leaders. No organizational model has uniform applicability, and it is important for each AHC to learn what works or does not on the basis of its experiences. This case study of the Stanford University School of Medicine and its teaching hospitals--which constitute Stanford's AHC, the Stanford University Medical Center--reflects responses to the consequences of a failed merger of the teaching hospitals and related clinical enterprises with those of the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine that required a new definition of institutional priorities and directions. These were shaped by a strategic plan that helped define goals and objectives in education, research, patient care, and the necessary financial and administrative underpinnings needed. A governance model was created that made the medical school and its two major affiliated teaching hospitals partners; this arrangement requires collaboration and coordination that is highly dependent on the shared objectives of the institutional leaders involved. The case study provides the background factors and issues that led to these changes, how they were envisioned and implemented, the current status and challenges, and some lessons learned. Although the current model is working, future changes may be needed to respond to internal and external forces and changes in leadership.

The potential conflict between policy and ethics in caring for undocumented immigrants at academic health centers.

PubMed

Cacari Stone, Lisa; Steimel, Leah; Vasquez-Guzman, Estela; Kaufman, Arthur

2014-04-01

Academic health centers (AHCs) are at the forefront of delivering care to the diverse medically underserved and uninsured populations in the United States, as well as training the majority of the health care workforce, who are professionally obligated to serve all patients regardless of race or immigration status. Despite AHCs' central leadership role in these endeavors, few consolidated efforts have emerged to resolve potential conflicts between national, state, and local policies that exclude certain classifications of immigrants from receiving federal public assistance and health professionals' social missions and ethical oath to serve humanity. For instance, whereas the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides a pathway to insurance coverage for more than 30 million Americans, undocumented immigrants and legally documented immigrants residing in the United States for less than five years are ineligible for Medicaid and excluded from purchasing any type of coverage through state exchanges. To inform this debate, the authors describe their experience at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) and discuss how the UNMH has responded to this challenge and overcome barriers. They offer three recommendations for aligning AHCs' social missions and professional ethics with organizational policies: (1) that AHCs determine eligibility for financial assistance based on residency rather than citizenship, (2) that models of medical education and health professions training provide students with service-learning opportunities and applied community experience, and (3) that frontline staff and health care professionals receive standardized training on eligibility policies to minimize discrimination towards immigrant patients.

The anteroventral third ventricle region is critical for the behavioral desensitization caused by repeated injections of angiotensin II

PubMed Central

Vento, Peter J.; Daniels, Derek

2013-01-01

A single central injection of angiotensin II (AngII) potently increases water intake; however, a growing body of research suggests that repeated, acute intracerebroventricular injections of AngII cause a reduction in the dipsogenic response to subsequent AngII. This AngII-induced behavioral desensitization is specific to the effects of angiotensin and mediated by the angiotensin type-1 (AT1) receptor. The neuroanatomical substrate for this phenomenon, however, remains unknown. The anteroventral third ventricle region (AV3V) is an important site for the behavioral and physiological actions of AngII. Therefore, we hypothesized that this region also mediates the effects of repeated central AngII administration. In support of this hypothesis, we found that repeated injections of AngII into the AV3V reduced water intake stimulated by a test injection of AngII given into this region. Moreover, repeated AngII injections in the AV3V reduced water intake after AngII was injected into the lateral ventricle. These studies also demonstrate that activation of the AT1 receptor within the AV3V is required for AngII-induced behavioral desensitization because direct injection of the AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan, into the AV3V blocked the desensitizing effect of repeated AngII injections into the lateral ventricle. These findings provide additional support for a role of the AV3V in the dipsogenic actions of AngII, and suggest that this region is critical for the desensitization that occurs after acute repeated central injections of AngII. PMID:24144549

Critical fluid light scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gammon, Robert W.

1988-01-01

The objective is to measure the decay rates of critical density fluctuations in a simple fluid (xenon) very near its liquid-vapor critical point using laser light scattering and photon correlation spectroscopy. Such experiments were severely limited on Earth by the presence of gravity which causes large density gradients in the sample when the compressibility diverges approaching the critical point. The goal is to measure fluctuation decay rates at least two decades closer to the critical point than is possible on earth, with a resolution of 3 microK. This will require loading the sample to 0.1 percent of the critical density and taking data as close as 100 microK to the critical temperature. The minimum mission time of 100 hours will allow a complete range of temperature points to be covered, limited by the thermal response of the sample. Other technical problems have to be addressed such as multiple scattering and the effect of wetting layers. The experiment entails measurement of the scattering intensity fluctuation decay rate at two angles for each temperature and simultaneously recording the scattering intensities and sample turbidity (from the transmission). The analyzed intensity and turbidity data gives the correlation length at each temperature and locates the critical temperature. The fluctuation decay rate data from these measurements will provide a severe test of the generalized hydrodynamic theories of transport coefficients in the critical regions. When compared to equivalent data from binary liquid critical mixtures they will test the universality of critical dynamics.

Equivalence of chain conformations in the surface region of a polymer melt and a single Gaussian chain under critical conditions.

PubMed

Skvortsov, A M; Leermakers, F A M; Fleer, G J

2013-08-07

In the melt polymer conformations are nearly ideal according to Flory's ideality hypothesis. Silberberg generalized this statement for chains in the interfacial region. We check the Silberberg argument by analyzing the conformations of a probe chain end-grafted at a solid surface in a sea of floating free chains of concentration φ by the self-consistent field (SCF) method. Apart from the grafting, probe chain and floating chains are identical. Most of the results were obtained for a standard SCF model with freely jointed chains on a six-choice lattice, where immediate step reversals are allowed. A few data were generated for a five-choice lattice, where such step reversals are forbidden. These coarse-grained models describe the equilibrium properties of flexible atactic polymer chains at the scale of the segment length. The concentration was varied over the whole range from φ = 0 (single grafted chain) to φ = 1 (probe chain in the melt). The number of contacts with the surface, average height of the free end and its dispersion, average loop and train length, tail size distribution, end-point and overall segment distributions were calculated for a grafted probe chain as a function of φ, for several chain lengths and substrate∕polymer interactions, which were varied from strong repulsion to strong adsorption. The computations show that the conformations of the probe chain in the melt do not depend on substrate∕polymer interactions and are very similar to the conformations of a single end-grafted chain under critical conditions, and can thus be described analytically. When the substrate∕polymer interaction is fixed at the value corresponding to critical conditions, all equilibrium properties of a probe chain are independent of φ, over the whole range from a dilute solution to the melt. We believe that the conformations of all flexible chains in the surface region of the melt are close to those of an appropriate single chain in critical conditions, provided

Hepatic artery occlusion in liver transplantation - What counts more: Type of reconstruction or severity of recipient's disease?

PubMed

Oberkofler, Christian E; Reese, Tim; Raptis, Dimitri A; Kümmerli, Christoph; de Rougemont, Olivier; De Oliveira, Michelle L; Schlegel, Andrea; Dutkowski, Philipp; Clavien, Pierre-Alain; Petrowsky, Henrik

2018-03-01

Although the type of hepatic artery revascularization technique is known to impact on patency rates, independent perioperative risk factors on patient outcomes are poorly defined. All consecutive adult patients undergoing cadaveric liver transplantation (n=361) from July 2007 to June 2016 in a single institution were analyzed. Primary outcomes were early (<30 days) hepatic artery occlusion and primary hepatic artery patency rate. A multivariate model was used to identify independent risk factors for occlusion and the need of arterial conduit, as well as their impact on graft and patient survival. Arterial revascularization without additional reconstruction (AA) was performed in 77% (n=279), arterial reconstruction (AR) in 15% (n=53), and aorto-hepatic conduit (AHC) in 8% (n=29) of cases, respectively. AHC had the highest mean intraoperative flow (275 ml/min; p=0.024) compared to AA (250 ml/min) and AR (200 ml/min), p=0.024. 43 recipients (12%) had an occlusive event with successful revascularization in 20 recipients (47%). One-year primary patency rates of AA, AR, and AHC were 97, 88, and 74%. Aortic calcification had an impact on early occlusion. AR (OR 3.68 (1.26-10.75), p=0.017) and AHC (OR 6.21 (2.02-18.87, p=0.001) were independent risk factors for early occlusion. Dyslipidemia additionally independently contributed to early occlusion (OR 2.74 (0.96-7.87), p=0.06). One- and five-year graft survival were 83% and 70% for AA, 75% and 69% for AR, and 59% and 50% for AHC (p=0.004). Arterial patency is primarily determined by the type of vascular reconstruction rather than patient or disease characteristics. The preoperative lipid status is an independent risk factor for early occlusion, while overall occlusion is only based on the performed vascular reconstruction, which is also associated with reduced graft and patient survival. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

The anteroventral third ventricle region is critical for the behavioral desensitization caused by repeated injections of angiotensin II.

PubMed

Vento, Peter J; Daniels, Derek

2014-01-01

A single central injection of angiotensin II (AngII) potently increases water intake; however, a growing body of research suggests that repeated, acute intracerebroventricular injections of AngII cause a reduction in the dipsogenic response to subsequent AngII. This AngII-induced behavioral desensitization is specific to the effects of angiotensin and mediated by the angiotensin type-1 (AT1) receptor. The neuroanatomical substrate for this phenomenon, however, remains unknown. The anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) region is an important site for the behavioral and physiological actions of AngII. Therefore, we hypothesized that this region also mediates the effects of repeated central AngII administration. In support of this hypothesis, we found that repeated injections of AngII into the AV3V reduced water intake stimulated by a test injection of AngII given into this region. Moreover, repeated AngII injections in the AV3V reduced water intake after AngII was injected into the lateral ventricle. These studies also demonstrate that activation of the AT1 receptor within the AV3V is required for AngII-induced behavioral desensitization because direct injection of the AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan, into the AV3V blocked the desensitizing effect of repeated AngII injections into the lateral ventricle. These findings provide additional support for a role of the AV3V in the dipsogenic actions of AngII, and suggest that this region is critical for the desensitization that occurs after acute repeated central injections of AngII. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of the critical depth-of-cut through a 2D image of the cutting region resulting from taper cutting of brittle materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Wen; Zhu, Zhiwei; Zhu, Wu-Le; Lu, Leyao; To, Suet; Xiao, Gaobo

2018-05-01

An automatic identification method for obtaining the critical depth-of-cut (DoC) of brittle materials with nanometric accuracy and sub-nanometric uncertainty is proposed in this paper. With this method, a two-dimensional (2D) microscopic image of the taper cutting region is captured and further processed by image analysis to extract the margin of generated micro-cracks in the imaging plane. Meanwhile, an analytical model is formulated to describe the theoretical curve of the projected cutting points on the imaging plane with respect to a specified DoC during the whole cutting process. By adopting differential evolution algorithm-based minimization, the critical DoC can be identified by minimizing the deviation between the extracted margin and the theoretical curve. The proposed method is demonstrated through both numerical simulation and experimental analysis. Compared with conventional 2D- and 3D-microscopic-image-based methods, determination of the critical DoC in this study uses the envelope profile rather than the onset point of the generated cracks, providing a more objective approach with smaller uncertainty.

Probabilistic map of critical functional regions of the human cerebral cortex: Broca's area revisited.

PubMed

Tate, Matthew C; Herbet, Guillaume; Moritz-Gasser, Sylvie; Tate, Joseph E; Duffau, Hugues

2014-10-01

The organization of basic functions of the human brain, particularly in the right hemisphere, remains poorly understood. Recent advances in functional neuroimaging have improved our understanding of cortical organization but do not allow for direct interrogation or determination of essential (versus participatory) cortical regions. Direct cortical stimulation represents a unique opportunity to provide novel insights into the functional distribution of critical epicentres. Direct cortical stimulation (bipolar, 60 Hz, 1-ms pulse) was performed in 165 consecutive patients undergoing awake mapping for resection of low-grade gliomas. Tasks included motor, sensory, counting, and picture naming. Stimulation sites eliciting positive (sensory/motor) or negative (speech arrest, dysarthria, anomia, phonological and semantic paraphasias) findings were recorded and mapped onto a standard Montreal Neurological Institute brain atlas. Montreal Neurological Institute-space functional data were subjected to cluster analysis algorithms (K-means, partition around medioids, hierarchical Ward) to elucidate crucial network epicentres. Sensorimotor function was observed in the pre/post-central gyri as expected. Articulation epicentres were also found within the pre/post-central gyri. However, speech arrest localized to ventral premotor cortex, not the classical Broca's area. Anomia/paraphasia data demonstrated foci not only within classical Wernicke's area but also within the middle and inferior frontal gyri. We report the first bilateral probabilistic map for crucial cortical epicentres of human brain functions in the right and left hemispheres, including sensory, motor, and language (speech, articulation, phonology and semantics). These data challenge classical theories of brain organization (e.g. Broca's area as speech output region) and provide a distributed framework for future studies of neural networks. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the

Novel Composite Efficacy Measure To Demonstrate the Rationale and Efficacy of Combination Antiviral–Anti-Inflammatory Treatment for Recurrent Herpes Simplex Labialis

PubMed Central

Levin, Myron J.; Tyring, Stephen K.; Spruance, Spotswood L.

2014-01-01

Historically, the primary target for research and treatment of recurrent herpes simplex labialis (HSL) has been limited to inhibiting herpes simplex virus (HSV) replication. Antiviral monotherapy, however, has proven only marginally effective in curtailing the duration and severity of recurrent lesions. Recently, the role of inflammation in the progression and resolution of recurrences has been identified as an additional target. This was evaluated in a randomized study comparing combination topical 5% acyclovir-1% hydrocortisone cream (AHC) with 5% acyclovir alone (AC; in the AHC vehicle) and the vehicle. The efficacy of each topical therapy was evaluated for cumulative lesion size—a novel composite efficacy endpoint incorporating episode duration, lesion area, and proportion of nonulcerative lesions. In that study, cumulative lesion area was significantly decreased with AHC compared with AC (25% decrease; P < 0.05) and the vehicle (50% decrease; P < 0.0001). As research continues in this arena, cumulative lesion area should be included as a measure of efficacy in clinical trials of recurrent HSL therapies. PMID:24342632

Academic Health Centers and Medicaid: Advance or Retreat?

PubMed

Henderson, Mark C; Kizer, Kenneth W; Kravitz, Richard L

2018-05-22

The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has strained the capacity of many academic health centers (AHCs) to deliver primary and specialty care to this traditionally underserved population. The authors, longtime faculty members in the University of California Davis Health (UCDH) system, discuss the challenges of UCDH's participation in Medi-Cal, the nation's largest Medicaid program, and their institution's controversial decision in 2015 to withdraw from all Medi-Cal primary care contracts, which has had untoward effects on UCDH's social and educational missions. The authors conclude by suggesting an alternate approach for engaging with Medi-Cal. They call on AHCs to leverage their considerable intellectual and human capital as well as their focus on education and research to aggressively pursue innovative models of high-value primary care for underserved populations in their local communities, highlighting several recent successful examples of such programs. The UCDH experience has implications for other AHCs grappling with the financial realities of an increasingly competitive, value-based health care marketplace and the inherent difficulty in balancing educational, research, patient care, and social or community service missions.

Quantitative fluorescence-polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of the duplication of the Charcot Marie Tooth disease type 1A critical region.

PubMed

De Toffol, Simona; Bellone, Emilia; Dulcetti, Francesca; Ruggeri, Anna Maria; Maggio, Pietro Paolo; Pulimeno, Maria Rosaria; Mandich, Paola; Maggi, Federico; Simoni, Giuseppe; Grati, Francesca Romana

2010-04-01

Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) syndrome is the most common hereditary peripheral neuropathy, with an incidence of about 1 in 2500. The subtype 1A (CMT1A) is caused by a tandem duplication of a 1.5-Mb region encompassing the PMP22 gene. Conventional short tandem repeat (STR) analysis can reveal this imbalance if a triallelic pattern, defining with certainty the presence of duplication, is present. In case of duplication with a biallelic pattern, it can only indicate a semiquantitative dosage of the fluorescence intensity ratio of the two fragments. In this study we developed a quantitative fluorescence-PCR using seven highly informative STRs within the CMT1A critical region that successfully disclosed or excluded the presence of the pathogenic imbalance in a cohort of 60 samples including 40 DNAs from samples with the CMT1A duplication previously characterized with two different molecular approaches, and 20 diagnostic samples from 10 members of a five-generation pedigree segregating CMT1A, 8 unrelated cases and 2 prenatal samples. The application of the quantitative fluorescence-PCR using STRs located in the critical region could be a reliable method to evaluate the presence of the PMP22 duplication for the diagnosis and classification of hereditary neuropathies in asymptomatic subjects with a family history of inherited neuropathy, in prenatal samples in cases with one affected parent, and in unrelated patients with a sporadic demyelinating neuropathy with clinical features resembling CMT (i.e., pes cavus with hammer toes) or with conduction velocities in the range of CMT1A.

Characterization of a novel RNA-binding region of eIF4GI critical for ribosomal scanning

PubMed Central

Prévôt, Déborah; Décimo, Didier; Herbreteau, Cécile H.; Roux, Florence; Garin, Jérôme; Darlix, Jean-Luc; Ohlmann, Théophile

2003-01-01

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4GI binds several proteins and acts as a scaffold to promote preinitiation complex formation on the mRNA molecule (48S). Following mRNA attachment this complex scans along the messenger in a 5′ to 3′ direction until it locates and recognizes the initiation start codon. By using a combination of retroviral and picornaviral proteases (HIV-2 and L respectively) in the reticulocyte lysate system, we have characterized a 40 amino acid (aa) region of eIF4GI (aa 642–681) that exhibits general RNA-binding properties. Removal of this domain by proteolytic processing followed by translational assays showed virtually no inhibition of internal ribosome entry on the encephalomyocarditis virus, but resulted in drastic impairment of ribosome scanning as demonstrated by studying poliovirus and foot-and-mouth disease virus translation. Based on these findings, we propose that this 40 aa motif of eIF4GI is critical for ribosome scanning. PMID:12682023

Proximal 15q familial euchromatic variant and PWS/AS critical region duplication in the same patient: a cytogenetic pitfall.

PubMed

Carelle-Calmels, Nadège; Girard-Lemaire, Françoise; Guérin, Eric; Bieth, Eric; Rudolf, Gabrielle; Biancalana, Valérie; Pecheur, Hélène; Demil, Houria; Schneider, Thierry; de Saint-Martin, Anne; Caron, Olivier; Legrain, Michèle; Gaston, Valérie; Flori, Elisabeth

2008-01-01

Cytogenetically detectable elongation of the 15q proximal region can be associated with Prader-Willi/Angelman critical region interstitial duplications or with inherited juxtacentromeric euchromatic variants. The first category has been reported in association with developmental delay and autistic disorders. These pathogenic recurrent duplications are more frequently of maternal origin and originate from unequal meiotic crossovers between chromosome 15 low-copy repeats. 15q juxtacentromeric euchromatic variants reflect polymorphic copy number variations of segments containing pseudogenes and usually segregate without apparent phenotypic consequence. Pathogenic relevant 15q11-q13 duplications are not distinguishable from the innocuous euchromatic variants with conventional cytogenetic methods. We report cytogenetic and molecular studies of a patient with hypotonia, developmental delay and epilepsy, carrying, on the same chromosome 15, both a de novo 15q11-q13 interstitial duplication and an inherited 15q juxtacentromeric amplification from maternal origin. The duplication, initially suspected by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), has been confirmed by molecular studies. The 15q juxtacentromeric region amplification, which segregates in the family for at least three generations, has been confirmed by FISH using BAC probes overlapping the NF1 and GABRA5 pseudogenes. This report emphasizes the importance to distinguish proximal 15q polymorphic variants from clinically significant duplications. In any patient with inherited 15q proximal variant but unexplained developmental delay suggesting 15q11-q13 pathology, a pathogenic rearrangement has to be searched with adapted strategies, in order to detect deletions as well as duplications of this region.

The expanding spectrum of neurological phenotypes in children with ATP1A3 mutations, Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood, Rapid-onset Dystonia-Parkinsonism, CAPOS and beyond.

PubMed

Sweney, Matthew T; Newcomb, Tara M; Swoboda, Kathryn J

2015-01-01

ATP1A3 mutations have now been recognized in infants and children presenting with a diverse group of neurological phenotypes, including Rapid-onset Dystonia-Parkinsonism (RDP), Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC), and most recently, Cerebellar ataxia, Areflexia, Pes cavus, Optic atrophy, and Sensorineural hearing loss (CAPOS) syndrome. Existing literature on ATP1A3-related disorders in the pediatric population were reviewed, with attention to clinical features and associated genotypes among those with RDP, AHC, or CAPOS syndrome phenotypes. While classically defined phenotypes associated with AHC, RDP, and CAPOS syndromes are distinct, common elements among ATP1A3-related neurological disorders include characteristic episodic neurological symptoms and signs that vary in severity, duration, and frequency of occurrence. Affected children typically present in the context of an acute onset of paroxysmal, episodic neurological symptoms ranging from oculomotor abnormalities, hypotonia, paralysis, dystonia, ataxia, seizure-like episodes, or encephalopathy. Neurodevelopmental delays or persistence of dystonia, chorea, or ataxia after resolution of an initial episode are common, providing important clues for diagnosis. The phenotypic spectrum of ATP1A3-related neurological disorders continues to expand beyond the distinct yet overlapping phenotypes in patients with AHC, RDP, and CAPOS syndromes. ATP1A3 mutation analysis is appropriate to consider in the diagnostic algorithm for any child presenting with episodic or fluctuating ataxia, weakness or dystonia whether they manifest persistence of neurological symptoms between episodes. Additional work is needed to better identify and classify affected patients and develop targeted treatment approaches. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The academic health center in complex humanitarian emergencies: lessons learned from the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

PubMed

Babcock, Christine; Theodosis, Christian; Bills, Corey; Kim, Jimin; Kinet, Melodie; Turner, Madeleine; Millis, Michael; Olopade, Olufunmilayo; Olopade, Christopher

2012-11-01

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. The event disrupted infrastructure and was marked by extreme morbidity and mortality. The global response to the disaster was rapid and immense, comprising multiple actors-including academic health centers (AHCs)-that provided assistance in the field and from home. The authors retrospectively examine the multidisciplinary approach that the University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) applied to postearthquake Haiti, which included the application of institutional structure and strategy, systematic deployment of teams tailored to evolving needs, and the actual response and recovery. The university mobilized significant human and material resources for deployment within 48 hours and sustained the effort for over four months. In partnership with international and local nongovernmental organizations as well as other AHCs, the UCM operated one of the largest and more efficient acute field hospitals in the country. The UCM's efforts in postearthquake Haiti provide insight into the role AHCs can play, including their strengths and limitations, in complex disasters. AHCs can provide necessary intellectual and material resources as well as technical expertise, but the cost and speed required for responding to an emergency, and ongoing domestic responsibilities, may limit the response of a large university and hospital system. The authors describe the strong institutional backing, the detailed predeployment planning and logistical support UCM provided, the engagement of faculty and staff who had previous experience in complex humanitarian emergencies, and the help of volunteers fluent in the local language which, together, made UCM's mission in postearthquake Haiti successful.

Therapeutic landscapes of home: Exploring Indigenous peoples' experiences of a Housing First intervention in Winnipeg.

PubMed

Alaazi, Dominic A; Masuda, Jeffrey R; Evans, Joshua; Distasio, Jino

2015-12-01

In this paper, we explore Indigenous perspectives of culture, place, and health among participants in a landmark Canadian Housing First initiative: At Home/Chez Soi (AHCS) project. Implemented from 2009 to 2013 in Winnipeg and four other Canadian cities, AHCS was a multi-city randomized control trial that sought to test the effectiveness of Housing First as a model for addressing chronic homelessness among people living with mental illnesses. As Winnipeg's homeless population is over 70% Indigenous, significant efforts were made to accommodate the culturally specific health, spiritual, and lifestyle preferences of the project's Indigenous participants. While a daunting challenge from an intervention perspective, Winnipeg's experience also provides a unique opportunity to examine how Indigenous participants' experiences can inform improved housing and mental health policy in Canada. In our study, conducted independently from, but with endorsement of the AHCS project, we utilized a case study approach to explore the experiences of the project's Indigenous participants. Data were collected by means of in-depth qualitative interviews with Indigenous participants (N = 14) and key informant project staff and investigators (N = 6). Our exploratory work demonstrates that despite relative satisfaction with the AHCS intervention, Indigenous peoples' sense of place in the city remains largely disconnected from their housing experiences. We found that structural factors, particularly the shortage of affordable housing and systemic erasure of Indigeneity from the urban sociocultural and political landscape, have adversely impacted Indigenous peoples' sense of place and home. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overlapping hotspots in CDRs are critical sites for V region diversification.

PubMed

Wei, Lirong; Chahwan, Richard; Wang, Shanzhi; Wang, Xiaohua; Pham, Phuong T; Goodman, Myron F; Bergman, Aviv; Scharff, Matthew D; MacCarthy, Thomas

2015-02-17

Activation-induced deaminase (AID) mediates the somatic hypermutation (SHM) of Ig variable (V) regions that is required for the affinity maturation of the antibody response. An intensive analysis of a published database of somatic hypermutations that arose in the IGHV3-23*01 human V region expressed in vivo by human memory B cells revealed that the focus of mutations in complementary determining region (CDR)1 and CDR2 coincided with a combination of overlapping AGCT hotspots, the absence of AID cold spots, and an abundance of polymerase eta hotspots. If the overlapping hotspots in the CDR1 or CDR2 did not undergo mutation, the frequency of mutations throughout the V region was reduced. To model this result, we examined the mutation of the human IGHV3-23*01 biochemically and in the endogenous heavy chain locus of Ramos B cells. Deep sequencing revealed that IGHV3-23*01 in Ramos cells accumulates AID-induced mutations primarily in the AGCT in CDR2, which was also the most frequent site of mutation in vivo. Replacing the overlapping hotspots in CDR1 and CDR2 with neutral or cold motifs resulted in a reduction in mutations within the modified motifs and, to some degree, throughout the V region. In addition, some of the overlapping hotspots in the CDRs were at sites in which replacement mutations could change the structure of the CDR loops. Our analysis suggests that the local sequence environment of the V region, and especially of the CDR1 and CDR2, is highly evolved to recruit mutations to key residues in the CDRs of the IgV region.

Critical Reflectance Derived from MODIS: Application for the Retrieval of Aerosol Absorption over Desert Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Kelley C.; Martins, J. Vanderlei; Remer, Lorraine A.; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.; Stephens, Graeme L.

2012-01-01

Aerosols are tiny suspended particles in the atmosphere that scatter and absorb sunlight. Smoke particles are aerosols, as are sea salt, particulate pollution and airborne dust. When you look down at the earth from space sometimes you can see vast palls of whitish smoke or brownish dust being transported by winds. The reason that you can see these aerosols is because they are reflecting incoming sunlight back to the view in space. The reason for the difference in color between the different types of aerosol is that the particles arc also absorbing sunlight at different wavelengths. Dust appears brownish or reddish because it absorbs light in the blue wavelengths and scatters more reddish light to space, Knowing how much light is scattered versus how much is absorbed, and knowin that as a function of wavelength is essential to being able to quantify the role aerosols play in the energy balance of the earth and in climate change. It is not easy measuring the absorption properties of aerosols when they are suspended in the atmosphere. People have been doing this one substance at a time in the laboratory, but substances mix when they are in the atmosphere and the net absorption effect of all the particles in a column of air is a goal of remote sensing that has not yet been completely successful. In this paper we use a technique based on observing the point at which aerosols change from brightening the surface beneath to darkening it. If aerosols brighten a surface. they must scatter more light to space. If they darken the surface. they must be absorbing more. That cross over point is called the critical reflectance and in this paper we show that critical reflectance is a monotonic function of the intrinsic absorption properties of the particles. This parameter we call the single scattering albedo. We apply the technique to MODIS imagery over the Sahara and Sahel regions to retrieve the single scattering albedo in seven wavelengths, compare these retrievals to ground

Localized superconductivity in the quantum-critical region of the disorder-driven superconductor-insulator transition in TiN thin films.

PubMed

Baturina, T I; Mironov, A Yu; Vinokur, V M; Baklanov, M R; Strunk, C

2007-12-21

We investigate low-temperature transport properties of thin TiN superconducting films in the vicinity of the disorder-driven superconductor-insulator transition. In a zero magnetic field, we find an extremely sharp separation between superconducting and insulating phases, evidencing a direct superconductor-insulator transition without an intermediate metallic phase. At moderate temperatures, in the insulating films we reveal thermally activated conductivity with the magnetic field-dependent activation energy. At very low temperatures, we observe a zero-conductivity state, which is destroyed at some depinning threshold voltage V{T}. These findings indicate the formation of a distinct collective state of the localized Cooper pairs in the critical region at both sides of the transition.

The deformation stimulated luminescence in KCl, KBr and KI crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shunkeyev, K.; Sergeyev, D.; Drozdowski, W.; Brylev, K.; Myasnikova, L.; Barmina, A.; Zhanturina, N.; Sagimbaeva, Sh; Aimaganbetova, Z.

2017-05-01

Currently, strengthening of the intensity of luminescence in alkali halide crystals (AHC) at lattice symmetry lowering is discussed as a promising direction for the development of scintillation detectors [1-3]. In this regard, for the study of anion excitons and radiation defects in the AHC anion sublattice at deformation, the crystals with the same sizes of cations and different sizes of anions were chosen. In the X-ray spectra of KCl at 10 K, the luminescence at 3.88 eV; 3.05 eV and 2.3 eV is clearly visible. The luminescence at 3.05 eV corresponds to the tunneling recharge [F*, H]. Luminescence at 3.88 eV is quenched in the region of thermal destruction of F‧-centers and characterizes tunneling recharge of F‧, VK-centers. In KCl at 90 K, the luminescence of self-trapped excitons (STE) is completely absent. In KBr at deformation not only STE luminescence, but also deformation stimulated luminescence at 3.58 eV were recorded, the last one corresponds to tunneling recharge of F‧, VK-centers. In KI crystal at 10 K and 90 K at deformation, only STE luminescence is enhanced. There are no deformation luminescence bands in KI compares with KBr and KCl crystals.

Prader-Willi Critical Region, a Non-Translated, Imprinted Central Regulator of Bone Mass: Possible Role in Skeletal Abnormalities in Prader-Willi Syndrome.

PubMed

Khor, Ee-Cheng; Fanshawe, Bruce; Qi, Yue; Zolotukhin, Sergei; Kulkarni, Rishikesh N; Enriquez, Ronaldo F; Purtell, Louise; Lee, Nicola J; Wee, Natalie K; Croucher, Peter I; Campbell, Lesley; Herzog, Herbert; Baldock, Paul A

2016-01-01

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a maternally imprinted disorder and leading cause of obesity, is characterised by insatiable appetite, poor muscle development, cognitive impairment, endocrine disturbance, short stature and osteoporosis. A number of causative loci have been located within the imprinted Prader-Willi Critical Region (PWCR), including a set of small non-translated nucleolar RNA's (snoRNA). Recently, micro-deletions in humans identified the snoRNA Snord116 as a critical contributor to the development of PWS exhibiting many of the classical symptoms of PWS. Here we show that loss of the PWCR which includes Snord116 in mice leads to a reduced bone mass phenotype, similar to that observed in humans. Consistent with reduced stature in PWS, PWCR KO mice showed delayed skeletal development, with shorter femurs and vertebrae, reduced bone size and mass in both sexes. The reduction in bone mass in PWCR KO mice was associated with deficiencies in cortical bone volume and cortical mineral apposition rate, with no change in cancellous bone. Importantly, while the length difference was corrected in aged mice, consistent with continued growth in rodents, reduced cortical bone formation was still evident, indicating continued osteoblastic suppression by loss of PWCR expression in skeletally mature mice. Interestingly, deletion of this region included deletion of the exclusively brain expressed Snord116 cluster and resulted in an upregulation in expression of both NPY and POMC mRNA in the arcuate nucleus. Importantly, the selective deletion of the PWCR only in NPY expressing neurons replicated the bone phenotype of PWCR KO mice. Taken together, PWCR deletion in mice, and specifically in NPY neurons, recapitulates the short stature and low BMD and aspects of the hormonal imbalance of PWS individuals. Moreover, it demonstrates for the first time, that a region encoding non-translated RNAs, expressed solely within the brain, can regulate bone mass in health and disease.

Measuring the critical band for speech.

PubMed

Healy, Eric W; Bacon, Sid P

2006-02-01

The current experiments were designed to measure the frequency resolution employed by listeners during the perception of everyday sentences. Speech bands having nearly vertical filter slopes and narrow bandwidths were sharply partitioned into various numbers of equal log- or ERBN-width subbands. The temporal envelope from each partition was used to amplitude modulate a corresponding band of low-noise noise, and the modulated carriers were combined and presented to normal-hearing listeners. Intelligibility increased and reached asymptote as the number of partitions increased. In the mid- and high-frequency regions of the speech spectrum, the partition bandwidth corresponding to asymptotic performance matched current estimates of psychophysical tuning across a number of conditions. These results indicate that, in these regions, the critical band for speech matches the critical band measured using traditional psychoacoustic methods and nonspeech stimuli. However, in the low-frequency region, partition bandwidths at asymptote were somewhat narrower than would be predicted based upon psychophysical tuning. It is concluded that, overall, current estimates of psychophysical tuning represent reasonably well the ability of listeners to extract spectral detail from running speech.

Maternal transcription of non-protein coding RNAs from the PWS-critical region rescues growth retardation in mice.

PubMed

Rozhdestvensky, Timofey S; Robeck, Thomas; Galiveti, Chenna R; Raabe, Carsten A; Seeger, Birte; Wolters, Anna; Gubar, Leonid V; Brosius, Jürgen; Skryabin, Boris V

2016-02-05

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurogenetic disorder caused by loss of paternally expressed genes on chromosome 15q11-q13. The PWS-critical region (PWScr) contains an array of non-protein coding IPW-A exons hosting intronic SNORD116 snoRNA genes. Deletion of PWScr is associated with PWS in humans and growth retardation in mice exhibiting ~15% postnatal lethality in C57BL/6 background. Here we analysed a knock-in mouse containing a 5'HPRT-LoxP-Neo(R) cassette (5'LoxP) inserted upstream of the PWScr. When the insertion was inherited maternally in a paternal PWScr-deletion mouse model (PWScr(p-/m5'LoxP)), we observed compensation of growth retardation and postnatal lethality. Genomic methylation pattern and expression of protein-coding genes remained unaltered at the PWS-locus of PWScr(p-/m5'LoxP) mice. Interestingly, ubiquitous Snord116 and IPW-A exon transcription from the originally silent maternal chromosome was detected. In situ hybridization indicated that PWScr(p-/m5'LoxP) mice expressed Snord116 in brain areas similar to wild type animals. Our results suggest that the lack of PWScr RNA expression in certain brain areas could be a primary cause of the growth retardation phenotype in mice. We propose that activation of disease-associated genes on imprinted regions could lead to general therapeutic strategies in associated diseases.

An arthroscopic evaluation of the anatomical "critical zone".

PubMed

Naidoo, N; Lazarus, L; Osman, S A; Satyapal, K S

2017-01-01

The "critical zone", a region of speculated vascularity, is situated approximately 10 mm proximal to the insertion of the supraspinatus tendon. Despite its obvious role as an anatomical landmark demarcator, its patho-anatomic nature has been identified as the source of rotator cuff pathology. Although many studies have attempted to evaluate the vascularity of this region, the architecture regarding the exact length, width and shape of the critical zone, remains unreported. This study aimed to determine the shape and morphometry of the "critical zone" arthroscopically. The sample series, which was comprised of 38 cases (n = 38) specific to pathological types, employed an anatomical investigation of the critical zone during routine real-time arthroscopy. Demographic representation: i) sex: 19 males, 19 females; ii) age range: 18-76 years; iii) race: white (n = 29), Indian (n = 7) and coloured (n = 2). The incidence of shape and the mean lengths and widths of the critical zone were determined in accordance with the relevant demographic factors and patient history. Although the cresenteric shape was predominant, hemispheric and sail-shaped critical zones were also identified. The lengths and widths of the critical zone appeared markedly increased in male individuals. While the increase in age may account for the increased incidence of rotator cuff degeneration due to poor end-vascular supply, the additional factors of height and weight presented as major determinants of the increase in size of the critical zone. In addition, the comparisons of length and width with each other and shape yielded levels of significant difference, therefore indicating a directly proportional relationship between the length and width of the critical zone. This detailed understanding of the critical zone may prove beneficial for the success of post-operative rotator cuff healing.

Nuclear Criticality Experimental Research Center (NCERC) Overview

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

Goda, Joetta Marie; Grove, Travis Justin; Hayes, David Kirk

The mission of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) is to conduct experiments and training with critical assemblies and fissionable material at or near criticality in order to explore reactivity phenomena, and to operate the assemblies in the regions from subcritical through delayed critical. One critical assembly, Godiva-IV, is designed to operate above prompt critical. The Nuclear Criticality Experimental Research Center (NCERC) is our nation’s only general-purpose critical experiments facility and is only one of a few that remain operational throughout the world. This presentation discusses the history of NCERC, the general activitiesmore » that makeup work at NCERC, and the various government programs and missions that NCERC supports. Recent activities at NCERC will be reviewed, with a focus on demonstrating how NCERC meets national security mission goals using engineering fundamentals. In particular, there will be a focus on engineering theory and design and applications of engineering fundamentals at NCERC. NCERC activities that relate to engineering education will also be examined.« less

Representative equations for the thermodynamic and transport properties of fluids near the gas-liquid critical point

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengers, J. V.; Basu, R. S.; Sengers, J. M. H. L.

1981-01-01

A survey is presented of representative equations for various thermophysical properties of fluids in the critical region. Representative equations for the transport properties are included. Semi-empirical modifications of the theoretically predicted asymtotic critical behavior that yield simple and practical representations of the fluid properties in the critical region are emphasized.

Water Information System Platforms Addressing Critical Societal Needs in the Mena Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habib, Shahid; Kfouri, Claire; Peters, Mark

2012-01-01

The MENA region includes 18 countries, the occupied Palestinian territories and Western Sahara. However, the region of interest for this study has a strategic interest in countries adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, which includes, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. The 90% of the water in the MENA region is used for the agriculture use. By the end of this century. this region is projected to experience an increase of 3 C to 5 C in mean temperatures and a 20% decline in precipitation (lPCC, 2007). Due to lower precipitation, water run-off is projected to drop by 20% to 30% in most of MENA by 2050 Reduced stream flow and groundwater recharge might lead to a reduction in water supply of 10% or greater by 2050. Therefore, per IPCC projections in temperature rise and precipitation decline in the region, the scarcity of water will become more acute with population growth, and rising demand of food in the region. Additionally, the trans boundary water issues will continue to plague the region in terms of sharing data for better management of water resources. Such pressing issues have brought The World Bank, USAID and NASA to jointly collaborate for establishing integrated, modern, up to date NASA developed capabilities for countries in the MENA region for addressing water resource issues and adapting to climate change impacts for improved decision making and societal benefit. This initiative was launched in October 2011 and is schedule to be completed by the end of2015.

Spatial analysis on China's regional air pollutants and CO2 emissions: emission pattern and regional disparity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Liang; Liang, Hanwei

2014-08-01

China has suffered from serious air pollution and CO2 emission. Challenges of emission reduction policy not only come from technology advancement, but also generate from the fact that, China has pronounced disparity between regions, in geographical and socioeconomic. How to deal with regional disparity is important to achieve the reduction target effectively and efficiently. This research conducts a spatial analysis on the emission patterns of three air pollutants named SO2, NOx and PM2.5, and CO2, in China's 30 provinces, applied with spatial auto-correlation and multi regression modeling. We further analyze the regional disparity and inequity issues with the approach of Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient. Results highlight that: there is evident cluster effect for the regional air pollutants and CO2 emissions. While emission amount increases from western regions to eastern regions, the emission per GDP is in inverse trend. The Lorenz curve shows an even larger unequal distribution of GDP/emissions than GDP/capita in 30 regions. Certain middle and western regions suffers from a higher emission with lower GDP, which reveal the critical issue of emission leakage. Future policy making to address such regional disparity is critical so as to promote the emission control policy under the “equity and efficiency” principle.

Characterization of labile organic carbon in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain: relationships to carbon functionalities.

PubMed

Dodla, Syam K; Wang, Jim J; Delaune, Ronald D

2012-10-01

Adequate characterization of labile organic carbon (LOC) is essential to the understanding of C cycling in soil. There has been very little evaluation about the nature of LOC characterizations in coastal wetlands, where soils are constantly influenced by different redox fluctuations and salt water intrusions. In this study, we characterized and compared LOC fractions in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain using four different methods including 1) aerobically mineralizable C (AMC), 2) cold water extractable C (CWEC), 3) hot water extractable C (HWEC), and 4) salt extractable C (SEC), as well as acid hydrolysable C (AHC) which includes both labile and slowly degradable organic C. Molecular organic C functional groups of these wetland soils were characterized by (13)C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The LOC and AHC increased with soil organic C (SOC) regardless of wetland soil type. The LOC estimates by four different methods were positively and significantly linearly related to each other (R(2)=0.62-0.84) and with AHC (R(2)=0.47-0.71). The various LOC fractions accounted for ≤4.3% of SOC whereas AHC fraction represented 16-49% of SOC. AMC was influenced positively by O/N-alkyl and carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C, whereas CWEC and SEC fractions were influenced only positively by carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C in SOC. On the other hand, HWEC fraction was found to be only influenced positively by carbonyl C, and AHC positively by O/N-alkyl and alkyl C but negatively by aromatic C groups in SOC. Overall these relations suggested different contributions of various molecular organic C moieties to LOC in these wetlands from those often found for upland soils. The presence of more than 50% non-acid hydrolysable C suggested the dominance of relatively stable SOC pool that would be sequestered in these Mississippi River deltaic plain coastal wetland soils. The results have important implications to the understanding of the

"Epileptosis"--a syndrome or useless speculation?

PubMed

Faber, J; Vladyka, V; Dufková, D; Faltus, F; Jirák, R; Pavlovský, P; Smídová, E; Zvolský, P; Zukov, I; Klár, I; Posmurová, M; Srutová, L

1996-01-01

102 patients were divided into 3 groups: epileptics, psychotics and epileptics with psychotic symptoms. All had long been monitored for a number of clinical and laboratory parameters. Though different in many respects, all share states of sudden dysphoria, cacophoria, panic anxiety, horror, and EEG (stereo-EEG, too) signs of epileptic or other gross anomalies, often correlated to those affective disorders. Attacks of dysphoria, epilepsy, and psychosis come spontaneously and in response to biological (hypoglycemia, sleep deprivation, alcohol, menses) or psychosocial stimulation (agitation, quarrels, fear of redundancy, psychic trauma). These states (attacks, dysphoria, "neurotic" or even psychotic episodes) often provoke one another. -Calling this syndrome epileptosis, we believe its mechanism is due to lesions of the limbic and brainstem modulation systems. At the start of the process there is an epileptic focus in the amygdalo-hippocampal complex (AHC) which in itself can trigger simple or complex partial paroxysm but also-by means of electric stimulation of the AHC-states of dysphoria, anxiety, and psychotic hallucinations. Besides, a form of pathological learning develops in premorbid "hypersensitive" personality which can be put down to associative learning and to Overton's phenomenon of "state-dependent retention of learned responses". This may give rise to mutual stimulation where epileptic focal activity in AHC can provoke dysphoria while an external psychosocial situation can trigger epileptic activity there, too (AHC). Since there need not always be mydriasis (though other vegetative signs such as tachycardia, tachypnoea, nausea, blush and others are frequent) or unconsciousness, and some psychomotor manifestations may be out of the ordinary, and scalp EEG may be normal, such patients are often regarded as "hysterics" or malingerers.

The building and sustaining of a health care partnership: the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance.

PubMed

Chatman, Vera Stevens; Buford, Juanita F; Plant, Brynne

2003-11-01

The ability of academic health centers (AHCs) to maintain their financial viability and mission in the face of revolutionary changes was broadly discussed during the last decade. Among the suggestions for protecting the future of AHCs was to form strategic alliances to further the missions of education, research, and service. Although the evidence indicates that 55% of strategic alliances fall apart after three years, the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance is now beginning its fifth year, and it appears to be growing stronger. This article presents a brief overview of the evolving historical relationship between Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center-two institutions that share the same fundamental missions but have very different traditions, cultures, resources, and emphases for medical training-and their relationship with Metropolitan General Hospital at Meharry, a public hospital. The characteristics that have distinguished this strategic alliance are its organizational structure, clearly articulated and measurable objectives, an independent central office, and a shared responsibility for the management and provision of clinical services at Nashville General Hospital. The belief that the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance is the "right thing to do" has provided a foundation for cooperation at all levels of both AHCs.

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in subjects with alternating hemiplegia of childhood.

PubMed

Montirosso, Rosario; Ceppi, Elisa; D'aloisio, Chiara; Zucca, Claudio; Borgatti, Renato

2009-01-01

To examine the functioning of patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), a very rare clinical condition manifesting with recurrent episodes of hemiplegia lasting from few minutes to several days, paroxysmal occurrence of tonic/dystonic attacks and other autonomic disturbances. Furthermore, patients exhibit chronic disabilities as well as mental retardation, epilepsy and motor disorders that affect the patients' everyday functioning to a considerable extent. Data about 25 patients with AHC (F = 13) aged 3-34 years were collected with International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) questionnaires. Data analysis was carried out on four age groups: 3-6, 7-12, 13-18 and >18 years, using only the ICF questionnaires' cross-age items. In the body functions component, paying attention, seeing, muscle tones were common problems for all age groups. In the activity and participation component, all participants showed problems in basic interpersonal interactions. Finally, in the environmental factors component, barriers concern the climate and health services. On the other hand, families reported adequate support from social services. Although these findings must be validated, they appear to be promising and can contribute to understanding the daily functioning features of patients with AHC.

Concepts and methods for describing critical phenomena in fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengers, J. V.; Sengers, J. M. H. L.

1977-01-01

The predictions of theoretical models for a critical-point phase transistion in fluids, namely the classical equation with third-degree critical isotherm, that with fifth-degree critical isotherm, and the lattice gas, are reviewed. The renormalization group theory of critical phenomena and the hypothesis of universality of critical behavior supported by this theory are discussed as well as the nature of gravity effects and how they affect cricital-region experimentation in fluids. The behavior of the thermodynamic properties and the correlation function is formulated in terms of scaling laws. The predictions of these scaling laws and of the hypothesis of universality of critical behavior are compared with experimental data for one-component fluids and it is indicated how the methods can be extended to describe critical phenomena in fluid mixtures.

Maternal transcription of non-protein coding RNAs from the PWS-critical region rescues growth retardation in mice

PubMed Central

Rozhdestvensky, Timofey S.; Robeck, Thomas; Galiveti, Chenna R.; Raabe, Carsten A.; Seeger, Birte; Wolters, Anna; Gubar, Leonid V.; Brosius, Jürgen; Skryabin, Boris V.

2016-01-01

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurogenetic disorder caused by loss of paternally expressed genes on chromosome 15q11-q13. The PWS-critical region (PWScr) contains an array of non-protein coding IPW-A exons hosting intronic SNORD116 snoRNA genes. Deletion of PWScr is associated with PWS in humans and growth retardation in mice exhibiting ~15% postnatal lethality in C57BL/6 background. Here we analysed a knock-in mouse containing a 5′HPRT-LoxP-NeoR cassette (5′LoxP) inserted upstream of the PWScr. When the insertion was inherited maternally in a paternal PWScr-deletion mouse model (PWScrp−/m5′LoxP), we observed compensation of growth retardation and postnatal lethality. Genomic methylation pattern and expression of protein-coding genes remained unaltered at the PWS-locus of PWScrp−/m5′LoxP mice. Interestingly, ubiquitous Snord116 and IPW-A exon transcription from the originally silent maternal chromosome was detected. In situ hybridization indicated that PWScrp−/m5′LoxP mice expressed Snord116 in brain areas similar to wild type animals. Our results suggest that the lack of PWScr RNA expression in certain brain areas could be a primary cause of the growth retardation phenotype in mice. We propose that activation of disease-associated genes on imprinted regions could lead to general therapeutic strategies in associated diseases. PMID:26848093

Critical dynamics on a large human Open Connectome network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ódor, Géza

2016-12-01

Extended numerical simulations of threshold models have been performed on a human brain network with N =836 733 connected nodes available from the Open Connectome Project. While in the case of simple threshold models a sharp discontinuous phase transition without any critical dynamics arises, variable threshold models exhibit extended power-law scaling regions. This is attributed to fact that Griffiths effects, stemming from the topological or interaction heterogeneity of the network, can become relevant if the input sensitivity of nodes is equalized. I have studied the effects of link directness, as well as the consequence of inhibitory connections. Nonuniversal power-law avalanche size and time distributions have been found with exponents agreeing with the values obtained in electrode experiments of the human brain. The dynamical critical region occurs in an extended control parameter space without the assumption of self-organized criticality.

Noonan like appearance and familial deletion of the 22q11 Shprintzen-DiGeorge critical region

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

Piussan, C.; Mathieu, M.; Boudailliez, B.

1994-09-01

Shprintzen velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) and reported cases of autosomal dominant DiGeorge sequence (DGS) both belong to a heterogeneous developmental field defect due to the familial segregation of a 22q11 deletion. Two sisters present with mental retardation, dysmorphia and multiple congenital anomalies. The eldest has a Noonan-like appearance; short stature, short webbed neck, low posterior hairline, widely spaced nipples, hemivertebrae, speech disability and mild hypoparathyroidism. Her younger sister has prominent eyes, floppy ears, pulmonary valvular stenosis, hypoplastic right kidney, left multicystic kidney, hypoparathyroidism and renal failure causing death at age 3. Their retarded mother has a typical Shprintzen phenotype and nomore » hypoparathyroidism. A deletion of the critical DiGeorge-Shprintzen conotruncal malformation region was found by FISH in the mother and her Noonan-like daughter. In the mother`s family exist 3 cleft palates, an imperforate anus, a stillbirth and one infant died at age 3 months because of heart malformation. To our knowledge, another case of Noonan-like appearance in a DG patient affected with monosomy 22q11 has been reported in 1992 by Wilson et al. Whether resulting from the hemizygosity of a gene or from the deletion of contiguous genes, the wide DGS-VCFS spectrum encompasses quite variable phenotypes, discordant for palatal and conotruncal defects as well as for hypoparathyroidism, dysmorphic features and multiple congenital anomalies. Physical mapping of both the large 22q11 region commonly lost and the smallest deletion sufficient to produce DGS has been done and may account for the broadening spectrum, the variable expression and the frequently delayed diagnosis of this syndrome.« less

Localization of the human mitochondrial citrate transporter protein gene to chromosome 22q11 in the DiGeorge syndrome critical region

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

Heisterkamp, N.; Hoeve, J.T.; Groffen, J.

A high percentage of patients with DiGeorge syndrome and velo-cardio-facial syndrome have interstitial deletions on chromosome 22q11. The shortest region of overlap is currently estimated to be around 500 kb. Two segments of DNA from chromosome 22q11, located 160 kb apart, were cloned because they contained NotI restriction enzyme sites. In the current study we demonstrate that these segments are absent from chromosomes 22 carrying microdeletions of two different DiGeorge patients. Fluorescence in situ and Southern blot hybridization was further used to show that this locus is within the DiGeorge critical region. Phylogenetically conserved sequences adjacent to one of themore » two NotI sites hybridized to mRNAs in different human cell lines. cDNAs isolated with a probe from this segment showed it to contain the gene for the human mitochondrial citrate transporter protein. Deletion of this gene in DiGeorge may contribute to the mental deficiency seen in the patients. 35 refs., 5 figs.« less

Super- and sub-critical regions in shocks driven by radio-loud and radio-quiet CMEs

PubMed Central

Bemporad, Alessandro; Mancuso, Salvatore

2012-01-01

White-light coronagraphic images of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) observed by SOHO/LASCO C2 have been used to estimate the density jump along the whole front of two CME-driven shocks. The two events are different in that the first one was a “radio-loud” fast CME, while the second one was a “radio quiet” slow CME. From the compression ratios inferred along the shock fronts, we estimated the Alfvén Mach numbers for the general case of an oblique shock. It turns out that the “radio-loud” CME shock is initially super-critical around the shock center, while later on the whole shock becomes sub-critical. On the contrary, the shock associated with the “radio-quiet” CME is sub-critical at all times. This suggests that CME-driven shocks could be efficient particle accelerators at the shock nose only at the initiation phases of the event, if and when the shock is super-critical, while at later times they lose their energy and the capability to accelerate high energetic particles. PMID:25685431

Is the Critical Rotation of Be Stars Really Critical for the Be Phenomenon?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stee, Ph.; Meilland, A.

We aim to study the effect of the fast rotation, stellar wind and circumstellar disks around active hot stars and their effects on the formation and evolution of these massive stars. For that purpose, we obtained, for the first time, interferometric measurements of three active hot stars, namely α Arae, κ CMa and Achernar, using the VLTI /AMBER and VLTI/MIDI instruments which allow us to study the kinematics of the central star and its surrounding circumstellar matter. These data coupled with our numerical code SIMECA (SIMulation pour Etoiles Chaudes Actives) seem to indicate that the presence of equatorial disks and polar stellar wind around Be stars are not correlated. A polar stellar wind was detected for α Arae and Achernar whereas κ CMa seems to exhibit no stellar wind. On the other hand, these two first Be stars are certainly nearly critical rotators whereas the last one seems to be far from the critical rotation. Thus a polar stellar wind may be due to the nearly critical rotation which induces a local effective temperature change following the von Zeipel theorem, producing a hotter polar region triggering a polar stellar wind. This critical rotation may also explain the formation of a circumstellar disk which is formed by the centrifugal force balancing the equatorial effective gravity of the central star. Following these results we try to investigate if critical rotation may be the clue for the Be phenomenon.

The core microprocessor component DiGeorge syndrome critical region 8 (DGCR8) is a nonspecific RNA-binding protein.

PubMed

Roth, Braden M; Ishimaru, Daniella; Hennig, Mirko

2013-09-13

MicroRNA (miRNA) biogenesis follows a conserved succession of processing steps, beginning with the recognition and liberation of an miRNA-containing precursor miRNA hairpin from a large primary miRNA transcript (pri-miRNA) by the Microprocessor, which consists of the nuclear RNase III Drosha and the double-stranded RNA-binding domain protein DGCR8 (DiGeorge syndrome critical region protein 8). Current models suggest that specific recognition is driven by DGCR8 detection of single-stranded elements of the pri-miRNA stem-loop followed by Drosha recruitment and pri-miRNA cleavage. Because countless RNA transcripts feature single-stranded-dsRNA junctions and DGCR8 can bind hundreds of mRNAs, we explored correlations between RNA binding properties of DGCR8 and specific pri-miRNA substrate processing. We found that DGCR8 bound single-stranded, double-stranded, and random hairpin transcripts with similar affinity. Further investigation of DGCR8/pri-mir-16 interactions by NMR detected intermediate exchange regimes over a wide range of stoichiometric ratios. Diffusion analysis of DGCR8/pri-mir-16 interactions by pulsed field gradient NMR lent further support to dynamic complex formation involving free components in exchange with complexes of varying stoichiometry, although in vitro processing assays showed exclusive cleavage of pri-mir-16 variants bearing single-stranded flanking regions. Our results indicate that DGCR8 binds RNA nonspecifically. Therefore, a sequential model of DGCR8 recognition followed by Drosha recruitment is unlikely. Known RNA substrate requirements are broad and include 70-nucleotide hairpins with unpaired flanking regions. Thus, specific RNA processing is likely facilitated by preformed DGCR8-Drosha heterodimers that can discriminate between authentic substrates and other hairpins.

The Core Microprocessor Component DiGeorge Syndrome Critical Region 8 (DGCR8) Is a Nonspecific RNA-binding Protein*

PubMed Central

Roth, Braden M.; Ishimaru, Daniella; Hennig, Mirko

2013-01-01

MicroRNA (miRNA) biogenesis follows a conserved succession of processing steps, beginning with the recognition and liberation of an miRNA-containing precursor miRNA hairpin from a large primary miRNA transcript (pri-miRNA) by the Microprocessor, which consists of the nuclear RNase III Drosha and the double-stranded RNA-binding domain protein DGCR8 (DiGeorge syndrome critical region protein 8). Current models suggest that specific recognition is driven by DGCR8 detection of single-stranded elements of the pri-miRNA stem-loop followed by Drosha recruitment and pri-miRNA cleavage. Because countless RNA transcripts feature single-stranded-dsRNA junctions and DGCR8 can bind hundreds of mRNAs, we explored correlations between RNA binding properties of DGCR8 and specific pri-miRNA substrate processing. We found that DGCR8 bound single-stranded, double-stranded, and random hairpin transcripts with similar affinity. Further investigation of DGCR8/pri-mir-16 interactions by NMR detected intermediate exchange regimes over a wide range of stoichiometric ratios. Diffusion analysis of DGCR8/pri-mir-16 interactions by pulsed field gradient NMR lent further support to dynamic complex formation involving free components in exchange with complexes of varying stoichiometry, although in vitro processing assays showed exclusive cleavage of pri-mir-16 variants bearing single-stranded flanking regions. Our results indicate that DGCR8 binds RNA nonspecifically. Therefore, a sequential model of DGCR8 recognition followed by Drosha recruitment is unlikely. Known RNA substrate requirements are broad and include 70-nucleotide hairpins with unpaired flanking regions. Thus, specific RNA processing is likely facilitated by preformed DGCR8-Drosha heterodimers that can discriminate between authentic substrates and other hairpins. PMID:23893406

The interfacility transport of critically ill newborns

PubMed Central

Whyte, Hilary EA; Jefferies, Ann L

2015-01-01

The practice of paediatric/neonatal interfacility transport continues to expand. Transport teams have evolved into mobile intensive care units capable of delivering state-of-the-art critical care during paediatric and neonatal transport. While outcomes are best for high-risk infants born in a tertiary care setting, high-risk mothers often cannot be safely transferred. Their newborns may then have to be transported to a higher level of care following birth. The present statement reviews issues relating to transport of the critically ill newborn population, including personnel, team competencies, skills, equipment, systems and processes. Six recommendations for improving interfacility transport of critically ill newborns are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of regionalized care for newborns. PMID:26175564

Molecular dynamics simulations of diffusion and clustering along critical isotherms of medium-chain n-alkanes.

PubMed

Mutoru, J W; Smith, W; O'Hern, C S; Firoozabadi, A

2013-01-14

Understanding the transport properties of molecular fluids in the critical region is important for a number of industrial and natural systems. In the literature, there are conflicting reports on the behavior of the self diffusion coefficient D(s) in the critical region of single-component molecular systems. For example, D(s) could decrease to zero, reach a maximum, or remain unchanged and finite at the critical point. Moreover, there is no molecular-scale understanding of the behavior of diffusion coefficients in molecular fluids in the critical regime. We perform extensive molecular dynamics simulations in the critical region of single-component fluids composed of medium-chain n-alkanes-n-pentane, n-decane, and n-dodecane-that interact via anisotropic united-atom potentials. For each system, we calculate D(s), and average molecular cluster sizes κ(cl) and numbers N(cl) at various cluster lifetimes τ, as a function of density ρ in the range 0.2ρ(c) ≤ ρ ≤ 2.0ρ(c) at the critical temperature T(c). We find that D(s) decreases with increasing ρ but remains finite at the critical point. Moreover, for any given τ < 1.2 × 10(-12) s, κ(cl) increases with increasing ρ but is also finite at the critical point.

Crohn's Disease Variants of Nod2 Are Stabilized by the Critical Contact Region of Hsp70.

PubMed

Schaefer, Amy K; Wastyk, Hannah C; Mohanan, Vishnu; Hou, Ching-Wen; Lauro, Mackenzie L; Melnyk, James E; Burch, Jason M; Grimes, Catherine L

2017-08-29

Nod2 is a cytosolic, innate immune receptor responsible for binding to bacterial cell wall fragments such as muramyl dipeptide (MDP). Upon binding, subsequent downstream activation of the NF-κB pathway leads to an immune response. Nod2 mutations are correlated with an increased susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD) and ultimately result in a misregulated immune response. Previous work had demonstrated that Nod2 interacts with and is stabilized by the molecular chaperone Hsp70. In this work, it is shown using purified protein and in vitro biochemical assays that the critical Nod2 CD mutations (G908R, R702W, and 1007fs) preserve the ability to bind bacterial ligands. A limited proteolysis assay and luciferase reporter assay reveal regions of Hsp70 that are capable of stabilizing Nod2 and rescuing CD mutant activity. A minimal 71-amino acid subset of Hsp70 that stabilizes the CD-associated variants of Nod2 and restores a proper immune response upon activation with MDP was identified. This work suggests that CD-associated Nod2 variants could be stabilized in vivo with a molecular chaperone.

Microglial brain region-dependent diversity and selective regional sensitivities to ageing

PubMed Central

Grabert, Kathleen; Michoel, Tom; Karavolos, Michail H; Clohisey, Sara; Baillie, J Kenneth; Stevens, Mark P; Freeman, Tom C; Summers, Kim M; McColl, Barry W

2015-01-01

Microglia play critical roles in neural development, homeostasis and neuroinflammation and are increasingly implicated in age-related neurological dysfunction. Neurodegeneration often occurs in disease-specific spatially-restricted patterns, the origins of which are unknown. We performed the first genome-wide analysis of microglia from discrete brain regions across the adult lifespan of the mouse and reveal that microglia have distinct region-dependent transcriptional identities and age in a regionally variable manner. In the young adult brain, differences in bioenergetic and immunoregulatory pathways were the major sources of heterogeneity and suggested that cerebellar and hippocampal microglia exist in a more immune vigilant state. Immune function correlated with regional transcriptional patterns. Augmentation of the distinct cerebellar immunophenotype and a contrasting loss in distinction of the hippocampal phenotype among forebrain regions were key features during ageing. Microglial diversity may enable regionally localised homeostatic functions but could also underlie region-specific sensitivities to microglial dysregulation and involvement in age-related neurodegeneration. PMID:26780511

A Market Model for Evaluating Technologies That Impact Critical-Material Intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, Ananth V.; Vedantam, Aditya

2016-07-01

A recent Critical Materials Strategy report highlighted the supply chain risk associated with neodymium and dysprosium, which are used in the manufacturing of neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets (PM). In response, the Critical Materials Institute is developing innovative strategies to increase and diversify primary production, develop substitutes, reduce material intensity and recycle critical materials. Our goal in this paper is to propose an economic model to quantify the impact of one of these strategies, material intensity reduction. Technologies that reduce material intensity impact the economics of magnet manufacturing in multiple ways because of: (1) the lower quantity of critical material required per unit PM, (2) more efficient use of limited supply, and (3) the potential impact on manufacturing cost. However, the net benefit of these technologies to a magnet manufacturer is an outcome of an internal production decision subject to market demand characteristics, availability and resource constraints. Our contribution in this paper shows how a manufacturer's production economics moves from a region of being supply-constrained, to a region enabling the market optimal production quantity, to a region being constrained by resources other than critical materials, as the critical material intensity changes. Key insights for engineers and material scientists are: (1) material intensity reduction can have a significant market impact, (2) benefits to manufacturers are non-linear in the material intensity reduction, (3) there exists a threshold value for material intensity reduction that can be calculated for any target PM application, and (4) there is value for new intellectual property (IP) when existing manufacturing technology is IP-protected.

Aggregation propensity of critical regions of the protein Tau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muthee, Micaiah; Ahmed, Azka; Larini, Luca

The Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, which eventually leads to the ability to not able to carry out the simplest tasks. The Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the formation of protein aggregates both within and outside of the brain's cells, the neurons. Within the neurons, the aggregation of the protein tau leads to the destruction of the microtubules in the axon of the neuron. Tau belongs to a group of proteins referred to as Microtubule-Associated Proteins. It is extremely flexible and is classified as an intrinsically unstructured protein due to its low propensity to form secondary structure. Tau promotes tubulin assembly into microtubules thereby stabilizing the cytoskeleton of the axon of the neurons. The microtubule binding region of tau consists of 4 pseudo-repeats. In this study, we will focus on the aggregation propensity of two fragments. In this study we will focus on the PHF43 fragment that contains the third pseudo-repeat and has been shown experimentally to aggregate readily. Another fragment that contains the second pseudo-repeat will be considered as well. Mutations in this region are associated with various form of dementia and for this reason we will consider the mutant P301L.

Academic medicine meets managed care: a high-impact collision.

PubMed

Carey, R M; Engelhard, C L

1996-08-01

The managed care revolution is sweeping the country as a result of intense marketing on the part of managed care organizations and the widespread belief that price-sensitive managed care systems will control health costs. Although few believe that managed care alone can adequately stem the growth of nation health care spending, competition based on price has emerged as a powerful force in the health care sector. Academic health center (AHCs) stand to suffer with this new managed care regime because their special missions of teaching, research, and highly specialized clinical care make them more expensive than nonacademic hospitals and place them at a noncompetitive disadvantage. The traditional focus of the acute care hospital with individual departmentally designed programs will be narrow. Major changes will be required on the part of AHCs if they are to survive and preserve patient volume, maintain the integrity of medical education, advance scientific research, and provide highly specialized care. AHCs will have to make unprecedented adjustments in virtually every phase of their operations, particularly in the areas of clinical decision making and speedy patient-related information flow. A premium will be placed on multidisciplinary, inclusive medical services that can assume total health care risks for large populations. New ways of educating students in ambulatory settings with an emphasis on outcomes and population-based health will be needed along with the traditional responsibility of pursuing new approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. The extent to which managed care will ultimately alter the traditional role of AHCs in the American health care system is unclear, but successful adaptation in the short term will require them to respond broadly, flexibly, and in a timely fashion to the anticipated health care scene.

Critical Decay Index at the Onset of Solar Eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuccarello, F. P.; Aulanier, G.; Gilchrist, S. A.

2015-12-01

Magnetic flux ropes are topological structures consisting of twisted magnetic field lines that globally wrap around an axis. The torus instability model predicts that a magnetic flux rope of major radius R undergoes an eruption when its axis reaches a location where the decay index -d({ln}{B}{ex})/d({ln}R) of the ambient magnetic field Bex is larger than a critical value. In the current-wire model, the critical value depends on the thickness and time evolution of the current channel. We use magnetohydrodynamic simulations to investigate whether the critical value of the decay index at the onset of the eruption is affected by the magnetic flux rope’s internal current profile and/or by the particular pre-eruptive photospheric dynamics. The evolution of an asymmetric, bipolar active region is driven by applying different classes of photospheric motions. We find that the critical value of the decay index at the onset of the eruption is not significantly affected by either the pre-erupitve photospheric evolution of the active region or the resulting different magnetic flux ropes. As in the case of the current-wire model, we find that there is a “critical range” [1.3-1.5], rather than a “critical value” for the onset of the torus instability. This range is in good agreement with the predictions of the current-wire model, despite the inclusion of line-tying effects and the occurrence of tether-cutting magnetic reconnection.

Potts-model critical manifolds revisited

DOE PAGES

Scullard, Christian R.; Jacobsen, Jesper Lykke

2016-02-11

We compute the critical polynomials for the q-state Potts model on all Archimedean lattices, using a parallel implementation of the algorithm of Ref. [1] that gives us access to larger sizes than previously possible. The exact polynomials are computed for bases of size 6 6 unit cells, and the root in the temperature variable v = e K-1 is determined numerically at q = 1 for bases of size 8 8. This leads to improved results for bond percolation thresholds, and for the Potts-model critical manifolds in the real (q; v) plane. In the two most favourable cases, we findmore » now the kagome-lattice threshold to eleven digits and that of the (3; 12 2) lattice to thirteen. Our critical manifolds reveal many interesting features in the antiferromagnetic region of the Potts model, and determine accurately the extent of the Berker-Kadano phase for the lattices studied.« less

Observation of parametric instabilities in the quarter critical density region driven by the Nike KrF laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, J. L.; Oh, J.; Phillips, L.; Afeyan, B.; Seely, J.; Kehne, D.; Brown, C. M.; Obenschain, S. P.; Serlin, V.; Schmitt, A. J.; Feldman, U.; Lehmberg, R. H.; Mclean, E.; Manka, C.

2013-02-01

The krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser is an attractive choice for inertial confinement fusion due to its combination of short wavelength (λ =248 nm), large bandwidth (up to 3 THz), and superior beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence. These qualities improve the overall hydrodynamics of directly driven pellet implosions and should allow use of increased laser intensity due to higher thresholds for laser plasma instabilities when compared to frequency tripled Nd:glass lasers (λ =351 nm). Here, we report the first observations of the two-plasmon decay instability using a KrF laser. The experiments utilized the Nike laser facility to irradiate solid plastic planar targets over a range of pulse lengths (0.35 ns≤τ≤1.25 ns) and intensities (up to 2×1015 W/cm2). Variation of the laser pulse created different combinations of electron temperature and electron density scale length. The observed onset of instability growth was consistent with the expected scaling that KrF lasers have a higher intensity threshold for instabilities in the quarter critical density region.

Critical Magnetic Field Strengths for Unipolar Solar Coronal Plumes in Quiet Regions and Coronal Holes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avallone, E. A.; Tiwari, S. K.; Panesar, N. K.; Moore, R. L.

2017-12-01

Coronal plumes are sporadic fountain-like structures that are bright in coronal emission. Each is a magnetic funnel rooted in a strong patch of dominant-polarity photospheric magnetic flux surrounded by a predominantly-unipolar magnetic network, either in a quiet region or a coronal hole. The heating processes that make plumes bright evidently involve the magnetic field in the base of the plume, but remain mysterious. Raouafi et al. (2014) inferred from observations that plume heating is a consequence of magnetic reconnection in the base, whereas Wang et al. (2016) showed that plume heating turns on/off from convection-driven convergence/divergence of the base flux. While both papers suggest that the base magnetic flux in their plumes is of mixed polarity, these papers provide no measurements of the abundance and strength of the evolving base flux or consider whether a critical magnetic field strength is required for a plume to become noticeably bright. To address plume production and evolution, we track the plume luminosity and the abundance and strength of the base magnetic flux over the lifetimes of six coronal plumes, using Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 171 Å images and SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) line-of-sight magnetograms. Three of these plumes are in coronal holes, three are in quiet regions, and each plume exhibits a unipolar base flux. We track the base magnetic flux over each plume's lifetime to affirm that its convergence and divergence respectively coincide with the appearance and disappearance of the plume in 171 Å images. We tentatively find that plume formation requires enough convergence of the base flux to surpass a field strength of ˜300-500 Gauss, and that quiet Sun and coronal-hole plumes both exhibit the same behavior in the response of their luminosity in 171 Å to the strength of the magnetic field in the base.

DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOCOLS TO IDENTIFY CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Healthy, functioning ecosystems are critical to the sustainability of human and natural communities, but the identification of areas of healthy ecosystems in an area as large as Region 5 is difficult due to time and information constraints. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) a...

Appalachian Regional Commission: 1984 Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, DC.

Federal appropriations totalling over $162 million during fiscal year 1984 enabled the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to attack the region's most critical needs. Area development appropriations ($43 million) were used to create almost 10,550 new jobs and retain nearly 4,100 jobs, give special assistance to Appalachia's neediest 80 counties…

Professionalism and justice: ethical management guidelines for leaders of academic medical centers.

PubMed

Chervenak, Frank A; McCullough, Laurence B

2002-01-01

Academic health centers (AHCs) exist for the sake of pursuit of excellence in their missions of patient care, teaching, and research. Survival should be a means to these goals and not an end unto itself. Because of the fiscal crisis in health care, leaders of AHCs face the possible diminution or even extinction of their centers. When preventing such a fate becomes the governing concern of these leaders, power concentrates in their hands and can be used to force cooperation among competing faculty members and groups for the sake of mutual survival. The ethical concepts of professionalism and justice can be used to create a vital, practical, alternative vision for the leadership of AHCs, in which their missions once again become central to their organizational culture. Creating a morally sustainable organizational culture of professionalism and justice should rely not on forced cooperation, but on voluntary cooperation of all stakeholders in the pursuit of a common goal-professional excellence in patient care, teaching, and research-with survival understood to be a means to this goal. To achieve this alternative vision, the authors propose five management guidelines. For example, all faculty should be made accountable not only for maximizing the good of the organization's professionalism but also for fostering financial viability.

Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulnix, Jennifer Wilson

2012-01-01

As a philosophy professor, one of my central goals is to teach students to think critically. However, one difficulty with determining whether critical thinking can be taught, or even measured, is that there is widespread disagreement over what critical thinking actually is. Here, I reflect on several conceptions of critical thinking, subjecting…

Microscopic interpretation of magnetic ordering and critical slowing down in potassium ferrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corson, M. R.; Hoy, G. R.

1984-04-01

Experimental Mössbauer results are reported for the antiferromagnet K2FeO4 from 0.16 to 4.2 K which show significant spin-relaxation effects. The data are analyzed using the Clauser-Blume theory of stochastic spin relaxation, applied to the case spin S=1. This analysis yields the Néel temperature TN=3.60 K, and verifies the crystal-field parameters D=0.11 cm-1, and E=0.02 cm-1 in the presence of significant spin-fluctuation effects. The analysis also shows that, except in the critical region, the strength of the relaxation mechanism is temperature independent, indicating that the spin-spin interaction is the dominant relaxation mechanism in this temperature range. In the region of 3.60 K, the spin-relaxation rate is observed to decrease by a factor of 700, showing the critical slowing down of the iron ions' spin fluctuations in the critical region. Additionally, to fit the data between 3.50 and 3.70 K, it is necessary to include contributions from a range of values of reduced magnetization and relaxation rate. These results are discussed in terms of a proposed model including critical fluctuations.

The Friedreich ataxia critical region spans a 150-kb interval on chromosome 9q13

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

Montermini, L.; Zara, F.; Patel, P.I.

1995-11-01

By analysis of crossovers in key recombinant families and by homozygosity analysis of inbred families, the Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) locus was localized in a 300-kb interval between the X104 gene and the microsatellite marker FR8 (D9S888). By homology searches of the sequence databases, we identified X104 as the human tight junction protein ZO-2 gene. We generated a large-scale physical map of the FRDA region by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of genomic DNA and of three YAC clones derived from different libraries, and we constructed an uninterrupted cosmid contig spanning the FRDA locus. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase {gamma}-catalytic subunit gene wasmore » identified within the critical FRDA interval, but it was excluded as candidate because of its biological properties and because of lack of mutations in FRDA patients. Six new polymorphic markers were isolated between FR2 (D9S886) and FR8 (D9S888), which were used for homozygosity analysis in a family in which parents of an affected child are distantly related. An ancient recombination involving the centromeric FRDA flanking markers had been previously demonstrated in this family. Homozygosity analysis indicated that the FRDA gene is localized in the telomeric 150 kb of the FR2-FR8 interval. 17 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

Critical Anisotropies of a Geometrically-Frustrated Triangular-Lattice

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

Swanson, Mason R; Haraldsen, Jason T; Fishman, Randy Scott

2009-01-01

This work examines the critical anisotropy required for the local stability of the collinear ground states of a geometrically-frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TLA). Using a Holstein-Primakoff expansion, we calculate the spin-wave frequencies for the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8-sublattice (SL) ground states of a TLA with up to third neighbor interactions. Local stability requires that all spin-wave frequencies are real and positive. The 2, 4, and 8-SL phases break up into several regions where the critical anisotropy is a different function of the exchange parameters. We find that the critical anisotropy is a continuous function everywhere except across the 2-SL/3-SLmore » and 3-SL/4-SL phase boundaries, where the 3-SL phase has the higher critical anisotropy.« less

Evaluation of atmospheric nitrogen deposition model performance in the context of U.S. critical load assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jason J.; Chung, Serena H.; Johansen, Anne M.; Lamb, Brian K.; Vaughan, Joseph K.; Beutel, Marc

2017-02-01

Air quality models are widely used to estimate pollutant deposition rates and thereby calculate critical loads and critical load exceedances (model deposition > critical load). However, model operational performance is not always quantified specifically to inform these applications. We developed a performance assessment approach designed to inform critical load and exceedance calculations, and applied it to the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. We quantified wet inorganic N deposition performance of several widely-used air quality models, including five different Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) simulations, the Tdep model, and 'PRISM x NTN' model. Modeled wet inorganic N deposition estimates were compared to wet inorganic N deposition measurements at 16 National Trends Network (NTN) monitoring sites, and to annual bulk inorganic N deposition measurements at Mount Rainier National Park. Model bias (model - observed) and error (|model - observed|) were expressed as a percentage of regional critical load values for diatoms and lichens. This novel approach demonstrated that wet inorganic N deposition bias in the Pacific Northwest approached or exceeded 100% of regional diatom and lichen critical load values at several individual monitoring sites, and approached or exceeded 50% of critical loads when averaged regionally. Even models that adjusted deposition estimates based on deposition measurements to reduce bias or that spatially-interpolated measurement data, had bias that approached or exceeded critical loads at some locations. While wet inorganic N deposition model bias is only one source of uncertainty that can affect critical load and exceedance calculations, results demonstrate expressing bias as a percentage of critical loads at a spatial scale consistent with calculations may be a useful exercise for those performing calculations. It may help decide if model performance is adequate for a particular calculation, help assess confidence in

Critical levels and loads and the regulation of industrial emissions in northwest British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williston, P.; Aherne, J.; Watmough, S.; Marmorek, D.; Hall, A.; de la Cueva Bueno, P.; Murray, C.; Henolson, A.; Laurence, J. A.

2016-12-01

Northwest British Columbia, Canada, a sparsely populated and largely pristine region, is targeted for rapid industrial growth owing to the modernization of an aluminum smelter and multiple proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. Consequently, air quality in this region is expected to undergo considerable changes within the next decade. In concert, the increase in LNG capacity driven by gas production from shale resources across North America has prompted environmental concerns and highlighted the need for science-based management decisions regarding the permitting of air emissions. In this study, an effects-based approach widely-used to support transboundary emissions policy negotiations was used to assess industrial air emissions in the Kitimat and Prince Rupert airsheds under permitted and future potential industrial emissions. Critical levels for vegetation of SO2 and NO2 and critical loads of acidity and nutrient nitrogen for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were estimated for both regions and compared with modelled concentration and deposition estimates to identify the potential extent and magnitude of ecosystem impacts. The critical level for SO2 was predicted to be exceeded in an area ranging from 81 to 251 km2 in the Kitimat airshed owing to emissions from an existing smelter, compared with <1 km2 in Prince Rupert under the lowest to highest emissions scenarios. In contrast, the NO2 critical level was not exceeded in Kitimat, and ranged from 4.5 to 6 km2 in Prince Rupert owing to proposed LNG related emissions. Predicted areal exceedance of the critical load of acidity for soil ranged from 1 to 28 km2 in Kitimat and 4-10 km2 in Prince Rupert, while the areal exceedance of empirical critical load for nutrient N was predicted to be greater in the Prince Rupert airshed (20-94 km2) than in the Kitimat airshed (1-31 km2). The number of lakes that exceeded the critical load of acidity did not vary greatly across emissions scenarios in the Kitimat (21

Critical anisotropies of a geometrically frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, M.; Haraldsen, J. T.; Fishman, R. S.

2009-05-01

This work examines the critical anisotropy required for the local stability of the collinear ground states of a geometrically frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TLA). Using a Holstein-Primakoff expansion, we calculate the spin-wave frequencies for the one-, two-, three-, four-, and eight-sublattice (SL) ground states of a TLA with up to third neighbor interactions. Local stability requires that all spin-wave frequencies are real and positive. The two-, four-, and eight-SL phases break up into several regions where the critical anisotropy is a different function of the exchange parameters. We find that the critical anisotropy is a continuous function everywhere except across the two-SL/three-SL and three-SL/four-SL phase boundaries, where the three-SL phase has the higher critical anisotropy.

Critical success factors for competitiveness of construction companies: A critical review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanafi, Abdul Ghafur; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd

2016-08-01

Making progress basically, a fundamental issue for the construction companies to get by in a highly competitive industry. From time to time, industry players are facing stiff and tough competition due to large number of players, whether existing or new players involved from various background and track record. Furthermore, the large numbers of component deciding the competitiveness of contractors, whose organization structures and governance have turned out to be more muddled. Different construction companies have their own unique criteria which may differ from one to another. The enormous amount of issues needs to bring down to manageable numbers so that measures can be identified and scrutinized to enhance competitiveness. This paper discusses the result from the critical investigation from past studies in the Asian countries, namely China, India, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Several fundamental factors have been identified as CSFs in construction companies in respective country. Also highlighted a critical survey based upon various literatures written on this subject where critical success factors (CSFs) as a yardstick to gauge the relationship among CSFs in various construction companies in the Asian region. Far reaching estimation of an organization's performance and resulting input to its supervision is crucial for business change. Estimation additionally empowers organizations to be contrasted from one another on the premise of institutionalized data, permitting best practices to be distinguished and connected more widely. Different countries have their own set of critical success factors (CSFs) which may differ in term of priority and at the same time share common elements of success factor in accomplishment as a construction companies. The study, which is exploratory in nature, embraced the content investigation and inductive technique to accomplish its objectives.

Theory of First Order Chemical Kinetics at the Critical Point of Solution.

PubMed

Baird, James K; Lang, Joshua R

2017-10-26

Liquid mixtures, which have a phase diagram exhibiting a miscibility gap ending in a critical point of solution, have been used as solvents for chemical reactions. The reaction rate in the forward direction has often been observed to slow down as a function of temperature in the critical region. Theories based upon the Gibbs free energy of reaction as the driving force for chemical change have been invoked to explain this behavior. With the assumption that the reaction is proceeding under relaxation conditions, these theories expand the free energy in a Taylor series about the position of equilibrium. Since the free energy is zero at equilibrium, the leading term in the Taylor series is proportional to the first derivative of the free energy with respect to the extent of reaction. To analyze the critical behavior of this derivative, the theories exploit the principle of critical point isomorphism, which is thought to govern all critical phenomena. They find that the derivative goes to zero in the critical region, which accounts for the slowing down observed in the reaction rate. As has been pointed out, however, most experimental rate investigations have been carried out under irreversible conditions as opposed to relaxation conditions [Shen et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2015, 119, 8784-8791]. Below, we consider a reaction governed by first order kinetics and invoke transition state theory to take into account the irreversible conditions. We express the apparent activation energy in terms of thermodynamic derivatives evaluated under standard conditions as well as the pseudoequilibrium conditions associated with the reactant and the activated complex. We show that these derivatives approach infinity in the critical region. The apparent activation energy follows this behavior, and its divergence accounts for the slowing down of the reaction rate.

More insight into critical wetting in polymer blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerry, Rocco A.; Nauman, E. Bruce

1992-11-01

We have shown that a free energy expression that contains a derivative-dependent boundary penalty term, as introduced by Cohen and Muthukumar [J. Chem. Phys. 90, 5749 (1989)], will extend the region of parameter space over which critical wetting should occur.

Understanding Critical Socio-political and Hydro-climatic drivers behind Water Management and Increasing Dengue Disease Burden in Arid Regions of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akanda, A. S.; Johnson, K.; Frost, M.; Serman, E. A.

2016-12-01

Dengue is a significant public health problem in Mexico, with distribution of dengue throughout the country. Mexico is characterized by a number of attributes likely to contribute to the spread of dengue, including population growth, poor water management, urbanization, significant seasonal migration, and concentrated poverty. Understanding the socio-political and hydro-climatic drivers behind the increasing dengue disease burden in the central arid regions of Mexico is a vital component for modeling the distribution and spread of Aedes aegypti vector borne infections such as Dengue and Zika as more parts of the Americas is affected. Here, we focus on the critical socio-economic and environmental drivers behind water management, urbanization, and population migration in the arid Oaxaca region, situated in the rain shadow of the Sierra Madre Mountains at an altitude of 5000 feet. In contrast to the Pacific Coastal region which hosts climactic conditions conducive to the survival of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with a moist tropical environment, Oaxaca is arid and exists in a constant state of water insecurity. Within Oaxaca City, water is trucked in and stored in large roof tanks; many of which are failing, allowing for leaks or mosquito infestation. Alternate sources range from existing cisterns, sophisticated collection systems, to open-air rock pits. Few resources exist to improve water security, particularly in poor neighborhoods creating a disincentive to invite surveillance for disease or to move to safer and improved water systems. Meanwhile, the region has experienced significant socio-political and demographic shift including migration, economic reorganization and urbanization over the last decade. The rise in dengue incidence during the dry season suggests human intervention (through migration, water management, sanitation, cultural practices) as a potentially important predictive factor. In this study, we analyze associations of regional hydroclimatic

Integrating Climate and Risk-Informed Science to Support Critical Decisions

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

The PNNL Environmental Health and Remediation Sector stewards several decision support capabilities to integrate climate- and risk-informed science to support critical decisions. Utilizing our expertise in risk and decision analysis, integrated Earth systems modeling, and remote sensing and geoinformatics, PNNL is influencing the way science informs high level decisions at national, regional and local scales to protect and preserve our most critical assets.

Integrating Climate and Risk-Informed Science to Support Critical Decisions

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

None

2016-07-27

The PNNL Environmental Health and Remediation Sector stewards several decision support capabilities to integrate climate- and risk-informed science to support critical decisions. Utilizing our expertise in risk and decision analysis, integrated Earth systems modeling, and remote sensing and geoinformatics, PNNL is influencing the way science informs high level decisions at national, regional and local scales to protect and preserve our most critical assets.

On-farm irrigation reservoirs in two Arkansas critical groundwater regions: A comparative inventory

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Arkansas, which ranks third in the nation in terms of irrigated cropland, relies heavily on the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer for irrigation. Two critical groundwater areas have been identified, with one along the Cache River in northeast Arkansas and the other in the Grand Prairie in ce...

A Signature of Self-Organized Criticality in the HT-6M Edge Plasma Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wen-Hao; Yu, Chang-Xuan; Wen, Yi-Zhi; Xu, Yu-Hong; Ling, Bi-Li; Gong, Xian-Zu; Liu, Bao-Hua; Wan, Bao-Nian

2001-03-01

Power spectra of electron density and floating potential fluctuations in the velocity shear layer of the HT-6M edge region have been measured and analysed. All the spectra have three distinct frequency regions with the spectral decay indices typical of self-organized criticality systems (0, -1 and -4) when Doppler shift effects induced by the plasma E×B flow velocity have been taken into account. These results are consistent with the predictions of the self-organized criticality models, which may be an indication of edge plasma turbulence in the HT-6M tokamak evolving into a critical state independent of local plasma parameters.

Critical Thinking vs. Critical Consciousness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doughty, Howard A.

2006-01-01

This article explores four kinds of critical thinking. The first is found in Socratic dialogues, which employ critical thinking mainly to reveal logical fallacies in common opinions, thus cleansing superior minds of error and leaving philosophers free to contemplate universal verities. The second is critical interpretation (hermeneutics) which…

Critically Thinking about Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weissberg, Robert

2013-01-01

In this article, the author states that "critical thinking" has mesmerized academics across the political spectrum and that even high school students are now being called upon to "think critically." He furthers adds that it is no exaggeration to say that "critical thinking" has quickly evolved into a scholarly…

A Poisson process approximation for generalized K-5 confidence regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arsham, H.; Miller, D. R.

1982-01-01

One-sided confidence regions for continuous cumulative distribution functions are constructed using empirical cumulative distribution functions and the generalized Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance. The band width of such regions becomes narrower in the right or left tail of the distribution. To avoid tedious computation of confidence levels and critical values, an approximation based on the Poisson process is introduced. This aproximation provides a conservative confidence region; moreover, the approximation error decreases monotonically to 0 as sample size increases. Critical values necessary for implementation are given. Applications are made to the areas of risk analysis, investment modeling, reliability assessment, and analysis of fault tolerant systems.

Spinodal assisted growing dynamics of critical nucleus in polymer blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xinghua; Qi, Shuanhu; Yan, Dadong

2012-11-01

In metastable polymer blends, nonclassical critical nucleus is not a drop of stable phase in core wrapped with a sharp interface, but a diffuse structure depending on the metastability. Thus, forming a critical nucleus does not mean the birth of a new phase. In the present work, the nonclassical growing dynamics of the critical nucleus is addressed in the metastable polymer blends by incorporating self-consistent field theory and external potential dynamics theory, which leads to an intuitionistic description for the scattering experiments. The results suggest that the growth of nonclassical critical nucleus is controlled by the spinodal-decomposition which happens in the region surrounding the nucleus. This leads to forming the shell structures around the nucleus.

Quantum critical scaling and fluctuations in Kondo lattice materials

PubMed Central

Yang, Yi-feng; Pines, David; Lonzarich, Gilbert

2017-01-01

We propose a phenomenological framework for three classes of Kondo lattice materials that incorporates the interplay between the fluctuations associated with the antiferromagnetic quantum critical point and those produced by the hybridization quantum critical point that marks the end of local moment behavior. We show that these fluctuations give rise to two distinct regions of quantum critical scaling: Hybridization fluctuations are responsible for the logarithmic scaling in the density of states of the heavy electron Kondo liquid that emerges below the coherence temperature T∗, whereas the unconventional power law scaling in the resistivity that emerges at lower temperatures below TQC may reflect the combined effects of hybridization and antiferromagnetic quantum critical fluctuations. Our framework is supported by experimental measurements on CeCoIn5, CeRhIn5, and other heavy electron materials. PMID:28559308

Critical current studies of a HTS rectangular coil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Z.; Chudy, M.; Ruiz, H. S.; Zhang, X.; Coombs, T.

2017-05-01

Nowadays, superconducting high field magnets are used in numerous applications due to their superior properties. High temperature superconductors (HTS) are usually used for production of circular pancake or racetrack coils. However different geometries of HTS coils might be required for some specific applications. In this study, the HTS coil wound on a rectangular frame was fully characterized in homogeneous DC background field. The study contains measurements of critical current angular dependencies. The critical current of the entire coil and two selected strands under different magnitudes and orientations of external magnetic fields are measured. The critical regions of the coil in different angular regimes are determined. This study brings better understanding of the in- field performance of HTS coils wound on frames with right-angles.

Neural responses to maternal criticism in healthy youth

PubMed Central

Siegle, Greg J.; Dahl, Ronald E.; Hooley, Jill M.; Silk, Jennifer S.

2015-01-01

Parental criticism can have positive and negative effects on children’s and adolescents’ behavior; yet, it is unclear how youth react to, understand and process parental criticism. We proposed that youth would engage three sets of neural processes in response to parental criticism including the following: (i) activating emotional reactions, (ii) regulating those reactions and (iii) social cognitive processing (e.g. understanding the parent’s mental state). To examine neural processes associated with both emotional and social processing of parental criticism in personally relevant and ecologically valid social contexts, typically developing youth were scanned while they listened to their mother providing critical, praising and neutral statements. In response to maternal criticism, youth showed increased brain activity in affective networks (e.g. subcortical–limbic regions including lentiform nucleus and posterior insula), but decreased activity in cognitive control networks (e.g. dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and caudal anterior cingulate cortex) and social cognitive networks (e.g. temporoparietal junction and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus). These results suggest that youth may respond to maternal criticism with increased emotional reactivity but decreased cognitive control and social cognitive processing. A better understanding of children’s responses to parental criticism may provide insights into the ways that parental feedback can be modified to be more helpful to behavior and development in youth. PMID:25338632

How Critical Is Critical Thinking?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Ryan D.

2014-01-01

Recent educational discourse is full of references to the value of critical thinking as a 21st-century skill. In music education, critical thinking has been discussed in relation to problem solving and music listening, and some researchers suggest that training in critical thinking can improve students' responses to music. But what exactly is…

Housing First for People With Severe Mental Illness Who Are Homeless: A Review of the Research and Findings From the At Home-Chez soi Demonstration Project.

PubMed

Aubry, Tim; Nelson, Geoffrey; Tsemberis, Sam

2015-11-01

To provide a review of the extant research literature on Housing First (HF) for people with severe mental illness (SMI) who are homeless and to describe the findings of the recently completed At Home (AH)-Chez soi (CS) demonstration project. HF represents a paradigm shift in the delivery of community mental health services, whereby people with SMI who are homeless are supported through assertive community treatment or intensive case management to move into regular housing. The AH-CS demonstration project entailed a randomized controlled trial conducted in 5 Canadian cities between 2009 and 2013. Mixed methods were used to examine the implementation of HF programs and participant outcomes, comparing 1158 people receiving HF to 990 people receiving standard care. Initial research conducted in the United States shows HF to be a promising approach, yielding superior outcomes in helping people to rapidly exit homelessness and establish stable housing. Findings from the AH-CS demonstration project reveal that HF can be successfully adapted to different contexts and for different populations without losing its fidelity. People receiving HF achieved superior housing outcomes and showed more rapid improvements in community functioning and quality of life than those receiving treatment as usual. Knowledge translation efforts have been undertaken to disseminate the positive findings and lessons learned from the AH-CS project and to scale up the HF approach across Canada.

Climate in Context - How partnerships evolve in regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parris, A. S.

2014-12-01

In 2015, NOAA's RISA program will celebrate its 20th year of exploration in the development of usable climate information. In the mid-1990s, a vision emerged to develop interdisciplinary research efforts at the regional scale for several important reasons. Recognizable climate patterns, such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), emerge at the regional level where our understanding of observations and models coalesce. Critical resources for society are managed in a context of regional systems, such as water supply and human populations. Multiple scales of governance (local, state, and federal) with complex institutional relationships can be examined across a region. Climate information (i.e. data, science, research etc) developed within these contexts has greater potential for use. All of this work rests on a foundation of iterative engagement between scientists and decision makers. Throughout these interactions, RISAs have navigated diverse politics, extreme events and disasters, socio-economic and ecological disruptions, and advances in both science and technology. Our understanding of information needs is evolving into a richer understanding of complex institutional, legal, political, and cultural contexts within which people can use science to make informed decisions. The outcome of RISA work includes both cases where climate information was used in decisions and cases where capacity for using climate information and making climate resilient decisions has increased over time. In addition to balancing supply and demand of scientific information, RISAs are engaged in a social process of reconciling climate information use with important drivers of society. Because partnerships are critical for sustained engagement, and because engagement is critically important to the use of science, the rapid development of new capacity in regionally-based science programs focused on providing climate decision support is both needed and challenging. New actors can bolster

Mapping Critical Loads of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in the Rocky Mountains, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanus, L.; Clow, D. W.; Stephens, V. C.; Saros, J. E.

2010-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can adversely affect sensitive aquatic ecosystems at high-elevations in the western United States. Critical loads are the amount of deposition of a given pollutant that an ecosystem can receive below which ecological effects are thought not to occur. GIS-based landscape models were used to create maps for high-elevation areas across the Rocky Mountain region showing current atmospheric deposition rates of nitrogen (N), critical loads of N, and exceedances of critical loads of N. Atmospheric N deposition maps for the region were developed at 400 meter resolution using gridded precipitation data and spatially interpolated chemical concentrations in rain and snow. Critical loads maps were developed based on chemical thresholds corresponding to observed ecological effects, and estimated ecosystem sensitivities calculated from basin characteristics. Diatom species assemblages were used as an indicator of ecosystem health to establish critical loads of N. Chemical thresholds (concentrations) were identified for surface waters by using a combination of in-situ growth experiments and observed spatial patterns in surface-water chemistry and diatom species assemblages across an N deposition gradient. Ecosystem sensitivity was estimated using a multiple-linear regression approach in which observed surface water nitrate concentrations at 530 sites were regressed against estimates of inorganic N deposition and basin characteristics (topography, soil type and amount, bedrock geology, vegetation type) to develop predictive models of surface water chemistry. Modeling results indicated that the significant explanatory variables included percent slope, soil permeability, and vegetation type (including barren land, shrub, and grassland) and were used to predict high-elevation surface water nitrate concentrations across the Rocky Mountains. Chemical threshold concentrations were substituted into an inverted form of the model equations and applied to

Malaysia's social policies on mental health: a critical theory.

PubMed

Mubarak, A Rahamuthulla

2003-01-01

This article aims to review the social policies on mental health and mental illness in Malaysia. Using critical theory, major policy issues pertaining to mental health and mental illness such as mental health legislation, prevalence rates and quality of services available to the people with mental health problems are discussed in detail. Implications of these issues on persons with mental health problems are critically evaluated. The paper highlights that the other countries in ASEAN region also require similar review by policy literature.

Havens: Explicit Reliable Memory Regions for HPC Applications

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

Hukerikar, Saurabh; Engelmann, Christian

2016-01-01

Supporting error resilience in future exascale-class supercomputing systems is a critical challenge. Due to transistor scaling trends and increasing memory density, scientific simulations are expected to experience more interruptions caused by transient errors in the system memory. Existing hardware-based detection and recovery techniques will be inadequate to manage the presence of high memory fault rates. In this paper we propose a partial memory protection scheme based on region-based memory management. We define the concept of regions called havens that provide fault protection for program objects. We provide reliability for the regions through a software-based parity protection mechanism. Our approach enablesmore » critical program objects to be placed in these havens. The fault coverage provided by our approach is application agnostic, unlike algorithm-based fault tolerance techniques.« less

GTF2IRD2 is located in the Williams–Beuren syndrome critical region 7q11.23 and encodes a protein with two TFII-I-like helix–loop–helix repeats

PubMed Central

Makeyev, Aleksandr V.; Erdenechimeg, Lkhamsuren; Mungunsukh, Ognoon; Roth, Jutta J.; Enkhmandakh, Badam; Ruddle, Frank H.; Bayarsaihan, Dashzeveg

2004-01-01

Williams–Beuren syndrome (also known as Williams syndrome) is caused by a deletion of a 1.55- to 1.84-megabase region from chromosome band 7q11.23. GTF2IRD1 and GTF2I, located within this critical region, encode proteins of the TFII-I family with multiple helix–loop–helix domains known as I repeats. In the present work, we characterize a third member, GTF2IRD2, which has sequence and structural similarity to the GTF2I and GTF2IRD1 paralogs. The ORF encodes a protein with several features characteristic of regulatory factors, including two I repeats, two leucine zippers, and a single Cys-2/His-2 zinc finger. The genomic organization of human, baboon, rat, and mouse genes is well conserved. Our exon-by-exon comparison has revealed that GTF2IRD2 is more closely related to GTF2I than to GTF2IRD1 and apparently is derived from the GTF2I sequence. The comparison of GTF2I and GTF2IRD2 genes revealed two distinct regions of homology, indicating that the helix–loop–helix domain structure of the GTF2IRD2 gene has been generated by two independent genomic duplications. We speculate that GTF2I is derived from GTF2IRD1 as a result of local duplication and the further evolution of its structure was associated with its functional specialization. Comparison of genomic sequences surrounding GTF2IRD2 genes in mice and humans allows refinement of the centromeric breakpoint position of the primate-specific inversion within the Williams–Beuren syndrome critical region. PMID:15243160

GTF2IRD2 is located in the Williams-Beuren syndrome critical region 7q11.23 and encodes a protein with two TFII-I-like helix-loop-helix repeats.

PubMed

Makeyev, Aleksandr V; Erdenechimeg, Lkhamsuren; Mungunsukh, Ognoon; Roth, Jutta J; Enkhmandakh, Badam; Ruddle, Frank H; Bayarsaihan, Dashzeveg

2004-07-27

Williams-Beuren syndrome (also known as Williams syndrome) is caused by a deletion of a 1.55- to 1.84-megabase region from chromosome band 7q11.23. GTF2IRD1 and GTF2I, located within this critical region, encode proteins of the TFII-I family with multiple helix-loop-helix domains known as I repeats. In the present work, we characterize a third member, GTF2IRD2, which has sequence and structural similarity to the GTF2I and GTF2IRD1 paralogs. The ORF encodes a protein with several features characteristic of regulatory factors, including two I repeats, two leucine zippers, and a single Cys-2/His-2 zinc finger. The genomic organization of human, baboon, rat, and mouse genes is well conserved. Our exon-by-exon comparison has revealed that GTF2IRD2 is more closely related to GTF2I than to GTF2IRD1 and apparently is derived from the GTF2I sequence. The comparison of GTF2I and GTF2IRD2 genes revealed two distinct regions of homology, indicating that the helix-loop-helix domain structure of the GTF2IRD2 gene has been generated by two independent genomic duplications. We speculate that GTF2I is derived from GTF2IRD1 as a result of local duplication and the further evolution of its structure was associated with its functional specialization. Comparison of genomic sequences surrounding GTF2IRD2 genes in mice and humans allows refinement of the centromeric breakpoint position of the primate-specific inversion within the Williams-Beuren syndrome critical region.

Predicting mixture phase equilibria and critical behavior using the SAFT-VRX approach.

PubMed

Sun, Lixin; Zhao, Honggang; Kiselev, Sergei B; McCabe, Clare

2005-05-12

The SAFT-VRX equation of state combines the SAFT-VR equation with a crossover function that smoothly transforms the classical equation into a nonanalytical form close to the critical point. By a combinination of the accuracy of the SAFT-VR approach away from the critical region with the asymptotic scaling behavior seen at the critical point of real fluids, the SAFT-VRX equation can accurately describe the global fluid phase diagram. In previous work, we demonstrated that the SAFT-VRX equation very accurately describes the pvT and phase behavior of both nonassociating and associating pure fluids, with a minimum of fitting to experimental data. Here, we present a generalized SAFT-VRX equation of state for binary mixtures that is found to accurately predict the vapor-liquid equilibrium and pvT behavior of the systems studied. In particular, we examine binary mixtures of n-alkanes and carbon dioxide + n-alkanes. The SAFT-VRX equation accurately describes not only the gas-liquid critical locus for these systems but also the vapor-liquid equilibrium phase diagrams and thermal properties in single-phase regions.

Stress during a Critical Postnatal Period Induces Region-Specific Structural Abnormalities and Dysfunction of the Prefrontal Cortex via CRF1

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiao-Dun; Liao, Xue-Mei; Uribe-Mariño, Andrés; Liu, Rui; Xie, Xiao-Meng; Jia, Jiao; Su, Yun-Ai; Li, Ji-Tao; Schmidt, Mathias V; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Si, Tian-Mei

2015-01-01

During the early postnatal period, environmental influences play a pivotal role in shaping the development of the neocortex, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that is crucial for working memory and goal-directed actions. Exposure to stressful experiences during this critical period may disrupt the development of PFC pyramidal neurons and impair the wiring and function of related neural circuits. However, the molecular mechanisms of the impact of early-life stress on PFC development and function are not well understood. In this study, we found that repeated stress exposure during the first postnatal week hampered dendritic development in layers II/III and V pyramidal neurons in the dorsal agranular cingulate cortex (ACd) and prelimbic cortex (PL) of neonatal mice. The deleterious effects of early postnatal stress on structural plasticity persisted to adulthood only in ACd layer V pyramidal neurons. Most importantly, concurrent blockade of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRF1) by systemic antalarmin administration (20 μg/g of body weight) during early-life stress exposure prevented stress-induced apical dendritic retraction and spine loss in ACd layer V neurons and impairments in PFC-dependent cognitive tasks. Moreover, the magnitude of dendritic regression, especially the shrinkage of apical branches, of ACd layer V neurons predicted the degree of cognitive deficits in stressed mice. Our data highlight the region-specific effects of early postnatal stress on the structural plasticity of prefrontal pyramidal neurons, and suggest a critical role of CRF1 in modulating early-life stress-induced prefrontal abnormalities. PMID:25403725

From University to Regionality? Knowledge Economy and Regional Development--The Case of Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

From, Jörgen; Olofsson, Anders

2016-01-01

New public management and knowledge economy have become watchwords in the governance of higher education. The university's role has rapidly changed toward regional development. The aim of this article is critically to highlight the basic rationale of this reorganization and to examine what this can mean in a Swedish context. This rationale is…

The Twist Limit for Bipolar Active Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ron; Falconer, David; Gary, Allen

2008-01-01

We present new evidence that further supports the standard idea that active regions are emerged magnetic-flux-rope omega loops. When the axial magnetic twist of a cylindrical flux rope exceeds a critical amount, the flux rope becomes unstable to kinking, and the excess axial twist is converted into writhe twist by the kinking. This suggests that, if active regions are emerged omega loops, then (1) no active region should have magnetic twist much above the limit set by kinking, (2) active regions having twist near the limit should often arise from kinked omega loops, and (3) since active regions having large delta sunspots are outstandingly twisted, these arise from kinked omega loops and should have twist near the limit for kinking. From each of 36 vector magnetograms of bipolar active regions, we have measured (1) the total flux of the vertical field above 100 G, (2) the area covered by this flux, and (3) the net electric current that arches over the polarity inversion line. These three quantities yield an estimate of the axial magnetic twist in a simple model cylindrical flux rope that corresponds to the top of the active region s hypothetical omega loop prior to emergence. In all 36 cases, the estimated twist is below the critical limit for kinking. The 11 most twisted active regions (1) have estimated twist within a factor of approx.3 of the limit, and (2) include all of our 6 active regions having large delta sunspots. Thus, our observed twist limit for bipolar active regions is in good accord with active regions being emerged omega loops.

DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOCOLS TO STUDY TO IDENTIFY CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Healthy, functioning ecosystems are critical to the sustainability of human and natural communities, but the identification of areas of healthy ecosystems in an area as large as Region 5 is difficult due to time and information constraints. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) a...

Global trends in critical values practices and their harmonization.

PubMed

Kost, Gerald J; Hale, Kristin N

2011-02-01

The objectives of this article were 1) to identify current trends in critical values practices in North America, Europe, and other regions; 2) to describe progress toward harmonization of critical limits; and 3) to synthesize strategies that will encourage global consensus. Critical limits are described in national surveys. Critical value practices are guided by federal statutes, The Joint Commission regulations, and accreditation requirements in the US; by provincial healthcare agencies in Canada; by thought leaders and ISO EN 15189:2007 in Europe; and in SE Asia, mostly by ad hoc policies lacking statutory grip. Review of databases, literature, websites, federal statutes, litigation, official policies, current affairs, and accreditation agency requirements. Practical strategies will accelerate harmonization of critical values practices, as follows: a) continue national and international survey comparisons; b) clarify age, ethnic, and subject dependencies; c) standardize qualitative and quantitative decision levels for urgent clinician notification; d) monitor compliance and timeliness for safety; and e) alert high frequencies of critical values related to adverse events. New expectations and communication technologies present opportunities for enhanced performance using wireless closed-loop reporting with recipient acknowledgment to reduce phone calls and improve efficiency. Hospitals worldwide can benefit from developing consensus for critical values practices.

Apparatus and method for measuring critical current properties of a coated conductor

DOEpatents

Mueller, Fred M [Los Alamos, NM; Haenisch, Jens [Dresden, DE

2012-07-24

The transverse critical-current uniformity in a superconducting tape was determined using a magnetic knife apparatus. A critical current I.sub.c distribution and transverse critical current density J.sub.c distribution in YBCO coated conductors was measured nondestructively with high resolution using a magnetic knife apparatus. The method utilizes the strong depression of J.sub.c in applied magnetic fields. A narrow region of low, including zero, magnetic field in a surrounding higher field is moved transversely across a sample of coated conductor. This reveals the critical current density distribution. A Fourier series inversion process was used to determine the transverse J.sub.c distribution in the sample.

T Cell Epitope Regions of the P. falciparum MSP1-33 Critically Influence Immune Responses and In Vitro Efficacy of MSP1-42 Vaccines

PubMed Central

Pusic, Kae M.; Hashimoto, Caryn N.; Lehrer, Axel; Aniya, Charmaine; Clements, David E.; Hui, George S.

2011-01-01

The C-terminal 42 kDa fragments of the P. falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein 1, MSP1-42 is a leading malaria vaccine candidate. MSP1-33, the N-terminal processed fragment of MSP1-42, is rich in T cell epitopes and it is hypothesized that they enhance antibody response toward MSP1-19. Here, we gave in vivo evidence that T cell epitope regions of MSP1-33 provide functional help in inducing anti-MSP1-19 antibodies. Eleven truncated MSP1-33 segments were expressed in tandem with MSP1-19, and immunogenicity was evaluated in Swiss Webster mice and New Zealand White rabbits. Analyses of anti-MSP1-19 antibody responses revealed striking differences in these segments' helper function despite that they all possess T cell epitopes. Only a few fragments induced a generalized response (100%) in outbred mice. These were comparable to or surpassed the responses observed with the full length MSP1-42. In rabbits, only a subset of truncated antigens induced potent parasite growth inhibitory antibodies. Notably, two constructs were more efficacious than MSP1-42, with one containing only conserved T cell epitopes. Moreover, another T cell epitope region induced high titers of non-inhibitory antibodies and they interfered with the inhibitory activities of anti-MSP1-42 antibodies. In mice, this region also induced a skewed TH2 cellular response. This is the first demonstration that T cell epitope regions of MSP1-33 positively or negatively influenced antibody responses. Differential recognition of these regions by humans may play critical roles in vaccine induced and/or natural immunity to MSP1-42. This study provides the rational basis to re-engineer more efficacious MSP1-42 vaccines by selective inclusion and exclusion of MSP1-33 specific T cell epitopes. PMID:21931852

The impact of transport of critically ill pediatric patients on rural emergency departments in Manitoba.

PubMed

Hansen, Gregory; Beer, Darcy L; Vallance, Jeff K

2017-01-01

Although the interfacility transport (IFT) of critically ill pediatric patients from rural to tertiary health centres may improve outcomes, the impact of IFTs on the rural referring centre is not known. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the IFT of critically ill children affects staffing and functionality of rural emergency departments (EDs) in Manitoba. In 2015, surveys were emailed to the medical directors of all 15 regional EDs within 2 hours' travel time from a tertiary pediatric hospital. The survey consisted of 9 questions that addressed baseline characteristics of the regional EDs and duration of ED staffing changes or closures due to IFT of critically ill pediatric patients. Ten surveys were received (67% response rate); a regional ED catchment population of about 130 000 people was represented. Interfacility transport caused most EDs (60%, with an average catchment population of 15 000) to close or to alter their staffing to a registered nurse only. These temporary changes lasted a cumulative total of 115 hours. Interfacility transport of critically ill pediatric patients resulted in ED closures and staffing changes in rural Manitoba. These findings suggest that long-term sustainable solutions are required to improve access to emergency care.

Conserved Regions of Gonococcal TbpB Are Critical for Surface Exposure and Transferrin Iron Utilization

PubMed Central

Ostberg, Karen L.; DeRocco, Amanda J.; Mistry, Shreni D.; Dickinson, Mary Kathryne

2013-01-01

The transferrin-binding proteins TbpA and TbpB enable Neisseria gonorrhoeae to obtain iron from human transferrin. The lipoprotein TbpB facilitates, but is not strictly required for, TbpA-mediated iron acquisition. The goal of the current study was to determine the contribution of two conserved regions within TbpB to the function of this protein. Using site-directed mutagenesis, the first mutation we constructed replaced the lipobox (LSAC) of TbpB with a signal I peptidase cleavage site (LAAA), while the second mutation deleted a conserved stretch of glycine residues immediately downstream of the lipobox. We then evaluated the resulting mutants for effects on TbpB expression, surface exposure, and transferrin iron utilization. Western blot analysis and palmitate labeling indicated that the lipobox, but not the glycine-rich motif, is required for lipidation of TbpB and tethering to the outer membrane. TbpB was released into the supernatant by the mutant that produces TbpB LSAC. Neither mutation disrupted the transport of TbpB across the bacterial cell envelope. When these mutant TbpB proteins were produced in a strain expressing a form of TbpA that requires TbpB for iron acquisition, growth on transferrin was either abrogated or dramatically diminished. We conclude that surface tethering of TbpB is required for optimal performance of the transferrin iron acquisition system, while the presence of the polyglycine stretch near the amino terminus of TbpB contributes significantly to transferrin iron transport function. Overall, these results provide important insights into the functional roles of two conserved motifs of TbpB, enhancing our understanding of this critical iron uptake system. PMID:23836816

Critical current of SF-NFS Josephson junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloviev, I. I.; Klenov, N. V.; Bakursky, S. V.; Kupriyanov, M. Yu.; Golubov, A. A.

2015-02-01

The properties of SF-NFS sandwiches composed of two superconducting (S) electrodes separated by a weak-link region formed by a normal-metal (N) step with the thickness d N situated on the top of a lower S electrode and a ferromagnetic (F) layer with the thickness d F deposited onto the step and the remaining free surface of the lower electrode have been studied theoretically. It has been shown in the approximation of linearized semiclassical Usadel equations that the two-dimensional problem in the weak-link region can be reduced to two one-dimensional problems in its SFS and SNFS segments. The spatial distributions of the critical current density J c in the segments as a function of the layer thickness d F have been calculated. The dependences of the critical current I c of the structure on the magnitude of the magnetization vector M of the ferromagnetic layer have been found for various directions of the magnetization within the junction plane. It has been shown that these dependences are affected considerably by both the orientation of M and the spatial distribution of J c.

Molecular cytogenetic characterization of the DiGeorge syndrome region using fluorescence in situ hybridization

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

Lindsay, E.A.; Halford, S.; Wadey, R.

1993-08-01

DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) is a developmental defect characterized by cardiac defects, facial dysmorphism, and mental retardation. Several studies have described a critical region for DGS at 22q11, within which the majority of DGS patients have deletions. The authors have isolated nine cosmid and three YAC clones using previously described and newly isolated probes that have been shown to be deleted in many DGS patients. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization and digital imaging, they have mapped and ordered these clones relative to the breakpoints of two balanced translocations at 22q11 (one in a DGS patient and one in the unaffected parentmore » of a DGS child). The data indicate that the breakpoint in the unaffected individual distally limits the DGS critical region (defined as the smallest region of overlap), while proximally the region is limited by repeat-rich DNA. The critical region includes the balanced translocation breakpoint of the DGS patient that presumably disrupts the gene causing this syndrome.« less

Scalable Integrated Region-Based Image Retrieval Using IRM and Statistical Clustering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, James Z.; Du, Yanping

Statistical clustering is critical in designing scalable image retrieval systems. This paper presents a scalable algorithm for indexing and retrieving images based on region segmentation. The method uses statistical clustering on region features and IRM (Integrated Region Matching), a measure developed to evaluate overall similarity between images…

Building diversity in a complex academic health center.

PubMed

South-Paul, Jeannette E; Roth, Loren; Davis, Paula K; Chen, Terence; Roman, Anna; Murrell, Audrey; Pettigrew, Chenits; Castleberry-Singleton, Candi; Schuman, Joel

2013-09-01

For 30 years, the many diversity-related health sciences programs targeting the University of Pittsburgh undergraduate campus, school of medicine, schools of the health sciences, clinical practice plan, and medical center were run independently and remained separate within the academic health center (AHC). This lack of coordination hampered their overall effectiveness in promoting diversity and inclusion. In 2007, a group of faculty and administrators from the university and the medical center recognized the need to improve institutional diversity and to better address local health disparities. In this article, the authors describe the process of linking the efforts of these institutions in a way that would be successful locally and applicable to other academic environments. First, they engaged an independent consultant to conduct a study of the AHC's diversity climate, interviewing current and former faculty and trainees to define the problem and identify areas for improvement. Next, they created the Physician Inclusion Council to address the findings of this study and to coordinate future efforts with institutional leaders. Finally, they formed four working committees to address (1) communications and outreach, (2) cultural competency, (3) recruitment, and (4) mentoring and retention. These committees oversaw the strategic development and implementation of all diversity and inclusion efforts. Together these steps led to structural changes within the AHC and the improved allocation of resources that have positioned the University of Pittsburgh to achieve not only diversity but also inclusion and to continue to address the health disparities in the Pittsburgh community.

Hepatitis C virus RNA detection in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with hepatitis C

PubMed Central

Zhou, Ping; Cai, Qing; Chen, You-Chun; Zhang, Mu-Sen; Guan, Jian; Li, Xiao-Juan

1997-01-01

AIM: To investigate the existence and clinical significance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in the serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with hepatitis C. METHODS: HCV RNA was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (Nested PCR) in serum and in PBMC of 46 patients with acute hepatitis C (AHC) and in 42 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). RESULTS: The positive rate of HCV RNA in PBMC of patients with CHC was markedly higher than that of patients with AHC (P < 0.01). The positive rates of HCV RNA in serum of patients with AHC and CHC and in PBMC of patients with CHC were significantly higher than those of anti-HCV positive patients with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (P < 0.01). HCV RNA was negative in the serum of two patients, but could be detected in PBMC. In 12 patients, anti HCV was negative while HCV RNA was positive in serum. CONCLUSION: (1) detection of serum HCV RNA by nested PCR might be helpful in the early diagnosis of anti-HCV negative hepatitis C; (2) liver damage in patients with hepatitis C might be correlated with HCV-viremia; (3) infection of PBMC by HCV might play an important role in chronic liver damage in patients with HCV and in the chronicity of its clinical course; and (4) PBMC might be considered as a “reservoir” for HCV. PMID:27041960

Aligning the goals of community-engaged research: why and how academic health centers can successfully engage with communities to improve health.

PubMed

Michener, Lloyd; Cook, Jennifer; Ahmed, Syed M; Yonas, Michael A; Coyne-Beasley, Tamera; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio

2012-03-01

Community engagement (CE) and community-engaged research (CEnR) are increasingly viewed as the keystone to translational medicine and improving the health of the nation. In this article, the authors seek to assist academic health centers (AHCs) in learning how to better engage with their communities and build a CEnR agenda by suggesting five steps: defining community and identifying partners, learning the etiquette of CE, building a sustainable network of CEnR researchers, recognizing that CEnR will require the development of new methodologies, and improving translation and dissemination plans. Health disparities that lead to uneven access to and quality of care as well as high costs will persist without a CEnR agenda that finds answers to both medical and public health questions. One of the biggest barriers toward a national CEnR agenda, however, are the historical structures and processes of an AHC-including the complexities of how institutional review boards operate, accounting practices and indirect funding policies, and tenure and promotion paths. Changing institutional culture starts with the leadership and commitment of top decision makers in an institution. By aligning the motivations and goals of their researchers, clinicians, and community members into a vision of a healthier population, AHC leadership will not just improve their own institutions but also improve the health of the nation-starting with improving the health of their local communities, one community at a time.

Aligning Education With Health Care Transformation: Identifying a Shared Mental Model of "New" Faculty Competencies for Academic Faculty.

PubMed

Gonzalo, Jed D; Ahluwalia, Amarpreet; Hamilton, Maria; Wolf, Heidi; Wolpaw, Daniel R; Thompson, Britta M

2018-02-01

To develop a potential competency framework for faculty development programs aligned with the needs of faculty in academic health centers (AHCs). In 2014 and 2015, the authors interviewed 23 health system leaders and analyzed transcripts using constant comparative analysis and thematic analysis. They coded competencies and curricular concepts into subcategories. Lead investigators reviewed drafts of the categorization themes and subthemes related to gaps in faculty knowledge and skills, collapsed and combined competency domains, and resolved disagreements via discussion. Through analysis, the authors identified four themes. The first was core functional competencies and curricular domains for conceptual learning, including patient-centered care, health care processes, clinical informatics, population and public health, policy and payment, value-based care, and health system improvement. The second was the need for foundational competency domains, including systems thinking, change agency/management, teaming, and leadership. The third theme was paradigm shifts in how academic faculty should approach health care, categorized into four areas: delivery, transformation, provider characteristics and skills, and education. The fourth theme was the need for faculty to be aware of challenges in the culture of AHCs as an influential context for change. This broad competency framework for faculty development programs expands existing curricula by including a comprehensive scope of health systems science content and skills. AHC leaders can use these results to better align faculty education with the real-time needs of their health systems. Future work should focus on optimal prioritization and methods for teaching.

We Are A Region! A Report for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Long Range Plan: Critical Issues-Critical Choices, A Mobility Plan for the New York Region Through the Year 2015 [Draft

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-12-01

This report is an attempt to demonstrate the mutual interdependence of the NYMTC region. What ties it together? How does diversity contribute to it as a region? This report seeks to answer these questions. A second objective is to use this report to ...

Easy synthesis of hierarchical carbon spheres with superior capacitive performance in supercapacitors.

PubMed

Huang, Xinhua; Kim, Seok; Heo, Min Seon; Kim, Ji Eun; Suh, Hongsuk; Kim, Il

2013-10-01

An easy template-free approach to the fabrication of pure carbon microspheres has been achieved via direct pyrolysis of as-prepared polyaromatic hydrocarbons including polynaphthalene and polypyrene. The polyaromatics were synthesized from aromatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) using anhydrous zinc chloride as the Friedel-Crafts catalyst and chloromethyl methyl ether as a cross-linker. The experimental results show that the methylene bridges between phenyl rings generate a hierarchical porous polyaromatic precursor to form three-dimensionally (3D) interconnected micro-, meso-, and macroporous networks during carbonization. These hierarchical porous carbon aggregates of spherical carbon spheres exhibit faster ion transport/diffusion behavior and increased surface area usage in electric double-layer capacitors. Furthermore, micropores are present in the 3D interconnected network inside the cross-linked AHC-based carbon microspheres, thus imparting an exceptionally large, electrochemically accessible surface area for charge accumulation.

The unique karyotype of Henochilus wheatlandii, a critically endangered fish living in a fast-developing region in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

PubMed

Silva, Priscilla C; Santos, Udson; Travenzoli, Natália M; Zanuncio, Jose C; Cioffi, Marcelo de B; Dergam, Jorge A

2012-01-01

Henochilus wheatlandii, the only species of this genus, is critically endangered and was considered extinct for over a century. The rediscovery of this fish in 1996 made it possible to study its phylogenetic relationships with other species in the subfamily Bryconinae. The aim of this study was to characterise the karyotype of H. wheatlandii. Standard staining, C-positive heterochromatin and nucleolar organiser region (NOR) banding, chromomycin A(3) staining, and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) using 5S rDNA and 18S rDNA probes were conducted on nineteen specimens collected in the Santo Antonio River, a sub-basin of the Doce River in Ferros municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Henochilus wheatlandii shared the same diploid number and chromosome morphology as other species of Bryconinae. However, its heterochromatin distribution patterns, NOR localisation, and FISH patterns revealed a cytogenetic profile unique among Neotropical Bryconinae, emphasizing the evolutionary uniqueness of this threatened species.

The Unique Karyotype of Henochilus wheatlandii, a Critically Endangered Fish Living in a Fast-Developing Region in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

PubMed Central

Silva, Priscilla C.; Santos, Udson; Travenzoli, Natália M.; Zanuncio, Jose C.; Cioffi, Marcelo de B.; Dergam, Jorge A.

2012-01-01

Henochilus wheatlandii, the only species of this genus, is critically endangered and was considered extinct for over a century. The rediscovery of this fish in 1996 made it possible to study its phylogenetic relationships with other species in the subfamily Bryconinae. The aim of this study was to characterise the karyotype of H. wheatlandii. Standard staining, C-positive heterochromatin and nucleolar organiser region (NOR) banding, chromomycin A3 staining, and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) using 5S rDNA and 18S rDNA probes were conducted on nineteen specimens collected in the Santo Antonio River, a sub-basin of the Doce River in Ferros municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Henochilus wheatlandii shared the same diploid number and chromosome morphology as other species of Bryconinae. However, its heterochromatin distribution patterns, NOR localisation, and FISH patterns revealed a cytogenetic profile unique among Neotropical Bryconinae, emphasizing the evolutionary uniqueness of this threatened species. PMID:22848754

Critical Hydrologic and Atmospheric Measurements in Complex Alpine Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parlange, M. B.; Bou-Zeid, E.; Barrenetxea, G.; Krichane, M.; Ingelrest, F.; Couach, O.; Luyet, V.; Vetterli, M.; Lehning, M.; Duffy, C.; Tobin, C.; Selker, J.; Kumar, M.

2007-12-01

The Alps are often referred to as the « Water Towers of Europe » and as such play an essential role in European water resources. The impact of climatic change is expected to be particularly pronounced in the Alps and the lack of detailed hydrologic field observations is problematic for predictions of hydrologic and hazard assessment. Advances in information technology and communications provide important possibilities to improve the situation with relatively few measurements. We will present sensorscope technology (arrays of wireless weather stations including soil moisture, pressure, and temperature) that has now been deployed at the Le Genepi and Grand St. Bernard pass. In addition, a Distributed Temperature Sensor array on the stream beds has been deployed and stream discharge monitored. The high spatial resolution data collected in these previously "ungaged" regions are used in conjunction with new generation hydrologic models. The framework as to what is possible today with sensor arrays and modeling in extreme mountain environments is discussed.

Depressive Symptoms, Criticism, and Counter-Criticism in Marital Interactions.

PubMed

Trombello, Joseph M; Post, Kristina M; Smith, David A

2018-02-23

Although people with depressive symptoms face criticism, hostility, and rejection in their close relationships, we do not know how they respond. Following interpersonal theories of depression, it might be expected that depressive symptoms would be associated with a tendency to receive and also to express criticism toward one's spouse, and that at least some of this criticism would be a contingent response to criticism received (i.e., "counter-criticism"). However, other research has determined that depressive symptoms/behaviors suppress partner criticism, suggesting that depressed people might respond to partner criticism similarly, by subsequently expressing less criticism. In a sample of 112 married couples, partial correlations, regressions, and Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling indicated that lower criticism and counter-criticism expression during a laboratory marital interaction task was associated with higher depressive symptoms, especially when such individuals were clinically depressed. Furthermore, during a separate and private Five-Minute Speech Sample, lower criticism by partners was associated with higher depressive symptoms, especially when those who chose the interaction topic were also clinically depressed. All analyses controlled for relationship adjustment. These results suggest that spouses with higher depressive symptoms and clinical depression diagnoses may be suppressing otherwise ordinary criticism expression toward their nondepressed partners; furthermore, nondepressed partners of depressed people are especially likely to display less criticism toward their spouse in a private task. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

Coral bleaching pathways under the control of regional temperature variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langlais, C. E.; Lenton, A.; Heron, S. F.; Evenhuis, C.; Sen Gupta, A.; Brown, J. N.; Kuchinke, M.

2017-11-01

Increasing sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are predicted to adversely impact coral populations worldwide through increasing thermal bleaching events. Future bleaching is unlikely to be spatially uniform. Therefore, understanding what determines regional differences will be critical for adaptation management. Here, using a cumulative heat stress metric, we show that characteristics of regional SST determine the future bleaching risk patterns. Incorporating observed information on SST variability, in assessing future bleaching risk, provides novel options for management strategies. As a consequence, the known biases in climate model variability and the uncertainties in regional warming rate across climate models are less detrimental than previously thought. We also show that the thresholds used to indicate reef viability can strongly influence a decision on what constitutes a potential refugia. Observing and understanding the drivers of regional variability, and the viability limits of coral reefs, is therefore critical for making meaningful projections of coral bleaching risk.

Critical Viewing: Stimulant to Critical Thinking. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Reilly, Kevin; Splaine, John

The purpose of this guide is to implement the teaching of "Critical Viewing: Stimulant to Critical Thinking," a guide for students. Part one of the guide is an overview of the organization, methodologies, and evaluation procedures used in "Critical Viewing." Suggestions and activities for teaching the six chapters in "Critical Viewing" are given…

Pediatric Critical Care Nursing Research Priorities-Initiating International Dialogue.

PubMed

Tume, Lyvonne N; Coetzee, Minette; Dryden-Palmer, Karen; Hickey, Patricia A; Kinney, Sharon; Latour, Jos M; Pedreira, Mavilde L G; Sefton, Gerri R; Sorce, Lauren; Curley, Martha A Q

2015-07-01

To identify and prioritize research questions of concern to the practice of pediatric critical care nursing practice. One-day consensus conference. By using a conceptual framework by Benner et al describing domains of practice in critical care nursing, nine international nurse researchers presented state-of-the-art lectures. Each identified knowledge gaps in their assigned practice domain and then poised three research questions to fill that gap. Then, meeting participants prioritized the proposed research questions using an interactive multivoting process. Seventh World Congress on Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care in Istanbul, Turkey. Pediatric critical care nurses and nurse scientists attending the open consensus meeting. Systematic review, gap analysis, and interactive multivoting. The participants prioritized 27 nursing research questions in nine content domains. The top four research questions were 1) identifying nursing interventions that directly impact the child and family's experience during the withdrawal of life support, 2) evaluating the long-term psychosocial impact of a child's critical illness on family outcomes, 3) articulating core nursing competencies that prevent unstable situations from deteriorating into crises, and 4) describing the level of nursing education and experience in pediatric critical care that has a protective effect on the mortality and morbidity of critically ill children. The consensus meeting was effective in organizing pediatric critical care nursing knowledge, identifying knowledge gaps and in prioritizing nursing research initiatives that could be used to advance nursing science across world regions.

Critical period of weed control in winter canola (Brassica napus L.) in a semi-arid region.

PubMed

Aghaalikhani, M; Yaghoobi, S R

2008-03-01

In order to determine the critical period of weed control in winter canola (Brassica napus L. cv. Okapi) an experiment was carried out at research field of Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran on 2004-2005 growing season. Fourteen experimental treatments which divided into two sets were arranged in Randomized complete blocks design with four replications. In the first set, the crop was kept weed-free from emergence time to two-leaf stage (V2), four-leaf stage (V4), six-leaf stage (V6), eight-leaf stage (V8), early flowering (IF), 50% of silique set (50% SS) and final harvest (H). In the second set, weeds where permitted to grow with the crop until above mentioned stages. In this study critical period of weed control was determined according to evaluate seed bank emerged weed biomass effect on canola grain yield loss using Gompertz and logistic equations. Result showed a critical time of weed control about 25 days after emergence (between four to six-leaf stages) with 5% accepted yield loss. Therefore, weed control in this time could provide the best result and avoid yield loss and damage to agroecosystem.

[Lateral hostilities among emergency and critical care nurses. Survey in five hospitals of the Tuscany Region].

PubMed

Bambi, Stefano; Becattini, Giovanni; Pronti, Fabio; Lumini, Enrico; Rasero, Laura

2013-01-01

Lateral hostilities among emergency and critical care nurses. Survey in five hospitals of Tuscany Region. Introduction. Lateral hostilities (LHs) are a kind of workplace violence. They are defined as varieties of cruel, rude, antagonistic interactions between people at the same hierarchical level. Nurses are affected by LH from 5.7% to 65%, leading to reduced work motivation, psycho-physical disorders, and in some cases, drop out of the nursing profession. Objective. To quantify the LHs among nurses in the emergency departments (ED) and intensive care units (ICU) in 5 hospitals of Tuscany (Italy). To show the impact on the quality of their psycho-physical and professional lives. Method. Exploratory-descriptive study, through closed-ended questionnaire. Results. 360/444 nurses (81%); 294 (81.6%) were victims of LHs during the past 12 months. Gossiping, complaints shared with others without discussing with the concerned person, and sarcastic comments were the most reported LHs. LHs occur more in EDs than ICUs (respectively 90% and 77%; p=0.0038). No statistically significant differences were observed for gender, age, or years of experience. The 17.7% of nurses asked to be moved from the ward, and 6.9% left it; 6.9% respondents had thought to leave the nursing profession; 235 (65.2%) experienced at least one LHs related disorder during the last year. Most reported symptoms were low morale, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Conclusions. The incidence of LH and related disorders is high in EDs and ICUs, determining a low professional and psycho-physical quality of life.

Global differential expression of genes located in the Down Syndrome Critical Region in normal human brain

PubMed Central

Montoya, Julio Cesar; Fajardo, Dianora; Peña, Angela; Sánchez, Adalberto; Domínguez, Martha C; Satizábal, José María

2014-01-01

Background: The information of gene expression obtained from databases, have made possible the extraction and analysis of data related with several molecular processes involving not only in brain homeostasis but its disruption in some neuropathologies; principally in Down syndrome and the Alzheimer disease. Objective: To correlate the levels of transcription of 19 genes located in the Down Syndrome Critical Region (DSCR) with their expression in several substructures of normal human brain. Methods: There were obtained expression profiles of 19 DSCR genes in 42 brain substructures, from gene expression values available at the database of the human brain of the Brain Atlas of the Allen Institute for Brain Sciences", (http://human.brain-map.org/). The co-expression patterns of DSCR genes in brain were calculated by using multivariate statistical methods. Results: Highest levels of gene expression were registered at caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens and putamen among central areas of cerebral cortex. Increased expression levels of RCAN1 that encode by a protein involved in signal transduction process of the CNS were recorded for PCP4 that participates in the binding to calmodulin and TTC3; a protein that is associated with differentiation of neurons. That previously identified brain structures play a crucial role in the learning process, in different class of memory and in motor skills. Conclusion: The precise regulation of DSCR gene expression is crucial to maintain the brain homeostasis, especially in those areas with high levels of gene expression associated with a remarkable process of learning and cognition. PMID:25767303

Where Is the "Critical" in Critical Thinking?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latchaw, Joan S.

Because it has been overworked, underanalyzed, and undefined, critical thinking has come to mean anything or nothing. The best work on critical thinking imagines it as an act of composing and revising. Definitions of critical thinking have undergone a historical evolution--from general problem-solving "skills" to a complex of…

Magnus effects at high angles of attack and critical Reynolds numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seginer, A.; Ringel, M.

1983-01-01

The Magnus force and moment experienced by a yawed, spinning cylinder were studied experimentally in low speed and subsonic flows at high angles of attack and critical Reynolds numbers. Flow-field visualization aided in describing a flow model that divides the Magnus phenomenon into a subcritical region, where reverse Magnus loads are experienced, and a supercritical region where these loads are not encountered. The roles of the spin rate, angle of attack, and crossflow Reynolds number in determining the boundaries of the subcritical region and the variations of the Magnus loads were studied.

CRITICAL EXPERIMENT WITH BORAX-V. Internal Superheater

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

Plumlee, K.E.; Baird, Q.L.; Stanford, G.S.

1963-11-01

A critical experiment was performed with 12 BORAX-V superheater subassemblies in a central voidable region plus 1228 to 1525 UO/sub 2/ fuel pins (3 wt% enriched) in a peripheral region. Removing water (28% of superheater volume) at room temperature decreased reactivity by 2.2%. The midplane (two- dimensional) peak-to-average power distribution in the voided superheater was approximately 1.24, mostly attributable to flux depressions within insulated fuel boxes. Cadmium ratios are also reported. The experiment was initiated to supplement computational information which might have affected plans for loading the superheater zone into the BORAX-V reactor. No changes were indicated by the experiment.more » (auth)« less

How critical is chronic critical leg ischaemia?

PubMed

Kroese, A J; Stranden, E

1998-01-01

"Critical" according to the Oxford dictionary means: a "turning point" where an acute change for better or worse may be anticipated. Thus, the meaning of the word "critical" complies with its use in relation to ischaemia. We don't really know, prospectively, what will happen to the critically ischaemic limb, whether it will improve or worsen. The answer to the question "How critical is critical leg ischaemia (CLI)?" must be: "We don't know!" The addition of ankle systolic pressure as an objective haemodynamic measurement has not made the definition of the Second European Consensus Group significantly better than the original Fontaine classification, grade III and IV. For clinical practice the Fontaine classification will be sufficient. For scientific purposes macro- and microcirculatory assessments and information about the patient's risk profile should be added.

An experience of knowledge co-production for setting up landslide risk management processes in a critical infrastructure: the case of Campania Region (Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rianna, Guido; Roca Collell, Marta; Uzielli, Marco; Van Ruiten, Kees; Mercogliano, Paola; Ciervo, Fabio; Reder, Alfredo

2017-04-01

In Campania Region (Southern Italy), expected increases in heavy rainfall events under the effect of climate changes and demographic pressure could entail a growth of occurrence of weather induced landslides and associated damages. Indeed, already in recent years, pyroclastic covers mantling the slopes of a large part of the Region have been affected by numerous events often causing victims and damages to infrastructures serving the urban centers. Due to the strategic relevance of the area, landslide events affecting volcanic layers in Campania Region are one of the five case studies investigated in the FP7 European Project INTACT about the impacts of extreme weather on critical infrastructure. The main aim of INTACT project is to increase the resilience of critical infrastructures (CI) facing extreme weather events improving the awareness of stakeholders and asset managers about such phenomena and their potential variations due to Climate Changes and providing tools to support risk management strategies. A WIKI has been designed as a remote support for all stages of the risk process through brief theoretical explanations (in Wiki style) about tools and methods proposed and reports on the findings and hints returned by case studies investigations. In order to have a product tailored to the needs and background of CI owners, managers and policy makers, an intense effort of knowledge co-production between researchers and stakeholders have been carried out in different case studies through questionnaires, meetings, workshops and/or 1-to-1 interviews. This work presents the different tools and approaches adopted to facilitate the exchange with stakeholders in the Campanian case study such as the "Storytelling approach", aiming to stress the need for a comprehensive and overall approach to the issue between the different disaster management phases (mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery) and actors; the CIRCLE approach developed by Deltares, partner in INTACT

Velocity and temperature profiles in near-critical nitrogen flowing past a horizontal flat plate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simoneau, R. J.

1977-01-01

Boundary layer velocity and temperature profiles were measured for nitrogen near its thermodynamic critical point flowing past a horizontal flat plate. The results were compared measurements made for vertically upward flow. The boundary layer temperatures ranged from below to above the thermodynamic critical temperature. For wall temperatures below the thermodynamic critical temperature there was little variation between the velocity and temperature profiles in three orientations. In all three orientations the point of crossing into the critical temperature region is marked by a significant flattening of the velocity and temperature profiles and also a decrease in heat transfer coefficient.

[Tissue oxygen saturation in the critically ill patient].

PubMed

Gruartmoner, G; Mesquida, J; Baigorri, F

2014-05-01

Hemodynamic resuscitation seeks to correct global macrocirculatory parameters of pressure and flow. However, current evidence has shown that despite the normalization of these global parameters, microcirculatory and regional perfusion alterations can persist, and these alterations have been independently associated with a poorer patient prognosis. This in turn has lead to growing interest in new technologies for exploring regional circulation and microcirculation. Near infra-red spectroscopy allows us to monitor tissue oxygen saturation, and has been proposed as a noninvasive, continuous and easy-to-obtain measure of regional circulation. The present review aims to summarize the existing evidence on near infra-red spectroscopy and its potential clinical role in the resuscitation of critically ill patients in shock. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Addressing Criticisms of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas.

PubMed

O'Leary, Bethan C; Ban, Natalie C; Fernandez, Miriam; Friedlander, Alan M; García-Borboroglu, Pablo; Golbuu, Yimnang; Guidetti, Paolo; Harris, Jean M; Hawkins, Julie P; Langlois, Tim; McCauley, Douglas J; Pikitch, Ellen K; Richmond, Robert H; Roberts, Callum M

2018-05-01

Designated large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs, 100,000 or more square kilometers) constitute over two-thirds of the approximately 6.6% of the ocean and approximately 14.5% of the exclusive economic zones within marine protected areas. Although LSMPAs have received support among scientists and conservation bodies for wilderness protection, regional ecological connectivity, and improving resilience to climate change, there are also concerns. We identified 10 common criticisms of LSMPAs along three themes: (1) placement, governance, and management; (2) political expediency; and (3) social-ecological value and cost. Through critical evaluation of scientific evidence, we discuss the value, achievements, challenges, and potential of LSMPAs in these arenas. We conclude that although some criticisms are valid and need addressing, none pertain exclusively to LSMPAs, and many involve challenges ubiquitous in management. We argue that LSMPAs are an important component of a diversified management portfolio that tempers potential losses, hedges against uncertainty, and enhances the probability of achieving sustainably managed oceans.

Addressing Criticisms of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas

PubMed Central

Ban, Natalie C; Fernandez, Miriam; Friedlander, Alan M; García-Borboroglu, Pablo; Golbuu, Yimnang; Guidetti, Paolo; Harris, Jean M; Hawkins, Julie P; Langlois, Tim; McCauley, Douglas J; Pikitch, Ellen K; Richmond, Robert H; Roberts, Callum M

2018-01-01

Abstract Designated large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs, 100,000 or more square kilometers) constitute over two-thirds of the approximately 6.6% of the ocean and approximately 14.5% of the exclusive economic zones within marine protected areas. Although LSMPAs have received support among scientists and conservation bodies for wilderness protection, regional ecological connectivity, and improving resilience to climate change, there are also concerns. We identified 10 common criticisms of LSMPAs along three themes: (1) placement, governance, and management; (2) political expediency; and (3) social–ecological value and cost. Through critical evaluation of scientific evidence, we discuss the value, achievements, challenges, and potential of LSMPAs in these arenas. We conclude that although some criticisms are valid and need addressing, none pertain exclusively to LSMPAs, and many involve challenges ubiquitous in management. We argue that LSMPAs are an important component of a diversified management portfolio that tempers potential losses, hedges against uncertainty, and enhances the probability of achieving sustainably managed oceans. PMID:29731514

Southern Regional Education Board: Serving Community Colleges in the South

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanco, Cheryl D.

2015-01-01

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan regional compact focused on critical issues with strong potential to improve quality of life by advancing public education. Designed primarily for legislators and other policymakers and policyshapers, SREB's research is policy-oriented, descriptive, and centered on statewide…

Steamworlds: Atmospheric Structure and Critical Mass of Planets Accreting Icy Pebbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, John

2017-11-01

In the core accretion model, gas-giant planets first form a solid core, which then accretes gas from a protoplanetary disk when the core exceeds a critical mass. Here, we model the atmosphere of a core that grows by accreting ice-rich pebbles. The ice fraction of pebbles evaporates in warm regions of the atmosphere, saturating it with water vapor. Excess water precipitates to lower altitudes. Beneath an outer radiative region, the atmosphere is convective, following a moist adiabat in saturated regions due to water condensation and precipitation. Atmospheric mass, density, and temperature increase with core mass. For nominal model parameters, planets with core masses (ice + rock) between 0.08 and 0.16 Earth masses have surface temperatures between 273 and 647 K and form an ocean. In more massive planets, water exists as a supercritical convecting fluid mixed with gas from the disk. Typically, the core mass reaches a maximum (the critical mass) as a function of the total mass when the core is 2-5 Earth masses. The critical mass depends in a complicated way on pebble size, mass flux, and dust opacity due to the occasional appearance of multiple core-mass maxima. The core mass for an atmosphere of 50% hydrogen and helium may be a more robust indicator of the onset of gas accretion. This mass is typically 1-3 Earth masses for pebbles that are 50% ice by mass, increasing with opacity and pebble flux and decreasing with pebble ice/rock ratio.

Critical slowing down in driven-dissipative Bose-Hubbard lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vicentini, Filippo; Minganti, Fabrizio; Rota, Riccardo; Orso, Giuliano; Ciuti, Cristiano

2018-01-01

We explore theoretically the dynamical properties of a first-order dissipative phase transition in coherently driven Bose-Hubbard systems, describing, e.g., lattices of coupled nonlinear optical cavities. Via stochastic trajectory calculations based on the truncated Wigner approximation, we investigate the dynamical behavior as a function of system size for one-dimensional (1D) and 2D square lattices in the regime where mean-field theory predicts nonlinear bistability. We show that a critical slowing down emerges for increasing number of sites in 2D square lattices, while it is absent in 1D arrays. We characterize the peculiar properties of the collective phases in the critical region.

Structural analysis of a novel rabbit monoclonal antibody R53 targeting an epitope in HIV-1 gp120 C4 region critical for receptor and co-receptor binding

DOE PAGES

Pan, Ruimin; Chen, Yuxin; Vaine, Michael; ...

2015-07-15

The fourth conserved region (C4) in the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp120 is a structural element that is important for its function, as it binds to both the receptor CD4 and the co-receptor CCR5/CXCR4. It has long been known that this region is highly immunogenic and that it harbors B-cell as well as T-cell epitopes. It is the target of a number of antibodies in animal studies, which are called CD4-blockers. However, the mechanism by which the virus shields itself from such antibody responses is not known. Here, we determined the crystal structure of R53 in complex with its epitopemore » peptide using a novel anti-C4 rabbit monoclonal antibody R53. Our data show that although the epitope of R53 covers a highly conserved sequence 433AMYAPPI 439, it is not available in the gp120 trimer and in the CD4-bound conformation. Our results suggest a masking mechanism to explain how HIV-1 protects this critical region from the human immune system.« less

Structural analysis of a novel rabbit monoclonal antibody R53 targeting an epitope in HIV-1 gp120 C4 region critical for receptor and co-receptor binding

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

Pan, Ruimin; Chen, Yuxin; Vaine, Michael

The fourth conserved region (C4) in the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp120 is a structural element that is important for its function, as it binds to both the receptor CD4 and the co-receptor CCR5/CXCR4. It has long been known that this region is highly immunogenic and that it harbors B-cell as well as T-cell epitopes. It is the target of a number of antibodies in animal studies, which are called CD4-blockers. However, the mechanism by which the virus shields itself from such antibody responses is not known. Here, we determined the crystal structure of R53 in complex with its epitopemore » peptide using a novel anti-C4 rabbit monoclonal antibody R53. Our data show that although the epitope of R53 covers a highly conserved sequence 433AMYAPPI 439, it is not available in the gp120 trimer and in the CD4-bound conformation. Our results suggest a masking mechanism to explain how HIV-1 protects this critical region from the human immune system.« less

INTEGRATING FIELD-BASED SAMPLING AND LANDSCAPE DATA FOR REGIONAL SCALE ASSESSMENTS: EXAMPLES FROM THE UNITED STATES MID-ATLANTIC REGION

EPA Science Inventory

Spatially explicit identification of status and changes in ecological conditions over large, regional areas is key to targeting and prioritizing areas for potential further study and environmental protection and restoration. A critical limitation to this point has been our abili...

Changing structure to improve function: one academic health center's experience.

PubMed

Alexander, B; Davis, L; Kohler, P O

1997-04-01

Academic health centers (AHCs) have been under siege for the past few years, with decreased federal and state funding for educational and research programs and increasing competition in the health care marketplace. In addition, many AHCs are burdened with the bureaucratic red tape of large educational institutions, which makes agility in responding to a demanding health care market difficult. The authors describe the response to these threats by Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), an approach that has been different from those of most similar institutions. OHSU chose to change its structure from being part of the state system of higher education to being an independent public corporation. The authors outline the political process of building widespread support for the legislation passed in 1995, the key features of the restructuring, the challenges faced before and after the transition to a public corporation, and lessons learned in this metamorphosis to a new form.

Automatic identification of the number of food items in a meal using clustering techniques based on the monitoring of swallowing and chewing.

PubMed

Lopez-Meyer, Paulo; Schuckers, Stephanie; Makeyev, Oleksandr; Fontana, Juan M; Sazonov, Edward

2012-09-01

The number of distinct foods consumed in a meal is of significant clinical concern in the study of obesity and other eating disorders. This paper proposes the use of information contained in chewing and swallowing sequences for meal segmentation by food types. Data collected from experiments of 17 volunteers were analyzed using two different clustering techniques. First, an unsupervised clustering technique, Affinity Propagation (AP), was used to automatically identify the number of segments within a meal. Second, performance of the unsupervised AP method was compared to a supervised learning approach based on Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC). While the AP method was able to obtain 90% accuracy in predicting the number of food items, the AHC achieved an accuracy >95%. Experimental results suggest that the proposed models of automatic meal segmentation may be utilized as part of an integral application for objective Monitoring of Ingestive Behavior in free living conditions.

Filling Critical Gaps Through Innovative Cradle-to-Grave Training Final Report

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

Burns, Pamela; To, Kimberlin

This project seeks to enhance and provide training on alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles to reach mechanics/technicians, first responders, public safety officials, and other critical service providers across the multi-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas

Impacts of Groundwater Pumping on Regional and Global Water Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wada, Yoshihide

2016-01-01

Except frozen water in ice and glaciers (68%), groundwater is the world's largest distributed store of freshwater (30%), and has strategic importance to global food and water security. In this chapter, the most recent advances assessing human impact on regional and global groundwater resources are reviewed. This chapter critically evaluates the recently advanced modeling approaches quantifying the effect of groundwater pumping in regional and global groundwater resources and the evidence of feedback to the Earth system including sea-level rise associated with groundwater use. At last, critical challenges and opportunities are identified in the use of groundwater to adapt to growing food demand and uncertain climate.

Critical Infrastructure and Economic Impact Considerations for Recovery from Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Incidents

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

resiliency into the regional economy; a robust economy can help a region rebound more effectively than an economically depressed region. This...Restoration Working Group—Session 2. Centennial , Colorado, May 15, 2012. Page | 30 economic aid. 31 However, it is highly likely that in a wide-area...these don’t close is critical to a local economy. 33 WARRP Private Sector Economic Resiliency and Restoration Working Group—Session 2. Centennial

Chapter 9: Carbon fluxes across regions.

Treesearch

Beverly E. Law; Dave Turner; John Campbell; Michael Lefsky; Michael Guzy; Osbert Sun; Steve Van Tuyl; Warren Cohen

2006-01-01

Scaling biogeochemical processes to regions, continents, and the globe is critical for understanding feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere in the analysis of global change. This includes the effects of changing atmospheric carbon dioxide, climate, disturbances, and increasing nitrogen deposition from air pollution (Ehleringer and Field 1993, Vitousek et al....

Academic practice groups: strategy for survival.

PubMed

Rodriguez, J L; Jacobs, D M; Zera, R T; Van Camp, J M; Muehlstedt, S G; West, M A; Bubrick, M P

2000-10-01

The mission of public academic health centers (puAHC) and their affiliated practice groups (APG) focuses on teaching, research, and the clinical care of at-risk populations. Resources to accomplish this mission, however, are becoming scarce. For puAHC to survive and remain competitive, innovative strategies will need to be developed by the APG. We hypothesized that the integration of a surgical academic practice of the APG with a nonacademic integrated health care delivery system (NAIDS) in a managed care environment would benefit all involved. A surgical academic practice was integrated with a NAIDS in a 95% managed care market. Faculty alone provided care the first year, and third-year residents were added the following year. To assess outcome, we collected benefit and cost data for the 1-year period before integration and compared them with the two, 1-year periods after integration. In the second year of integration, revenues from the NAIDS referrals to the puAHC and APG increased 89% and 150%, respectively. The NAIDS' general surgical and endoscopy caseload increased by 25%. Additionally, there was a 92% reduction in operating room technician cost with no increase in operating time per case. Finally, the third-year resident experienced a caseload increase of 163%. In an environment where resources are diminishing and managed care consists of many large NAIDS that drive referrals and revenue, the integration of a surgical academic practice with a NAIDS benefits all shareholders. Academic practice groups that develop strategies that leverage their competitive advantage will have the best chance of surviving in today's turbulent health care market.

Health System Creation and Integration at a Health Sciences University: A Five-Year Follow-up.

PubMed

Slade, Catherine P; Azziz, Ricardo; Levin, Steven; Caughman, Gretchen B; Hefner, David S; Halbur, Kimberly V; Tingen, Martha S; James, Susan

Shifting healthcare market forces and regulation have exerted near-constant pressure on U.S. academic health centers (AHCs) attempting to successfully execute their traditional tripartite mission. A governance structure and organizational alignment that works well under one set of conditions is rarely optimal when conditions change. Thus, the degree and type of alignment of an AHC's clinical, educational, and faculty practice organizations have changed regularly within the sector, typically landing near one end or the other on a continuum from fully aligned with centralized governance to largely independent with separate governance. The authors examine the case of Georgia Regents University and Health System in this context. In step with industry trends, the institution's governance structure swung from fully aligned/centralized governance in the early 1990s to essentially separate and decentralized by 2000. In 2010, the Georgia Regents University organizations achieved rapid realignment by creating a governance structure of sufficient strength and flexibility to absorb and adjust to continuing external upheaval. The hospitals, clinics, and physician-faculty practice group were combined into one integrated health system, then aligned with the university to form the state's only public AHC under aligned, but distinct, corporate and management structures. The years since reorganization have seen significant growth in patient volumes and complexity, improved service quality, and enhanced faculty physician satisfaction, while also significantly increasing economic contributions from the health system to the academic mission. This case study offers observations and lessons learned that may be useful to other higher education institutions considering reorganization.

Assessing the evolving definition of underrepresented minority and its application in academic medicine.

PubMed

Page, Kathleen Raquel; Castillo-Page, Laura; Poll-Hunter, Norma; Garrison, Gwen; Wright, Scott M

2013-01-01

To assess how U.S. academic health centers (AHCs) define the term underrepresented minority (URM) and apply it to their diversity programs, following the 2003 revision of the Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC's) definition of URM. In 2010, the authors developed and deployed a cross-sectional survey of diversity leaders at 106 AHCs. The survey included questions about the diversity leader and institution's diversity program; institution's URM definition; application of that definition; and the diversity leader's perceptions of the representation and institutional contribution of various ethnic/racial groups. The authors used descriptive statistics to analyze the results. Of the 106 diversity leaders invited, 89 (84.0%) responded and 78 (73.6%) provided a working definition of URM. Most programs (40/78; 51%) used the 2003 AAMC definition of URM, which includes racial/ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine relative to local and national demographics. Only 14.1% (11/78) used the pre-2003 AAMC definition, which included only African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and mainland Puerto Ricans. Approximately one-third (23/78; 29.5%) also considered other diversity factors, such as socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and disability, in defining URM. Fifty-eight respondents (74.4%) confirmed that their diversity programs targeted specific groups. The definition of URM used by diversity programs at U.S. AHCs varied widely. Although some classified URMs by racial/ethnic categories, the majority defined URM more broadly to encompass other demographic and personal characteristics. This shift should prepare academic medicine to eliminate health disparities and meet the health needs of an increasingly diverse population.

An Integrated Framework for Gender Equity in Academic Medicine.

PubMed

Westring, Alyssa; McDonald, Jennifer M; Carr, Phyllis; Grisso, Jeane Ann

2016-08-01

In 2008, the National Institutes of Health funded 14 R01 grants to study causal factors that promote and support women's biomedical careers. The Research Partnership on Women in Biomedical Careers, a multi-institutional collaboration of the investigators, is one product of this initiative.A comprehensive framework is needed to address change at many levels-department, institution, academic community, and beyond-and enable gender equity in the development of successful biomedical careers. The authors suggest four distinct but interrelated aspects of culture conducive to gender equity: equal access to resources and opportunities, minimizing unconscious gender bias, enhancing work-life balance, and leadership engagement. They review the collection of eight articles in this issue, which each address one or more of the four dimensions of culture. The articles suggest that improving mentor-mentee fit, coaching grant reviewers on unconscious bias, and providing equal compensation and adequate resources for career development will contribute positively to gender equity in academic medicine.Academic medicine must adopt an integrated perspective on culture for women and acknowledge the multiple facets essential to gender equity. To effect change, culture must be addressed both within and beyond academic health centers (AHCs). Leaders within AHCs must examine their institutions' processes, resources, and assessment for fairness and transparency; mobilize personnel and financial resources to implement evidence-based initiatives; and assign accountability for providing transparent progress assessments. Beyond AHCs, organizations must examine their operations and implement change to ensure parity of funding, research, and leadership opportunities as well as transparency of assessment and accreditation.

Model assessment of atmospheric pollution control schemes for critical emission regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Shixian; An, Xingqin; Liu, Zhao; Sun, Zhaobin; Hou, Qing

2016-01-01

In recent years, the atmospheric environment in portions of China has become significantly degraded and the need for emission controls has become urgent. Because more international events are being planned, it is important to implement air quality assurance targeted at significant events held over specific periods of time. This study sets Yanqihu (YQH), Beijing, the location of the 2014 Beijing APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit, as the target region. By using the atmospheric inversion model FLEXPART, we determined the sensitive source zones that had the greatest impact on the air quality of the YQH region in November 2012. We then used the air-quality model Models-3/CMAQ and a high-resolution emissions inventory of the Beijing-Tianjian-Hebei region to establish emission reduction tests for the entire source area and for specific sensitive source zones. This was achieved by initiating emission reduction schemes at different ratios and different times. The results showed that initiating a moderate reduction of emissions days prior to a potential event is more beneficial to the air quality of Beijing than initiating a high-strength reduction campaign on the day of the event. The sensitive source zone of Beijing (BJ-Sens) accounts for 54.2% of the total source area of Beijing (BJ), but its reduction effect reaches 89%-100% of the total area, with a reduction efficiency 1.6-1.9 times greater than that of the entire area. The sensitive source zone of Huabei (HuaB-Sens.) only represents 17.6% of the total area of Huabei (HuaB), but its emission reduction effect reaches 59%-97% of the entire area, with a reduction efficiency 4.2-5.5 times greater than that of the total area. The earlier that emission reduction measures are implemented, the greater the effect they have on preventing the transmission of pollutants. In addition, expanding the controlling areas to sensitive provinces and cities around Beijing (HuaB-sens) can significantly accelerate the reduction

Finite temperature quantum critical transport near the Mott transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terletska, Hanna; Dobrosavljevic, Vladimir

2010-03-01

We use Dynamical Mean-Field Theory to study incoherent transport above the critical end-point temperature Tc of the single band Hubbard model at half-filling. By employing an eigenvalue analysis for the free energy functional, we are able to precisely identify the crossover temperature T*(U) separating the Fermi liquid and the Mott insulating regimes. Our calculations demonstrate that a broad parameter range exist around the crossover line, where the family of resistivity curves displays simple scaling behavior. This is interpreted as a manifestation of quantum criticality controlled by the T=0 Mott transition, which is ``interrupted'' by the emergence of the coexistence dome at T < Tc . We argue that in situations where the critical temperature Tc is significantly reduced, so that the coexistence region is reduced or even absent (as in two-band, particle-hole asymmetric models, where this is found even in the clean d->∞ limit [1, 2]), similar critical scaling properties should persist down to much lower temperatures, resembling quantum critical transport similar to that found in a number of experiments [2]. [1] A. Amaricci, G. Sordi, and M. J. Rosenberg, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 146403 (2008) [2] A. Camjayi, K. Haule, V. Dobrosavljevic, and G. Kotliar, Nature Physics, 4, 932 (2008)

Escalating impacts of climate extremes on critical infrastructures in Europe.

PubMed

Forzieri, Giovanni; Bianchi, Alessandra; Silva, Filipe Batista E; Marin Herrera, Mario A; Leblois, Antoine; Lavalle, Carlo; Aerts, Jeroen C J H; Feyen, Luc

2018-01-01

Extreme climatic events are likely to become more frequent owing to global warming. This may put additional stress on critical infrastructures with typically long life spans. However, little is known about the risks of multiple climate extremes on critical infrastructures at regional to continental scales. Here we show how single- and multi-hazard damage to energy, transport, industrial, and social critical infrastructures in Europe are likely to develop until the year 2100 under the influence of climate change. We combine a set of high-resolution climate hazard projections, a detailed representation of physical assets in various sectors and their sensitivity to the hazards, and more than 1100 records of losses from climate extremes in a prognostic modelling framework. We find that damages could triple by the 2020s, multiply six-fold by mid-century, and amount to more than 10 times present damage of €3.4 billion per year by the end of the century due only to climate change. Damage from heatwaves, droughts in southern Europe, and coastal floods shows the most dramatic rise, but the risks of inland flooding, windstorms, and forest fires will also increase in Europe, with varying degrees of change across regions. Economic losses are highest for the industry, transport, and energy sectors. Future losses will not be incurred equally across Europe. Southern and south-eastern European countries will be most affected and, as a result, will probably require higher costs of adaptation. The findings of this study could aid in prioritizing regional investments to address the unequal burden of impacts and differences in adaptation capacities across Europe.

Axionic landscape for Higgs coupling near-criticality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cline, James M.; Espinosa, José R.

2018-02-01

The measured value of the Higgs quartic coupling λ is peculiarly close to the critical value above which the Higgs potential becomes unstable, when extrapolated to high scales by renormalization group running. It is tempting to speculate that there is an anthropic reason behind this near-criticality. We show how an axionic field can provide a landscape of vacuum states in which λ scans. These states are populated during inflation to create a multiverse with different quartic couplings, with a probability distribution P that can be computed. If P is peaked in the anthropically forbidden region of Higgs instability, then the most probable universe compatible with observers would be close to the boundary, as observed. We discuss three scenarios depending on the Higgs vacuum selection mechanism: decay by quantum tunneling, by thermal fluctuations, or by inflationary fluctuations.

Critical thinking: assessing the risks to the future security of supply of critical metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunn, Gus

2015-04-01

supplies of raw materials. These have led to major new programmes of research throughout the minerals value chain, in order to improve the raw materials knowledge base, to develop best practices and promote international collaboration. Although recycling will make an increasingly important contribution to supply, it can never meet the total requirement when demand is increasing. Therefore, new resources of primary materials, identified through geological research, will continue to be required. The availability of regional baseline datasets, comprising geological, geophysical and geochemical data, is fundamental to the identification of exploration targets. However, in order to focus exploration we also require robust mineral deposit models for the critical metals which hitherto these have been largely neglected because of their limited economic importance. For commodities such as the platinum-group metals (PGM), cobalt, niobium, indium, rare earth elements (REE) and cobalt we have some knowledge of the processes controlling their mobilisation and concentration under certain conditions although we have little understanding of the mechanisms of deposit formation elsewhere. We also need effective techniques to explore for these metals. This may involve the development of new geophysical techniques to explore on the sea-floor or beneath thick cover, or new analytical methods for the determination of these elements in exploration samples. Improved metallurgical techniques are also required for effective and energy-efficient recovery of critical metals from ores and concentrates. References European Commission (2010). Critical raw materials for the EU. Report of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials. European Commission (2014). Report on Critical raw materials for the EU. Report of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials.

Writer, Reader, Critic: Comparing Critical Theories as Discourse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Beaugrande, Robert

1984-01-01

Attempts to show how each of three influential critical theories--deconstructionism, reader response criticism, and authorial intention--implies a particular view of how literary discourse is or should be processed and indicates that each view is in part justified, but not to the extent claimed by the critics themselves. (CRH)

Progress Report on the US Critical Zone Observatory Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrera, E. C.

2014-12-01

The Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) program supported by the National Science Foundation originated from the recommendation of the Earth Science community published in the National Research Council report "Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Sciences" (2001) to establish natural laboratories to study processes and systems of the Critical Zone - the surface and near-surface environment sustaining nearly all terrestrial life. After a number of critical zone community workshops to develop a science plan, the CZO program was initiated in 2007 with three sites and has now grown to 10 sites and a National Office, which coordinates research, education and outreach activities of the network. Several of the CZO sites are collocated with sites supported by the US Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) and the Long Term Agricultural Research (LTAR) programs, and the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Future collaboration with additional sites of these networks will add to the potential to answer questions in a more comprehensive manner and in a larger regional scale about the critical zone form and function. At the international level, CZOs have been established in many countries and strong collaborations with the US program have been in place for many years. The next step is the development of a coordinated international program of critical zone research. The success of the CZO network of sites can be measured in transformative results that elucidate properties and processes controlling the critical zone and how the critical zone structure, stores and fluxes respond to climate and land use change. This understanding of the critical zone can be used to enhance resilience and sustainability, and restore ecosystem function. Thus, CZO science can address major societal challenges. The US CZO network is a facility open to research of the critical zone community at large. Scientific data and information about the US program are available at www.criticalzone.org.

Critical behavior of modulus of gel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokita, Masayuki; Niki, Ryoya; Hikichi, Kunio

1985-09-01

The critical behavior of the shear modulus of casein gel is studied. The shear modulus of casein gel scales with the conductivity exponent in the immediate vicinity of the sol-gel transition point. The asymptotic behavior of the modulus in the region far above the transition point is governed by a different exponent which is much larger than the conductivity exponent. These results are explainable by the crossover behavior of the percolation process. This study shows that the gelation of the casein micelle solution is a realization of the percolation process.

Certification Processes for Safety-Critical and Mission-Critical Aerospace Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Stacy

2003-01-01

This document is a quick reference guide with an overview of the processes required to certify safety-critical and mission-critical flight software at selected NASA centers and the FAA. Researchers and software developers can use this guide to jumpstart their understanding of how to get new or enhanced software onboard an aircraft or spacecraft. The introduction contains aerospace industry definitions of safety and safety-critical software, as well as, the current rationale for certification of safety-critical software. The Standards for Safety-Critical Aerospace Software section lists and describes current standards including NASA standards and RTCA DO-178B. The Mission-Critical versus Safety-Critical software section explains the difference between two important classes of software: safety-critical software involving the potential for loss of life due to software failure and mission-critical software involving the potential for aborting a mission due to software failure. The DO-178B Safety-critical Certification Requirements section describes special processes and methods required to obtain a safety-critical certification for aerospace software flying on vehicles under auspices of the FAA. The final two sections give an overview of the certification process used at Dryden Flight Research Center and the approval process at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL).

Nonlinear Dynamics and Nucleation Kinetics in Near-Critical Liquids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patashinski, Alexander Z.; Ratner, Mark A.; Pines, Vladimir

1996-01-01

The objective of our study is to model the nonlinear behavior of a near-critical liquid following a rapid change of the temperature and/or other thermodynamic parameters (pressure, external electric or gravitational field). The thermodynamic critical point is manifested by large, strongly correlated fluctuations of the order parameter (particle density in liquid-gas systems, concentration in binary solutions) in the critical range of scales. The largest critical length scale is the correlation radius r(sub c). According to the scaling theory, r(sub c) increases as r(sub c) = r(sub 0)epsilon(exp -alpha) when the nondimensional distance epsilon = (T - T(sub c))/T(sub c) to the critical point decreases. The normal gravity alters the nature of correlated long-range fluctuations when one reaches epsilon approximately equal to 10(exp -5), and correspondingly the relaxation time, tau(r(sub c)), is approximately equal to 10(exp -3) seconds; this time is short when compared to the typical experimental time. Close to the critical point, a rapid, relatively small temperature change may perturb the thermodynamic equilibrium on many scales. The critical fluctuations have a hierarchical structure, and the relaxation involves many length and time scales. Above the critical point, in the one-phase region, we consider the relaxation of the liquid following a sudden temperature change that simultaneously violates the equilibrium on many scales. Below T(sub c), a non-equilibrium state may include a distribution of small scale phase droplets; we consider the relaxation of such a droplet following a temperature change that has made the phase of the matrix stable.

Steamworlds: Atmospheric Structure and Critical Mass of Planets Accreting Icy Pebbles

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

Chambers, John, E-mail: jchambers@carnegiescience.edu

In the core accretion model, gas-giant planets first form a solid core, which then accretes gas from a protoplanetary disk when the core exceeds a critical mass. Here, we model the atmosphere of a core that grows by accreting ice-rich pebbles. The ice fraction of pebbles evaporates in warm regions of the atmosphere, saturating it with water vapor. Excess water precipitates to lower altitudes. Beneath an outer radiative region, the atmosphere is convective, following a moist adiabat in saturated regions due to water condensation and precipitation. Atmospheric mass, density, and temperature increase with core mass. For nominal model parameters, planetsmore » with core masses (ice + rock) between 0.08 and 0.16 Earth masses have surface temperatures between 273 and 647 K and form an ocean. In more massive planets, water exists as a supercritical convecting fluid mixed with gas from the disk. Typically, the core mass reaches a maximum (the critical mass) as a function of the total mass when the core is 2–5 Earth masses. The critical mass depends in a complicated way on pebble size, mass flux, and dust opacity due to the occasional appearance of multiple core-mass maxima. The core mass for an atmosphere of 50% hydrogen and helium may be a more robust indicator of the onset of gas accretion. This mass is typically 1–3 Earth masses for pebbles that are 50% ice by mass, increasing with opacity and pebble flux and decreasing with pebble ice/rock ratio.« less

Critical event management with geographic information system technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, John F.; Young, Jeffrey M.

1997-02-01

Critical event management at the Los Angeles County Regional Criminal Information Clearinghouse (LACRCIC) provides for the deconfliction of operations, such as reverse stings, arrests, undercover buys/busts, searches, surveillances, and site surveys in the Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino county area. During these operations, the opportunity for officer-to-officer confrontation is high, possibly causing a worse case scenario -- officers drawing on each other resulting in friendly fire injuries or casualties. In order to prevent local, state, and federal agencies in the Los Angeles area from experiencing this scenario, the LACRCIC provides around the clock critical event management services via its secure war room. The war room maintains a multicounty detailed street-level map base and geographic information system (GIS) application to support this effort. Operations are telephoned in by the participating agencies and posted in the critical event management system by war room analysts. The application performs both a proximity search around the address and a commonality of suspects search. If a conflict is found, the system alerts the analyst by sounding an audible alarm and flashing the conflicting events on the automated basemap. The analyst then notifies the respective agencies of the conflicting critical events so coordination or rescheduling can occur.

Ventral aspect of the visual form pathway is not critical for the perception of biological motion

PubMed Central

Gilaie-Dotan, Sharon; Saygin, Ayse Pinar; Lorenzi, Lauren J.; Rees, Geraint; Behrmann, Marlene

2015-01-01

Identifying the movements of those around us is fundamental for many daily activities, such as recognizing actions, detecting predators, and interacting with others socially. A key question concerns the neurobiological substrates underlying biological motion perception. Although the ventral “form” visual cortex is standardly activated by biologically moving stimuli, whether these activations are functionally critical for biological motion perception or are epiphenomenal remains unknown. To address this question, we examined whether focal damage to regions of the ventral visual cortex, resulting in significant deficits in form perception, adversely affects biological motion perception. Six patients with damage to the ventral cortex were tested with sensitive point-light display paradigms. All patients were able to recognize unmasked point-light displays and their perceptual thresholds were not significantly different from those of three different control groups, one of which comprised brain-damaged patients with spared ventral cortex (n > 50). Importantly, these six patients performed significantly better than patients with damage to regions critical for biological motion perception. To assess the necessary contribution of different regions in the ventral pathway to biological motion perception, we complement the behavioral findings with a fine-grained comparison between the lesion location and extent, and the cortical regions standardly implicated in biological motion processing. This analysis revealed that the ventral aspects of the form pathway (e.g., fusiform regions, ventral extrastriate body area) are not critical for biological motion perception. We hypothesize that the role of these ventral regions is to provide enhanced multiview/posture representations of the moving person rather than to represent biological motion perception per se. PMID:25583504

Residual Stresses and Critical Initial Flaw Size Analyses of Welds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brust, Frederick W.; Raju, Ivatury, S.; Dawocke, David S.; Cheston, Derrick

2009-01-01

An independent assessment was conducted to determine the critical initial flaw size (CIFS) for the flange-to-skin weld in the Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS). A series of weld analyses are performed to determine the residual stresses in a critical region of the USS. Weld residual stresses both increase constraint and mean stress thereby having an important effect on the fatigue life. The purpose of the weld analyses was to model the weld process using a variety of sequences to determine the 'best' sequence in terms of weld residual stresses and distortions. The many factors examined in this study include weld design (single-V, double-V groove), weld sequence, boundary conditions, and material properties, among others. The results of this weld analysis are included with service loads to perform a fatigue and critical initial flaw size evaluation.

Tidal Conversion and Mixing Poleward of the Critical Latitude (an Arctic Case Study)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rippeth, Tom P.; Vlasenko, Vasiliy; Stashchuk, Nataliya; Scannell, Brian D.; Green, J. A. Mattias; Lincoln, Ben J.; Bacon, Sheldon

2017-12-01

The tides are a major source of the kinetic energy supporting turbulent mixing in the global oceans. The prime mechanism for the transfer of tidal energy to turbulent mixing results from the interaction between topography and stratified tidal flow, leading to the generation of freely propagating internal waves at the period of the forcing tide. However, poleward of the critical latitude (where the period of the principal tidal constituent exceeds the local inertial period), the action of the Coriolis force precludes the development of freely propagating linear internal tides. Here we focus on a region of sloping topography, poleward of the critical latitude, where there is significant conversion of tidal energy and the flow is supercritical (Froude number, Fr > 1). A high-resolution nonlinear modeling study demonstrates the key role of tidally generated lee waves and supercritical flow in the transfer of energy from the barotropic tide to internal waves in these high-latitude regions. Time series of flow and water column structure from the region of interest show internal waves with characteristics consistent with those predicted by the model, and concurrent microstructure dissipation measurements show significant levels of mixing associated with these internal waves. The results suggest that tidally generated lee waves are a key mechanism for the transfer of energy from the tide to turbulence poleward of the critical latitude.

Building a Higher Education Pipeline: Sociocultural and Critical Approaches to 'Internationalisation' in Teaching and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Benjamin

2017-01-01

This article discusses the use of critical and sociocultural approaches to more dynamically 'internationalise' higher education in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China. The article explores the integration of critical pedagogy and sociocultural learning theory in developing more engaging and rigorous education practices for…

Western Wind Strategy: Addressing Critical Issues for Wind Deployment

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

Douglas Larson; Thomas Carr

2012-03-30

The goal of the Western Wind Strategy project was to help remove critical barriers to wind development in the Western Interconnection. The four stated objectives of this project were to: (1) identify the barriers, particularly barriers to the operational integration of renewables and barriers identified by load-serving entities (LSEs) that will be buying wind generation, (2) communicate the barriers to state officials, (3) create a collaborative process to address those barriers with the Western states, utilities and the renewable industry, and (4) provide a role model for other regions. The project has been on the forefront of identifying and informingmore » state policy makers and utility regulators of critical issues related to wind energy and the integration of variable generation. The project has been a critical component in the efforts of states to push forward important reforms and innovations that will enable states to meet their renewable energy goals and lower the cost to consumers of integrating variable generation.« less

N-Linked Glycosylation and Sequence Changes in a Critical Negative Control Region of the ASCT1 and ASCT2 Neutral Amino Acid Transporters Determine Their Retroviral Receptor Functions

PubMed Central

Marin, Mariana; Lavillette, Dimitri; Kelly, Sean M.; Kabat, David

2003-01-01

A widely dispersed interference group of retroviruses that includes the feline endogenous virus (RD114), baboon endogenous virus (BaEV), human endogenous virus type W (HERV-W), and type D primate retroviruses uses the human Na+-dependent neutral amino acid transporter type 2 (hASCT2; gene name, SLC1A5) as a common cell surface receptor. Although hamster cells are fully resistant to these viruses and murine cells are susceptible only to BaEV and HERV-W pseudotype viruses, these rodent cells both become highly susceptible to all of the viruses after treatment with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of protein N-linked glycosylation. A partial explanation for these results was recently provided by findings that the orthologous murine transporter mASCT2 is inactive as a viral receptor, that a related (ca. 55% identity) murine paralog (mASCT1; gene name, SLC1A4) mediates infections specifically of BaEV and HERV-W, and that N-deglycosylation of mASCT1 activates it as a receptor for all viruses of this interference group. Because the only two N-linked oligosaccharides in mASCT1 occur in the carboxyl-terminal region of extracellular loop 2 (ECL2), it was inferred that this region contributes in an inhibitory manner to infections by RD114 and type D primate viruses. To directly and more thoroughly investigate the receptor active sites, we constructed and analyzed a series of hASCT2/mASCT2 chimeras and site-directed mutants. Our results suggest that a hypervariable sequence of 21 amino acids in the carboxyl-terminal portion of ECL2 plays a critical role in determining the receptor properties of ASCT2 proteins for all viruses in this interference group. In addition, we analyzed the tunicamycin-dependent viral susceptibility of hamster cells. In contrast to mASCT1, which contains two N-linked oligosaccharides that partially restrict viral infections, hamster ASCT1 contains an additional N-linked oligosaccharide clustered close to the others in the carboxyl-terminal region of ECL2

Critical Thinking and the Critical Person.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Richard W.

The paper's purpose is to clarify and develop some theoretical and practical implications of the concept of critical thinking, and the field of social studies is used as one example of the problem. The work of four leading critical theorists (Robert Ennis, Harvey Siegel, Michael Scriven, and R. S. Peters) is described and a distinction is made…

ASSESSING FISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION ON A REGIONAL SCALE

EPA Science Inventory

The selection of target fish species for assessing the extent of fish tissue contaminants is a critical consideration in regional stream surveys such as the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). The ideal species would be widely distributed and common, bioaccumu...

Critical Education, Critical Pedagogies, Marxist Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley, Jean Ann; Morris, Doug; Gounari, Panayota; Agostinone-Wilson, Faith

2015-01-01

As critical pedagogy becomes more mainstream on the educational landscape in the United States, it is important to revisit the original tenets of critical pedagogy and explore their current manifestations. Since the beginning of "criticalism" from the theoretical/foundational work of the Frankfurt School of Critical Social Theory,…

Critical Literature Pedagogy: Teaching Canonical Literature for Critical Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borsheim-Black, Carlin; Macaluso, Michael; Petrone, Robert

2014-01-01

This article introduces Critical Literature Pedagogy (CLP), a pedagogical framework for applying goals of critical literacy within the context of teaching canonical literature. Critical literacies encompass skills and dispositions to understand, question, and critique ideological messages of texts; because canonical literature is often…

A critical care network pressure ulcer prevention quality improvement project.

PubMed

McBride, Joanna; Richardson, Annette

2015-03-30

Pressure ulcer prevention is an important safety issue, often underrated and an extremely painful event harming patients. Critically ill patients are one of the highest risk groups in hospital. The impact of pressure ulcers are wide ranging, and they can result in increased critical care and the hospital length of stay, significant interference with functional recovery and rehabilitation and increase cost. This quality improvement project had four aims: (1) to establish a critical care network pressure ulcer prevention group; (2) to establish baseline pressure ulcer prevention practices; (3) to measure, compare and monitor pressure ulcers prevalence; (4) to develop network pressure ulcer prevention standards. The approach used to improve quality included strong critical care nursing leadership to develop a cross-organisational pressure ulcer prevention group and a benchmarking exercise of current practices across a well-established critical care Network in the North of England. The National Safety Thermometer tool was used to measure pressure ulcer prevalence in 23 critical care units, and best available evidence, local consensus and another Critical Care Networks' bundle of interventions were used to develop a local pressure ulcer prevention standards document. The aims of the quality improvement project were achieved. This project was driven by successful leadership and had an agreed common goal. The National Safety Thermometer tool was an innovative approach to measure and compare pressure ulcer prevalence rates at a regional level. A limitation was the exclusion of moisture lesions. The project showed excellent engagement and collaborate working in the quest to prevent pressure ulcers from many critical care nurses with the North of England Critical Care Network. A concise set of Network standards was developed for use in conjunction with local guidelines to enhance pressure ulcer prevention. © 2015 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Expanding Educators' Contributions to Continuous Quality Improvement of American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification.

PubMed

Nora, Lois Margaret; Pouwels, Mellie Villahermosa; Irons, Mira

2016-01-01

The American Board of Medical Specialties board certification has transformed into a career-long process of learning, assessment, and performance improvement through its Program for Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Medical educators across many medical professional organizations, specialty societies, and other institutions have played important roles in shaping MOC and tailoring its overarching framework to the needs of different specialties. This Commentary addresses potential barriers to engagement in work related to MOC for medical school (MS) and academic health center (AHC) educators and identifies reasons for, and ways to accomplish, greater involvement in this work. The authors present ways that medical and other health professions educators in these settings can contribute to the continuous improvement of the MOC program including developing educational and assessment activities, engaging in debate about MOC, linking MOC with institutional quality improvement activities, and pursuing MOC-related scholarship. MS- and AHC-based educators have much to offer this still-young and continually improving program, and their engagement is sought, necessary, and welcomed.

Critical phases in the raise and peel model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jara, D. A. C.; Alcaraz, F. C.

2018-05-01

The raise and peel model (RPM) is a nonlocal stochastic model describing the space and time fluctuations of an evolving one dimensional interface. Its relevant parameter u is the ratio between the rates of local adsorption and nonlocal desorption processes (avalanches) The model at u  =  1 is the first example of a conformally invariant stochastic model. For small values u  <  u 0 the model is known to be noncritical, while for u  >  u 0 it is critical. Although previous studies indicate that u 0  =  1, a determination of u 0 with a reasonable precision is still missing. By calculating numerically the structure function of the height profiles in the reciprocal space we confirm with good precision that indeed u 0  =  1. We establish that at the conformal invariant point u  =  1 the RPM has a roughening transition with dynamical and roughness critical exponents z  =  1 and , respectively. For u  >  1 the model is critical with a u-dependent dynamical critical exponent that tends towards zero as . However at 1/u  =  0 the RPM is exactly mapped into the totally asymmetric exclusion problem. This last model is known to be noncritical (critical) for open (periodic) boundary conditions. Our numerical studies indicate that the RPM as , due to its nonlocal dynamical processes, has the same large-distance physics no matter what boundary condition we chose. For u  >  1, our numerical analysis shows that in contrast to previous predictions, the region is composed of two distinct critical phases. For the height profiles are rough (), and for the height profiles are flat at large distances (). We also observed that in both critical phases (u  >  1) the RPM at short length scales, has an effective behavior in the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang critical universality class, that is not the true behavior of the system at large length scales.

Quantum criticality among entangled spin chains

DOE PAGES

Blanc, N.; Trinh, J.; Dong, L.; ...

2017-12-11

Here, an important challenge in magnetism is the unambiguous identification of a quantum spin liquid, of potential importance for quantum computing. In such a material, the magnetic spins should be fluctuating in the quantum regime, instead of frozen in a classical long-range-ordered state. While this requirement dictates systems wherein classical order is suppressed by a frustrating lattice, an ideal system would allow tuning of quantum fluctuations by an external parameter. Conventional three-dimensional antiferromagnets can be tuned through a quantum critical point—a region of highly fluctuating spins—by an applied magnetic field. Such systems suffer from a weak specific-heat peak at themore » quantum critical point, with little entropy available for quantum fluctuations. Here we study a different type of antiferromagnet, comprised of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 chains as realized in the molecular salt K 2PbCu(NO 2) 6. Across the temperature–magnetic field boundary between three-dimensional order and the paramagnetic phase, the specific heat exhibits a large peak whose magnitude approaches a value suggestive of the spinon Sommerfeld coefficient of isolated quantum spin chains. These results demonstrate an alternative approach for producing quantum matter via a magnetic-field-induced shift of entropy from one-dimensional short-range order to a three-dimensional quantum critical point.« less

Quantum criticality among entangled spin chains

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

Blanc, N.; Trinh, J.; Dong, L.

Here, an important challenge in magnetism is the unambiguous identification of a quantum spin liquid, of potential importance for quantum computing. In such a material, the magnetic spins should be fluctuating in the quantum regime, instead of frozen in a classical long-range-ordered state. While this requirement dictates systems wherein classical order is suppressed by a frustrating lattice, an ideal system would allow tuning of quantum fluctuations by an external parameter. Conventional three-dimensional antiferromagnets can be tuned through a quantum critical point—a region of highly fluctuating spins—by an applied magnetic field. Such systems suffer from a weak specific-heat peak at themore » quantum critical point, with little entropy available for quantum fluctuations. Here we study a different type of antiferromagnet, comprised of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 chains as realized in the molecular salt K 2PbCu(NO 2) 6. Across the temperature–magnetic field boundary between three-dimensional order and the paramagnetic phase, the specific heat exhibits a large peak whose magnitude approaches a value suggestive of the spinon Sommerfeld coefficient of isolated quantum spin chains. These results demonstrate an alternative approach for producing quantum matter via a magnetic-field-induced shift of entropy from one-dimensional short-range order to a three-dimensional quantum critical point.« less

Quantum criticality among entangled spin chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanc, N.; Trinh, J.; Dong, L.; Bai, X.; Aczel, A. A.; Mourigal, M.; Balents, L.; Siegrist, T.; Ramirez, A. P.

2018-03-01

An important challenge in magnetism is the unambiguous identification of a quantum spin liquid1,2, of potential importance for quantum computing. In such a material, the magnetic spins should be fluctuating in the quantum regime, instead of frozen in a classical long-range-ordered state. While this requirement dictates systems3,4 wherein classical order is suppressed by a frustrating lattice5, an ideal system would allow tuning of quantum fluctuations by an external parameter. Conventional three-dimensional antiferromagnets can be tuned through a quantum critical point—a region of highly fluctuating spins—by an applied magnetic field. Such systems suffer from a weak specific-heat peak at the quantum critical point, with little entropy available for quantum fluctuations6. Here we study a different type of antiferromagnet, comprised of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 chains as realized in the molecular salt K2PbCu(NO2)6. Across the temperature-magnetic field boundary between three-dimensional order and the paramagnetic phase, the specific heat exhibits a large peak whose magnitude approaches a value suggestive of the spinon Sommerfeld coefficient of isolated quantum spin chains. These results demonstrate an alternative approach for producing quantum matter via a magnetic-field-induced shift of entropy from one-dimensional short-range order to a three-dimensional quantum critical point.

Cubic polynomial maps with periodic critical orbit, Part II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonifant, Araceli; Kiwi, Jan; Milnor, John

The parameter space S_p for monic centered cubic polynomial maps with a marked critical point of period p is a smooth affine algebraic curve whose genus increases rapidly with p . Each S_p consists of a compact connectedness locus together with finitely many escape regions, each of which is biholomorphic to a punctured disk and is characterized by an essentially unique Puiseux series. This note will describe the topology of S_p , and of its smooth compactification, in terms of these escape regions. In particular, it computes the Euler characteristic. It concludes with a discussion of the real sub-locus of S_p .

Criticality conditions of heterogeneous energetic materials under shock loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nassar, Anas; Rai, Nirmal Kumar; Sen, Oishik; Udaykumar, H. S.

2017-06-01

Shock interaction with the microstructural heterogeneities of energetic materials can lead to the formation of locally heated regions known as hot spots. These hot spots are the potential sites where chemical reaction may be initiated. However, the ability of a hot spot to initiate chemical reaction depends on its size, shape and strength (temperature). Previous study by Tarver et al. has shown that there exists a critical size and temperature for a given shape (spherical, cylindrical, and planar) of the hot spot above which reaction initiation is imminent. Tarver et al. assumed a constant temperature variation in the hot spot. However, the meso-scale simulations show that the temperature distribution within a hot spot formed from processes such as void collapse is seldom constant. Also, the shape of a hot spot can be arbitrary. This work is an attempt towards development of a critical hot spot curve which is a function of loading strength, duration and void morphology. To achieve the aforementioned goal, mesoscale simulations are conducted on porous HMX material. The process is repeated for different loading conditions and void sizes. The hot spots formed in the process are examined for criticality depending on whether they will ignite or not. The metamodel is used to obtain criticality curves and is compared with the critical hot spot curve of Tarver et al.

Onsite and Electric Backup Capabilities at Critical Infrastructure Facilities in the United States

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

Phillips, Julia A.; Wallace, Kelly E.; Kudo, Terence Y.

2016-04-01

The following analysis, conducted by Argonne National Laboratory’s (Argonne’s) Risk and Infrastructure Science Center (RISC), details an analysis of electric power backup of national critical infrastructure as captured through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Enhanced Critical Infrastructure Program (ECIP) Initiative. Between January 1, 2011, and September 2014, 3,174 ECIP facility surveys have been conducted. This study focused first on backup capabilities by infrastructure type and then expanded to infrastructure type by census region.

Criticality experiments and analysis of molybdenum reflected cylindrical uranyl fluoride water solution reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fieno, D.; Fox, T.; Mueller, R.

1972-01-01

Clean criticality data were obtained from molybdenum-reflected cylindrical uranyl-fluoride-water solution reactors. Using ENDF/B molybdenum cross sections, a nine energy group two-dimensional transport calculation of a reflected reactor configuration predicted criticality to within 7 cents of the experimental value. For these reactors, it was necessary to compute the reflector resonance integral by a detailed transport calculation at the core-reflector interface volume in the energy region of the two dominant resonances of natural molybdenum.

Critical Source Area Delineation: The representation of hydrology in effective erosion modeling.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, A.; Boll, J.; Brooks, E. S.; Boylan, R. D.

2017-12-01

Despite decades of conservation and millions of conservation dollars, nonpoint source sediment loading associated with agricultural disturbance continues to be a significant problem in many parts of the world. Local and national conservation organizations are interested in targeting critical source areas for control strategy implementation. Currently, conservation practices are selected and located based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) hillslope erosion modeling, and the National Resource Conservation Service will soon be transiting to the Watershed Erosion Predict Project (WEPP) model for the same purpose. We present an assessment of critical source areas targeted with RUSLE, WEPP and a regionally validated hydrology model, the Soil Moisture Routing (SMR) model, to compare the location of critical areas for sediment loading and the effectiveness of control strategies. The three models are compared for the Palouse dryland cropping region of the inland northwest, with un-calibrated analyses of the Kamiache watershed using publicly available soils, land-use and long-term simulated climate data. Critical source areas were mapped and the side-by-side comparison exposes the differences in the location and timing of runoff and erosion predictions. RUSLE results appear most sensitive to slope driving processes associated with infiltration excess. SMR captured saturation excess driven runoff events located at the toe slope position, while WEPP was able to capture both infiltration excess and saturation excess processes depending on soil type and management. A methodology is presented for down-scaling basin level screening to the hillslope management scale for local control strategies. Information on the location of runoff and erosion, driven by the runoff mechanism, is critical for effective treatment and conservation.

Critical, sustainable and threshold fluxes for membrane filtration with water industry applications.

PubMed

Field, Robert W; Pearce, Graeme K

2011-05-11

Critical flux theory evolved as a description of the upper bound in the operating envelope for controlled steady state environments such as cross-flow systems. However, in the application of UF membranes in the water industry, dead-end (direct-flow) designs are used. Direct-flow is a pseudo steady state operation with different fouling characteristics to cross-flow, and thus the critical flux concept has limited applicability. After a review of recent usage of the critical flux theory, an alternative concept for providing design guidelines for direct-flow systems namely that of the threshold flux is introduced. The concept of threshold flux can also be applicable to cross-flow systems. In more general terms the threshold flux can be taken to be the flux that divides a low fouling region from a high fouling region. This may be linked both to the critical flux concept and to the concept of a sustainable flux. The sustainable flux is the one at which a modest degree of fouling occurs, providing a compromise between capital expenditure (which is reduced by using high flux) and operating costs (which are reduced by restricting the fouling rate). Whilst the threshold flux can potentially be linked to physical phenomena alone, the sustainable flux also depends upon economic factors and is thus of a different nature to the critical and threshold fluxes. This distinction will be illustrated using some MBR data. Additionally the utility of the concept of a threshold flux will be illustrated using pilot plant data obtained for UF treatment of four sources of water. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying critical thinking indicators and critical thinker attributes in nursing practice.

PubMed

Chao, Shu-Yuan; Liu, Hsing-Yuan; Wu, Ming-Chang; Clark, Mary Jo; Tan, Jung-Ying

2013-09-01

Critical thinking is an essential skill in the nursing process. Although several studies have evaluated the critical thinking skills of nurses, there is limited information related to the indicators of critical thinking or evaluation of critical thinking in the context of the nursing process. This study investigated the potential indicators of critical thinking and the attributes of critical thinkers in clinical nursing practice. Knowledge of these indicators can aid the development of tools to assess nursing students' critical thinking skills. The study was conducted between September 2009 and August 2010. In phase 1, a literature review and four focus groups were conducted to identify the indicators of critical thinking in the context of nursing and the attributes of critical thinkers. In phase 2, 30 nursing professionals participated in a modified Delphi research survey to establish consensus and the appropriateness of each indicator and attribute identified in phase 1. We identified 37 indicators of critical thinking and 10 attributes of critical thinkers. The indicators were categorized into five subscales within the context of the nursing process toreflect nursing clinical practice: assessment, 16 indicators of ability to apply professional knowledge and skills to analyze and interpret patient problems; diagnosis, five indicators of ability to propose preliminary suppositions; planning, five indicators of ability to develop problem-solving strategies; implementation, five indicators of ability to implement planning; and evaluation, six indicators of ability to self-assess and reflect. The study operationalized critical thinking into a practical indicator suitable for nursing contexts in which critical thinking is required for clinical problem solving. Identified indicators and attributes can assist clinical instructors to evaluate student critical thought skills and development-related teaching strategies.

Reimagining Internationalization: Critical Dialogues on Global Dimensions of Education--Guest Editors' Introduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubow, Patricia K.; Wild, Justin; Joslin, A'ame

2015-01-01

The theme of this special issue of "FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education" is "Reimagining Internationalization: Critical Dialogues on Global Dimensions of Education" based on the 2014 Midwestern Regional Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (MCIES). The Comparative International…

Strategies for 96-hour critical infrastructure compliance.

PubMed

Storbakken, Steven H; Kendall, Shannon; Lackey, Connie

2009-01-01

Organizations that stand the best chance at survival following a disaster do so because they can depend on the sharing of resources and mutual ideologies, the authors claim, pointing out that when it comes to strategizing for 96-hour critical infrastructure compliance, it is important to keep at the forefront not only the idea of collaborative planning from within the organization--involving security and safety, clinical, facilities and administrative staffs--but also includes collaborative planning with the local and regional businesses surrounding the organization.

Critical carbon input to maintain current soil organic carbon stocks in global wheat systems

PubMed Central

Wang, Guocheng; Luo, Zhongkui; Han, Pengfei; Chen, Huansheng; Xu, Jingjing

2016-01-01

Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in croplands is a crucial component of global carbon (C) cycle. Depending on local environmental conditions and management practices, typical C input is generally required to reduce or reverse C loss in agricultural soils. No studies have quantified the critical C input for maintaining SOC at global scale with high resolution. Such information will provide a baseline map for assessing soil C dynamics under potential changes in management practices and climate, and thus enable development of management strategies to reduce C footprint from farm to regional scales. We used the soil C model RothC to simulate the critical C input rates needed to maintain existing soil C level at 0.1° × 0.1° resolution in global wheat systems. On average, the critical C input was estimated to be 2.0 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, with large spatial variability depending on local soil and climatic conditions. Higher C inputs are required in wheat system of central United States and western Europe, mainly due to the higher current soil C stocks present in these regions. The critical C input could be effectively estimated using a summary model driven by current SOC level, mean annual temperature, precipitation, and soil clay content. PMID:26759192

On the formation and expansion of H II regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franco, Jose; Tenorio-Tagle, Guillermo; Bodenheimer, Peter

1990-01-01

The evolution of H II regions in spherical clouds with small, constant-density cores and power-law density distributions r exp -w outside the core is described analytically. It is found that there is a critical exponent above which the cloud becomes completely ionized. Its value in the formation phase depends on the initial conditions, but it has a well-defined value w(crit) = 3/2 during the expansion phase. For w less than w(crit), the radius of the H II region grows at a given rate, while neutral mass accumulates in the interphase between the ionization and shock fronts. For w = w(crit), the fronts move together without mass accumulation. Cases with w greater than w(crit) lead to the champagne phase: once the cloud is fully ionized, the expansion becomes supersonic. For self-gravitating disks without magnetic fields, the main features include a new 'variable-size' stage. The initial shape of the H II region has a critical point beyond which the disk becomes completely ionized.

What Makes Critical Thinking Critical for Adult ESL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miekley, Joshua P.

2014-01-01

Critical-thinking skills help to prepare adult education students for a successful transition to college degree programs and for job advancement. Yet fostering critical thinking poses a challenge to ESL instructors. Brookfield (2012) provides a way forward for adult educators when he explains that the crux of critical thinking is to discover one's…

Leadership in academic health centers in the US: a review of the role and some recommendations.

PubMed

Weil, Thomas P

2014-01-01

The leadership of the US's most complex academic health centers (AHCs)/medical centers requires individuals who possess a high level of clinical, organizational, managerial, and interpersonal skills. This paper first outlines the major attributes desired in a dean/vice president of health affairs before then summarizing the educational opportunities now generally available to train for such leadership and management roles. For the most part, the masters in health administration (MHA), the traditional MBA, and the numerous alternatives primarily available at universities are considered far too general and too lacking in emotional intelligence tutoring to be particularly relevant for those who aspire to these most senior leadership positions. More appropriate educational options for these roles are discussed: (a) the in-house leadership and management programs now underway at some AHCs for those selected early on in their career for future executive-type roles as well as for those who are appointed later on to a chair, directorship or similar position; and (b) a more controversial approach of potentially establishing at one or a few universities, a mid-career, professional program (a maximum of 12 months and therefore, being completed in less time than an MBA) leading to a masters degree in academic health center administration (MHCA) for those who aspire to fill a senior AHC leadership position. The proposed curriculum as outlined herein might be along the lines of some carefully designed masters level on-line, self-teaching modules for the more technical subjects, yet vigorously emphasizing integrate-type courses focused on enhancing personal and professional team building and leadership skills. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Dermal absorption of kerosene components in rats and the influence of its amount and area of exposure.

PubMed

Tsujino, Yoshio; Hieda, Yoko; Kimura, Kojiro; Dekio, Satoshi

2003-04-23

The influences of amount and area of dermal exposure to kerosene upon the levels of kerosene components in biological samples were examined in vivo and in vitro. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to kerosene through the abdominal skin for 2h. The amounts (soaked in cotton) and area of kerosene exposed were 1 ml/4 cm(2) in Group I, 4 ml/4 cm(2) in Group II, 4 ml/16 cm(2) in Group III and 16 ml/64 cm(2) in Group IV. Before, then 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after exposure, 0.5 ml of blood was collected. Solid tissue samples, including the exposed skin area, were harvested at 120 min. Kerosene components were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Trimethylbenzens (TMBs) that are easily absorbed kerosene components, appeared at 5-20 min. The time course changes in TMB levels in blood were significantly different between Groups I and II or Groups I and III, and almost identical between Groups II and III. Similar trends were observed in tissue samples at 120 min. High concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) were detected in the exposed skin and the AHC levels were dependent on the amount of kerosene exposed per unit area. These results suggest that (1) dermal absorption of kerosene occurs soon after dermal exposure started, (2) absorption of TMBs is influenced by the total amount of kerosene rather than area of exposure, and (3) AHCs remaining in the skin at significant levels are influenced by the amount of kerosene per unit area exposed.

Academic Health Center Management of Chronic Diseases through Knowledge Networks: Project ECHO

PubMed Central

Arora, Sanjeev; Geppert, Cynthia M. A.; Kalishman, Summers; Dion, Denise; Pullara, Frank; Bjeletich, Barbara; Simpson, Gary; Alverson, Dale C.; Moore, Lori B.; Kuhl, Dave; Scaletti, Joseph V.

2013-01-01

The authors describe an innovative academic health center (AHC)-led program of health care delivery and clinical education for the management of complex, common, and chronic diseases in underserved areas, using hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a model. The program, based at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, represents a paradigm shift in thinking and funding for the threefold mission of AHCs, moving from traditional fee-for-service models to public health funding of knowledge networks. This program, Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), involves a partnership of academic medicine, public health offices, corrections departments, and rural community clinics dedicated to providing best practices and protocol-driven health care in rural areas. Telemedicine and Internet connections enable specialists in the program to comanage patients with complex diseases, using case-based knowledge networks and learning loops. Project ECHO partners (nurse practitioners, primary care physicians, physician assistants, and pharmacists) present HCV-positive patients during weekly two-hour telemedicine clinics using a standardized, case-based format that includes discussion of history, physical examination, test results, treatment complications, and psychiatric, medical, and substance abuse issues. In these case-based learning clinics, partners rapidly gain deep domain expertise in HCV as they collaborate with university specialists in hepatology, infectious disease, psychiatry, and substance abuse in comanaging their patients. Systematic monitoring of treatment outcomes is an integral aspect of the project. The authors believe this methodology will be generalizable to other complex and chronic conditions in a wide variety of underserved areas to improve disease outcomes, and it offers an opportunity for AHCs to enhance and expand their traditional mission of teaching, patient care, and research. PMID:17264693

Emergence of cooperation with self-organized criticality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sangmin; Jeong, Hyeong-Chai

2012-02-01

Cooperation and self-organized criticality are two main keywords in current studies of evolution. We propose a generalized Bak-Sneppen model and provide a natural mechanism which accounts for both phenomena simultaneously. We use the prisoner's dilemma games to mimic the interactions among the members in the population. Each member is identified by its cooperation probability, and its fitness is given by the payoffs from neighbors. The least fit member with the minimum payoff is replaced by a new member with a random cooperation probability. When the neighbors of the least fit one are also replaced with a non-zero probability, a strong cooperation emerges. The Bak-Sneppen process builds a self-organized structure so that the cooperation can emerge even in the parameter region where a uniform or random population decreases the number of cooperators. The emergence of cooperation is due to the same dynamical correlation that leads to self-organized criticality in replacement activities.

A Data-Driven, Integrated Flare Model Based on Self-Organized Criticality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitropoulou, M.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Georgoulis, M.

2013-09-01

We interpret solar flares as events originating in solar active regions having reached the self-organized critical state, by alternatively using two versions of an "integrated flare model" - one static and one dynamic. In both versions the initial conditions are derived from observations aiming to investigate whether well-known scaling laws observed in the distribution functions of characteristic flare parameters are reproduced after the self-organized critical state has been reached. In the static model, we first apply a nonlinear force-free extrapolation that reconstructs the three-dimensional magnetic fields from two-dimensional vector magnetograms. We then locate magnetic discontinuities exceeding a threshold in the Laplacian of the magnetic field. These discontinuities are relaxed in local diffusion events, implemented in the form of cellular-automaton evolution rules. Subsequent loading and relaxation steps lead the system to self-organized criticality, after which the statistical properties of the simulated events are examined. In the dynamic version we deploy an enhanced driving mechanism, which utilizes the observed evolution of active regions, making use of sequential vector magnetograms. We first apply the static cellular automaton model to consecutive solar vector magnetograms until the self-organized critical state is reached. We then evolve the magnetic field inbetween these processed snapshots through spline interpolation, acting as a natural driver in the dynamic model. The identification of magnetically unstable sites as well as their relaxation follow the same rules as in the static model after each interpolation step. Subsequent interpolation/driving and relaxation steps cover all transitions until the end of the sequence. Physical requirements, such as the divergence-free condition for the magnetic field vector, are approximately satisfied in both versions of the model. We obtain robust power laws in the distribution functions of the modelled

DNA Methylation in Promoter Region as Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Yang, Mihi; Park, Jong Y.

2013-01-01

The prostate gland is the most common site of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Recent emerging molecular biological technologies help us to know that epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation within the regulatory (promoter) regions of genes are associated with transcriptional silencing in cancer. Promoter hypermethylation of critical pathway genes could be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. In this chapter, we updated current information on methylated genes associated with the development and progression of prostate cancer. Over 40 genes have been investigated for methylation in promoter region in prostate cancer. These methylated genes are involved in critical pathways, such as DNA repair, metabolism, and invasion/metastasis. The role of hypermethylated genes in regulation of critical pathways in prostate cancer is discussed. These findings may provide new information of the pathogenesis, the exciting potential to be predictive and to provide personalized treatment of prostate cancer. Indeed, some epigenetic alterations in prostate tumors are being translated into clinical practice for therapeutic use. PMID:22359288

dc Resistivity of Quantum Critical, Charge Density Wave States from Gauge-Gravity Duality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoretti, Andrea; Areán, Daniel; Goutéraux, Blaise; Musso, Daniele

2018-04-01

In contrast to metals with weak disorder, the resistivity of weakly pinned charge density waves (CDWs) is not controlled by irrelevant processes relaxing momentum. Instead, the leading contribution is governed by incoherent, diffusive processes which do not drag momentum and can be evaluated in the clean limit. We compute analytically the dc resistivity for a family of holographic charge density wave quantum critical phases and discuss its temperature scaling. Depending on the critical exponents, the ground state can be conducting or insulating. We connect our results to dc electrical transport in underdoped cuprate high Tc superconductors. We conclude by speculating on the possible relevance of unstable, semilocally critical CDW states to the strange metallic region.

dc Resistivity of Quantum Critical, Charge Density Wave States from Gauge-Gravity Duality.

PubMed

Amoretti, Andrea; Areán, Daniel; Goutéraux, Blaise; Musso, Daniele

2018-04-27

In contrast to metals with weak disorder, the resistivity of weakly pinned charge density waves (CDWs) is not controlled by irrelevant processes relaxing momentum. Instead, the leading contribution is governed by incoherent, diffusive processes which do not drag momentum and can be evaluated in the clean limit. We compute analytically the dc resistivity for a family of holographic charge density wave quantum critical phases and discuss its temperature scaling. Depending on the critical exponents, the ground state can be conducting or insulating. We connect our results to dc electrical transport in underdoped cuprate high T_{c} superconductors. We conclude by speculating on the possible relevance of unstable, semilocally critical CDW states to the strange metallic region.

[Satisfaction with health services in the North Bohemia Region].

PubMed

Masopust, V; Rajman, K

1989-04-01

In May 1988 in the North Bohemian region an anonymous survey was made in which 3,767 respondents participated, i.e. 0.42% of the population living in the region. The survey was focused on the satisfaction with and attitudes of patients to the health services. 73.64% of the respondents evaluated the provided services positively, 24.39% had an ambivalent attitude and 1.97% evaluated them negatively. Material shortcomings in the health services were criticized by 54.05% of the respondents, 37.75% criticized long waiting periods and 23.17% shortage of health personnel. The greatest advantage of our health services is that they are free of charge (49.91% respondents); availability (48.23%) and good interpersonal relations (21.56%). The satisfaction with the health services was expressed by 85.72% respondents verbally, 5.57% by criticism, 1.57% by a bribe and 1.43% by complaints. The most pretentious group are young patients working in industry. A positive attitude to the health services correlates with a positive evaluation of health workers. Thus the necessity arises to guard the ethical and professional standard of the health workers.

Critical Thinking Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Word's Worth: A Quarterly Newsletter of the Lifelong Learning Network, 1998

1998-01-01

This issue of a quarterly newsletter focuses on the theme of critical thinking skills. "Critical Thinking Skills: An Interview with Dr. Richard Paul" (Barbara Christopher) is the text of an interview in which the director of research at Sonoma State University's Center for Critical Thinking examines the meaning of critical thinking and…

Mighty Mums - An antenatal health care intervention can reduce gestational weight gain in women with obesity.

PubMed

Haby, Karin; Glantz, Anna; Hanas, Ragnar; Premberg, Åsa

2015-07-01

overweight and obesity are growing public health problems and around 13% of women assigned to antenatal health care (AHC) in Sweden have obesity (Body Mass Index, BMI ≥30). The risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth increase with increasing BMI. Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) among obese women further increases the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this pilot-study from AHC in Gothenburg, a co-ordinated project with standardised care, given by midwives and supported by dietitian and aiming at reducing weight gain in obese pregnant women, is evaluated. to evaluate the effects of a behavioural intervention programme for women with BMI ≥30, with emphasis on nutrition and physical activity, with regards to GWG and effect on weight at the post partum check-up. in the pilot study, the intervention group consisted of the first 50 enrolled obese pregnant women in a large life style project within the AHC in Gothenburg. The control group consisted of 50 obese pregnant women in the same city. The intervention included 60 minutes extra time with the midwife and also offered food discussion group, walking poles and pedometers. The intervention group was prescribed physical activity and could choose from food advice with different content. If needed, the woman was offered referral to the dietitian for a personal meeting. A network was formed with the surrounding community. Outcome measures were GWG, weight change at the postnatal check-up compared with when signing in to antenatal health care, and change in BMI during the same period. women in the intervention group had a significantly lower GWG (8.6 ± 4.9 kg versus 12.5 ± 5.1 kg; p=0.001) and a significantly lower weight at the postnatal check up versus the first contact with AHC (-0.2 ± 5.7 kg versus +2.0 ± 4.5 kg; p=0.032), as well as a decrease in BMI (-0.04 ± 2.1 versus +0.77 ± 2.0; p=0.037). More women in the intervention than in the control group managed GWG <7 kg [18 (36%) versus

Criticality features in ULF magnetic fields prior to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

PubMed Central

HAYAKAWA, Masashi; SCHEKOTOV, Alexander; POTIRAKIS, Stelios; EFTAXIAS, Kostas

2015-01-01

The criticality of ULF (Ultra-low-frequency) magnetic variations is investigated for the 2011 March 11 Tohoku earthquake (EQ) by natural time analysis. For this attempt, some ULF parameters were considered: (1) Fh (horizontal magnetic field), (2) Fz (vertical magnetic field), and (3) Dh (inverse of horizontal magnetic field). The first two parameters refer to the ULF radiation, while the last parameter refers to another ULF effect of ionospheric signature. Nighttime (L.T. = 3 am ± 2 hours) data at Kakioka (KAK) were used, and the power of each quantity at a particular frequency band of 0.03–0.05 Hz was averaged for nighttime hours. The analysis results indicate that Fh fulfilled all criticality conditions on March 3–5, 2011, and that the additional parameter, Dh reached also a criticality on March 6 or 7. In conclusion, criticality has reached in the pre-EQ fracture region a few days to one week before the main shock of the Tohoku EQ. PMID:25743063

Critical Transitions in Thin Layer Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benavides, Santiago; Alexakis, Alexandros

2017-11-01

We investigate a model of thin layer turbulence that follows the evolution of the two-dimensional motions u2 D (x , y) along the horizontal directions (x , y) coupled to a single Fourier mode along the vertical direction (z) of the form uq (x , y , z) = [vx (x , y) sin (qz) ,vy (x , y) sin (qz) ,vz (x , y) cos (qz) ] , reducing thus the system to two coupled, two-dimensional equations. Its reduced dimensionality allows a thorough investigation of the transition from a forward to an inverse cascade of energy as the thickness of the layer H = π / q is varied.Starting from a thick layer and reducing its thickness it is shown that two critical heights are met (i) one for which the forward unidirectional cascade (similar to three-dimensional turbulence) transitions to a bidirectional cascade transferring energy to both small and large scales and (ii) one for which the bidirectional cascade transitions to a unidirectional inverse cascade when the layer becomes very thin (similar to two-dimensional turbulence). The two critical heights are shown to have different properties close to criticality that we are able to analyze with numerical simulations for a wide range of Reynolds numbers and aspect ratios. This work was Granted access to the HPC resources of MesoPSL financed by the Region Ile de France and the project Equip@Meso (reference ANR-10-EQPX-29-01).

Susceptibility of forests in the northeastern USA to nitrogen and sulfur deposition: critical load exceedance and forest health

Treesearch

N. Duarte; L.H. Pardo; M.J. Robin-Abbott

2013-01-01

The objectives of this study were to assess susceptibility to acidification and nitrogen (N) saturation caused by atmospheric deposition to northeastern US forests, evaluate the benefits and shortcomings of making critical load assessments using regional data, and assess the relationship between expected risk (exceedance) and forest health. We calculated the critical...

Criticality and phase diagram of quantum long-range O(N ) models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defenu, Nicolò; Trombettoni, Andrea; Ruffo, Stefano

2017-09-01

Several recent experiments in atomic, molecular, and optical systems motivated a huge interest in the study of quantum long-range systems. Our goal in this paper is to present a general description of their critical behavior and phases, devising a treatment valid in d dimensions, with an exponent d +σ for the power-law decay of the couplings in the presence of an O(N ) symmetry. By introducing a convenient ansatz for the effective action, we determine the phase diagram for the N -component quantum rotor model with long-range interactions, with N =1 corresponding to the Ising model. The phase diagram in the σ -d plane shows a nontrivial dependence on σ . As a consequence of the fact that the model is quantum, the correlation functions are anisotropic in the spatial and time coordinates for σ smaller than a critical value, and in this region the isotropy is not restored even at criticality. Results for the correlation length exponent ν , the dynamical critical exponent z , and a comparison with numerical findings for them are presented.

Temperature Dependence of the Upper Critical Field in Disordered Hubbard Model with Attraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchinskii, E. Z.; Kuleeva, N. A.; Sadovskii, M. V.

2017-12-01

We study disorder effects upon the temperature behavior of the upper critical magnetic field in an attractive Hubbard model within the generalized DMFT+Σ approach. We consider the wide range of attraction potentials U—from the weak coupling limit, where superconductivity is described by BCS model, up to the strong coupling limit, where superconducting transition is related to Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of compact Cooper pairs, formed at temperatures significantly higher than superconducting transition temperature, as well as the wide range of disorder—from weak to strong, when the system is in the vicinity of Anderson transition. The growth of coupling strength leads to the rapid growth of H c2( T), especially at low temperatures. In BEC limit and in the region of BCS-BEC crossover H c2( T), dependence becomes practically linear. Disordering also leads to the general growth of H c2( T). In BCS limit of weak coupling increasing disorder lead both to the growth of the slope of the upper critical field in the vicinity of the transition point and to the increase of H c2( T) in the low temperature region. In the limit of strong disorder in the vicinity of the Anderson transition localization corrections lead to the additional growth of H c2( T) at low temperatures, so that the H c2( T) dependence becomes concave. In BCS-BEC crossover region and in BEC limit disorder only slightly influences the slope of the upper critical field close to T c . However, in the low temperature region H c2 ( T may significantly grow with disorder in the vicinity of the Anderson transition, where localization corrections notably increase H c2 ( T = 0) also making H c2( T) dependence concave.

Simulation in teaching regional anesthesia: current perspectives.

PubMed

Udani, Ankeet D; Kim, T Edward; Howard, Steven K; Mariano, Edward R

2015-01-01

The emerging subspecialty of regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine represents an opportunity to evaluate critically the current methods of teaching regional anesthesia techniques and the practice of acute pain medicine. To date, there have been a wide variety of simulation applications in this field, and efficacy has largely been assumed. However, a thorough review of the literature reveals that effective teaching strategies, including simulation, in regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine are not established completely yet. Future research should be directed toward comparative-effectiveness of simulation versus other accepted teaching methods, exploring the combination of procedural training with realistic clinical scenarios, and the application of simulation-based teaching curricula to a wider range of learner, from the student to the practicing physician.

Simulation in teaching regional anesthesia: current perspectives

PubMed Central

Udani, Ankeet D; Kim, T Edward; Howard, Steven K; Mariano, Edward R

2015-01-01

The emerging subspecialty of regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine represents an opportunity to evaluate critically the current methods of teaching regional anesthesia techniques and the practice of acute pain medicine. To date, there have been a wide variety of simulation applications in this field, and efficacy has largely been assumed. However, a thorough review of the literature reveals that effective teaching strategies, including simulation, in regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine are not established completely yet. Future research should be directed toward comparative-effectiveness of simulation versus other accepted teaching methods, exploring the combination of procedural training with realistic clinical scenarios, and the application of simulation-based teaching curricula to a wider range of learner, from the student to the practicing physician. PMID:26316812

Critical health infrastructure for refugee resettlement in rural Australia: case study of four rural towns.

PubMed

Sypek, Scott; Clugston, Gregory; Phillips, Christine

2008-12-01

To explore the reported impact of regional resettlement of refugees on rural health services, and identify critical health infrastructure for refugee resettlement. Comparative case study, using interviews and situational analysis. Four rural communities in New South Wales, which had been the focus of regional resettlement of refugees since 1999. Refugees, general practitioners, practice managers and volunteer support workers in each town (n = 24). The capacity of health care workers to provide comprehensive care is threatened by low numbers of practitioners, and high levels of turnover of health care staff, which results in attrition of specialised knowledge among health care workers treating refugees. Critical health infrastructure includes general practices with interest and surge capacity, subsidised dental services, mental health support services; clinical support services for rural practitioners; care coordination in the early settlement period; and a supported volunteer network. The need for intensive medical support is greatest in the early resettlement period for 'catch-up' primary health care. The difficulties experienced by rural Australia in securing equitable access to health services are amplified for refugees. While there are economic arguments about resettlement of refugees in regional Australia, the fragility of health services in regional Australia should also be factored into considerations about which towns are best suited to regional resettlement.

Criticality in the Approach to Failure in Amorphous Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jie; Gueudré, Thomas; Rosso, Alberto; Wyart, Matthieu

2015-10-01

Failure of amorphous solids is fundamental to various phenomena, including landslides and earthquakes. Recent experiments indicate that highly plastic regions form elongated structures that are especially apparent near the maximal shear stress Σmax where failure occurs. This observation suggested that Σmax acts as a critical point where the length scale of those structures diverges, possibly causing macroscopic transient shear bands. Here, we argue instead that the entire solid phase (Σ <Σmax) is critical, that plasticity always involves system-spanning events, and that their magnitude diverges at Σmax independently of the presence of shear bands. We relate the statistics and fractal properties of these rearrangements to an exponent θ that captures the stability of the material, which is observed to vary continuously with stress, and we confirm our predictions in elastoplastic models.

External validation of a prehospital risk score for critical illness.

PubMed

Kievlan, Daniel R; Martin-Gill, Christian; Kahn, Jeremy M; Callaway, Clifton W; Yealy, Donald M; Angus, Derek C; Seymour, Christopher W

2016-08-11

Identification of critically ill patients during prehospital care could facilitate early treatment and aid in the regionalization of critical care. Tools to consistently identify those in the field with or at higher risk of developing critical illness do not exist. We sought to validate a prehospital critical illness risk score that uses objective clinical variables in a contemporary cohort of geographically and temporally distinct prehospital encounters. We linked prehospital encounters at 21 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies to inpatient electronic health records at nine hospitals in southwestern Pennsylvania from 2010 to 2012. The primary outcome was critical illness during hospitalization, defined as an intensive care unit stay with delivery of organ support (mechanical ventilation or vasopressor use). We calculated the prehospital risk score using demographics and first vital signs from eligible EMS encounters, and we tested the association between score variables and critical illness using multivariable logistic regression. Discrimination was assessed using the AUROC curve, and calibration was determined by plotting observed versus expected events across score values. Operating characteristics were calculated at score thresholds. Among 42,550 nontrauma, non-cardiac arrest adult EMS patients, 1926 (4.5 %) developed critical illness during hospitalization. We observed moderate discrimination of the prehospital critical illness risk score (AUROC 0.73, 95 % CI 0.72-0.74) and adequate calibration based on observed versus expected plots. At a score threshold of 2, sensitivity was 0.63 (95 % CI 0.61-0.75), specificity was 0.73 (95 % CI 0.72-0.73), negative predictive value was 0.98 (95 % CI 0.98-0.98), and positive predictive value was 0.10 (95 % CI 0.09-0.10). The risk score performance was greater with alternative definitions of critical illness, including in-hospital mortality (AUROC 0.77, 95 % CI 0.7 -0.78). In an external validation cohort, a

A Matter of Millimeters: Defining the Processes for Critical Clearances on Curiosity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Florow, Brandon

2013-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission presents an immense packaging problem in that it takes a rover the size of a car with a sky crane landing system and packs it tightly into a spacecraft. This creates many areas of close and critical clearances. Critical Clearances are defined as hardware-to-hardware or hardware-to-envelope clearances which fall below a pre-established location dependent threshold and pose a risk of hardware to hardware contact during events such as launch, entry, landing, and operations. Close Clearances, on the other hand, are defined as any clearance value that is chosen to be tracked but is larger than the critical clearance threshold for its region. Close clearances may be tracked for various reasons including uncertainty in design, large expected dynamic motion, etc.

Critical Thinking in Criminology: Critical Reflections on Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howes, Loene M.

2017-01-01

Fostering critical thinking abilities amongst students is one component of preparing them to navigate uncertain and complex social lives and employment circumstances. One conceptualisation of critical thinking, valuable in higher education, draws from critical theory to promote social justice and redress power inequities. This study explored how…

Critical Thinking and Disposition Toward Critical Thinking Among Physical Therapy Students.

PubMed

Domenech, Manuel A; Watkins, Phillip

2015-01-01

Students who enter a physical therapist (PT) entry-level program with weak critical thinking skills may not be prepared to benefit from the educational training program or successfully engage in the future as a competent healthcare provider. Therefore, assessing PT students' entry-level critical thinking skills and/or disposition toward critical thinking may be beneficial to identifying students with poor, fair, or good critical thinking ability as one of the criteria used in the admissions process into a professional program. First-year students (n=71) from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center completed the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST), the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI), and demographic survey during orientation to the DPT program. Three students were lost from the CCTST (n=68), and none lost from the CCTDI (n=71). Analysis indicated that the majority of students had a positive disposition toward critical thinking, yet the overall CCTST suggested that these students were somewhat below the national average. Also, individuals taking math and science prerequisites at the community-college level tended to have lower overall CCTST scores. The entering DPT class demonstrated moderate or middle range scores in critical thinking and disposition toward critical thinking. This result does not indicate, but might suggest, the potential for learning challenges. Assessing critical thinking skills as part of the admissions process may prove advantageous.

Testing critical point universality along the λ-line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nissen, J. A.; Swanson, D. R.; Geng, Z. K.; Dohm, V.; Israelsson, U. E.; DiPirro, M. J.; Lipa, J. A.

1998-02-01

We are currently building a prototype for a new test of critical-point universality at the lambda transition in 4He, which is to be performed in microgravity conditions. The flight experiment will measure the second-sound velocity as a function of temperature at pressures from 1 to 30 bars in the region close to the lambda line. The critical exponents and other parameters characterizing the behavior of the superfluid density will be determined from the measurements. The microgravity measurements will be quite extensive, probably taking 30 days to complete. In addition to the superfluid density, some measurements of the specific heat will be made using the low-g simulator at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The results of the superfluid density and specific heat measurements will be used to compare the asymptotic exponents and other universal aspects of the superfluid density with the theoretical predictions currently established by renormalization group techniques.

Demonstration of a neural circuit critical for imprinting behavior in chicks.

PubMed

Nakamori, Tomoharu; Sato, Katsushige; Atoji, Yasuro; Kanamatsu, Tomoyuki; Tanaka, Kohichi; Ohki-Hamazaki, Hiroko

2010-03-24

Imprinting behavior in birds is elicited by visual and/or auditory cues. It has been demonstrated previously that visual cues are recognized and processed in the visual Wulst (VW), and imprinting memory is stored in the intermediate medial mesopallium (IMM) of the telencephalon. Alteration of neural responses in these two regions according to imprinting has been reported, yet direct evidence of the neural circuit linking these two regions is lacking. Thus, it remains unclear how memory is formed and expressed in this circuit. Here, we present anatomical as well as physiological evidence of the neural circuit connecting the VW and IMM and show that imprinting training during the critical period strengthens and refines this circuit. A functional connection established by imprint training resulted in an imprinting behavior. After the closure of the critical period, training could not activate this circuit nor induce the imprinting behavior. Glutamatergic neurons in the ventroposterior region of the VW, the core region of the hyperpallium densocellulare (HDCo), sent their axons to the periventricular part of the HD, just dorsal and afferent to the IMM. We found that the HDCo is important in imprinting behavior. The refinement and/or enhancement of this neural circuit are attributed to increased activity of HDCo cells, and the activity depended on NR2B-containing NMDA receptors. These findings show a neural connection in the telencephalon in Aves and demonstrate that NR2B function is indispensable for the plasticity of HDCo cells, which are key mediators of imprinting.

Do Critical Thinking Exercises Improve Critical Thinking Skills?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotter, Ellen M.; Tally, Carrie Sacco

2009-01-01

Although textbooks routinely include exercises to improve critical thinking skills, the effectiveness of these exercises has not been closely examined. Additionally, the connection between critical thinking skills and formal operational thought is also relatively understudied. In the study reported here, college students completed measures of…

Initial conceptual design study of self-critical nuclear pumped laser systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodgers, R. J.

1979-01-01

An analytical study of self-critical nuclear pumped laser system concepts was performed. Primary emphasis was placed on reactor concepts employing gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF6) as the fissionable material. Relationships were developed between the key reactor design parameters including reactor power level, critical mass, neutron flux level, reactor size, operating pressure, and UF6 optical properties. The results were used to select a reference conceptual laser system configuration. In the reference configuration, the 3.2 m cubed lasing volume is surrounded by a graphite internal moderator and a region of heavy water. Results of neutronics calculations yield a critical mass of 4.9 U(235) in the form (235)UF6. The configuration appears capable of operating in a continuous steady-state mode. The average gas temperature in the core is 600 K and the UF6 partial pressure within the lasing volume is 0.34 atm.

Communication: Analytic continuation of the virial series through the critical point using parametric approximants.

PubMed

Barlow, Nathaniel S; Schultz, Andrew J; Weinstein, Steven J; Kofke, David A

2015-08-21

The mathematical structure imposed by the thermodynamic critical point motivates an approximant that synthesizes two theoretically sound equations of state: the parametric and the virial. The former is constructed to describe the critical region, incorporating all scaling laws; the latter is an expansion about zero density, developed from molecular considerations. The approximant is shown to yield an equation of state capable of accurately describing properties over a large portion of the thermodynamic parameter space, far greater than that covered by each treatment alone.

An Analysis of Primary Care Provider Productivity in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-08

are the Weekend Acute Care Clinic ( WACC ), After Hours Clinic (AHC), Troop Medical Clinic 10 (TMC 10), Troop Medical Clinic 12 (TMC 12), and Troop...and expense data. WACC Weekend Acute Care Clinic is staffed on a rotational basis by DFCM core assets; 0800-1700 on Saturdays & Sundays, by walk-in and

Economies of Place and Power: Lessons from One Regional University's Writing-Intensive Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chemishanova, Polina; Miecznikowski, Cynthia

2014-01-01

This article offers a critical examination of one regional institution's endeavor to imagine, develop, and implement a sustainable campus-wide writing-intensive program. Grounded in local and institutional contexts, our narrative elucidates how WPAs at rural and regional institutions can reconcile the processes of negotiation and concession to…

Regional-Scale Climate Change: Observations and Model Simulations

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

Bradley, Raymond S; Diaz, Henry F

2010-12-14

This collaborative proposal addressed key issues in understanding the Earth's climate system, as highlighted by the U.S. Climate Science Program. The research focused on documenting past climatic changes and on assessing future climatic changes based on suites of global and regional climate models. Geographically, our emphasis was on the mountainous regions of the world, with a particular focus on the Neotropics of Central America and the Hawaiian Islands. Mountain regions are zones where large variations in ecosystems occur due to the strong climate zonation forced by the topography. These areas are particularly susceptible to changes in critical ecological thresholds, andmore » we conducted studies of changes in phonological indicators based on various climatic thresholds.« less

Creating Critical Objectives and Assessments Using a Critical Communication Pedagogical Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahl, David H., Jr.

2018-01-01

Courses: Instructional Communication, Graduate Teaching Assistant Training Programs. Objectives: Students will (1) understand critical communication pedagogy (CCP); (2) evaluate traditional and critical objectives and assessment procedures; and (3) create critical objectives and assessment procedures.

Heart Mountain Relocation Center: A Lesson Using Primary Source Documents To Critically Analyze the Relocation of Japanese Americans to Wyoming. AHC Primary Sources in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyoming Univ., Laramie. American Heritage Center.

This lesson, for grades 7-12, correlates with Era 8, Standard 3c of the National History Standards for United States History: "evaluate the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and assess the implication for civil liberties." The lesson provides background on the internment of Japanese Americans during the war and…

A review of the calculation procedure for critical acid loads for terrestrial ecosystems.

PubMed

van der Salm, C; de Vries, W

2001-04-23

Target loads for acid deposition in the Netherlands, as formulated in the Dutch environmental policy plan, are based on critical load calculations at the end of the 1980s. Since then knowledge on the effect of acid deposition on terrestrial ecosystems has substantially increased. In the early 1990s a simple mass balance model was developed to calculate critical loads. This model was evaluated and the methods were adapted to represent the current knowledge. The main changes in the model are the use of actual empirical relationships between Al and H concentrations in the soil solution, the addition of a constant base saturation as a second criterion for soil quality and the use of tree species-dependant critical Al/base cation (BC) ratios for Dutch circumstances. The changes in the model parameterisation and in the Al/BC criteria led to considerably (50%) higher critical loads for root damage. The addition of a second criterion in the critical load calculations for soil quality caused a decrease in the critical loads for soils with a median to high base saturation such as loess and clay soils. The adaptation hardly effected the median critical load for soil quality in the Netherlands, since only 15% of the Dutch forests occur on these soils. On a regional scale, however, critical loads were (much) lower in areas where those soils are located.

An exponential scaling law for the strain dependence of the Nb3Sn critical current density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordini, B.; Alknes, P.; Bottura, L.; Rossi, L.; Valentinis, D.

2013-07-01

The critical current density of the Nb3Sn superconductor is strongly dependent on the strain applied to the material. In order to investigate this dependence, it is a common practice to measure the critical current of Nb3Sn strands for different values of applied axial strain. In the literature, several models have been proposed to describe these experimental data in the reversible strain region. All these models are capable of fitting the measurement results in the strain region where data are collected, but tend to predict unphysical trends outside the range of data, and especially for large strain values. In this paper we present a model of a new strain function, together with the results obtained by applying the new scaling law on relevant datasets. The data analyzed consisted of the critical current measurements at 4.2 K that were carried out under applied axial strain at Durham University and the University of Geneva on different strand types. With respect to the previous models proposed, the new scaling function does not present problems at large strain values, has a lower number of fitting parameters (only two instead of three or four), and is very stable, so that, starting from few experimental points, it can estimate quite accurately the strand behavior in a strain region where there are no data. A relationship is shown between the proposed strain function and the elastic strain energy, and an analogy is drawn with the exponential form of the McMillan equation for the critical temperature.

Critical Materials Institute

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

King, Alex

2013-01-09

Ames Laboratory Director Alex King talks about the goals of the Critical Materials Institute in diversifying the supply of critical materials, developing substitute materials, developing tools and techniques for recycling critical materials, and forecasting materials needs to avoid future shortages.

Critical Materials Institute

ScienceCinema

King, Alex

2017-12-22

Ames Laboratory Director Alex King talks about the goals of the Critical Materials Institute in diversifying the supply of critical materials, developing substitute materials, developing tools and techniques for recycling critical materials, and forecasting materials needs to avoid future shortages.

Critical Care

MedlinePlus

Critical care helps people with life-threatening injuries and illnesses. It might treat problems such as complications from surgery, ... attention by a team of specially-trained health care providers. Critical care usually takes place in an ...

Critical Thinking in Adulthood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulton, Rodney D.

Critical thinking is often defined as that which a particular instrument measures. The most prominent tests are the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, and the Cornell Critical Thinking Tests. Watson and Glaser's (1980) view of critical thinking is "a composite of attitudes, knowledge, and…

Critical Pedagogy's Problem with Changing Teachers' Dispositions towards Critical Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neumann, Jacob W.

2013-01-01

Increasing teachers' dispositions towards critical teaching is a fundamental goal for critical pedagogy. Because critical educational change cannot occur without teachers' "buy-in," developing teachers' inclination to implement critical teaching into their classrooms is a prerequisite for any successful critical pedagogy…

A Demonstration of the Continuous Phase (Second-Order) Transition of a Binary Liquid System in the Region around Its Critical Point

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Michael R.

2006-01-01

In most general chemistry and introductory physical chemistry classes, critical point is defined as that temperature-pressure point on a phase diagram where the liquid-gas interface disappears, a phenomenon that generally occurs at relatively high temperatures or high pressures. Two examples are: water, with a critical point at 647 K (critical…

Regionalizing Postsecondary Education for the Twenty-First Century: Promising Innovations and Capacity Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phelps, L. Allen

2012-01-01

In this article, separate sections examine the anchoring ingredients of the regional strategies through which two-year colleges are responding to local, regional, and in some cases broader needs deemed critical to generating and sustaining economic productivity and other forms of social and civic capital. First, drawing on recent European…

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 7

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 7

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 1

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 10

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 3

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 10

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 2

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 2

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 5

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 5

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 1

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 6

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 3

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 6

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level IV Ecoregions of EPA Region 4

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Level III Ecoregions of EPA Region 4

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecoregions by EPA region were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 104 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 84 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level I

Quantum Critical Behavior in a Concentrated Ternary Solid Solution

PubMed Central

Sales, Brian C.; Jin, Ke; Bei, Hongbin; Stocks, G. Malcolm; Samolyuk, German D.; May, Andrew F.; McGuire, Michael A.

2016-01-01

The face centered cubic (fcc) alloy NiCoCrx with x ≈ 1 is found to be close to the Cr concentration where the ferromagnetic transition temperature, Tc, goes to 0. Near this composition these alloys exhibit a resistivity linear in temperature to 2 K, a linear magnetoresistance, an excess –TlnT (or power law) contribution to the low temperature heat capacity, and excess low temperature entropy. All of the low temperature electrical, magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the alloys with compositions near x ≈ 1 are not typical of a Fermi liquid and suggest strong magnetic fluctuations associated with a quantum critical region. The limit of extreme chemical disorder in this simple fcc material thus provides a novel and unique platform to study quantum critical behavior in a highly tunable system. PMID:27188715

Quantum critical behavior in a concentrated ternary solid solution

DOE PAGES

Sales, Brian C.; Bei, Hongbin; Stocks, George Malcolm; ...

2016-05-18

The face centered cubic (fcc) alloy NiCoCr x with x ≈ 1 is found to be close to the Cr concentration where the ferromagnetic transition temperature, Tc, goes to 0. Near this composition these alloys exhibit a resistivity linear in temperature to 2 K, a linear magnetoresistance, an excess –TlnT (or power law) contribution to the low temperature heat capacity, and excess low temperature entropy. All of the low temperature electrical, magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the alloys with compositions near x ≈ 1 are not typical of a Fermi liquid and suggest strong magnetic fluctuations associated with a quantummore » critical region. Lastly, the limit of extreme chemical disorder in this simple fcc material thus provides a novel and unique platform to study quantum critical behavior in a highly tunable system.« less

A Critical Look at Dual Language Immersion in the New Latin@ Diaspora

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervantes-Soon, Claudia G.

2014-01-01

Two-way immersion (TWI), an approach that combines language-minority students and native English speakers in dual-language classrooms, is growing in popularity in schools of newly Latinized regions of the U.S. Using North Carolina as an example, this critical review of the literature posits that as neoliberal trends increasingly shape the…

A Framework for Evaluating Regional-Scale Numerical Photochemical Modeling Systems

EPA Science Inventory

This paper discusses the need for critically evaluating regional-scale (~ 200-2000 km) three dimensional numerical photochemical air quality modeling systems to establish a model's credibility in simulating the spatio-temporal features embedded in the observations. Because of li...

Dynamic data-driven integrated flare model based on self-organized criticality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitropoulou, M.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Georgoulis, M. K.

2013-05-01

Context. We interpret solar flares as events originating in active regions that have reached the self-organized critical state. We describe them with a dynamic integrated flare model whose initial conditions and driving mechanism are derived from observations. Aims: We investigate whether well-known scaling laws observed in the distribution functions of characteristic flare parameters are reproduced after the self-organized critical state has been reached. Methods: To investigate whether the distribution functions of total energy, peak energy, and event duration follow the expected scaling laws, we first applied the previously reported static cellular automaton model to a time series of seven solar vector magnetograms of the NOAA active region 8210 recorded by the Imaging Vector Magnetograph on May 1 1998 between 18:59 UT and 23:16 UT until the self-organized critical state was reached. We then evolved the magnetic field between these processed snapshots through spline interpolation, mimicking a natural driver in our dynamic model. We identified magnetic discontinuities that exceeded a threshold in the Laplacian of the magnetic field after each interpolation step. These discontinuities were relaxed in local diffusion events, implemented in the form of cellular automaton evolution rules. Subsequent interpolation and relaxation steps covered all transitions until the end of the processed magnetograms' sequence. We additionally advanced each magnetic configuration that has reached the self-organized critical state (SOC configuration) by the static model until 50 more flares were triggered, applied the dynamic model again to the new sequence, and repeated the same process sufficiently often to generate adequate statistics. Physical requirements, such as the divergence-free condition for the magnetic field, were approximately imposed. Results: We obtain robust power laws in the distribution functions of the modeled flaring events with scaling indices that agree well

Genetic Otx2 mis-localization delays critical period plasticity across brain regions.

PubMed

Lee, H H C; Bernard, C; Ye, Z; Acampora, D; Simeone, A; Prochiantz, A; Di Nardo, A A; Hensch, T K

2017-05-01

Accumulation of non-cell autonomous Otx2 homeoprotein in postnatal mouse visual cortex (V1) has been implicated in both the onset and closure of critical period (CP) plasticity. Here, we show that a genetic point mutation in the glycosaminoglycan recognition motif of Otx2 broadly delays the maturation of pivotal parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons not only in V1 but also in the primary auditory (A1) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Consequently, not only visual, but also auditory plasticity is delayed, including the experience-dependent expansion of tonotopic maps in A1 and the acquisition of acoustic preferences in mPFC, which mitigates anxious behavior. In addition, Otx2 mis-localization leads to dynamic turnover of selected perineuronal net (PNN) components well beyond the normal CP in V1 and mPFC. These findings reveal widespread actions of Otx2 signaling in the postnatal cortex controlling the maturational trajectory across modalities. Disrupted PV+ network function and deficits in PNN integrity are implicated in a variety of psychiatric illnesses, suggesting a potential global role for Otx2 function in establishing mental health.

Identification of conserved regions and residues within Hedgehog acyltransferase critical for palmitoylation of Sonic Hedgehog.

PubMed

Buglino, John A; Resh, Marilyn D

2010-06-23

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a palmitoylated protein that plays key roles in mammalian development and human cancers. Palmitoylation of Shh is required for effective long and short range Shh-mediated signaling. Attachment of palmitate to Shh is catalyzed by Hedgehog acyltransferase (Hhat), a member of the membrane bound O-acyl transferase (MBOAT) family of multipass membrane proteins. The extremely hydrophobic composition of MBOAT proteins has limited their biochemical characterization. Except for mutagenesis of two conserved residues, there has been no structure-function analysis of Hhat, and the regions of the protein required for Shh palmitoylation are unknown. Here we undertake a systematic approach to identify residues within Hhat that are required for protein stability and/or enzymatic activity. We also identify a second, novel MBOAT homology region (residues 196-234) that is required for Hhat activity. In total, ten deletion mutants and eleven point mutants were generated and analyzed. Truncations at the N- and C-termini of Hhat yielded inactive proteins with reduced stability. Four Hhat mutants with deletions within predicted loop regions and five point mutants retained stability but lost palmitoylation activity. We purified two point mutants, W378A and H379A, with defective Hhat activity. Kinetic analyses revealed alterations in apparent K(m) and V(max) for Shh and/or palmitoyl CoA, changes that likely explain the catalytic defects observed for these mutants. This study has pinpointed specific regions and multiple residues that regulate Hhat stability and catalysis. Our findings should be applicable to other MBOAT proteins that mediate lipid modification of Wnt proteins and ghrelin, and should serve as a model for understanding how secreted morphogens are modified by palmitoyl acyltransferases.

SADC establishes a regional action plan.

PubMed

Klouda, T

1997-02-01

The regional meeting held on AIDS strategy in Lilongwe, Malawi, in December, 1996, made important advances. The 12 countries of the SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) joined the European Union to institute a regional action plan for the reduction of susceptibility of people to HIV because of social, cultural, and environmental factors; the vulnerability of people with HIV infection to social and other difficulties; and the vulnerability of institutions because of the foregoing impacts. At the conference the issues explored were employment, mining, medical drugs, education, and tourism. An employment charter was seen as crucial for the success of AIDS and workplace activities. Facilitation of travel across borders was important for the reduction of susceptibility to HIV infection. Enhancement of regional policies for essential drugs was vital for drugs for the treatment of AIDS. The clarification of the regional role was critical for regional support of national action (strengthening technical and institutional capacities) and for regional joint action such as studies on research, harmonization of data collection on HIV/AIDS; organization of training; development of information and education on HIV/AIDS; facilitation of manufacturing of drugs and condoms; and the development of a regional information and education program about HIV/AIDS. The conference also clarified HIV/AIDS programs in relation to other health and socioeconomic problems.

Win-win-win: collaboration advances critical care practice.

PubMed

Spence, Deb; Fielding, Sandra

2002-10-01

Against a background of increasing interest in education post registration, New Zealand nurses are working to advance their professional practice. Because the acquisition of highly developed clinical capabilities requires a combination of nursing experience and education, collaboration between clinicians and nurse educators is essential. However, the accessibility of relevant educational opportunities has been an ongoing issue for nurses outside the country's main centres. Within the framework of a Master of Health Science, the postgraduate certificate (critical care nursing) developed between Auckland University of Technology and two regional health providers is one such example. Students enrol in science and knowledge papers concurrently then, in the second half of the course, are supported within their practice environment to acquire advanced clinical skills and to analyse, critique and develop practice within their specialty. This paper provides an overview of the structure and pr month, distance education course focused on developing the context of critical care nursing.

Critical Casimir forces, Goldstone modes and anomalous wetting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balibar, Sebastien

2004-03-01

We have measured the contact angle of a ^3He - ^4He interface on a sapphire window, near the tricritical temperature Tt of liquid helium mixtures (T. Ueno et al., J. Low Temp. Phys. 130, 543, 2003). We have found the first experimental evidence of a violation of "critical point wetting", the general phenomenon introduced by J.W. Cahn in 1977. We then proposed that Fisher and de Gennes' "critical Casimir effect" provides the necessary long range force for this anomalous wetting behavior to occur (T. Ueno et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 116102, 2003). Our measurements are now extended to the superfluid region far below the tricritical temperature T_t. Our goal is to test the prediction by M. Kardar and R. Golestanian that the confinement of Goldstone modes in superfluid films leads to an additionnal contribution to the Casimir force (M. Kardar and R. Golestanian, Rev. Mod. Phys. 71, 1233, 1999). We compare theoretical predictions to experimental results.

Nonlinear critical-layer evolution of a forced gravity wave packet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, L. J.; Maslowe, S. A.

2003-10-01

In this paper, numerical simulations are presented of the nonlinear critical-layer evolution of a forced gravity wave packet in a stratified shear flow. The wave packet, localized in the horizontal direction, is forced at the lower boundary of a two-dimensional domain and propagates vertically towards the critical layer. The wave mean-flow interactions in the critical layer are investigated numerically and contrasted with the results obtained using a spatially periodic monochromatic forcing. With the horizontally localized forcing, the net absorption of the disturbance at the critical layer continues for large time and the onset of the nonlinear breakdown is delayed compared with the case of monochromatic forcing. There is an outward flux of momentum in the horizontal direction so that the horizontal extent of the packet increases with time. The extent to which this happens depends on a number of factors including the amplitude and horizontal length of the forcing. It is also seen that the prolonged absorption of the disturbance stabilizes the solution to the extent that it is always convectively stable; the local Richardson number remains positive well into the nonlinear regime. In this respect, our results for the localized forcing differ from those in the case of monochromatic forcing where significant regions with negative Richardson number appear.

Sensitivity of MRI parameters within intervertebral discs to the severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PubMed

Huber, Maxime; Gilbert, Guillaume; Roy, Julien; Parent, Stefan; Labelle, Hubert; Périé, Delphine

2016-11-01

To measure magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters including relaxation times (T 1 ρ, T 2 ), magnetization transfer (MT) and diffusion parameters (mean diffusivity [MD], fractional anisotropy [FA]) of intervertebral discs in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis, and to investigate the sensitivity of these MR parameters to the severity of the spine deformities. Thirteen patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and three control volunteers with no history of spine disease underwent an MRI acquisition at 3T including the mapping of T 1 ρ, T 2 , MT, MD, and FA. The apical zone included all discs within the scoliotic curve while the control zone was composed of other discs. The severity was analyzed through low (<32°) versus high (>40°) Cobb angles. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) were performed. Significant differences were found between the apical zone and the control zone for T 2 (P = 0.047), and between low and high Cobb angles for T 2 (P = 0.014) and MT (P = 0.002). AHC showed two distinct clusters, one with mainly low Cobb angles and one with mainly high Cobb angles, for the MRI parameters measured within the apical zone, with an accuracy of 0.9 and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.8. Within the control zone, the AHC showed no clear classification (accuracy of 0.6 and MCC of 0.2). We successfully performed an in vivo multiparametric MRI investigation of young patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The MRI parameters measured within the intervertebral discs were found to be sensitive to intervertebral disc degeneration occurring with scoliosis and to the severity of scoliosis. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:1123-1131. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Transferring disease management and health promotion programs to other countries: critical success factors.

PubMed

Azarmina, Pejman; Prestwich, Graham; Rosenquist, Joel; Singh, Debbie

2008-12-01

Governments and health service providers around the world are under pressure to improve health outcomes while containing rising healthcare costs. In response to such challenges, many regions have implemented services that have been successful in other countries-but 'importing' initiatives has many challenges. This article summarizes factors found to be critical to the success of adapting a US disease management and health promotion programme for use in Italy and the UK. Using three illustrative case studies, it describes how in each region the programme needed to adapt (i) the form and content of the disease management service, (ii) the involvement and integration with local clinicians and services and (iii) the evaluation of programme outcomes. We argue that it is important to implement evidence-based practice by learning lessons from other countries and service initiatives, but that it is equally important to take into consideration the '3Ps' that are critical for successful service implementation: payers, practitioners and patients.

Estimating Critical Nitrogen Loads for a California Grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, S. B.

2007-12-01

Rigorously established critical nitrogen loads to protect biodiversity can be effective policy tools for addressing the insidious impacts of atmospheric N-deposition on ecosystems. This presentation describes methods for determining critical N-loads to a California grassland ecosystem by careful examination of the continuum from emissions, transport, atmospheric chemistry, deposition, ecosystem response, and impacts on biodiversity. Nutrient-poor soils derived from serpentinite bedrock support diverse native grasslands with dazzling wildflower displays and numerous threatened and endangered species, including the Bay checkerspot butterfly. Under moderate atmospheric N-deposition, these sites are rapidly invaded by introduced nitrophilous annual grasses in the absence of appropriate grazing or other management. Critical loads to this ecosystem have been approached by measurements of atmospheric concentrations of reactive N gases using Ogawa passive samplers and seasonally averaged deposition velocities. A regional-scale pollution gradient was complemented by a very local-scale pollution gradient extending a few hundred meters downwind of a heavily traveled road in a relatively unpolluted area. The local gradient suggests a critical load of 5 kg-N ha-1 a-1 or less. The passive monitor calculations largely agree with deposition calculated with the CMAQ model at 4 km scale. Emissions of NH3 from catalytic converters are the dominant N-source at the roadway site, and are a function of traffic volume and speed. Plant tissue N-content and 15N gradients support the existence of N-deposition gradients. The complexities of more detailed calculations and measurements specific to this ecosystem include seasonal changes in LAI, temporal coincidence of traffic emissions and stomatal conductance, surface moisture, changes in oxidized versus reduced N sources, and annual weather variation. The concept of a "critical cumulative load" may be appropriate over decadal time scales in

Economic analysis of critical habitat designation for the desert tortoise (Mojave population)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schamberger, Mel; MacGillvray, Timothy J.; Draper, Dirk D.

1993-01-01

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service emergency 1isted the Mojave population of the desert tortoise as endangered on August 4, 1989. The Mojave population formally was listed as threatened on April 2, 1990. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, requires that the economic benefits and costs and other relevant effects of critical habitat designation be considered. The Secretary of the Interior may exclude from designation areas where the costs of designation are greater than the benefits, unless the exclusion would result in extinction of the species. Desert tortoises are threatened by an accumulation of human-and disease-related mortality accompanied by habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation. Many desert tortoises are illegally collected for pets, food, and commercial trade. Others are accidentally struck and killed by vehicles on roads and highways or are killed by gunshot or vehicles traveling off-highway. Raven predation on hatchling desert tortoises has increased as raven populations in the desert have risen. An upper respiratory tract disease is suspected to be a major cause of mortality in the western Mojave Desert. This presumably incurable affliction presumably is thought to be spread through the release of infected tortoises into the desert. The Service has proposed designating critical habitat in nine counties within four states. The 12 critical habitat units encompass 6.4 million acres of land, more than 80% federally owned. This region is economically and demographically diverse. Most of the land is sparsely settled and characterized as a hot desert ecosystem. Major industries in the region include entertainment and lodging (primarily in Las Vegas), property development to accommodate the rapid population growth, and services. Millions of rural acres in the region are leased by the federal government for livestock grazing and used for mining. Overall economic benefits to the affected states derived from cattle and sheep grazing in the

The critical loads concept: milestone or millstone for the new millennium?

PubMed

Cresser, M S

2000-04-17

The significance of the introduction of the critical loads concept in the closing decades of the 20th century is considered critically, both in the context of its potential in planning pollution abatement strategies over a range of regional spatial and temporal scales and in terms of its more general impact upon atmospheric pollution effects research. Based upon perceived strengths and shortcomings of the concept and of the ways in which it has thus far been applied, a brief assessment is made also of its possible role in the opening decade of the new millennium. It is concluded that the validity of some of the fundamental underpinning concepts and of the data being used for their application could, and should, be questioned. Nevertheless, environmental pollution management and abatement policy planning will continue to require application of the critical loads concept or something very similar, both in existing and novel areas of application, for the sustainable management of soil and water resources in the long term.

Human mobility prediction from region functions with taxi trajectories.

PubMed

Wang, Minjie; Yang, Su; Sun, Yi; Gao, Jun

2017-01-01

People in cities nowadays suffer from increasingly severe traffic jams due to less awareness of how collective human mobility is affected by urban planning. Besides, understanding how region functions shape human mobility is critical for business planning but remains unsolved so far. This study aims to discover the association between region functions and resulting human mobility. We establish a linear regression model to predict the traffic flows of Beijing based on the input referred to as bag of POIs. By solving the predictor in the sense of sparse representation, we find that the average prediction precision is over 74% and each type of POI contributes differently in the predictor, which accounts for what factors and how such region functions attract people visiting. Based on these findings, predictive human mobility could be taken into account when planning new regions and region functions.

Human mobility prediction from region functions with taxi trajectories

PubMed Central

Wang, Minjie; Sun, Yi; Gao, Jun

2017-01-01

People in cities nowadays suffer from increasingly severe traffic jams due to less awareness of how collective human mobility is affected by urban planning. Besides, understanding how region functions shape human mobility is critical for business planning but remains unsolved so far. This study aims to discover the association between region functions and resulting human mobility. We establish a linear regression model to predict the traffic flows of Beijing based on the input referred to as bag of POIs. By solving the predictor in the sense of sparse representation, we find that the average prediction precision is over 74% and each type of POI contributes differently in the predictor, which accounts for what factors and how such region functions attract people visiting. Based on these findings, predictive human mobility could be taken into account when planning new regions and region functions. PMID:29190708

Rethinking the Mission of Internationalization of Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Shun Wing

2012-01-01

This article adopts the critical theory approach to reflect and analyse the impacts of globalization on the internationalization process of higher education in the Asia-Pacific region. It argues that globalization forces many of the higher education institutions in the region to follow global practices and ideologies of the Anglo-American paradigm…

Noise and time delay induce critical point in a bistable system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianqiang; Nie, Linru; Yu, Lilong; Zhang, Xinyu

2014-07-01

We study relaxation time Tc of time-delayed bistable system driven by two cross-correlated Gaussian white noises that one is multiplicative and the other is additive. By means of numerical calculations, the results indicate that: (i) Combination of noise and time delay can induce two critical points about the relaxation time at some certain noise cross-correlation strength λ under the condition that the multiplicative intensity D equals to the additive noise intensity α. (ii) For each fixed D or α, there are two symmetrical critical points which locates in the regions of positive and negative correlations, respectively. Namely, as λ equals to the critical value λc, Tc is independent of the delay time and the result of Tc versus τ is a horizontal line, but as |λ|>|λc| (or |λ|<|λc|), the relaxation time Tc monotonically increases (or decreases) with the delay time increasing. (iii) In the presence of D = α, the change of λc with D is two symmetrical curves about the axis of λc = 0, and the critical value λc is close to zero for a smaller D, which approaches to +1 or -1 for a greater D.

Reimagining Critical Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rexhepi, Jevdet; Torres, Carlos Alberto

2011-01-01

This paper discusses Critical Theory, a model of theorizing in the field of the political sociology of education. We argue for a "reimagined" Critical Theory to herald an empowering, liberatory education that fosters curiosity and critical thinking, and a means for successful bottom-up, top-down political engagement. We present arguments…

Distribution of kerosene components in rats following dermal exposure.

PubMed

Tsujino, Y; Hieda, Y; Kimura, K; Eto, H; Yakabe, T; Takayama, K; Dekio, S

2002-08-01

The systemic distribution of kerosene components in blood and tissues was analysed in rats following dermal exposure. Four types of trimethylbenzenes (TMBs) and aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) with carbon numbers 9-16 (C(9)-C(16)) were analysed as major kerosene components by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The kerosene components were detected in blood and all tissues after a small piece of cotton soaked with kerosene was applied to the abdominal skin. The amounts of TMBs detected were higher than those of AHCs. Greater increases in TMB levels were found in adipose tissue in an exposure duration-dependent manner. The amounts of TMBs detected were only at trace levels following post-mortem dermal exposure to kerosene. These findings suggest that kerosene components were absorbed percutaneously and distributed to various organs via the blood circulation. Post-mortem or ante-mortem exposure to kerosene could be distinguished when the exposure duration was relatively long. Adipose tissue would seem to be the most useful for estimating the degree of kerosene exposure.

Science-based Region-of-Interest Image Compression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, K. L.; Castano, R.; Dolinar, S.; Klimesh, M.; Mukai, R.

2004-01-01

As the number of currently active space missions increases, so does competition for Deep Space Network (DSN) resources. Even given unbounded DSN time, power and weight constraints onboard the spacecraft limit the maximum possible data transmission rate. These factors highlight a critical need for very effective data compression schemes. Images tend to be the most bandwidth-intensive data, so image compression methods are particularly valuable. In this paper, we describe a method for prioritizing regions in an image based on their scientific value. Using a wavelet compression method that can incorporate priority information, we ensure that the highest priority regions are transmitted with the highest fidelity.

Critical ionization velocity experiments in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Shu T.; Murad, Edmond

1989-07-01

Space experiments to test the critical ionization velocity (CIV) theory have, on the whole, yielded negative results, with two notable exceptions. The results of all the experiments are analyzed with a view towards either optimizing or drawing conclusions about the conditions which lead to the propagation of CIV. In particular, four aspects of the conditions are considered: (1) beam injection angle with the ambient magnetic field in the ionosphere; (2) length of a CIV discharge region in a conical beam; (3) collisional ionization of the neutrals; and (4) chemiionization processes. The analysis leads to the conclusion that using the exhaust of the Shuttle engines may be the best way for testing CIV.

Eastern and Central Pacific ENSO and their relationships to the recharge/discharge oscillator paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Awnesh; Delcroix, Thierry

2013-12-01

One of the leading theories to explain the oscillatory nature of the El Niño Southern Oscillation is the recharge-discharge oscillator paradigm, which roots on warm waters exchanged between the equatorial and off-equatorial regions. This study tests the relevance of this theory to account for the Eastern and recently mediated Central Pacific El Niño events. The recharge-discharge of the equatorial Pacific, measured here as changes in Warm (>20 °C) Water Volume (WWV), is analysed using monthly 1993-2010 sea level anomaly (a proxy for WWV) obtained from altimetry, and a validated 1958-2007 DRAKKAR simulation. An Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) technique performed on the observed and modelled WWV tendency shows the existence of five distinct clusters, which characterise the Eastern Pacific (EP) and Central Pacific (CP) El Niño, La Niña, after EP El Niño and neutral conditions. The AHC results, complemented with an analysis of lagged-regression analysis, and 3-month averages of typical EP and CP El Niño events, indicate that the equatorial band WWV discharge during CP is not as pronounced as during EP El Niño. To understand the differences, we analysed the balance of horizontal mass transports accounting for changes in WWV tendency. The analysis indicates an overall poleward transport during EP El Niño, which is not the case during CP El Niño. Instead, a compensating effect with a poleward (equatorward) transport occurring in the western (eastern) Pacific is evident, in line with changes in the zonal thermocline slopes occurring in the western (eastern) half of the basin. The WWV changes are discussed with respect to the conceptual phases of the recharge-discharge oscillator paradigm.

How Critical Is Critical Thinking? FACTC Focus, 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doerr, Mark, Ed.

2010-01-01

"FACTC Focus" is a publication of Faculty Association of Community and Technical Colleges (FACTC) with the purpose of presenting diverse views on faculty issues. Included in this issue are: (1) LOL: The Easy ROUTE TO Critical Thinking (Barbara B. Parsons); (2) Critical Thinking: We Know It When We (Don't) See It (Jared Anthony); (3) Critical…

En Route Use of Analgesics in Nonintubated, Critically Ill Patients Transported by U.S. Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Teams.

PubMed

Mora, Alejandra G; Ganem, Victoria J; Ervin, Alicia T; Maddry, Joseph K; Bebarta, Vikhyat S

2016-05-01

U.S. Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATTs) evacuate critically ill patients with acute pain in the combat setting. Limited data have been reported on analgesic administration en route, and no study has reported analgesic use by CCATTs. Our objective was to describe analgesics used by CCATTs for nonintubated, critically ill patients during evacuation from a combat setting. We conducted an institutional review board-approved, retrospective review of CCATT records. We included nonintubated, critically ill patients who were administered analgesics in flight and were evacuated out of theater (2007-2012). Demographics, injury description, analgesics and anesthetics, and predefined clinical adverse events were recorded. Data were presented as mean ± standard deviation or percentage (%). Of 1,128 records, we analyzed 381 subjects with the following characteristics: age 26 ± 7.0 years; 98% male; and 97% trauma (70% blast, 17% penetrating, 11% blunt, and 3% burn). The injury severity score was 19 ± 9. Fifty-one percent received morphine, 39% hydromorphone, 15% fentanyl, and 5% ketamine. Routes of delivery were 63% patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), 32% bolus intravenous (IV) administration, 24% epidural delivery, 21% continuous IV infusions, and 9% oral opioids. Patients that were administered local anesthetics (nerve block or epidural delivery) with IV opioids received a lower total dose of opioids than those who received opioids alone. No differences were associated between analgesics and frequency of complications in flight or postflight. About half of nonintubated, critically ill subjects evacuated out of combat by CCATT received morphine and more than half had a PCA. In our study, ketamine was not frequently used and pain scores were rarely recorded. However, we detected an opioid-sparing effect associated with local anesthetics (regional nerve blocks and epidural delivery). Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Ferromagnetic quantum critical point in CePd2P2 with Pd → Ni substitution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Y.; Bone, S. E.; Minasian, S.; Ferrier, M. G.; Lezama-Pacheco, J.; Mocko, V.; Ditter, A. S.; Kozimor, S. A.; Seidler, G. T.; Nelson, W. L.; Chiu, Y.-C.; Huang, K.; Potter, W.; Graf, D.; Albrecht-Schmitt, T. E.; Baumbach, R. E.

2018-06-01

An investigation of the structural, thermodynamic, and electronic transport properties of the isoelectronic chemical substitution series Ce (Pd1-xNix) 2P2 is reported, where a possible ferromagnetic quantum critical point is uncovered in the temperature-concentration (T -x ) phase diagram. This behavior results from the simultaneous contraction of the unit cell volume, which tunes the relative strengths of the Kondo and Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interactions, and the introduction of disorder through alloying. Near the critical region at xcr≈ 0.7, the rate of contraction of the unit cell volume strengthens, indicating that the cerium f valence crosses over from trivalent to a noninteger value. Consistent with this picture, x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that while CePd2P2 has a purely trivalent cerium f state, CeNi2P2 has a small (<10 %) tetravalent contribution. In a broad region around xcr, there is a breakdown of Fermi-liquid temperature dependences, signaling the influence of quantum critical fluctuations and disorder effects. Measurements of clean CePd2P2 furthermore show that applied pressure has an initial effect similar to alloying on the ferromagnetic order. From these results, CePd2P2 emerges as a keystone system to test theories such as the Belitz-Kirkpatrick-Vojta model for ferromagnetic quantum criticality, where distinct behaviors are expected in the dirty and clean limits.

Homogenization of regional river dynamics by dams and global biodiversity implications.

PubMed

Poff, N Leroy; Olden, Julian D; Merritt, David M; Pepin, David M

2007-04-03

Global biodiversity in river and riparian ecosystems is generated and maintained by geographic variation in stream processes and fluvial disturbance regimes, which largely reflect regional differences in climate and geology. Extensive construction of dams by humans has greatly dampened the seasonal and interannual streamflow variability of rivers, thereby altering natural dynamics in ecologically important flows on continental to global scales. The cumulative effects of modification to regional-scale environmental templates caused by dams is largely unexplored but of critical conservation importance. Here, we use 186 long-term streamflow records on intermediate-sized rivers across the continental United States to show that dams have homogenized the flow regimes on third- through seventh-order rivers in 16 historically distinctive hydrologic regions over the course of the 20th century. This regional homogenization occurs chiefly through modification of the magnitude and timing of ecologically critical high and low flows. For 317 undammed reference rivers, no evidence for homogenization was found, despite documented changes in regional precipitation over this period. With an estimated average density of one dam every 48 km of third- through seventh-order river channel in the United States, dams arguably have a continental scale effect of homogenizing regionally distinct environmental templates, thereby creating conditions that favor the spread of cosmopolitan, nonindigenous species at the expense of locally adapted native biota. Quantitative analyses such as ours provide the basis for conservation and management actions aimed at restoring and maintaining native biodiversity and ecosystem function and resilience for regionally distinct ecosystems at continental to global scales.

2011 critical care transport workplace and salary survey.

PubMed

Greene, Michael J

2011-01-01

Critical care transport (CCT) leaders from 260 organizations were invited to participate in an online, hosted survey of industry compensation and workplace practices. Approximately 150 questions were presented to participants, soliciting a broad base of information on CCT organizations, personnel, compensation, and workplace practices, notably alertness and fatigue management. CCT organizational salaries are represented by common job class and reported by summary with minimum, middle, and maximum hourly rates in a national aggregate and by Association of Air Medical Services region. Copyright © 2011 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Translational Rodent Models of Korsakoff Syndrome Reveal the Critical Neuroanatomical Substrates of Memory Dysfunction and Recovery

PubMed Central

Hall, Joseph M.; Resende, Leticia S.

2016-01-01

Investigation of the amnesic disorder Korsakoff Syndrome (KS) has been vital in elucidating the critical brain regions involved in learning and memory. Although the thalamus and mammillary bodies are the primary sites of neuropathology in KS, functional deactivation of the hippocampus and certain cortical regions also contributes to the chronic cognitive dysfunction reported in KS. The rodent pyrithiamine-induced thiamine deficiency (PTD) model has been used to study the extent of hippocampal and cortical neuroadaptations in KS. In the PTD model, the hippocampus, frontal and retrosplenial cortical regions display loss of cholinergic innervation, decreases in behaviorally stimulated acetylcholine release and reductions in neurotrophins. While PTD treatment results in significant impairment in measures of spatial learning and memory, other cognitive processes are left intact and may be recruited to improve cognitive outcome. In addition, behavioral recovery can be stimulated in the PTD model by increasing acetylcholine levels in the medial septum, hippocampus and frontal cortex, but not in the retrosplenial cortex. These data indicate that although the hippocampus and frontal cortex are involved in the pathogenesis of KS, these regions retain neuroplasticity and may be critical targets for improving cognitive outcome in KS. PMID:22528861

Translational rodent models of Korsakoff syndrome reveal the critical neuroanatomical substrates of memory dysfunction and recovery.

PubMed

Savage, Lisa M; Hall, Joseph M; Resende, Leticia S

2012-06-01

Investigation of the amnesic disorder Korsakoff Syndrome (KS) has been vital in elucidating the critical brain regions involved in learning and memory. Although the thalamus and mammillary bodies are the primary sites of neuropathology in KS, functional deactivation of the hippocampus and certain cortical regions also contributes to the chronic cognitive dysfunction reported in KS. The rodent pyrithiamine-induced thiamine deficiency (PTD) model has been used to study the extent of hippocampal and cortical neuroadaptations in KS. In the PTD model, the hippocampus, frontal and retrosplenial cortical regions display loss of cholinergic innervation, decreases in behaviorally stimulated acetylcholine release and reductions in neurotrophins. While PTD treatment results in significant impairment in measures of spatial learning and memory, other cognitive processes are left intact and may be recruited to improve cognitive outcome. In addition, behavioral recovery can be stimulated in the PTD model by increasing acetylcholine levels in the medial septum, hippocampus and frontal cortex, but not in the retrosplenial cortex. These data indicate that although the hippocampus and frontal cortex are involved in the pathogenesis of KS, these regions retain neuroplasticity and may be critical targets for improving cognitive outcome in KS.

Mapping the critical gestational age at birth that alters brain development in preterm-born infants using multi-modal MRI.

PubMed

Wu, Dan; Chang, Linda; Akazawa, Kentaro; Oishi, Kumiko; Skranes, Jon; Ernst, Thomas; Oishi, Kenichi

2017-04-01

Preterm birth adversely affects postnatal brain development. In order to investigate the critical gestational age at birth (GAB) that alters the developmental trajectory of gray and white matter structures in the brain, we investigated diffusion tensor and quantitative T2 mapping data in 43 term-born and 43 preterm-born infants. A novel multivariate linear model-the change point model, was applied to detect change points in fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and T2 relaxation time. Change points captured the "critical" GAB value associated with a change in the linear relation between GAB and MRI measures. The analysis was performed in 126 regions across the whole brain using an atlas-based image quantification approach to investigate the spatial pattern of the critical GAB. Our results demonstrate that the critical GABs are region- and modality-specific, generally following a central-to-peripheral and bottom-to-top order of structural development. This study may offer unique insights into the postnatal neurological development associated with differential degrees of preterm birth. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vapor-liquid equilibrium and critical asymmetry of square well and short square well chain fluids.

PubMed

Li, Liyan; Sun, Fangfang; Chen, Zhitong; Wang, Long; Cai, Jun

2014-08-07

The critical behavior of square well fluids with variable interaction ranges and of short square well chain fluids have been investigated by grand canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulations. The critical temperatures and densities were estimated by a finite-size scaling analysis with the help of histogram reweighting technique. The vapor-liquid coexistence curve in the near-critical region was determined using hyper-parallel tempering Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation results for coexistence diameters show that the contribution of |t|(1-α) to the coexistence diameter dominates the singular behavior in all systems investigated. The contribution of |t|(2β) to the coexistence diameter is larger for the system with a smaller interaction range λ. While for short square well chain fluids, longer the chain length, larger the contribution of |t|(2β). The molecular configuration greatly influences the critical asymmetry: a short soft chain fluid shows weaker critical asymmetry than a stiff chain fluid with same chain length.

OZCAR: the French network of Critical Zone Observatories: principles and scientific objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braud, Isabelle; Gaillardet, Jérôme; Hankard, Fatim; Le Borgne, Tanguy; Nord, Guillaume; Six, Delphine; Galy, Catherine; Laggoun-Défarge, Fatima; Tallec, Tiphaine; Pauwels, Hélène

2017-04-01

This contribution aims at presenting the principles that underlined the creation of the OZCAR research infrastructure, gathering various Critical Zone Observatories in France, and the scientific questions that drives the observation settings. The Critical Zone includes the fine zone between the lower atmosphere at the top of the canopy down to the bedrock-soil interface. This lithosphere-atmosphere boundary is critical for the availability of life-sustaining resources and critical for humanity because this is the zone where we live, where we build our cities, from which we extract our food and our water and where we release most of our wastes. This is the fragile zone on which the natural ecosystem relies because this is where nutrients are being released from the rocks. OZCAR is a distributed research infrastructure gathering instrumented sites and catchments on continental surfaces all dedicated to the observation and monitoring of the different compartments of the Critical Zone at the national scale. All these observatories (more that 40) were all built up on specific questions (acid deposition, flood prediction, urban hydrology…), some of them more than 50 years ago, but they have all in common to be highly instrumented, permanently funded as infrastructures. They all share the same overarching goal of understanding and predicting the Critical Zone in a changing world. OZCAR gathers instrumented catchments, hydrogeological sites, peatlands, glacier and permafrost regions and a spatial observatory under the common umbrella of understanding water and biogeochemical cycles and the associated fluxes of energy by using natural gradients and experimentation. Based on the collaboration with Southern Countries, OZCAR's sites have a global coverage including tropical areas and high mountainous regions in the Andes and the Himalaya. OZCAR benefits from a French investments project called CRITEX (Innovative equipment for the critical zone, https://www.critex.fr/critex-3

Continuous-time adaptive critics.

PubMed

Hanselmann, Thomas; Noakes, Lyle; Zaknich, Anthony

2007-05-01

A continuous-time formulation of an adaptive critic design (ACD) is investigated. Connections to the discrete case are made, where backpropagation through time (BPTT) and real-time recurrent learning (RTRL) are prevalent. Practical benefits are that this framework fits in well with plant descriptions given by differential equations and that any standard integration routine with adaptive step-size does an adaptive sampling for free. A second-order actor adaptation using Newton's method is established for fast actor convergence for a general plant and critic. Also, a fast critic update for concurrent actor-critic training is introduced to immediately apply necessary adjustments of critic parameters induced by actor updates to keep the Bellman optimality correct to first-order approximation after actor changes. Thus, critic and actor updates may be performed at the same time until some substantial error build up in the Bellman optimality or temporal difference equation, when a traditional critic training needs to be performed and then another interval of concurrent actor-critic training may resume.

A primer on criticality safety

DOE PAGES

Costa, David A.; Cournoyer, Michael E.; Merhege, James F.; ...

2017-05-01

Criticality is the state of a nuclear chain reacting medium when the chain reaction is just self-sustaining (or critical). Criticality is dependent on nine interrelated parameters. Moreover, we design criticality safety controls in order to constrain these parameters to minimize fissions and maximize neutron leakage and absorption in other materials, which makes criticality more difficult or impossible to achieve. We present the consequences of criticality accidents are discussed, the nine interrelated parameters that combine to affect criticality are described, and criticality safety controls used to minimize the likelihood of a criticality accident are presented.

Criticality meets learning: Criticality signatures in a self-organizing recurrent neural network

PubMed Central

Del Papa, Bruno; Priesemann, Viola

2017-01-01

Many experiments have suggested that the brain operates close to a critical state, based on signatures of criticality such as power-law distributed neuronal avalanches. In neural network models, criticality is a dynamical state that maximizes information processing capacities, e.g. sensitivity to input, dynamical range and storage capacity, which makes it a favorable candidate state for brain function. Although models that self-organize towards a critical state have been proposed, the relation between criticality signatures and learning is still unclear. Here, we investigate signatures of criticality in a self-organizing recurrent neural network (SORN). Investigating criticality in the SORN is of particular interest because it has not been developed to show criticality. Instead, the SORN has been shown to exhibit spatio-temporal pattern learning through a combination of neural plasticity mechanisms and it reproduces a number of biological findings on neural variability and the statistics and fluctuations of synaptic efficacies. We show that, after a transient, the SORN spontaneously self-organizes into a dynamical state that shows criticality signatures comparable to those found in experiments. The plasticity mechanisms are necessary to attain that dynamical state, but not to maintain it. Furthermore, onset of external input transiently changes the slope of the avalanche distributions – matching recent experimental findings. Interestingly, the membrane noise level necessary for the occurrence of the criticality signatures reduces the model’s performance in simple learning tasks. Overall, our work shows that the biologically inspired plasticity and homeostasis mechanisms responsible for the SORN’s spatio-temporal learning abilities can give rise to criticality signatures in its activity when driven by random input, but these break down under the structured input of short repeating sequences. PMID:28552964

Future Earth, Global Science and Regional Programs: Building regional integrated science capacities in a global science organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tewksbury, J.

2016-12-01

Future Earth has emerged from the more than 30-year history of Global Change Research Programs, including IGBP, DIVERSITAS and IHDP. These programs supported interdisciplinary science in service of societies around the world. Now, their focus on building a greater understanding of changing Earth systems and their couplings with society has passed to Future Earth - with an important addition: Future Earth was also established to focus global change efforts around key societal challenges. The implications for the structure of Future Earth are large. Many challenges within topics, such as the water, energy, food nexus or the future of cities, are manifested within local, national, and regional contexts. How should we organize globally to most effectively confront these multi-scale challenges? The solution proposed in the framing of Future Earth was the formation of regional as well as national committees, as well as the formation of regional centers and offices. Regional Committees serve to both advocate for Future Earth in their regions and to advocate for regional interests in the global Future Earth platform, while regional Centers and offices are built into the Future Earth secretariat to perform a parallel regional implementation function. Implementation has not been easy, and the process has placed regionally-focused projects in an awkward place. Programs such as the Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS), the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), and the South/Southeast Asia Research Initiative (SARI) represent some of the best global change communities in the world, but by design, their focus is regional. The effective integration of these communities into the Future Earth architecture will be critical, and this integration will require the formation of strong regional committees and regional centers.

Circulation of multiple serotypes of highly divergent enterovirus C in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yong; Sun, Qiang; Cui, Hui; Yan, Dongmei; Fan, Qin; Song, Yang; Zhu, Shuangli; Li, Xiaolei; Huang, Guohong; Ji, Tianjiao; Hu, Lan; Wang, Dongyan; Yang, Qian; Xu, Wenbo

2016-01-01

Poliomyelitis associated with circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) is a serious public health issue in the post-eradication era, and the occurrence of recombinant cVDPVs emphasizes the need to elucidate enterovirus C (EV-C) epidemiology. Stool samples were collected from 826 healthy children in Southern Xinjiang in 2011 to investigate EV-C circulation and epidemiology. Thirty-six EV-Cs were isolated and assigned to eight EV-C serotypes by molecular serotyping, suggesting the circulation of diverse EV-Cs in Xinjiang. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Xinjiang EV-C strains had larger variation compared to the prototype and other modern strains. Additionally, the results showed unique characteristics of Xinjiang EV-Cs, such as the cytopathicity of CV-A1 strains to RD cells; the high divergence in CV-A11, CV-A13, CV-A17, and CV-A20 strains; the divergence of Xinjiang CV-A24 from AHC-related CV-A24 variant stains distributed worldwide; and the circulation of two novel EV-C serotypes (EV-C96 and EV-C99). Evaluations of this dense and diverse EV-C ecosystem will help elucidate the processes shaping enteroviral biodiversity. This study will improve our understanding of the evolution of enteroviruses and the recombination potential between polioviruses and other EV-Cs. PMID:27642136

Representation of critical natural capital in China.

PubMed

Lü, Yihe; Zhang, Liwei; Zeng, Yuan; Fu, Bojie; Whitham, Charlotte; Liu, Shuguang; Wu, Bingfang

2017-08-01

Traditional means of assessing representativeness of conservation value in protected areas depend on measures of structural biodiversity. The effectiveness of priority conservation areas at representing critical natural capital (CNC) (i.e., an essential and renewable subset of natural capital) remains largely unknown. We analyzed the representativeness of CNC-conservation priority areas in national nature reserves (i.e., nature reserves under jurisdiction of the central government with large spatial distribution across the provinces) in China with a new biophysical-based composite indicator approach. With this approach, we integrated the net primary production of vegetation, topography, soil, and climate variables to map and rank terrestrial ecosystems capacities to generate CNC. National nature reserves accounted for 6.7% of CNC-conservation priority areas across China. Considerable gaps (35.2%) existed between overall (or potential) CNC representativeness nationally and CNC representation in national reserves, and there was significant spatial heterogeneity of representativeness in CNC-conservation priority areas at the regional and provincial levels. For example, the best and worst representations were, respectively, 13.0% and 1.6% regionally and 28.9% and 0.0% provincially. Policy in China is transitioning toward the goal of an ecologically sustainable civilization. We identified CNC-conservation priority areas and conservation gaps and thus contribute to the policy goals of optimization of the national nature reserve network and the demarcation of areas critical to improving the representativeness and conservation of highly functioning areas of natural capital. Moreover, our method for assessing representation of CNC can be easily adapted to other large-scale networks of conservation areas because few data are needed, and our model is relatively simple. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

A Critical Humanist Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magill, Kevin; Rodriguez, Arturo

2015-01-01

This essay is a critical humanist discussion of curriculum; a departure from the technicist view of education [education meant to support a global capitalist economy] and an analysis of curriculum considering critical humanism, political economy and critical race theory among other modes of critical analysis and inquiry. Our discussion supports a…

A Simple Model for the Earthquake Cycle Combining Self-Organized Criticality with Critical Point Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, W. I.; Turcotte, D. L.

2002-12-01

We have studied a hybrid model combining the forest-fire model with the site-percolation model in order to better understand the earthquake cycle. We consider a square array of sites. At each time step, a "tree" is dropped on a randomly chosen site and is planted if the site is unoccupied. When a cluster of "trees" spans the site (a percolating cluster), all the trees in the cluster are removed ("burned") in a "fire." The removal of the cluster is analogous to a characteristic earthquake and planting "trees" is analogous to increasing the regional stress. The clusters are analogous to the metastable regions of a fault over which an earthquake rupture can propagate once triggered. We find that the frequency-area statistics of the metastable regions are power-law with a negative exponent of two (as in the forest-fire model). This is analogous to the Gutenberg-Richter distribution of seismicity. This "self-organized critical behavior" can be explained in terms of an inverse cascade of clusters. Individual trees move from small to larger clusters until they are destroyed. This inverse cascade of clusters is self-similar and the power-law distribution of cluster sizes has been shown to have an exponent of two. We have quantified the forecasting of the spanning fires using error diagrams. The assumption that "fires" (earthquakes) are quasi-periodic has moderate predictability. The density of trees gives an improved degree of predictability, while the size of the largest cluster of trees provides a substantial improvement in forecasting a "fire."

A study on an information security system of a regional collaborative medical platform.

PubMed

Zhao, Junping; Peng, Kun; Leng, Jinchang; Sun, Xiaowei; Zhang, Zhenjiang; Xue, Wanguo; Ren, Lianzhong

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to share the experience of building an information security system for a regional collaborative medical platform (RCMP) and discuss the lessons learned from practical projects. Safety measures are analyzed from the perspective of system engineering. We present the essential requirements, critical architectures, and policies for system security of regional collaborative medical platforms.

Pressure Injuries in Critical Care: A Survey of Critical Care Nurses.

PubMed

Cox, Jill; Schallom, Marilyn

2017-10-01

Critical care nurses must be able to skillfully balance the prevention of adverse events such as pressure injuries in an environment with multiple competing and lifesaving technologies that often take precedent. Despite strategies to prevent them, pressure injuries do occur in intensive care unit patients, and consensus is building that some pressure injuries are unavoidable. To determine critical care nurses' attitudes toward prevention of pressure injury and the perceptions of frontline critical care nurses of specific risk factors associated with unavoidable pressure injuries. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used. An online survey was posted on the newsletter website of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses in January 2016. An invitation to participate in the study was emailed to more than 3000 members of the association; 333 nurses responded, for a response rate of approximately 11%. Among the responders, 73% were employed as bedside critical care nurses. More than half (67%) thought that pressure injuries are avoidable, and 66% disagreed that pressure injury prevention was of less interest than other aspects of critical care. The top 2 risk factors for unavoidable pressure injuries were impaired tissue perfusion and impaired tissue oxygenation. Critical care nurses are steadfast stewards of safe patient care and think that pressure injury prevention is a crucial aspect of the care they deliver every day. The findings on risk factors for unavoidable pressure injuries mirrored those of experts and provide a layer of support for these factors. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Critical fluctuations and the rates of interstate switching near the excitation threshold of a quantum parametric oscillator.

PubMed

Lin, Z R; Nakamura, Y; Dykman, M I

2015-08-01

We study the dynamics of a nonlinear oscillator near the critical point where period-two vibrations are first excited with the increasing amplitude of parametric driving. Above the threshold, quantum fluctuations induce transitions between the period-two states over the quasienergy barrier. We find the effective quantum activation energies for such transitions and their scaling with the difference of the driving amplitude from its critical value. We also find the scaling of the fluctuation correlation time with the quantum noise parameters in the critical region near the threshold. The results are extended to oscillators with nonlinear friction.

Enhancing students’ critical thinking skills through critical thinking assessment in calculus course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zulfaneti; Edriati, S.; Mukhni

2018-01-01

This study aims to determine the development of students’ critical thinking skills through the implementation of critical thinking instruments in Calculus lectures. The instruments consist of observation sheets, critical thinking test, self-assessment, peer assessment and portfolio. The research was a qualitative research; with the participants were 53 first-year students who take Integral Calculus in Mathematics Education Department STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat representing high-ability students, medium and low. The data in this study were collected by tests, interviews, observations and field notes. Data were analyzed descriptively; data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. For testing the validity of data, it was used credibility test data by increasing persistence and triangulation. The results showed that in high-level students there is a change of ability from Critical enough to be Very Critical, in the students with moderate and low ability there is a change of ability from Uncritical to Critical. So it can be concluded that the assessment instruments have a good contribution and can improve the ability of critical thinking.

Perceptual load in different regions of the visual scene and its relevance for driving.

PubMed

Marciano, Hadas; Yeshurun, Yaffa

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to better understand the role played by perceptual load, at both central and peripheral regions of the visual scene, in driving safety. Attention is a crucial factor in driving safety, and previous laboratory studies suggest that perceptual load is an important factor determining the efficiency of attentional selectivity. Yet, the effects of perceptual load on driving were never studied systematically. Using a driving simulator, we orthogonally manipulated the load levels at the road (central load) and its sides (peripheral load), while occasionally introducing critical events at one of these regions. Perceptual load affected driving performance at both regions of the visual scene. Critically, the effect was different for central versus peripheral load: Whereas load levels on the road mainly affected driving speed, load levels on its sides mainly affected the ability to detect critical events initiating from the roadsides. Moreover, higher levels of peripheral load impaired performance but mainly with low levels of central load, replicating findings with simple letter stimuli. Perceptual load has a considerable effect on driving, but the nature of this effect depends on the region of the visual scene at which the load is introduced. Given the observed importance of perceptual load, authors of future studies of driving safety should take it into account. Specifically, these findings suggest that our understanding of factors that may be relevant for driving safety would benefit from studying these factors under different levels of load at different regions of the visual scene. © 2014, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Higher Education: A Critical Business.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Ronald

Current concepts of critical thinking need to be reconstrued into the much broader concept of "critical being" and applied to higher education. Under this construct, critical persons (students) become more than just critical thinkers; they engage critically with the world and with themselves; they not only reflect critically on…

The Critical Advantage: Developing Critical Thinking Skills in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gormley, William T., Jr.

2017-01-01

In "The Critical Advantage," noted scholar and early childhood expert William T. Gormley, Jr. takes a wide ranging look at the important role of critical thinking in preparing students for college, careers, and civic life. Drawing on research from psychology, philosophy, business, political science, neuroscience, and other disciplines,…

Weak phase stiffness and nature of the quantum critical point in underdoped cuprates

DOE PAGES

Yildirim, Yucel; Ku, Wei

2015-11-02

We demonstrate that the zero-temperature superconducting phase diagram of underdoped cuprates can be quantitatively understood in the strong binding limit, using only the experimental spectral function of the “normal” pseudogap phase without any free parameter. In the prototypical (La 1–xSr x) 2CuO 4, a kinetics-driven d-wave superconductivity is obtained above the critical doping δ c ~ 5.2%, below which complete loss of superfluidity results from local quantum fluctuation involving local p-wave pairs. Near the critical doping, an enormous mass enhancement of the local pairs is found responsible for the observed rapid decrease of phase stiffness. Lastly, a striking mass divergencemore » is predicted at δ c that dictates the occurrence of the observed quantum critical point and the abrupt suppression of the Nernst effects in the nearby region.« less

Modeling the Self-organized Critical Behavior of Earth's Plasma Sheet Reconnection Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klimas, Alexander J.

2006-01-01

Analyses of Polar UVI auroral image data show that bright night-side high-latitude W emissions exhibit so many of the key properties of systems in self-organized criticality that an alternate interpretation has become virtually impossible. These analyses will be reviewed. It is now necessary to find and model the source of this behavior. We note that the most common models of self-organized criticality are numerical sandpiles. These are, at root, models that govern the transport of some quantity from a region where it is loaded to another where it is unloaded. Transport is enabled by the excitation of a local threshold instability; it is intermittent and bursty, and it exhibits a number of scale-free statistical properties. Searching for a system in the magnetosphere that is analogous and that, in addition, is known to produce auroral signatures, we focus on the reconnection dynamics of the magnetotail plasma sheet. In our previous work, a driven reconnection model has been constructed and has been under study. The transport of electromagnetic (primarily magnetic) energy carried by the Poynting flux into the reconnection region of the model has been examined. All of the analysis techniques (and more) that have been applied to the auroral image data have also been applied to this Poynting flux. New results will be presented showing that this model also exhibits so many of the key properties of systems in self-organized criticality that an alternate interpretation is implausible. A strong correlation between these key properties of the model and those of the auroral UV emissions will be demonstrated. We suggest that, in general, the driven reconnection model is an important step toward a realistic plasma physical model of self-organized criticality and we conclude, more specifically, that it is also a step in the right direction toward modeling the multiscale reconnection dynamics of the magnetotail.

Critical Transition in Critical Zone of Intensively Managed Landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, P.

2017-12-01

Intensification of industrial agriculture has resulted in severe unintended global impacts, including degradation of arable land and eutrophication of receiving water bodies. Modern agricultural practices rely on significant direct and indirect human energy inputs, which have created imbalances between increased rates of biogeochemical processes related to production and background rates of natural processes. These imbalances have cascaded through the deep inter-dependencies between carbon, soil, water, nutrient and ecological processes, resulting in a critical transition of the Critical Zone and creating emergent dynamics and evolutionary trajectories. Understanding of these novel organization and function of the Critical Zone is vital for developing sustainable agricultural practices.

Regional frequency analysis of extreme rainfall for the Baltimore Metropolitan region based on stochastic storm transposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Z.; Smith, J. A.; Yang, L.; Baeck, M. L.; Wright, D.; Liu, S.

2017-12-01

Regional frequency analyses of extreme rainfall are critical for development of engineering hydrometeorology procedures. In conventional approaches, the assumptions that `design storms' have specified time profiles and are uniform in space are commonly applied but often not appropriate, especially over regions with heterogeneous environments (due to topography, water-land boundaries and land surface properties). In this study, we present regional frequency analyses of extreme rainfall for Baltimore study region combining storm catalogs of rainfall fields derived from weather radar and stochastic storm transposition (SST, developed by Wright et al., 2013). The study region is Dead Run, a small (14.3 km2) urban watershed, in the Baltimore Metropolitan region. Our analyses build on previous empirical and modeling studies showing pronounced spatial heterogeneities in rainfall due to the complex terrain, including the Chesapeake Bay to the east, mountainous terrain to the west and urbanization in this region. We expand the original SST approach by applying a multiplier field that accounts for spatial heterogeneities in extreme rainfall. We also characterize the spatial heterogeneities of extreme rainfall distribution through analyses of rainfall fields in the storm catalogs. We examine the characteristics of regional extreme rainfall and derive intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves using the SST approach for heterogeneous regions. Our results highlight the significant heterogeneity of extreme rainfall in this region. Estimates of IDF show the advantages of SST in capturing the space-time structure of extreme rainfall. We also illustrate application of SST analyses for flood frequency analyses using a distributed hydrological model. Reference: Wright, D. B., J. A. Smith, G. Villarini, and M. L. Baeck (2013), Estimating the frequency of extreme rainfall using weather radar and stochastic storm transposition, J. Hydrol., 488, 150-165.

Hinge residue I174 is critical for proper dNTP selection by DNA polymerase beta.

PubMed

Yamtich, Jen; Starcevic, Daniela; Lauper, Julia; Smith, Elenoe; Shi, Idina; Rangarajan, Sneha; Jaeger, Joachim; Sweasy, Joann B

2010-03-23

DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) is the key gap-filling polymerase in base excision repair, the DNA repair pathway responsible for repairing up to 20000 endogenous lesions per cell per day. Pol beta is also widely used as a model polymerase for structure and function studies, and several structural regions have been identified as being critical for the fidelity of the enzyme. One of these regions is the hydrophobic hinge, a network of hydrophobic residues located between the palm and fingers subdomains. Previous work by our lab has shown that hinge residues Y265, I260, and F272 are critical for polymerase fidelity by functioning in discrimination of the correct from incorrect dNTP during ground state binding. Our work aimed to elucidate the role of hinge residue I174 in polymerase fidelity. To study this residue, we conducted a genetic screen to identify mutants with a substitution at residue I174 that resulted in a mutator polymerase. We then chose the mutator mutant I174S for further study and found that it follows the same general kinetic pathway as and has an overall protein folding similar to that of wild-type (WT) pol beta. Using single-turnover kinetic analysis, we found that I174S exhibits decreased fidelity when inserting a nucleotide opposite a template base G, and this loss of fidelity is due primarily to a loss of discrimination during ground state dNTP binding. Molecular dynamics simulations show that mutation of residue I174 to serine results in an overall tightening of the hinge region, resulting in aberrant protein dynamics and fidelity. These results point to the hinge region as being critical in the maintenance of the proper geometry of the dNTP binding pocket.

Linguistic Barriers among Internationally Educated Teachers in Ireland and Canada: A Critical Comparative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Clea; McDaid, Rory

2015-01-01

Drawing on qualitative interview and focus group data collected from Internationally Educated Teachers (IETs) in the context of two different research studies conducted in Ireland and Manitoba, Canada, this article critically examines how national/regional linguistic requirements and expectations of a hidden curriculum are experienced as barriers…

Consequences of a Recent Campaign of Criticism against School Sex Education in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirose, Hiroko

2013-01-01

This paper aims to provide insights into recent events concerning school sex education in Japan. A campaign of criticism against school sex education emerged in 2002 at both national and regional levels, and included a court case in Tokyo. Despite leaving a depressing atmosphere regarding sex education teaching practices, this campaign also…

Extensive piano practicing has regionally specific effects on white matter development.

PubMed

Bengtsson, Sara L; Nagy, Zoltán; Skare, Stefan; Forsman, Lea; Forssberg, Hans; Ullén, Fredrik

2005-09-01

Using diffusion tensor imaging, we investigated effects of piano practicing in childhood, adolescence and adulthood on white matter, and found positive correlations between practicing and fiber tract organization in different regions for each age period. For childhood, practicing correlations were extensive and included the pyramidal tract, which was more structured in pianists than in non-musicians. Long-term training within critical developmental periods may thus induce regionally specific plasticity in myelinating tracts.

Using an Integrated Hydrologic Model to Assess the Ecohydrological Impacts of Change on a Mountain Headwaters Critical Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, C.; Maxwell, R. M.; Visser, A.

2016-12-01

The critical zone is the region of the Earth's crust where hydrogeology, ecology, and climate interact. As many critical zone processes are fundamental, the significance of studying critical zone processes goes beyond understanding the local ecohydrological setting. Therefore studying critical zone governing processes requires an interdisciplinary approach that integrates simulation and observation. In this study, a high-resolution integrated hydrologic model, ParFlow-CLM, was developed for the Providence Creek watershed. Providence Creek is a highly instrumented critical zone observatory (CZO) located in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, a region currently experiencing a range of short-term responses (i.e. tree mortality) to a severe four-year drought. Sources of plant water use, pathways and residence times of water through the subsurface are identified using a suite of isotopic signatures and numerical particle tracking. Implications of using a fully coupled integrated hydrologic model accompanied by tracer analysis include better understanding of water partitioning and water storage in the regolith and vegetation water use during drought time conditions. The importance of subsurface storage, plant available water and lateral flow during the 2012-2015 drought to mitigate vegetation stress are addressed and verified against observed tree mortality. The stream flow response to tree mortality in the aftermath of the drought, analogous to the Colorado Mountain Pine Beetle case, provides insight into the potential effects of proposed forest management practices.

Applying Critical Discourse Analysis in Health Policy Research: Case Studies in Regional, Organizational, and Global Health.

PubMed

Evans-Agnew, Robin A; Johnson, Susan; Liu, Fuqin; Boutain, Doris M

2016-08-01

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is a promising methodology for policy research in nursing. As a critical theoretical methodology, researchers use CDA to analyze social practices and language use in policies to examine whether such policies may promote or impede social transformation. Despite the widespread use of CDA in other disciplines such as education and sociology, nursing policy research employing CDA methodology is sparse. To advance CDA use in nursing science, it is important to outline the overall research strategies and describe the steps of CDA in policy research. This article describes, using exemplar case studies, how nursing and health policy researchers can employ CDA as a methodology. Three case studies are provided to discuss the application of CDA research methodologies in nursing policy research: (a) implementation of preconception care policies in the Zhejiang province of China, (b) formation and enactment of statewide asthma policy in Washington state of the United States, and (c) organizational implementation of employee antibullying policies in hospital systems in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Each exemplar details how CDA guided the examination of policy within specific contexts and social practices. The variations of the CDA approaches in the three exemplars demonstrated the flexibilities and potentials for conducting policy research grounded in CDA. CDA provides novel insights for nurse researchers examining health policy formation, enactment, and implementation. © The Author(s) 2016.

Citrate Pharmacokinetics in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney Injury

PubMed Central